Fri, Aug 30th - SILVER BASIN

The morning started with the weekly Friday morning breakfast at Brown Bear with Sig, Denney, Linda, Don, Charles and Jane.  Afterwards, we headed to Silver Basin off Camp Bird Road near Ouray.  Sig manages to keep coming up with places we have never been before.  Once again, the weather was a bit hazy so the pictures are not real sharp . . . and we received our daily downpour towards the end of the day.  We ended the trail ride with Mexican food in Ouray -- can't get that close to Ouray and not go to Buen Tiempo! 

To get to Silver Basin, you take the Yankee Boy trail out of Ouray.  They have blasted out some of the overhang to make way for construction vehicles going to the Virginius Revenue Mine.

 The mountains around Ouray have a different look.

 Sig leads us thru a water crossing:

 Jim, Sig, Denney, Linda:

 Linda, Sig, Jim, Denny:

Charles picking the perfect line:

 The smaller lake on the way to Silver Lake (which turned out to be the larger one; the one up top was pretty much dried up):

The trail was pretty narrow:

 Okay, those colorful dots in the top center of the picture are three crazy ladies (top to bottom: Jane, Sig, Linda) and two energetic dogs.  One of the crazy ladies had on sandals, one flip-flops; we won't name names!!

Charles decides to join them.  Slippery rocks:

 It starts to sprinkle and Don decides to drive part-way up to rescue his bride:

 Sig pauses for a Kodak moment:

 

Really raining now:

 A BIG tunnel into the rock at the Virginius Revenue Mine. 

Lots going on there:

 Seems to always be a deer to bid us farewell as we head home: