Day Seven – Mine Tours, Silver History, and Campground Donkeys
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025. It’s been seven days since I left my home in Texas and met Robbie and Zane in Oklahoma. Over the last week we’ve crossed Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Today marked the third day of traveling with Kevin and Maggie, and Mike and Jessica. It was also the first full day with Eric back in the group.
A Rough Start
I woke up not really knowing what the plan was. The night before, I had been sick enough that I considered packing up and heading home. Acid reflux hit me hard—it usually just gives me the hiccups for a bit and stops, but this time it dragged on for hours until I finally threw up around midnight. Once it ended, the constant diaphragm contractions and chest pain left me feeling worn out and disoriented. Walking back and forth between camp and the restroom, I probably looked drunk. Since I hadn’t eaten, I woke up with an empty stomach and little energy. I was hungry but nervous to eat, worried it might come back up.
Distracted By Another Ford Ranger
I noticed a pretty neat looking Ford Ranger parked on a campsite nearby and went over to look at it and meet the owner, Brian Slater. Brian turned his 2003 Ford Ranger 4×4 into a pretty well thought out overlander. I’m not going to go into details about it here, but you can get the whole story on it by going to Brian Slater’s 2003 Ford Ranger Overlander.
Handing Off The Trail Leader Position
We needed to be in Loveland by Friday, preferably around noon. The plan had been to head back into the Alpine Loop and cross Engineer Pass into Lake City, then north toward Gunnison, with Yankee Girl Mine as a waypoint. But I wasn’t up to leading. I asked Kevin to take over trail leader duties while I dropped back as trail gunner. The gunner runs at the end of the convoy, making sure nobody gets left behind and communicating with the leader. My only direction was that we had to make Loveland by Friday. The route could flex, and I had other options in GAIA GPS.
The Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour
Someone had noticed a sign in Ouray for a mine tour, so we decided to check it out after gassing up. Ouray only has two gas stations, each with four pumps, to accommodate the 1,000 local residents plus all the summer visitors. So, it took a while to fuel up. After filling my tank, I ran to a small grocery and grabbed some Gatorade for electrolytes and something light to eat before heading to the Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour to meet the others.
I was skeptical at first. Spending $20 on a “tourist trap” didn’t sound appealing. But when we got there, I realized this was the real deal—a working mine from back in the day. Our guide, John, handed out hard hats and led us 1,500 feet into the tunnel. Along the way, he explained how the miners worked, demonstrated tools, and shared the origin of mining terms like “single jack,” “double jack,” and “jack of all trades.” We also learned about blasting, dynamite, and donkeys (“jack asses”) that hauled carts. It turned out to be an excellent, informative tour—I’d recommend it.
Yankee Girl Mine
From there we went to the Yankee Girl Mine, just off US550 south of Ouray. Eric’s truck had been overheating on hills, and then I noticed smoke and a burning smell from his rear wheel. When we stopped, I found out his parking brake was still on. I can’t say I’ve never done the same thing.
The Yankee Girl Mine operated from 1869 to 1991, producing rich veins of silver, lead, and zinc. At its peak, ore assayed as high as $10,000 per ton, making it one of the richest silver strikes in the country. Unlike most local mines, the Yankee Girl shaft went nearly straight down – 1200 vertical feet, with twelve levels developed underground. During its run, it produced nearly $12 million in silver ore—worth over $100 million today. Nearby mines in the 17-square-mile area collectively yielded 4 million ounces of gold and 21 million ounces of silver. Today that gold would be worth $14.4 billion and the silver would be worth $861 million.
The mine’s headframe still stands tall against the elements, an incredible relic given Colorado’s brutal winters. On the way in and out, we passed other historic buildings and a warning sign about lead and arsenic contamination. Another striking sight was Red Mountain Creek—its bright orange water caused by acid mine drainage from the old tailings. The water leaches metals, most commonly iron, out of the rock and into to the water. The iron then oxidizes resulting in the highly acidic, bright orange water that flows throughout the region.
There’s a sign along the road that reads “WARNING ARSENIC AND LEAD – Behind this sign is an area with tailings and acidic mine water from past mining activity. These soils and surface waters may contain high concentrations of arsenic and lead, which are hazardous to your health. Avoid exposure by keeping out.”
Changing Plans
We considered how long it would take to cross Engineer Pass compared to the time it took to cross Cinnamon Pass and a few other important factors and decided to bypass it. Instead, we headed north on US550 to Ridgeway and then east across the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. This would give us a nice scenic drive in the mountains and take us up to US50 bypassing Montrose and a bunch of highways. It would also save us time but reconnect us to our original route. These last-minute changes and being flexible is what makes it an adventure and keeps it interesting.
Owl Creek Pass
This route took us to Owl Creek Pass (10,114 feet) where we found a beautiful creek that feeds into the West Fork Cimmaron River. It was way too nice to pass by and not stop. We ended up hanging out there for a while, and Eric tried his luck at panning for gold.
Blue Mesa Reservoir
When we finally made it to US50 we passed the Blue Mesa Reservoir. The Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado’s largest body of water, is 20-miles long, and has 96-miles of shoreline. The reservoir was created by the construction of Blue Mesa Dam, a 390 feet tall earthen fill dam constructed on the Gunnison River by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1966 for the generation of hydroelectric power.
Camping in Gunnison
We rolled into Gunnison, restocked at Safeway, and grabbed sites at the KOA campground—where we were greeted by at least eight donkeys roaming freely. When Eric blocked my parking spot while petting one, I yelled out: “Move your ass out of the way!” First time I ever got to use that line literally.
The campground had a small pavilion with a sink, which came in handy for cleanup. After setting up, I grabbed a shower but realized I’d forgotten my soap and shampoo at the last stop. Kevin came to the rescue with travel-size backups. Later we all gathered around Robbie’s propane firepit, swapping stories and laughing about what pranks we could pull on Eric while he slept in his hammock. We never actually did, but the jokes made for a good evening.
Nighttime Visitors
In the middle of the night, I woke to raccoons fighting nearby. Thankfully, I’d stored all my food, so they left me alone. The commotion didn’t last long, and I went back to sleep. As it turned out, the night held a few more surprises—but that’s for the next story.
Stay tuned.
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
