Snowshoeing The Red Mountains

Ice Climbing in Ouray


The Yankee Girl Mine



Lisa Breaking Trail

Red Mountain #2 Mine Ruins

Below the Yankee Girl Mine

We spent the first day of 2010 snowshoeing in the trackless snow of the old Red Mountain Mining District 13 miles south of Ouray, CO. These mineral-rich mountains are literally red and yellow and orange below the snow. This area was once one of the most prolific mining areas in the the US, with literally hundreds of old mines scattered all over. I've seen a map of mine claims in the area, and nearly the whole area has been claimed out. The area we snowshoed was the had some of the richest mines of all, including the Yankee Girl Mine, which produced over $12 million in silver back in the 1880s. Quite frankly, the whole area should be a national park on the scale of Glacier or Yellowstone. It is huge and magnificent. I doubt it will ever happen, though, on account of all the mining claims in the area. There is not much in the way of mining at the moment, but that could change again someday. It's now a paradise for back-country skiers, four-wheel drive enthusiasts, hikers, and mining history buffs. But the whole thing, from Durango to Ouray, ought to be a national park.

There's also a picture above of someone climbing the ice cliffs outside of Ouray.