24.07.15 Black Canyon of the Gunnison & The Million Dollar Highway

Black Canyon of the Gunnison was first named a National Monument in 1933 but didn’t achieve National Park status until 1999 (the 55^th of America’s National Parks). The sheer granite cliffs were carved by the Gunnison River millions of years ago. The Black Canyon, so named because the walls are often shrouded in shadows making them appear black, has some of the world’s oldest exposed rock — Precambrian or “basement” rock that is nearly 2 billion years old.

The rocks that make up the Black Canyon are some of the oldest in North America, dating back to 1.7 billion years old.

The cliff walls are 40 feet apart at the river and rise 1750 feet to the rim.

The rim of Black Canyon sits at 8,000 feet above sea level and some of the walls reach 2700 feet above the river.

King of the Hill on his birthday!

Al did all the walks and hikes… Happy Birthday to you, Al!

Tomichi Point

Gunnison Point

Pulpit Rock Overlook

Cross Fissures View

Rock Point

Painted Wall View

Dragon Point

Sunset View

Warner Point

A little story...

John Williams Gunnison led an expedition to explore the canyon. On September 7th, 1853, the expedition first glimpsed the relatively tame section of the Black Canyon at Lake Fork. The report of the expedition described the area as "a stream imbedded in a narrow and sinuous canyon, resembling a huge snake in motion." The report continues, "To look down over...the canyon below, it seems easy to construct a railroad; but immense amounts of cutting, filling and masonry would be required." Even then, these experienced explorers understood the geologic processes that created such an obstacle – an uplift of the earth, volcanic activity, and the power of water.

The captain rode into the canyon several times during that first day. He esteemed the country, "the roughest, most hilly and most cut up," he had ever seen. Though the party never ventured further downstream, their report contains the first official description of the formidable Black Canyon. Future explorers were also impeded by the canyon.

Gunnison and his men decided to navigate around what is now known as the Black Canyon and follow an easier route west through the present-day town of Montrose. When the expedition finally reached Utah, Gunnison witnessed the destruction left by Paiute Indian raids on Mormon settlements. Local residents reassured the expedition that the attacks were not a serious threat because peace talks had just taken place. After a trip for provisions to the town of Fillmore, Gunnison divided the troops to make up for lost time. He went ahead with a crew of soldiers and guides on October 25 and the party camped along the bank of the Sevier River. The attack came during the early hours of the next morning. Only four men of his party survived. John W. Gunnison never returned home to his family. The Canyon was named after him.

The Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet above the Gunnison River. 

My video of Black Canyon!

Happy Birthday, Al

Al's birthday dinner!

My fish dinner... it was good but it was not Leystra's or the Eagle Inn's!

I found these at the Walmart. What do you think? A tasty treat or ...not a chance? 😋

The Million Dollar Highway

No one knows why it's called the Million Dollar Highway. There is speculation that it cost a million dollars to build or that you couldn't pay me a million dollars to drive on that road!

We left early and Al drove up and over the mountain to Silverton and I drove back up over the mountain and back to Ouray and Silt.

We left early and set out to explore the Million Dollar Highway to Silverton. A beautiful but SCARY drive!

Marley loves his Mama!

Bear Creek Falls

The Million Dollar Highway, nestled high in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, is considered one of the most dangerous roads in America — and one of the most scenic. There are no guardrails due to the high amount of snow in this area and because the roads are so narrow if there were guardrails the snowplows would have no where to put the snow.

At Red Mountain Pass, the Million Dollar Highway reaches its highest point — 11,018 feet — and ruins of abandoned mining camps are visible. 

Along the way, we pulled over to take a photo of a cool bridge and looked the other way and found this! The Idarado Houses Project. The project includes several Miner Homes and initially the mining company owned the property with investors. British investors backed out because of a European War going on at the time. They stayed empty and then in 2016 the county started planning how to get the mining company to donate the land. The white colored houses on the tight-S curve at milepost 82 on U.S. 550/Red Mountain Pass are known as the Idarado Houses, and they were originally built before 1920 for miners and their families in the now-abandoned ghost town of Eureka, Colorado, northeast of present day Silverton.

 In 1948, ten of the forty houses were hauled one at a time over a dirt-road on Red Mountain Pass to the Treasury Tunnel complex of the Idarado Mining Company, where they were utilized for offices, an infirmary and miners housing until the Idarado shut down mining operations in 1978. Of those ten, only four remain today. The houses are now being restored.

In 1860, Charles Baker and several prospectors entered the San Juan Mountains in search of wealth. They soon found deposits of gold and silver along the Animas River, in an area that was later called "Baker's Park". The prospectors stayed through the summer but returned to what is now northern New Mexico for the winter. News spread of the discovery; however, with the Civil War looming and the discovery being located on Ute Indian land, the miners did not return to the San Juan Mountains until early 1870s.

At that time nearly 1,000 prospectors once again ventured into the high country. The Utes protested, yet they could not stop the inexorable wave of miners and settlers that arrived over Stony Pass.

The Brunot Treaty was negotiated with Chief Ouray and the mountains were opened to the settlement. 

Silverton which is the last mining camp standing in the county, is in the heart of the San Juan Mountain’s ancient Caldera bowl. 

The 1900 census reported over 2300 people (today only 600 permanent residents live there) in the county and in 1901 there were 137 telephones in Silverton. Silverton was booming! They built a courthouse and jail, a hospital and a library. They also had water and sewer put in and a municipality run electric company.

In 1874 Silverton's town site was laid out and it soon became the center of numerous mining camps. In addition to the miners, Silverton caught the eye of a railroad company in Denver. In July 1882 the first train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad rolled in to Silverton from Durango. By 1883, Silverton boasted of having a population of 2,000 people with 400 buildings - 2 banks, 5 laundries, 29 saloons, several hotels and a bawdy red-light district - Notorious Blair Street.

The Visitor's Center

We  had a  picnic in this  park.

Then we visited the Mining Museum, this jail was also part of the museum.

An Opium Bed

As early as 1874, men were bringing their wives and families to live in Silverton. This influx of families provided an incentive for citizens to keep at least part of Silverton respectable. From the very beginning an imaginary line ran down Greene Street dividing the town between the law-abiding, church-going residents and the gamblers, prostitutes, variety theatres, dance halls and saloons.

Extra tall fire hydrants so they can find them in the snow! 

In May 1883 a grand jury brought 117 indictments against "lewd women" on Notorious Blair Street. Although fines were levied, gambling and prostitution were generally accepted as long as the practice did not migrate into the more respectable sections of town. Lascivious behavior was not necessarily condemned, as fines were readily used for the growing community.

When miners took a break from their work, often after weeks or months of working and living at the mines, many headed for Blair Street in Silverton. In a three-block area, there were 29 saloons, dance halls, and houses of ill-repute, designed to inspire men to blow their entire paycheck in one spree. There was a tunnel under the hotel to Blair Street so men go in the front door of a respectable business and go down through the tunnel to the Madam’s businesses.

Although illegal, gambling and prostitution were tolerated in early Silverton as long as the Ladies stayed behind the “invisible line” separating them from the more “respectable” part of town.

The old saloons on Blair Street were reborn in the 1950s as movie sets where Westerns such as Run for Cover and Across the Wise Missouri, and True Grit were shot with the train as it’s “star”.

We came across this McDonalds with a single arch and discovered this was the original design for the franchise.  There are only 14 of these McDonalds with a single arch, maybe we'll make it a quest to find the other 13?  The iconic double arch wasn't used until 1960.

Marley is happy because he got to come along!

My video of The Million Dollar Highway!

Another great video about the Million Dollar Highway! I like many of the videos on Jesse's You Tube page.