Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - BULLION KING

Just added Charles' drone pictures at the bottom from today's ride!

Yesterday was an all-day rain event for us.  Today, four Jeeps headed north to Bullion King to try to beat the afternoon storms  This is one of my very favorite trails.  We used to take this trail about 7 miles in the Jeeps across a very narrow ledge road, (even though there was a sign warning us not to continue) picture from previous years  (note, someone added "very very very very NARROW"  It even has a special warning at the bottom for Hummers:

We would get almost to the top, park and then hike to the lakes.  Work has been going on here for the past two years and the trail is now blocked off at the mine. 

Well we wondered -- why did they block off the trail.  Here it is, straight from the EPA site:

            This site involves regrading and capping a waste rock pile at the Bullion        King Mine in an effort to improve water quality in the Mineral Creek Watershed. The effort is being undertaken by the State of Colorado using a combination of private funds and 319 water quality grant funds from EPA. 

            The site sits at approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, and is located         north-northwest of Silverton, CO. Work started in July of 2015, and was expected to be completed by October 15th. However, there was a larger volume of waste rock than expected, which resulted in design changes to the regrading effort. These changes caused a small portion of the cap to slip in early season snows. The cap is currently being modified and repaired, with work expected to be completed in early September 2013.       

(Only a government site would say work started in 2015, and is expected to be completed in 2013)

If you are interested, here's a more in depth explanation from the Durango Herald:  https://durangoherald.com/articles/95257

And even more interesting, is an article about the mine claim from

December 15, 1906, in the town newspaper, The Silverton Standard, that will follow today's pictures (typos theirs; I just copied and pasted). 

Here's today's pictures:

 Following Larry & Cathy into the clouds:

 Another snow run for Jingles!

On the leash; lost privilege to be free:

This is where it all stops now. 

There were a couple of other cars that belonged to hikers;

Just a little bit too far for me to hike to the lakes now; maybe 

if I ever get my oxygen sats up higher!

 Today's lunch dining room:

When you see the sheep herder's tent,

there must be sheep nearby!

 Saw the sheep on the way back down.

There are thousands of them on the trails now.

Watch out wildflowers!

Saw these babies literally "bouncing"

 Mom herded them up & out of sight real quick:

We did not beat the storm home & had to sit in the Jeep for a little while.

Still managed to get soaking wet running into the RV.  

The others went onto another trail; haven't heard whether or not the storms found them. 

Charles is sharing some of his drone pictures from today's ride.

The drone made it to the lake!!

 Here's the promised article from 1906:

            The Bullion King Group

            Developments on the Bullion King group , at the head of Porphyry gulch       and immediately west from the famous Silver Ledge mine , are forging  ahead during the winter months , with ‘ gratifying resuits under the direction of Superintendent A . J . Aurand .

            The group embraces seventeen claims and a mill site , seven of which are     patented . It is owned by the Bullion King Gold Mjning company with H . ~N.      Timolat , of Chicago , as president and general manager , and will   undoubtedly develop into a mine of great and seemingly unexhaustible value . It is traversed by many veins whose varied courses intersect each other at irregular distances , every one of which are highly mineralized and carry very good values in gold , auver and the other prevalent minerala of  that district and should , according to the best mineralogical authorities , develop chimneys of rich ore at each intersection .

            Th e principal veins , however , are known as the Lake View , Oliver Twist ,     Bullion King and Francis P ., and the present workings are so directed as to tend toward the ultimate development of these great veins by one great and   well planned system of operations . Since Mr . Aurand took charge of the   property over 1 , 500 feet of work in tunnels and crosscuts have

            been driven . The Timolat tunnel , started welL down in the basin , cut the       Oliver Twist vein 300 feet in from the portal , at a vertical depth of 200 feet ,             continuing on in its western course it cut and passed through the Bullion King vein 330 _~ feet- ~ färther on , - vertically 250 feet below surface and by follow _’ - lug its surveyed course it will cut the Lake View and Francis       P ., in the order named , at a great vertical depth . A drift of 30 feet was  driven on the Oliver Twist vein from the point where it was cut by the   tunnet for the purpose of determining its true character and value . It is a very strong vein and can be traced on t h e surface for miles , extending   over the ridge and well down into San Miguel county and will vary from 10 to 50 feet in width . It is a pure quartz , heavil y impregnated with a copper-    lead sulphide , carrying good gold an d silver values . The ore extracted   from the drift above mentioned gave average returns of $ 10 per ton and will easily concentrate at the ratio of 5 to 7 into one .

            On the Bullion King lode from the point where the tunnel _( _130 feet from          its portal _cut the vein , a drift which is now in . over 500 feet is being driven to cut the Lake View vein , which crosses the Bullion King at almost  right angles 200 feet further ahead . The vein has held very strongly all the way and varies from a half to 2 feet in width of solid galena and zinc ore running from 45 to 50 per cent lead , 25 to 30 per cent zinc and from 8 to 10 ounces in silver . Recently copper values began to appear and the last tests gave a return of 8 to 10 per cent copper .

            The Lake \ Tiew vein to cut which is the main object of the Bullion King drift   is perhaps one of the greatest veins in the western section of the county . It  is from 40 to ( 50 feet in width and runs in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction . Jt is a hard white quartz and can easily be seen crossjug the ridge and for a considerable dietance into San Miguel county . Many fine specimeds of free gold have been taken from the outcropping of this immonse vein and in every opening or surface

crosscut more or less free gold was found . It is therefore in this vein that                   the management expects to find its best gold values .

            From the Francis P ., vein which crosses the upperend of the group close      to the line , some very high grade sold ore was discovered in a shaft sunk twenty-three years ago by A . J . Briely , the locator . The claim lies in the bottorn of a basin near several small lakes from which a very heavy seepage prevented them from sinking the shaft to any considerable    depth and they were unable to follow the vein which at the time of suspension was still strong and rich in its downward course . The tunnel  should out this rich and important vein _between- 2 , 5 U _0 and ~ 3 , ooo   feet from its portal . The general formation is rhyolite through which many   dikes of intrusiye porphyry cut their way .

            The buildings consist of a large boarding house , bunk house , power             house and blacksmith shop . Mr . Aurand took _specitil care to have them   located so that they would be entirely out of the path and danger of _  snowslides . The property is admirably located for economic working and  very-easy of development . Arrangements have j u ~ t been completed with the Anirnas Pow&r and Water company to furnish power for the electric drills which are being used at the mine with good   success from power generated by the use of a gasoline engine . The      present force at the mine will be materially increased as soon as the connection can be made . Dcvelopment on this propety will be pushed with all possible vigor and speed anti when the proper point is reached as outlined in the plans of operation a mill will be built of sufficient capacity to  handle the product of the mine .

            Both Manager Tirnolat and his able superintenden t , Mr . Aurand , who are    men of vast exporience in the finanôial world _- and ‘ fields of mining ,                        careful and judicious in the selection and handling of their properties , feel        confident that in the _Bullion King group they have secured ~ property that will one day rank among the best of the state .