Mill Lake...Fossil Ridge Wilderness

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
July 25, 2016

As I begin this post,  we are in the middle of another awesome thunderstorm.  We have grown accustomed to the  flash flood warnings as these storms seem to roll through the area with some regularity.  And the lightening displays are nothing short of amazing !  In southern Arizona, the monsoon season begins the middle of June and doesn't end until the end of September.  What a treat it is to experience the rain in the desert...a nice reprieve from the blazing heat we experience on other days.  

Our hike began at the Fossil Ridge/Gold Creek trailhead located  at Gold Creek Campground (about 20 miles northeast of Gunnison).  We followed this trail for about 1/2 mile.  A fork in the path with signage points left for Mill Lake.

This was the last "big" hike for us in Gunnison.  This trek through the Fossil Ridge Wilderness packed a big punch as we gained 1,700 feet in 2 miles.  

Fossil Ridge was designated a wilderness area in 1993.  The  valleys and shallow lakes were formed by ancient glaciers.  The limestone ridge rises between 13,000 and 14,000 feet.  Fossilized remains of prehistoric sea creatures have been found in these ridges.

Our path took us through a forest filled with pine, spruce, fir and aspen trees, wildflowers, birds, mossy water crossings and ferns Mother Nature planted in dead tree stumps.   

  

 

 The destination was Mill Lake.  And the best part is that we had the lake all to ourselves...an advantage of getting an early start.  This beautiful alpine lake is nestled in a glacial cirque cut out of the Fossil Ridge.  It sits at 11,700 feet elevation.  

I tried really hard to get a picture of the fish jumping out of the water.  Very entertaining to watch. 




The white granite mountain is a splendid backdrop for all the green.  

 I could sit for hours !

On the way home, a marmot ran across the dirt road. A squeal from me and Joe's quick reaction saved the day.  It quickly disappeared in a hole behind a rock.  It slowly reappeared and we discovered it was a she...a sweet mama protecting her baby.  She kept her eyes, ears and nose busy as the baby slowly made it's way out of the hole.  

All the while, Daddy never moved...

 Joe's appointments are almost over.  When he visited the dermatologist they froze 12 to 18 spots and did 4 biopsies.  Of the 4, 3 came back positive...all on his face. 

Yesterday and today he had MOHs surgery and tomorrow he will have the last one done along with a skin graft on his nose.  Stitches will come out in about two weeks.   

 The visit to the oncologist turned out much better.  PET/blood work results show no signs of cancer.  We will return to Tucson in February (6 months) for another check.





It's always such a relief to have this behind us.  


   

 So until next time,  happy trails !

 

Hike to Roosevelt Mine

Gunnison KOA
Gunnison, CO
July 22, 2016

While meandering down Main Street in Pitkin (our previous post) , Joe and I learned about Roosevelt Mine...an old mine near by.  I could not find any info on how the mine got it's name but did read a little about the history of the Pitkin Hotel.  

The Pitkin Hotel was built in 1904 when Teddy Roosevelt was president.  It is "believed" that Teddy stayed there during one of his hunting trips.  

None of the 3 original owners of the mine were named Roosevelt.



Main Street (or County Road 76) is the only way in and out of Pitkin.  Heading in the direction of Gunnison, the trail head and parking is at mile marker 12.  A small sign and path lead to a sturdy bridge that crosses the Quartz Creek. 








From here the narrow path turns left and follows the creek.  

 It's always fun following a creek.  The path meandered through thick foliage and in some places was inches away from the creek.  

Twinberry is common along streams and in moist soil here.  The long yellow, bell-shaped flowers provide lots of nectar attracting hummingbirds.  The ripe pairs of plump dark purple berries provide food for other birds.  

Twinberry is in the honeysuckle family.

Following the creek, we reached the formed concrete Power Generation Plant that supplied electricity to the mine.  

 A wooden flume carried the water to the generation plant. The steel bands that held the wooden flume together can be seen beside the trail above the building.

The trail crosses behind the old flume bridge, and ascends a steep, short slope before reaching a graded mine road/trail where we turned right.  

 A few switchbacks later, we reached the Roosevelt Mine Tunnel and the remaining walls of the old mine buildings. 

The entrance features extensive craftsmanship.   

Roosevelt Mine opened in 1907 with "a great deal of promise".  From all I read, it was successful with the primary ores being gold, silver and some copper.  Veins ran deep and wide.       

 According to info, it closed in 1919 amid controversy with the owners...a case of too much money and too much greed. 

 It turned out to be another great day of exploring and enjoying life.  

 Until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS !