One day ahead of the much anticipated debut of the Mighty Argo Cable Car in Idaho Springs, Mary Jane Loevlie gave a tour to the man who would be emceeing the celebratory event. 

The two walked around the top of the gondola, around the attractions here at Miners Point, where the Continental Divide dazzles in view. 

“This guy was so touched and so amazed,” Loevlie said. And so was she — feeling that pride she’s felt every time she has introduced people to her dream come true.

“My favorite thing is seeing people’s reactions when they get to the top,” said Loevlie, the Idaho Springs native and entrepreneur. 

In the days ahead, she’ll finally be seeing the broader public’s reaction. 

After nearly 10 years of envisioning, planning, attracting global investors and building, the Mighty Argo Cable Car is ready to board passengers. A ribbon cutting is set for Friday, followed by local rides and a public opening May 9.

The gold-colored cabins — “golden nuggets,” Loevlie, the historic preservationist, likes to call them — will roughly follow the route of the historic Argo Tunnel that powered mining in the area once regarded as the “Richest Square Mile on Earth.” The gondola will load beside the Argo Mill, the red structure seen from Interstate 70, preserved as a tourist destination under Loevlie’s ownership. 

Said to have processed $100 million worth of ore, the Argo Mill stands to represent the town known for starting Colorado’s gold rush. Loevlie is quick to tell the tale of George Jackson’s 1859 discovery. 

And she’s quick to tell of the Mighty Argo Cable Car reclaiming her hometown’s former bustle and glory. 

Indeed, Mayor Chuck Harmon has called the $71 million project “the biggest thing to happen to the city of Idaho Springs since the gold rush.” A feasibility study estimated annual ridership of 500,000 or more.

Gondolas in Estes Park and Glenwood Springs might be comparable. But over her lifetime in Colorado, Loevlie thinks of no comparisons. 

“I think it’s unmatched,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything that combines historic preservation and heritage tourism with outdoor recreation like this.”

Yes, trails of the surrounding Virginia Canyon Mountain Park figure prominently. Here’s more about the attraction:

The ride 

The gondola cabins will travel 1.2 miles over the canyon, soaring about 1,300 feet to Miners Point near 8,800 feet. Reserved tickets online are posted between $30-$50, with family and group discounts available.

The average ride will take 10 minutes. Most of the 22 cabins seat 10 people, with a couple fewer in the cabins with glass-paneled floors — adding a thrill.

Also, the Mighty Argo Cable Car will feature bike-hauling cabins that have been called “revolutionary,” manufacturer Doppelmayr’s first of their kind in North America.

“Hop off the gondola, unload your bike and head for the trails,” Loevlie said during a tour of the mountaintop, pointing to four different launch points anticipated.

At no cost, mountain bikers can still power themselves up a trail for the downhill network that has steadily expanded over the years, but now they will have the option of a paid tow up (a three-hour, multi-ride session is posted at $65). In Colorado, only ski resorts boast such lift-served trails.

Onlookers estimate Virginia Canyon Mountain Park has attracted more than 1,000 mountain bikers some Saturdays and Sundays. Now with the gondola? 

“I don’t think we know,” said Gary Moore, who has spearheaded trail construction with Colorado Mountain Bike Association. “It’s such an unprecedented project.” 

Loevlie has said she and her team “are very concerned about capacity and parking,” echoing critical locals around town. “We’ll probably be experimenting a little the first few months,” Loevlie said. 

That’s in line with “a limited release” of tickets “as operations ramp up in phases,” according to a news release, which advised checking updates at mightyargo.com.

The top 

From the gondola’s terminals to the three-level complex for food and drink and more, the structures around Miners Point have an industrial, rusted iron appearance. 

“I want people to feel like they are in gold mining country,” Loevlie said, stepping to that three-level complex. “This building, as you can see, echoes the architecture of the Argo Mill.”

The building will include the Gold Bar and Sun and Moon Saloon named for a nearby mining claim. A speakeasy-style cocktail lounge is perched upstairs overlooking an amphitheater built for concerts. 

“Imagine this at night,” Loevlie said of the venue backdropped by multiple 14,000-foot peaks. 

The view will be enjoyed with “very simple but elegant mountain food,” Loevlie said. The view will be enjoyed as well from the terraced plaza meandering around a kids play zone and signs educating on local history. And the views continue on various paths winding down the mountain. 

More about the trails

If not via the gondola, one could reach Miners Point for free by hiking or pedaling up Rosa Gulch Trail, rising about 4 ½ miles near the bottom terminal to the top. Up Rosa Gulch, before Miners Point, hikers can connect over to the scenic Buttermilk Peak and Morning Star trails.

Riders, meanwhile, have connected to downhill lines of a network spanning 15-plus miles. Drop Shaft and Eureka will be among trails plunging down from Miners Point, flying over wooden features built for speed and occasional airtime.

Moore, with Colorado Mountain Bike Association, said this summer will see additions called Panic Switch and Meyers Flyer as the trail system grows toward its full vision close to 30 miles. 

“By and large it’s a little bit rowdier,” Moore said. “Everything is blue, blue-black and on up.” 

In recent years elsewhere along I-70, Colorado Mountain Bike Association oversaw trail expansions around Floyd Hill and Maryland Mountain near Black Hawk. Moore sees Virginia Canyon Mountain Park forming a trifecta worthy of a multi-day vacation. 

“We’re really hoping people come and get to know these areas the way you would a Leadville or Fruita or one of those,” he said.

Back to the bottom

Loevlie hopes the Mighty Argo Cable Car brings more attention to the neighboring site that preceded it more than 100 years ago: the Argo Mill and Tunnel. The ticketing office and gift shop have been overhauled to meet more visitors who perhaps have only seen the red structure from afar on I-70.

“Those whiz-bys,” Loevlie said. “It never fails when people come through the mill: ‘Oh, my God, I had no idea.'” 

Tours explore the historic gold processing mill along with the entrance to the tunnel that was an engineering marvel in the 1890s. The tunnel drained water from mines and provided ventilation and transportation, before a catastrophic flood closed it in 1943. 

The end of one mighty enterprise and the start of a new one just steps away — the symbolism is not lost on Loevlie. 

“It’s reinvigorating that economic engine,” she said. “It’s gonna be pretty fabulous.”