Ore Else

Once out of Grand Gulch we planned to do a canyon with a lot of deep potholes called Knotted Rope Canyon to work on skills for more serious routes. After a long hike and a few hours of consternation over the weather (active rain and localized threats of severe weather) we bug out. Deathrider spotted an unnatural inclined plane earlier in the day and we expected it was an old mine and with Uranium in the area ...

The yellow bits should be a low grade uranium ore but I can't say for sure.

The day before we ride down a creek to an old mine that was the first in the area.

We only peek in because all the beams are broken and its really unsafe.

Below: We hike up an old washed out mining road to two mines.

Proof it's really a uranium ore mine.

This looks a little safer so I go in maybe 200 feet, the papers say the claim is 1/3 mile (deep).

I enter this one as well but maybe 75 feet. These were both active within the last 15 years.

The breakdown is what turned me around. The pile of rock on the floor is the ceiling.

I'm in from of the mines above. There are 2 other mines in this photo that I know of maybe more.

As fun as trotting around in a hazardous radiation filled mine is the failed attempt of Knotted Rope Canyon should not be lost. We didn't get the pothole thrash we wanted but the views are probably the best I've ever seen and that's not an easy list to make so I'll share.

We camp at the trailhead and it was a nice place. A little windy but nice.

Pioneer car campers? I really wish I knew the story behind this car. 

The hike over the saddle, around the corner and up a steep gully to the top.

Low summit at the exit of the steep gully.

Working our way up and over the plateau for the decent into Knotted Rope.

This is "Personal Best View #?" I can't really say but its on the list. Scuba with a shark also makes the list.

The weather that drove us away

It never did rain enough to Matter. (e=mc²)