Crystal Mill

Crystal Mill is an old mining mill originally constructed in 1892 for the sole purpose of powering an air compressor used to drill holes for mining the Sheep and Bear Mountain mines. The compressor is housed within the structure and originally there was a dam created at the top of the waterfall which forced water down the penstock (ladder like looking structure) which in turn powered the compressor. Interestingly, this was not used to create electricity as the mill never had or used electricity in its operation.

The mill is accessible from Marble, Colorado via 4x4 or by foot, mountain bike and horse. I decided to make the 10-mile hike so I parked near Lizard Lake and enjoyed the day exploring and photographing The Mill and surrounding areas.

I spent a few hours at The Mill and had lunch while I waited for lighting to improve. In the meantime I enjoyed a little lunch and took a few aerial photos from my Mavic Pro drone which is always in my backpack.