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Month: August 2010

La Plata Mountains

Colorado Adventure 2010 | Day 4
Saturday, August 28, 2010

From my camp on Devil Mountain, my goal was to reach and start exploring the La Plata Mountains. I didn’t have anything planned, so I checked out a few trails along the way. When I reached US 160 again, I traveled further west for a few miles before turning off on the First Notch Trail.

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Summitville

Colorado Adventure 2010 | Day 3
Friday, August 27, 2010

Gold was discovered in the Summitville area in 1870. The town at one time had a population of more than 1,500 and 2,500 mining claims were staked. At 11,200 feet on South Mountain, Summitville was once the highest major gold camp in Colorado. By 1889 there were only about 25 residents left in town. This would be my main destination for the day….but first I would have to get there.

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Bonanza!

Colorado Adventure 2010 | Day 2
Thursday, August 26, 2010

“Boy, she’s a bonanza!”

Those were the words a prospector shouted two miles upstream from Bonanza. That’s how the town got its name….and Bonanza would be my destination for the second day of my adventure. This town’s population jumped quickly to around 5,000 in 1880, and those people left just as fast in 1890. I would be exploring the roads that they once traveled and would stop to check out the old mining relics along the way.

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The Cochetopa Hills

Colorado Adventure 2010 | Day 1
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Last Wednesday I headed out on my Colorado Adventure. While I didn’t make a set itinerary for the trip this year, there were a few areas that I wanted to explore further, and I tried to connect them into a big loop. From Grand Junction I headed south to Montrose and continued on US 50 towards Gunnison. After a quick side-trip on Blue Mesa and then topping off my gas tank in Gunnison I continued on to CO 114 and my first destination; The Cochetopa Hills. I had driven through this area quickly a few years ago when I took Los Pinos Pass over into the San Juans, and I was itching to get back and explore some more.

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