On The Road Again 2017: Sunday, August 13, 2017

First off, we were entertained last night by a 3 hour concert by The Great Western Rocky Mountain Brass Band (The Silverton Brass Band played at intermission). Both were exceptionally good this year. Then we had hoped to watch the meteorite shower, but it was rainy & cloudy here - disappointed. Now for Sunday:

Weather report said sunny today, so we hopped into the Jeep for a quick climb to about 13,500 feet on Kendall Mountain. Well, we have never been to the top of Kendall that we didn't encounter graupel (Graupel. also called soft hail or snow pellets, is precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) balls of rime.) Today was no exception and it was cold.

After driving thru an Aspen/Pine forest, the trail breaks out above treeline and eventually splits at the Ice Cave. So called, because there was always ice here. Who knows anymore, because the feds have put a gate across the entry and padlocked it.

(Reminder: Click on any photo to see a larger version)

We tried the left trail today that takes us to the antennae used by the BLM and a good overview of the town of Silverton. Still a no go -- continues to be blocked by a snowdrift. We did get some good pictures along the way. You can see how fast the weather can turn. Sunny skies turned ominous real fast!

Fortunately, no one coming down:

We stopped at a turn-out area & visited with some folks from Arizona.

Good views of Swansea Gulch & Hazelton Mountain:

I may need new boots next year.

These are getting pretty worn:

You can see the snowdrift & antenna on the trail ahead.

Doesn't look bad from a distance, but that's a pretty good slope and the snow was about

a foot deep on the trail and much deeper on the side (no margin for sliding):

Started to lightening so we headed

back down and to the trail on the opposite side of the Ice Cave.

Following the people we just met:

This part of the trail goes to the Titusville Mine.

Every year I look at this big boulder up on the mountain side

and wonder if it's gonna come crashing down. Looks like it just sits there.

So far we're good!

Just hope it doesn't happen when we are on the other side of it.

Our second time to the Titusville Mine this year, and I still failed to take any pictures. there was still a fair amount of snow (in AUGUST!) & Jingles wanted out so bad, but it was cold & storming (this was where the graupel storm was in progress). There were several Jeeps up there. One had punctured his tire on a rock & had tools spread out everywhere; seemed to be having difficulties getting his wheel off the Jeep. We offered to help, but the people were either deaf or rude. Either way, they never answered, just ignored us so we headed back down to town.