Sunday, July 30, 2017 - SUNNYSIDE SADDLE

Before the rain came, we headed to one of my favorite photo spots with Cathy & Larry, Jane & Charles, and Betty & Dale.  It was a cold day - very windy & cold at the top.  Jingles got so excited when she saw snow.  She ran from one window to the next in the back seat, whining to get out.  These are probably the last drifts large enough for her to run in for this season.  

We start off going thru the Gladstone area along Cement Creek

This slide is still from the infamous Gold King Mine blowout a couple years ago:

Turn-off that goes to Hurricane & California Passes:

 We believe this to be the old mill for the Gold King Mine:

 Some bright Indian Paint wildflowers on today's ride:

 Looking down on Ross Basin from the turn-out to Sunnyside Saddle:

 Jingles' heaven:

 

Red Mountain #1, #2, #3 - Quite possibly my favorite view:

 Still some walls of snow along the trail:

Trusting the road is still there:

 People stop at California Pass and marvel that they are standing at over 12,000 feet. 

At today's stop, we look down on them

Our GPS:

 Jane, being reflective. 

Probably thinking about hiking down!!

We definitely drug out the coats.  I had on two shirts, an insulated vest and heavy coat!

Larry is just showing off in his red t-shirt. 

 You can see the trail for California Pass below:

Headed back down:

 Took a detour to another spot:

 Looking down on Corkscrew Trail:

 Cathy, soaking up some cold before she heads back to Texas for a couple weeks:

 Time Out - When you don't listen & come when called:

Headed home in the rain:

We came back in time to order Pizza for lunch and watch a movie!

Wednesday, July 26, 2017 - MAGGIE GULCH & MINNIE GULCH - MORE MOOSE!

Charles & Jane, Larry & Cathy & we decided to try a couple of short trails today before our "daily storms" hit.  First we went to Maggie Gulch, reaching an elevation of 11,900 feet.  It's only about four miles long and takes a little over an hour.  The route travels thru a Pine/Aspen forest and talus slopes above treeline.  

Most of the wildflowers at Maggie were in full bloom.  The blues have either peaked or not yet bloomed.   Still some colors missing.  

This is one long waterfall:

 

 My favorite, "Elephant Head":

The route ends at the Intersection Mine.  There is a stamping structure still there.

It has deteriorated a lot over the last several years. 

 Those snowdrifts Jingles loves so much are now mud puddles.

Unfortunately, she loves those just as much.

This was one muddy puppy:

 Heading back down:

Here's some solid rock:

 Next, we drive by the talus (loose rock),

trusting it will stay in place.

It's much steeper than it appears in these pictures:

Next, we start up Minnie Gulch, 11,800 feet, about five miles long.

We had tried this trail earlier in the year and the trail was blocked by trees downed from a winter avalanche.  A dozer has cleared the road.   I tried to get a photo of some of the destruction still visible, but a single picture doesn't do it justice:

 I did put some history & pictures on the previous  post (June 11) 

about the Caledonia Mine & some of the structures still standing so I didn't 

take any of those pictures today.  

Love this waterfall:

There were THREE big moose to welcome us early into the trail.

I thought it unusual to see two males & one female traveling together.

They were very close to us!

 That is the Kittimac Mine in the distance and our final destination for today.

It too has seen a lot of deterioration since we have been coming here: 

 We always get a kick out of this old vehicle with the tree growing through the middle of it.

It's easy to miss.  Don't know how many times we traveled this trail before spotting it:

The old stable for the Kittimac Mine;

 Former boarding house (used to be standing):

 Those are my size 6.5s looking over the edge:

And what better way to end the day than with God's

painting of a gorgeous sunset: