Deer Creek, Saints John, Peru Creek, Cinnamon Gulch
|
Meet
with the 4x4 group to run a new-to-me trail - Deer Creek. That trail
will get us above timberline and into the forest with a second trail,
Saints John, to get us out. After those trails, part of the group
decided to check out another area we were close to - Peru Creek. Three
other trails extend off of Peru Creek and most of us went to Cinnamon
Gulch. This area is heavy with mining history (and is why many of these
trails exist - they get to the mines). On Saints John one vehicle (JKU) had a mechanical issue that caused a steering problem. A weld broke that caused a diconnect of the front axle to the frame for the left-right centering. The front axle was connected for up/down and front/back stabilization but it would wander left/right under the frame leaving little to no steering capability. Out came a few straps to hold things together to limp it out of the forest and back to where a tow truck could get it. Weather was cold and I had hopes to leave the top and doors off for this trip - but I'm happy I put'm on. Temps up high were cool and the way home had rain for several miles. End of summer is here and temps are swinging. Some people were out leaf-peeping for Aspen colors. Some groves were grand with bright yellow while most of the others were a mix / a bit too early yet. |
| Just over Loveland Pass with the whole group |
| Deer Creek |
| It didn't take long to get to timberline. |
| Center of pic - an old telegraph pole. Many of
the poles were still up, showing the way. |
| Vehicles atop Red Cone (12,800 ft elevation)
about 1.9 miles away from where we stood at the top of the climb for
Radical Hill. |
| The group, lunch stop, Radical Hill trail. |
| Looking down the valley with the Hall Valley
road |
| Saints
John trail faintly visible floowing the ridge center-right up high in
the pic. Essentially, we'll enter the picture, just beyond the ridge at
the left and follow the ridge to near the far right, dipping down into
the valley beyond the ridge at the right. |
| Last
pic of the day. Apparently the battery level indicator is not reliable
with the current battery. It showed full much of the day then two
photos later - done. I'll have some cell phone pix to fill in a bit. |
| We're at the locked gate on Peru Creek. On the ridge, top right of this photo is Argentine Pass. I've been to the pass several times from the other side and each time I look down and see the road "down there" and say "some day I want to travel that road, see what's around, and look back "up here". Today's the day. Check. To see this road from the pass, click this trip photo set from two years ago and scroll down the page to the Argentine Pass photo www.JimWilliamson.net/automobile/2017-09-09--trail--argentine--mcclellan/ |
| The mill at Cinnamon Gulch |
| The engine! It's still fairly complete. |
| From the above photo, peeking into the right side
cylinder at the top of the cylinder. It looks like a couple valves down
inside. |
| Two plugs with square wrench fittings where those valves are located. |
| A two piece wheel. |
| Driving by an Ingersoll company in Rockford IL I
asked Dad what is made in that factory. "They make the machines that
make machines". |
| Inside one of the tubler drums |
| High in the structure was a large component - mostly below it looking up wondering what it was used for in the mill process. |
