Researching Independence Pass, Colorado – A Learning Experience!
Research for my new release, AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, led me up Independence Pass, Colorado. At over twelve thousand feet at its peak its the highest paved pass in North America. The breathtaking scenic overlook has a 360-degree view of the alpine tundra above tree-line, and Mount Elbert, the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States.
Independence Ghost Town sixteen miles east of Aspen is the historic ghost town of Independence. Once a thriving mining town with a population of 1,500, today you can view the remains of miner’s cabins, the Farewell Stamp Mill, 
Stables, and the General Store. Life was difficult for the people here. While exploring this area, I rounded the back of one of this cabin’s remains and a scene now in AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT played out. Yeah I know, I have an overactive imagination. LOL
Continental Divide: The midway point between Aspen and Twin Lakes Colorado, Independence Pass is the dividing point between watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean vs. those that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. At 12,095 feet the weather can be unpredictable. Can you imagine what it was like for the miners trying to exist in the winter conditions in the 1800’s? Brrrrrr!
I also discovered there were two campgrounds in the area. Lost Man Family Campground directly across Independence Pass road from the Lost Man Trailhead and Difficult Campground is located five miles southeast of Aspen. While Caden Silverwind, the hero in AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, preferred to camp away from the population, I thought I’d check out if there were campgrounds in the area. Yep, we’re planning to do a little camping up there next year.
In another part of the book, the characters relocate to Riverton, Wyoming. Home of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The research there was equally interesting. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Native American tribes call this home. Did you know that the Wind River Reservation is the seventh-largest in the United States? It encompasses a land area of 3,473.272 square miles. The only casinos in Wyoming are owned by the Eastern Shoshone and the Northen Arapaho. There is a casino in AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT.
Well we are only three days from the release of AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT. It was a fun book to research and write. I hope you’ll pick up a copy.
Fallen warrior angel, Caden Silverwind, lives alone in Colorado’s rugged Rockies, healing from physical wounds as well as the mental anguish suffered during battles with dark demons. Then he finds a woman barely clinging to life after a horrendous beating. He is not prepared for the entanglement she brings to his life, nor the feelings she awakens in him.
Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent, Mystic Rayne’s personal dilemma and assignment nearly gets her killed. Divine intervention is a complication she never expected and her growing attraction to Caden is undeniable. Can she trust him with her secret?
Their quest to uncover her attacker takes them from the pristine mountains in Colorado to the wilds of Wyoming. Along the way, they find answers which may place them in more danger. Determined to solve the mystery, they must also navigate their feelings and fears to find love and unite heaven and earth.
Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, itunes, The Wild Rose Press and Barnes and Noble
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, Arapaho, Casinos, Colorado, Independent Pass, Riverton, Shoshone, Tena Stetler, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
