GeyserGayser,
Again, thanks for posting these which demonstrate the splendors of this trail - wish I'd had the opportunity to ride the Olympian Hiawatha on this route.
For those not familiar with the route, roughly 10 (of the 15) miles consists of an elongated horseshoe curve with the tracks ascending (at between 1 1/2%) along one side of a valley , doing a U-turn (in a tunnel) at the end of the valley and then continuing the ascent (in the reverse direction) up the other side of the valley. Both sides of the main valley are intersected with a series of ridges and gorges, which required approximately 10 each spectacular trestles and tunnels.
Your first two photos are taken from well up the upper side, looking across the valley and down at a trestle on the lower part of the grade. Your fourth photo is taken from the lower line but fairly close to the actual U-turn, so there is not as great a difference between its elevation and that of the trestle across the valley on the upper side. As your third photo illustrates, St. Paul Pass was on one of the two electrified portions of the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension.
A spectacular place to bike, and if you want to use the shuttle, it's all downhill!
Bill
