Edgar Experimental Mine 150th Birthday

IMG_1802Edgar Experimental Mine celebrated its 150th birthday this weekend.  Several burros were on hand along with some old grizzled miners for the momentous occasion.



IMG_1804Waiting in line for the mine tour.  I think the mine didn’t expect so many people to come out.  They had a shortage of hardhats!

IMG_1805Getting ready to enter the mine!

IMG_1806Looking down the tunnel.

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IMG_1809An old part of the mine held up with wooden timbers.

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IMG_1811In the underground machine shop.

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IMG_1813Checking out the various generations of drill rigs.

IMG_1814A rail-based drill rig.

IMG_1815The underground classroom complete with wifi but only right-handed desks.

IMG_1816Scale wooden models.

IMG_1817Old compressed air engine.

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IMG_1819The little diesel locomotive.

IMG_1820Blasting pattern.

IMG_1821Just like in the cartoons!

IMG_1822Edgar the burro!  Blaster the burro was down on campus for the football game.

Up Around Central City With the Toyota

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I took the 4runner out for a spin today.  From Idaho Springs, I took Oh My God Road up to Central City and then around through Central City to Nevadaville.
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The continental divide was sparkly and white today.

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Beautiful day today.

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Going down Hamlin Gulch Road.  It got a little tippy at one point.  A Grand Cherokee with a bunch of kids were coming up in that section.  They were trying pretty hard to roll the thing down the hill.  Hopefully they made it up the hill without incident…

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Down the trail toward Fall River Road.


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I went up Rainbow Road following a Wrangler.  We only made it three or four miles before the snow became too deep.

Heading back down Rainbow Road.

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I think that’s Parry Peak.  Looking back up Rainbow Road.

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Out on Forest Road 175 before it turns into Yankee Hill Road.

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Side spur off of Forest Road 175.

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Up at the top of a hill.  That’s Mount Evans in the distance.

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On Yankee Hill Road.  Way out in the distance is Denver.  Yankee Hill Road became impassable toward the summit due to snow.  Maybe in another few weeks the road will be open all the way over to Saint Mary’s Glacier.

20150525_182800Back home after a great day out on the trails.