Fourmile area in Chaffee County, CO

[RGINN]

Due to a mis-prognosis of the weather on my part I didn't try to sneak in another December camp out, although I could have. Roads out of the county are fine until maybe tomorrow. Took Maria and went down north of Buena Vista early today. Went down 371 on the east side of the Arkansas then explored CR 375 that heads NNE to the Fourmile Creek/Buffalo Peaks Wilderness area. 24 degrees and very little snow down there although it was snowin up on top of the Collegiate Range. This is area is open to and popular with the ATV crowd, although I didn't see nobody out today. Some nice free campin areas back up here and some interestin spots that merit a little further examination. Good road and a fine drive for a few miles until I come up on a locked gate, with a sign tellin me it would remain locked from December til April. Don't know what was further down the road, but probably somethin pretty cool we'd all like to see, but I'll have to wait I guess.

 

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[Red_desert]

it sure is beautiful country out there, nice spot too for whoever has that mining claim.

 

[RGINN]

'High Hopes' claim, 60 acres up and down the river. Very well marked claim, and the owner makes it plain on his markers that GPAA claims are farther down the river. Most of the river has active placer claims on it, and you are expected to know where they are, properly marked or not. Unless the site is posted to general trespassing, you can walk all around a claim and look, take pics, etc., but you can't prospect, pan or dig for minerals. Nobody's gettin rich, but there are a few places where they will come down and run you off if they think you're pokin around too much. Which I guess gives tourists the 'claim jumping' experience of the old mining days.

 

[Red_desert]

So, GPAA has a claim in there too.

 

[tamrock]

You can now being the RGRR doesn't use that stretch of rail any more hike on in to Browns canyon and not worry about getting run down by a train I'm thinking. I never tried it yet, but I've been down in to Browns canyon on the opposite side to Hecla. There's good prospects in there. 30 + years ago now, my neighbor in BV was the section man on that stretch of track when that section was active. He'd take me along in his little rail car put-put and I'd inspect the rail bonds on my side and he the other side and he'd have his work done in one pass with eye's along. Then we'd be down in Browns canyon either fishing or panning. He had a great job with the RR maintaining and inspecting that section from BV to Salida and it was fun to tag along. I can't tell you how many time I've walked over that bridge in your photo. I've found a few good artifacts just across the river from that same photo and you can now drive down in there from 24. I stopped in there this last summer and there were a few folks camping in there now these days. Sure takes me back seeing your pictures of what I called my back yard so long ago. No one hardly ever came around that spot back then. It was just me and my dog Lucky hunting for arrowheads oh so long ago. Good place to gather piñon nuts, so don't forget the 4 year cycle I think it is when you can go harvest you some.

 

[pistol-pete]

GRINN...... Seen your name dozens of time here on Tnet..Didn't realize your were in Colo...I'm in Westcliffe, not to far away. only 45 mi to Salida...Maybe we could have coffee sometime

 

[RGINN]

Summit County, pistol-pete. Good to hear you're still around. Probably will be mud season before I get to do much more runnin around, but I'll holler at ya. I've always wanted to look that Wet Mountain Valley over down there.

 

[tamrock]

Hey! Pete, I've never been to Westcliffe and the closest I ever got was Cañon City and Florence, as I was engaged at one time to a gal from Florence and we'd go to her folks place in Florence, almost every Sunday when I lived in Buena Vista in the early 1980s. She was a Catholic girl and it seemed very important to her and her folks they got me into Mass every Sunday back then. She was a great gal, but Tamrock is a rambler and that just wouldn't have been to good for her to deal with, so the engagement ended. I keep wanting to take a drive over Medano Pass sometime, as I've never done that ... I better put that on the list. You have a Merry Christmas down there.