Stephen's Story
Day 10
Today we woke up not really that early because we weren’t planning on our RZR ride until 10 o'clock so I slept in and got really pretty slow because we always leave late. I was right of course and by the time everyone was ready to go, it was 10:20. I didn’t mind at all because I was ready to do some slow rolling. Our ride was still on the Alpine loop but it was to another summit and we didn’t do the full loop. It was just parts of the loop and we ended the ride where we started the first one. The ride was very pretty and the scenery was so good that I didn’t even mind slow trail riding. There is always something beautiful to look at. After our ride, we went to the 100-year-old mining site. The cave was not as cold as they said it would be inside it was like 50 degrees.
It was actually really cool and interesting how they did mining back in the 1800s. They had a bell system to communicate with the elevator operator they used to bring the miners and the food in the caves. The technology advancements through the years was awesome to see as well. They started with a hammer and a steel nail that they would use to make a series of holes in the rock so they could use their explosives to break the rock. The first advancement was a drill that used air from a compressor outside of the cave with bi air hoses running into the cave. They had to set up steel bases for it which made it hard to relocate the drill. This created a problem because the dust from the rock had silicon in it so when the miner breathed in the dust they would get silicosis which feels like needles in your lungs and that killed a lot of miners. Then someone decided to put a water hose on the gun so that it could turn the dust into mud and not kill all of the miners. Now they use a more compact version of that gun and a longer steel nail/rod. The most revolutionary tool they invented was moving the rock from the rock shoot that the miners put their rock in from each floor. The shoot operator had a lever that opened and shut the door. He would open the door let the rocks fill up the cart and then he would have to shut it with a metal stick. This was very dangerous because sometimes rocks would get stuck and the rocks would bar the operator and kill them. Now they use the same opening technique but they have a hydraulic door so they don’t get crushed by rocks. After the rocks fill up the trolley car they used to have to bring the rocks out by hand but then new inventions using a Crane like a bucket and picked up the rocks and threw the rocks behind it onto a big trolley to roll outside. SO fascinating until you learn they got paid $1 a day and they work 14 days on with no days off.
After the mining trip we went back home but it rained on us in the RZR and it was probably 30 degrees in the rain driving on the highway with no windows and not a mirror just a roof. Then we went downtown to go buy more t-shirts since we were both running out of clothes and because they were 50% off. Then we went across the street and got famous Silverton funnel cakes which were cinnamon roll flavor. It is so good I really recommend it, go to any funnel cake place as long as it is a mom-and-pop shop because stuff in those places tastes better. Then we just sat and talked the rest of the day. I played Up with Sid, Millsap boys, and Danny. It was pretty fun except I like blackjack more.
Amber's Story
July 5, 2021 – Monday
We hadn’t been on a ride around the Alpine Loop in a few days so we decided to take another trail. This time we decided to go up Hurricane Pass and then head over to California Gulch. This ride was beautiful! We saw a pond that was so blue. The pictures we took do not do it justice. There were lots of waterfalls and spectacular views of mountains and the Animas River. We rode for a couple of hours and on the way home we decided to stop at the Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour. There were about 25 of us who rode the mine train about 1/3 of a mile into the Galena Mountain. We had a guided tour in the mine by a miner who used to mine in Ouray. He talked to us about the veins in the Gunison granite that directed miners where they should blast. He gave us demonstrations about the early mining tools and the tools that are currently used that speed up the mining process. He shared stories about how the miners in the early 1900’s only made $1.00 per day for 12 hours of work and how dangerous the job was. Lots of men died by getting buried by the loose rocks when the shoots wouldn’t close or when they were being transported out of the mines due to the archaic rope and bell system used to signal the movement of men in the hoist. It was a treat to learn about mining in this area since we had seen so many old mines and mills on our rides around the Alpine Loop. After the tour we panned for gold in the sluice boxes they had. We got pieces of silver, agate and other gold colored material that Kyle swears was gold. They also gave us pieces of the granite taken from drill holes. If you’re ever in Silverton, we highly recommend this mine tour. It only takes an hour but was great.
After leaving the mine it started to pour rain on us. We got about a mile away and Kyle realized he left his new Silverton hat in the hard hat he was wearing. We made the journey back so he could get his hat. By the time we started back to camp it was raining cats and dogs. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts and froze as we drove back to the RV. By the time we got back, the mud was washed from the RZR and we were soaked.
After the rain stopped, we drove into town and did a little more shopping. We could not leave Silverton without stopping by the famous Rocky Mountain Funnel Cakes & Café. Stephen and I shared a cinnamon roll funnel cake at the recommendation of the owner. Kyle had a strawberry and whipped cream funnel cake and Mike ate ice cream (and a few bites of the funnel cakes). They were DELICIOUS! It was well worth the stop and the calories.
We walked around town a little bit and Kyle played at Freenotes Harmony Park; a park full of musical instruments. We then headed back to camp and hung out for the rest of the evening. At the end of the night, we had a toast to a great trip and everyone planned their departure times and next stops. Out of the 10 trailers only a few people planned to head home. We were heading to Mancos and the others were moving on to Yellowstone, Telluride, Gallup and Munds Park. It was a fun five days with our friends.
Favorites of Silverton: Kyle - seeing the blue lake and finding real gold while gold panning at the mine tour. Stephen - Enjoying the scenery and the mine tour. Mike - Riding Engineer's Pass and the mine tour. Amber - The beautiful scenery in and around Silverton.