VISIT WITH WEDLAKES, COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, RIDGWAY RAILROAD MUSEUM, AND FALL COLORS

 

On our way to the San Juan Mountains for our annual visit, on September 28 we met the Wedlakes in Grand Junction for a little sightseeing and a fine lunch at their home. We parked the motor home with Jeep attached in a parking lot at a closed supermarket and they met us in their car.

 

 

They drove us up to the Colorado National Monument, an area of eroded red sandstone typical to  the Colorado Plateau, literally on the outskirts of Grand Junction. Above shows Grand Mesa on the horizon, the world’s largest mesa  we were told.

 

 

View from the Visitors Center showing the water course which eroded  this deep canyon.

 

Jerry and Jill Wedlake and Jo

Jerry and I were good friends in grade school in Beloit. We try to get together every year we go to the San Juan Mountains.

 

 

Liberty Cap formation so called because climbers plant the U S flag on the top every Fourth of July.

 

 

At the Ridgway Railroad Museum this authentic replica of the Rio Grande Southern’s Galloping Goods no. 1 is on permanent display. It is operated on a short narrow gauge track.

 

Recently the shed roof has been added to protect the cars, restored and unrestored, from some of the elements and more track was laid.

 

I love to drive the county road between Ridgway and Ouray . Most of the way it is on the roadbed of the Denver & Rio Grand RR branch to Ouray. This old mill is on the road.

 

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These views are along U S 550, the Million Dollar Highway, north of Red Mountain Pass. While the fall colors were a bit past their prime while we were there, even on a cloudy day they were spectacular. I particularly  like the ones tinged with red.

 

DAY TRIP TO MAGGIE GULCH AND CLEAR LAKE

We  parked in Ouray (7,800 ft.) for visiting Silverton (9,300 ft.) and exploring the area again.  For the first few days we had rainy mornings, with enough clearing to do some sightseeing in the afternoon. This day we drove up Maggie Gulch to its head, and on the way back to Ouray also drove up to Clear Lake. Both were in and out roads. 

 

 

Leaving Silverton on the Eureka road, we passed the Mayflower mill. It was in use until the Sunnyside mine finally closed after being in production about 30 years. The mill has been stabilized and somewhat restored by the San Juan County Historical Society for tours. The nearby Old Hundred mine also has very good tours. Despite millions of dollars being spent for drifting tunnels and building a large mill, it never was a paying mine.

 

We continued toward Eureka in the wide valley of Animas River. Tracks of the Silverton Northern railroad ran on the far side of the canyon past Eureka to Animas Forks.

 

Here we began our 3000 ft. climb up Maggie Gulch. Note the ore bucket on the cables high above the road.

 

At the end of the road a little mine machinery remains.  A foot trail begins here going to the continental divide on the far ridge.

 

This is all that remains of the mill.

 

 

 

 

Going back, our road winds down to the bottom of the canyon and continues to the right.The road at the  left goes up to another mine.

 

 

Later that afternoon Jo suggested that we visit Clear Lake.

 

 

Our road to Clear Lake winds around  after many switchbacks. This is near the top.

 

 

The South Mineral road is in the bottom of the canyon snaking its way to the Bandora Mine. The 13,000 ft. Beattie peak on the far horizon is popular with climbers.

 

 

Here is another example of green, yellow and red blending in turning aspen leaves.

 

Here is our destination, Clear Lake, elevation 12,000 ft.. The road is about 8 miles long and takes an hour to drive.

I fished the lake several times in past years, with little luck. In past years even in August there usually were snow fields going down to the lake.

 

 

Clear Lake is drained by the stream going over this unusual falls.

 

On the way down back to South Mineral Road and 550, sunlight briefly illuminated more nice aspen trees.

ENGINEER AND CINNAMON PASSES

On October 2 we made the 180 mile trip from Ouray to Silverton, through  Animas Forks, over Engineer Pass to Lake City and back to Silverton on Cinnamon Pass.There is a shorter way to go, but it involves driving 5 miles on road so rocky that the tourist jeeps avoid it. We drove it last year, and it took us about 2 1/2 hours to go the 5 miles.

 

 

Animas Forks and California Gulch from the Engineer Pass road.

 

 

View of many 13,000 ft. and higher peaks from Engineer Pass, 12,800 ft.

 

 

In the distance is the road down Henson Creek canyon to Lake City, made famous by Alferd Packer.

Google his name for a fascinating true story.

 

Good views of yellow and reddish aspens.

 

 

Good stretch of read dropping down to Lake City.

 

This creek has a short run above ground

 

Here we are descending from Cinnamon Pass bound for Animas Forks.

The aspens in the foreground have lost all of their leaves while some of  those in the background still have theirs.

 

One on highway  550 with sharp eyes,  while north of the entrance to the Engineer Pass road,  can look across the Uncompaghre  canyon to see this cabin with washing out on the line to dry and a sign reading “Antiques 9 – 5:30”

This is a continuing practical joke. I am told that someone in Ouray makes the difficult hike to the cabin every year to hang out fresh clothing, giving the impression to gullible passers by that someone lives there and sells antiques. This shot was taken with  a 12x telephoto lens.