SILVERTON 4 WHEELING –EUREKA AND PICAYUNE GULCHES, ANIMAS FORKS - SEPT. 25

On Sept 25 we had a great 4wd run with the Wedlakes. After picking them up at their Ridgeway home, we passed through Silverton and up to the Eureka townsite. At one time all  of the buildings there had been leveled, but a few new ones are there now. It is a great spot for dry camping. The pictures below are about half of those I took in the Canon A1100 IS 12m mp digital camera.

 

Here are Jo, Jill and Jerry Wedlake with Animas Canyon in the background. I have known Jerry since grade school in Beloit WI.

From here we took the Eureka Gulch road up to its top. I had never taken the road before, and it was well worth the trip.

 

 

At the top we looked at the footings for the Sunnyside Mine buildings. The depression in the foreground once contained Lake Emma. In 1978, mining under the lake worked upward too close to the bottom of the lake, and the lake drained into it. As it happened on a Sunday, no one was in the mine. Cleanup took two years, but the mine did go back into production. In the saddle at the far left sat a red Jeep. We wondered how it got there.

Returning down the road we were treated to a nice view of Eureka Gulch. 13,000 ft peaks are on horizon.

 

These turning aspens in various shades graced the road, like a yellow-flamed fire.

 

We always are impressed by the beauty of turning aspens and of Colorado mountains.

 

Here is our lunch stop at the foot of the Picyaune Gulch road near Animas Forks. Our Grand Cherokee performed very on these roads. The ride was fairly comfortable as I reduced tire pressure to less than 20#.

 

Climbing the rather steep road, we stopped at Treasure Mountain mine. The boarding house is on the right, still in fairly good repair. We saw a large mule deer doe just before stopping at the mine.

And here is the Treasure Mountain Mill framed in window of the boarding house. The equipment in the mill is still there as it was too remote to remove for scrap during WW II.

At Animas Forks we inspected the recently-restored Duncan house with its famed bay window. It was built for the manager of a mill there. Restoration of this and other buildings was made by the San Juan Historical Society with the proceeds of a grant

 

The bay windows take nearly the full width of the two story house.

 

The remains of an old mill are seen through one of the windows.

 

Most of the buildings in Animas Forks have been restored. The Duncan house is on the right. While we were there, men were working on restoration of the jail.

The California Gulch road winds up the gulch at the right. This shot is from the Engineer Pass road.