The documented history of the sawmill is scarce, at best, but here is what we do know. The Smole family homesteaded on Muddy Pass in 1887. They raised sheep and also ran a logging and sawmill operation. The powerhouse of the Smole business was in the draft-horse teams that powered their operation. After working the bulk of the year on the Smole site, the draft-horse teams were housed in Kremmling (at a friend’s Ranch, during the harsh winter months. During the summer months the Denver Boxing Team would stay and work here at the Smole’s sawmill, helping with the daily operations. This working relationship helped the Team with their high-altitude training. In the mid to late 1950’s the Smole family closed the business and moved away from the site.

A NEW LIFE FOR THE OLD MILL

The property would change hands several times after the Smole family left the county. The old mill then stayed on the real estate market for nearly 15 years. During this time Ruth and her three children regularly drove past the property and commented on how fun it would be to purchase and restore all the buildings. In the fall of 2015 Jeremy and Ruth Nixon were married. Three years later, on Memorial Day Weekend of 2018, Jeremy and Ruth sold their house on the Gore (near Kremmling) and purchased the property. Roughing it in a camper for most of that first year they have done extensive reconstruction on the property. Two cabins have been completely refurbished and have housed guests since November 2020.