Canyons of the Black Ridge Wilderness | Tuesday, April 19, 2022
I’ve really been slacking on my After Work Adventures for a while now and had really hoped to change that this spring, but so far I haven’t got out for one hike during the week this year. Well, that finally changed today when I left after work and headed back up into the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness to search for the Edna Mine, which is an old Uranium mine found near the head of Devils Canyon that was active during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The temperature was into the low 80’s when I started hiking and the sky was pretty cloudy, but the strong winds helped keep me cool and the clouds started to open up a bit while I was exploring the mine, so it turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon for a hike.
Hiking into the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness on an old closed mining road.
After following a couple of twists and turns while descending about 600 feet, I spotted the remains of the Edna Mine in this cliff band.
Here are a couple different views from the front of the Edna Mine.
The entrance to the tunnel.
Edna Mine Tunnel
A little deeper inside the tunnel.
Looking out from inside the tunnel.
This is a piece of mining equipment I found just above the mine as I started hiking back. Shorty after leaving this spot I was rattled at by a small rattlesnake in the middle of the old road. I quickly jumped out of the way!
During my hike back I stopped at a great overlook of Devils Canyon and was very happy that the clouds and light cooperated with me!
Devils Canyon
Devils Canyon Overlook
Following the old roadcut back to the trailhead.
Here’s one last view of the Grand Valley before I returned to my Jeep and drove back home.
