Silverton July 4th 2017

This year was yet another successful 4th of July.  There was a lot going on and we did as much as we could from Jeeping (of course), hiking, mine tours, fishing, wildlife viewing, grilling, parade, fireworks, and camping.

Our main activities started on Saturday the 1st.  One group tried to go to Porphory Gulch but it was snowed shut yet so they ended up doing Brown’s Gulch road.  The other group started at Eureka and headed up to Animas Forks for a short visit and then up and over California and Hurricane Passes then onto Corkscrew Pass.  Several in the group hadn’t been to Ironton before so we stopped there for a bit.  From there we went through the Red Mountain Mining District and over Brown’s Gulch to finish the day.

Sunday a club spit into two groups and headed up to the Buffalo Boy Tram House.  One group had too much energy and did the hike to the Old 100 Boarding House.  That hike is not for the faint of heart.  The other group went back down to the bottom and did the Old 100 Mine tour.  It is well worth the time to do that tour.

Monday one group went up to the top of Black Bear Pass to check it out.  The other group did the Treasure Mountain Loop (Picayune & Placer Gulches) and then ran over to Maggie Gulch and explored the Intersection Stamp Mill and mine.

The 4th is the mother load of activities around Silverton.  We had around 20 Jeeps in the parade and after we had a potluck bbq and our monthly meeting before the fireworks.  No one can wait for next year’s show again.

 There was some local wildlife over by Eureka.  2 nice bull moose. Chad Beal is driving through a snow canyon on California Pass. A small group takes a short break at a mine in the Red Mountain Mining District. The same small group stops at the Brooklyn Mine for the mandatory group picture.The old 100 Boarding House if a very steep and rocky climb but no problem for Joe Scott & Ginny Backman with Mugzy looking on.  Yes that is the road 2500 feet below.

 We took a group picture of those of us that made the Old 100 Boarding House Hike. A few club members checking out the Intersection Stamp Mill.  It is one of the last ones standing in the San Juans.Kevin Heckman has his Jeep all decorated for the parade. Scott Click climbing on Chad Beal’s tires always gets the crowd going. Marcie driving her Jeep in the parade. We had quite a dog pile going on after the parade.There was a large crowd watching the dog pile and cheer erupted once we got them all on top of each other.