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: