Tuesday, August 12, 014 PICUAYNE, PLACER, ANIMAS

It was a very dreary day and we encountered very few people the entire day.  Spitting rain and almost too overcast to take pictures.

Headed out on Animas Forks Road:

 Most of the wildflowers have peaked; did find this field of yellow:

About six stacks of cement blocks up on the top of Picuayne.  Someone told us he was going to build a house last year.  I guess he really is.  The road up was extremely rough - wondering if hauling these blocks up caused some of the damage.

 Only critters we saw all day were marmots & chipmunks.  Couldn't resist this baby:

Headed home on Animas, we saw another load of cement blocks going up. 

Sure glad it's not me driving! 

About the time we pulled in front of the RV, the skies opened up and poured.  Glad to be home.

Monday, August 11, 2014 Yankee Boy, Governor Basin Attempt

Interesting day.  We drove north on Hwy 550 to Yankee Boy, just outside of Ouray. 

This is the highway, shared by RVs, Buses, Semis, crazy bicyclists, etc:

 The trail to Yankee Boy Basin has been bladed, widened and upgraded.

Felt more like a highway than a trail!  However, in this picture, you can see the memorial on the left to someone who didn't make the curve:

 

The overhang on "drinking cup" has been cut way back too:

Here's a picture from 2011.  The overhang had to be shaved off to make room for all the new, large equipment driving to the mining operation:

 

 

 Sunlight thru the Aspens:

 

 

 Very active, Revenue-Virginius Mine; the reason for all the road upgrades:

 

 

 

 

 

After visiting Yankee Boy Basin, we tried to go to Governor's Basin.  A mine worker stopped us and said that they were doing some blasting and chiseling of rocks on the top ledge and the rocks would be falling below.  We had an interesting conversation with him.  They were clearing the road to make an secondary escape route from the Revenue mine in case of an emergency.  There was an accident in the mine in November, 2013 that killed two workers and injured 19 (carbon monoxide poisoning).  It was "operator error" that caused an untimely explosion.  This guy was supposed to have been visiting the mine that same day, but was not finished clearing snow from the roads.  He also told us some more interesting "mine stories."  Fun talking to him.

Here, you can see a large piece of equipment up on the top of the mountain, working at clearing the rocks:

 This little marmot ran under the rocks and I chirped like they do and he came out and stood up looking at the Jeep. 

Next, we had lunch on the patio at Buen Tiempo.  Yeah, I know, that surprises everybody.

Also looked for a place to get a haircut, but didn't find it.  Jim took the picture with his Iphone and it won't flip.

 

Then we road around Ouray, exploring some local roads.  We found a section of town that had quite a few new, upscale home$. The road dead ended and there was a man out putting linseed oil on some carved bears in his front yard.  He motioned for us to turn around in his driveway and we ended up having a good conversation with him.  His house was built on several levels and he said that he had a real live bear under the house yesterday.  Didn't take a picture of his house, but he probably would not have minded.  He lives in the Dallas area during the winter.

 

Just liked the flowers in this yard:

 

We went back into an older part of town and Jim had just said "I would like to have a big rock in my yard to look out at."  Then, we passed this house.  Neither of us could believe this house was built right against the big rock.  At least I hope the rock didn't roll down after the fact.  Hope it stays where it is.

And, I found this one intriguing.  The garage goes into the mountain and I have to wonder if it has an elevator going up to the house;

This guy was in a residential area, right beside the road:

 

Friday, August 8, 2014 A BIG Bear @ Cunningham Gulch, Highland Mary

It's Friday, so that means breakfast at Brown Bear; met Sig & Denny and Linda & Don.  Back to the RVs and we threw some snacks in the bag and headed to one of my favorite spots, Highland Mary.
Highland Mary mine/mill was originally owned by the Ennis brothers from New York.  Besides the million dollars they had invested in the mine, they also paid a spiritualists $50,000.  They received bad guidance and after years of crossing over, but not finding rich gold veins, they went bankrupt.  The new owners used conventional methods of mining; and saw instant pay-offs.   It became one of the best producing mines in the gulch. 

The lower road along the Animas River is one of my favorite trails out here.

It is the old bed for the Silverton Northern narrow gauge railroad that went to Eureka in the 1800s.  Prior to building the railroad, it was a toll road. 

Following Sig & Denny:

Just a little ways into Cunningham Gulch, we spot a bear.

Denny & I saw it about the same time

 

 Back on the trail to Highland Mary:

 

Jimmy, Sig, Denny:

Sig, Hank (the dog) and I started up a hiking trail:

 This old lady was having a hard time finding her footing in the rocks:

 Sig & Hank kept going; I thought about broken bones & lagged behind:

 

 

 Going down to the lower Highland Mary trail:

 

 Headed home:

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 BEAR!!

We spent yesterday and today hanging out in the RV doing chores & just chilling.  Jim had to work on the Dish.  We took a walk to town tonight and as we were coming back into the campground, we could see a bunch of people lined up by the field looking up at Kendall Mtn.  We could see a couple of Jeeps, people & dogs up there on the road under the waterfall.  As we got closer to the crowd, we learned there were two bear up there.  (No, I don't know why they were letting their dogs run loose.  At one point it looked like their paths might cross, but the dog wisely ran back up to the road.)  If I had known that one of the bear was going to come down as low as he did, I would have walked to the rail tracks as some of the other people did, but that might have been a bit too close.

 

 

 

Marmots - Check
Deer - Check
Elk - Check
Moose - Check
Fox - Check
FINALLY Bear - Check
Now, where is that Lynx?