Chapter 590

7/27 - 8/2/2021

Colorado 2021 highlights

gold mines, sheep, hot springs

link to Colorado 2021 photos folder

Going down 1000 feet into the Mollie Kathleeen gold mine on a skip we were crowded in like sardines. A 427cc Hemi powered the cable to a pulley wheel high above on our shaft. The ride down was creaky and dark with patches of light showing up occasionally. The cage was rattling but I never felt scared. It was a rare opportunity that not many people can claim (get it). This is in Cripple Creek right next to the largest open pit gold mine in North America, the Victor Mine that takes out $ 1 million in gold per day. It's hard rock mining so and you can hardly see the microscopic gold in the ore. They have to crush the rock and smelt it down to get the final product. The lady in pickup truck with dogs is a driver of the HUGE CAT 793 trucks at the Grassy Hill open pit mine (at$38/hr). She recommended the tour but closed since covid.

I recommend watching the hour tour with slick veteran miner Steve on Youtube to really get the feel of what it's like down there.  Met Steve above ground and had hoped to have our tour with him but we were assigned a young girl Sarah. Turns out she was truly fantastic as well. So knowledgable and really took on the persona of a miner.

There's a wonderful historical movie of Cripple Creek on Youtube but you have to have an interest and patience to watch the whole thing.

Rode the narrow gage Steam Train. Leaving Cripple Creek we encountered the free ranging donkeys but thought they had escaped, but are actually free to roam the city.. Further on the way down from this 10,000 foot elevation to Manitou Springs we came across a family of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep that live in the high elevations. Did not see the large muscular males with their curved horns but interacted with this female who had a baby for quite some time. 

After climbing part of the 2000 ft vertical Incline at  Manitou Springs and on the way to Leadville we came across a herd of Buffalo in the Badger Basin Wildlife Area (I know they are really Bison). The Buffalo Peaks Wilderness mountains in background. Spent close to at least a half hour with them. They were calm and gentle, very majestic. The white buffalos are a harbinger of good things to come.

It was raining in Leadville and we stopped at the historic 1879 Silver Dollar Saloon (Doc Holiday etc.) for a drink. Met "Shasta" thru hiker on the American Discovery Trail. Being a fellow MP (Iraq & Afghanistan) and living on disability I bought his dinner. He was so appreciative living out of a tent etc. He's completed 5000 miles of the 7000 mile journey coast to coast.

Colleen wanted to take beautiful Independence Pass from Leadville to Glenwood Springs but I thought the monsoons might make the mountain pass bad. We thought we'd take the shorter I-70 route however the flash flood conditions, mud and rock slides closed that up.  We got up early for a better weather window taking the original Route 82 Independence Pass instead which was delightful and with good weather. Scary switchbacks and narrow passes against the rock cuts.

We spent an afternoon at the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Resort next door to our hotel. Beautiful picture stole from internet makes it seem better than it was. Maybe just me, but I was not thrilled with it. 

When we left Glenwood Springs for Steamboat Springs again we couldn't take the closed I-70 east to Steamboat Springs. In fact it had become Colorados worst ever closure continuing on for weeks to come. So we went west a bit then north. After morning coffee we noticed the paragliders in over the valley and went over to watch. Colleen wanted me to go up but I think a bit of caution is warranted due to the failures.

CDOT sent a drone over Glenwood Canyon to survey the damage done by the recent storms. We avoided the problem.

Drove up Elk River Road to Clark headquarters of the Fire Camp. This local couple lived just down the road and were concerned about their house. Although only 2% contained I assured them it wouldn't cross the Elk River. Fire was uncontrollable going east.

Should end on a more positive note. At the 8th Street Steakhouse you grill the steak you pick out. Met a nice family from Paris while cooking. Colorado is beautiful everywhere. Even with some smoky haze from the fire in the background this is a nice scene just across from the fire camp.

It was a wonderful trip. Busy but we saw a lot. Too much to tell in on a page. You can read between the lines in the picture folder.