Wed Aug 14th - MAGGIE GULCH & MINNIE GULCH

Last night after dinner, we took a ride up Gladstone in search of the mama moose & nursing baby everyone keeps seeing.  All we saw was a family with a flat tire, a bunny, and two deer.  Pretty lighting on the mountain just before dusk though:

 

 

This morning we awoke to a chilly morning (30s last night) as we forgot to turn on the furnace before we went to bed.  Except for a few sprinkles, we had another sunny day.  After lunch on the patio at Natalia's, a quick stop at the Arcade for some of Sig's homemade caramel cheesecake fudge, and we were on the way to Maggie & Minnie Gulches.  Lots of old mining buildings and artifacts on these two trails and it was really sad to see how much they have deteriorated over the past several years. 

 

First trail, Maggie which starts out as a pine & aspen lined road; reaches an elevation of almost 12,000 feet above tree line and ends at the old Intersection Mill.  Back out on Animas Road and not very far to Minnie that runs just about parallel to Maggie, and the same kind of trail.  It travels thru the old Caledonia mining operation and ends at the Kittimac Mine (one where Maggie liked smelling the little critters in the rocks).  Sure miss her.  All we saw today were marmots and bunnies.  Lots of big fat bunnies this year -- too fast for pictures!  We only encountered one FJ and one ATV all day.  It was a very peaceful ride.

 

 

Bear appetizers?: 

 

 

 The old yellow truck with the tree growing thru the middle of it still off the side of the ledge road:

 

 Part of the old Caledonia Mining buildings.

Jim was intrigued by the canvas "hinges" on the window:

 Stupid me without my walking sticks hiking to the waterfall.

The rocks were really unstable OR maybe I am just old??

 

Remains of the Caledonia Mill:

 

 A very small rockslide onto the trail;

Time to go home!