2016 GoHawkeye Fundraiser Hike

Vimeography Error: a Vimeography gallery with an ID of "3" was not found.I’ve been thinking about this hike for a few years.

A high alpine loop through the San Juan Mountains that would start and finish at my door. 135 miles through four counties visiting four towns rich with gold mining history. This area belonged to the Ute Indians and was their summer hunting ground until gold was discovered near Denver in 1858. White prospectors arrived in 1860 and with the end of the civil war and years of broken treaties, the Utes were pushed out by 1873. Gold was discovered in Telluride in 1875 and when the town was established in 1876, it already had the reputation as a rough and tumble mining town. The mines proved rich in gold, silver, zinc, lead, copper and iron. So much so,  that in 1889 Butch Cassidy and his wild bunch robbed the San Miguel National Bank and escaped with $25,000.  When the Rio Grande Southern Railroad arrived in 1891, Telluride became an established boomtown for a few short years. The Panic of 1893, when the silver prices crashed, caused the mining boom to collapse and with falling mineral prices and WWI the mining industry never regained it’s former glory.

The first leg of this hike will follow old mining trails between Telluride and Silverton through Bridal Veil Basin, Ice Lakes Basin and along Mineral Creek.  I will be accompanied by the GoHawkeye Media Director, Craig Stein, as we will explore old mining ruins and fly fishing in several high alpine lakes along the way and maybe even catch the elusive “Golden” trout.

The next leg will be from Silverton to the ghost town of Sherman via the Highland Mary Lakes region and the Continental Divide. I’ll resupply in Lake City, Colorado.

On the third leg from Sherman to Ouray, I’ll be joined by a few friends and climb 3 fourteen thousand foot mountains.  Two in one day, Redcloud Peak(14,041ft.) and Sunshine Peak(14,007ft.). On the next day, I’ll climb Handies Peak(14,058ft.) then down the backside and make my way to Ouray via Engineer Pass and the Horsethief Trail.

The final leg from Ouray to Telluride will be along the north side of the Mount Sneffels Wilderness on the Dallas Trail, the Alder Creek Trail and the Whipple Mountain Trail to a reception at the Telluride Distillery on August 26, 2016 after which I’ll stumble home 1 mile on the Meadows Trail.

I will maintain a blog of adventures along the way so keep checking this website.

You can support the GoHawkeye Foundation’s mission by donating per mile or making a flat donation.  100% of the money raised goes to GoHawkeye programs to benefit adaptive individuals and organizations. I pay for all my expenses, no donated money is used.

Make a donation online today to support the GoHawkeye mission.