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Park City Historical Society & Museum, Himes-Buck Digital Collection
Note: This is the second of two articles about the creation of the Spiro Tunnel.
As described in part one of this series, in late 1915 Solon Spiro’s King Con mine company announced plans to drive a 14,000-foot-long development and exploration tunnel to its mine claims in Thaynes Canyon.
Work commenced on “the long bore” in May of 1916. The first task was to level the site and prepare it for the power and drilling equipment to be moved onsite, as well as a machine shop and powder house. The project was expected to take several years and to produce ore in sufficient quantities to offset costs when about half of the tunnel was completed. An October 1916 Park Record story referenced the tunnel as the “Spiro tunnel” and that name seemed to be commonly used thereafter. The tunnel proceeded into the mountain at an average of 10 feet a day.
Ridgelines
The California-Comstock Mine stands silently in Thaynes Canyon at the base of the Keystone run at Park City Mountain Resort.
Photo by Tom Kelly
Keystone is one of those magical runs at Park City Mountain Resort. It’s a bit tucked away you need to take the old Pioneer lift to get there. Filled with undulating terrain, it’s a nice blue groomer with a ton of width. Given its location, you never have to play pinball with crowds so you can unleash some big, sweeping carving turns.
As you ski down Keystone it’s important to position yourself to the left. As you near the bottom, slow down and stop. At the base of the run, just across Thaynes Canyon, is one of the unique landmarks that make our mountains here in Park City so special.