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Relations, or lack thereof, with the Ute Indians, though, minimized prospecting and mining until the Utes were forced, regretably, to give up their territory under the Brunot Treaty of 1874. Subsequently a substantial 'rush' was on. Mining camps were found everywhere in the area, and towns sprang up to serve the mining industry.
Most of the sites you'll come across have produced little if any mineral wealth for well over 100 years. As well, so many 'strikes' turned out to be not so rich as thought at first. Mining camps that sprang up 'overnight' often disappeared just as quickly as the vein proved futile, or an even richer strike occurred nearby.
Ghost Sightings
In the meantime, here are some of what are more casual visits in the past have impressed us as some of the more interesting sights. Perhaps you'll locate some of the ones we haven't yet before we do and let us know how better to find them? Savage Basin - Tomboy Mine Guston The family sedan should take you at least part of the way until the trails become steeper than you're comfortable with. Note, however, that the owner of the mining claims in the area has been doing some strange work, and access may be limited, or non-existent. It's possible (in '01) that access may be better from the trail down from the National Bell in Red Mountain Town. The Yankee Girl mine still stands, along with several other buildings from the Genessee, Guston and other mines. Hidden away in the vegetation are the remains of a church which had one of the few bells in the region.
After several attempts we've found
it. Go to the Guston Mine and park. Take the road above the mine to the north and
take the second right turn. At the top of the hill you'll find a semi-clearing that once
was Guston. Look for the remains of the church at the base of the scree pile. The Corkscrew Turntable
You can still see the distinct tracings of the railroad bed on topgraphic maps; it looks a bit like a hairpin with the bend to the NNE of Guston and the northern leg running back WSW toward the Idarado Mine. The trail to this site turns off US550 to the left toward the south end of Ironton Park just at the beginning of the first switchback on the climb to Red Mountain Pass. Approaching from the north you'll see the Joker boarding house off to the left and the trail is about 100 yards before that. The turn is hard to locate coming
from the south, but it's on the right hand side of the last switchback descending. It's
possible you'll see the boarding house too close to the turn to safely make it. Just turn
around at the next convenient point. The family sedan will normally get you as far as the boarding house with no trouble, and often some distance past the bridge over the stream. It's possible to drive almost halfway to the turntable. At the top of the first rise (.17 mi. from the turn by GPS) there's space for one, possibly two, cars. Pull tight to the left and don't block the trails. There are two areas to park a car or two just .25 and .33 miles from the turnoff. However logging trucks may have made the road after the top of the hill a rutted bog. We've driven across the route to the first clearing in the past, though since we've parked at the first spot mentioned above. In July, 2000 the road was in a little better shape, a bit drier (despite rain the night before) and should have been easily passable for a vehicle with decent (7 in. +) clearance. Just past the 3rd parking area one sees an uphill trail which we believe leads to Guston. We've not yet explored it, but based on our knowledge of the area it should be drivable. If you want to walk it should be less than 3/4 mi. with a 200-400 ft. elevation change. At .4 mi. from the turn you'll begin to see evidence of the first rail ties (crossties/sleepers). Don't look for ties that look like today's neatly machined and creosoted ones. These are roughcut from tree limbs or small trunks. At .55 mi. one comes to the first of several embankments on which the roadbed lies. At .61 mi. you'll have a lovely view of Ironton Park, its Crystal Lake and the highway. At .65 mi. you'll cross the largest embankment on the route ... all, built with pick, shovel and donkey. At .70 mi. you'll see evidence of the upper leg of the rail line by looking ahead and slightly to the right. As you move up to it and look back up the hill you'll see that climbs quite sharply, explaining why it was obscured as you approaced it. It's .75 mile from the bridge to the turntable proper (at 81 degrees, as the crow flies.). The track is fairly distinct and you should be able to follow it with no difficulty. Do not take any of the crossing trails that run up or down the hill. You'll find trestle beams, the large
turntable 'pulley', as well Be sure and look for wildlife and mountain and valley views as you make your way to and from your goal. More 'Ghost Sightings' on Page 2 Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1999-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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olorado has
perhaps more 'Ghost Towns' than any other state ... perhaps than any area in the world.
The San Juans are among the richest in these relics of the past. Many sites can be reached
in the family sedan though a four-wheel drive vehicle is the best choice for exploring in
the mountains.
hat is
there to find? Ore mills, whole (well, almost) towns, mines by the hundreds, mining camps,
mills, tramways ... some with a bucket or two still laden with ore. The trails themselves,
of course, and the remains of railroads. Relatively small artifacts may be found such as
wheelbarrows, steam and gasoline engines, generators, bottles, cans and bootheels. All can
tell a story if you know how to 'read' them.
he heyday
of mining in the San Juans lasted less than 20 years. Gold was discovered as early as 1860
near Silverton. There's a legend of a rich gold strike near Ouray in 1863. And the New
Mexico territory sent a group of prospectors to placer mine in Arastra Gulch in 1870.
nfortunately most of the ore lodes were silver. The value of
silver, and hence its mining, was drastically reduced, virtually overnight, by the
demonetization of silver through the Sherman Act of 1893. Some mining continued in the
area in gold mines and particularly rich silver mines ... strongly in some cases until
before World War II, in others only a little until at least fairly recently.
adly, man is the cause for so much
ruin and, so few ruins as well. Remember when you go into the area in search of the past
to think of those who will come after you. Take away only photographs and memories,
leaving only footprints. So much of our history has been vandalized and removed as
souvenirs.
et, if you're seeking the Colorado
equivalent of Tombstone you'll not find it here. But if you're seeking a wealth of sights
and artifacts from an earlier, perhaps more romantic, century, you'll find them
concentrated in and throughout the San Juans.
Virtually, that is, until an
engineer ingeniously designed a unique enclosed (remember there are over 12 feet of snow
in an average winter there) turntable to provide for a 270-degree-plus turn at the end of
a hairpin route ... largely operated by gravity in both directions. Actually, they tried
it without the covering in the first winter and quickly added the enclosure afterwards.
as some of the
rock wall that surrounded the underpinnings of the turntable. Walking past the turntable
to the edge of the Corkscrew gully and looking across you'll see the Jeep trail up
Corksrew on its way to Red Mountain.
