Red Mountain Mining Area & Million Dollar Highway - October 2013

View from Million Dollar Hwy

Guston

Red Mountain Mining Area

Shaft house of the Yankee Girl Mine

Overview - Red Mountain Mining Area:  The southern portion of the trail provides impressive high views of U.S. 550 (Million Dollar Hwy) & all surrounding mountains.  The northern portion takes you on a tour of the Red Mountain mining district and a town site once known as Guston.  The route features the often photographed shaft house of the Yankee Girl Mine.  Some of the road follows an old grade of the Silverton Railroad.  We had the opportunity to talk with a couple of good old boys who had worked in the active mine here.  The talk about the danger and injuries they had endured made the reality of hard rock mining come to life.
Rating:  Easy.  A fun meandering road covering a variety of terrain from graded gravel to narrow two-track.  Some embedded rock.
Stats:  Length:  9 miles   Time:  2.5 hours   Highpoint:  12,100 ft.

Overview - Million Dollar Highway:  Stretches for about 25 miles in western CO. and follows the route of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, CO.  The source of its name refers to the high cost of building a road over Red Mountain Pass (11,008 ft.) and the Uncompahgre Gorge.  One thing no one disputes is the "million dollar" views around every turn.  This marvel of engineering slices through rugged mountains as it follows old stagecoach routes and former pack trails.