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SCRubicon
October 9th, 2008, 01:57 PM
After reading Jimmy's Red Cone, Radical Hill, Saints John and Peru Creek thread again I decided to go out and do some more exploring. First stop, the Pennsylvania mine. To get there you take the Peru Creek trail - just below Montezuma. On the way up you will notice some strange colors in the creek. This is caused by mine pollution. Cadmium, copper, iron, lead, and zinc. Cadmium is a known human carcinogen, and lead causes neurological, renal, and cardiovascular disorders. So, don't play in the water... At the Pennsylvania, the site is littered with neat remnants of the mining operation. Dilapidated wooden structures, foundations, equipment, and a couple rusty/destroyed antique cars. While I was there a plank fell off of the old mill building. Luckily, I was on the other side checking out the Ingersoll Rand air compressor. I also took note of a lot of rusty nails poking through the wood that is scattered about. Be careful if you decide to go up there... After wandering around the site for about an hour, I headed over to Saint's John and up to the Wild Irishman. I've passed Irishman numerous times, but have never stopped to look. There are a couple cabins, (one mostly intact) and an old outhouse. The camp was a settlement where small numbers of men and their families lived and worked during the mining periods. An old map identifies it as Preston, but the U.S. Geological Survey calls it Wild Irishman. According to legend this town site was founded by a New York policeman, an Irishman named Michael Dulhaney. When he struck silver ore his wild celebration supposedly set off a flash flood that wiped out three other mining camps. If you like old ghost towns, Wild Irishman is worth checking out. The scenery is amazing!

Now for some pics...

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/PennWild/DSCN4082.jpg
The Pennsylvania Mine

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/PennWild/DSCN4101.jpg
Ingersoll-Rand Imperial Type 10 air compressor

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/PennWild/DSCN4112.jpg
Wild Irishman

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/PennWild/DSCN4140.jpg

For all the rest --> http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/PennWild/

Tye
October 9th, 2008, 02:57 PM
MAN!!!!!! Now I'm starting to wish I did'nt have a job....

Pathrat
October 9th, 2008, 09:05 PM
When I read the last couple of sentences, I thought it sounded like the purported founding Irish cop found a way to eliminate the competition.

Funrover
October 9th, 2008, 11:50 PM
MAN!!!!!! Now I'm starting to wish I did'nt have a job....

X2.... But I am glad to see you are getting out, I currently live vicariously through your pics LOL

Brody
October 10th, 2008, 06:11 AM
Nice pictures, Steve! I am jealous of your enforced vacation... I took a year off (for the most part) , just stuck all my stuff in storage and either rock or ice climbed, or snowboarded almost every day. Celebrated my 50th B-Day by rope soloing roughly 3600' of pretty hard climbing (up to 5.10c/d, anyway). I was out all the time and loving it. Friends would sometimes show up for a day or two, but other wise I was just into my own rythm...nice...just had to be a hair more careful so that you didn't do a 'ralston'.

I have never been up to Wild Irishman in any season other than winter, so it was again nice to see pictures of that area not all covered in snow. I have snow shoed and x skied all around there. Years ago before they opened up the back side of Keystone, we would ski up past Wild Irishman or up the pass, turn 180 degrees and then ski down into Keystone, a 13 mile trip, but fun.

Funrover
October 10th, 2008, 09:54 AM
Nice pictures, Steve! I am jealous of your enforced vacation... I took a year off (for the most part) , just stuck all my stuff in storage and either rock or ice climbed, or snowboarded almost every day. Celebrated my 50th B-Day by rope soloing roughly 3600' of pretty hard climbing (up to 5.10c/d, anyway). I was out all the time and loving it. Friends would sometimes show up for a day or two, but other wise I was just into my own rythm...nice...just had to be a hair more careful so that you didn't do a 'ralston'.

I have never been up to Wild Irishman in any season other than winter, so it was again nice to see pictures of that area not all covered in snow. I have snow shoed and x skied all around there. Years ago before they opened up the back side of Keystone, we would ski up past Wild Irishman or up the pass, turn 180 degrees and then ski down into Keystone, a 13 mile trip, but fun.

That sounds like a great time!

SCRubicon
October 10th, 2008, 01:52 PM
The vacation has gone South... It feels more like exile from employment. Living on the ol' bank account while job hunting (unsuccessfully) can be a real drag at times. Getting out into the high country is the real quicker picker upper :)

4Runner3Wheeler
October 10th, 2008, 03:17 PM
Brody,

We'll have to climb some time; rock, ice, or mixed. Ouray, Vail, nearby canyons?

I had a Vedauwoo trip planned this weekend that is looking to be cancelled due to weather, which is why I may make it to Wheeler with my climbing partner sitting shotgun. We are looking into maybe climbing in the area or on the way back to Denver depending on weather.



Nice pictures, Steve! I am jealous of your enforced vacation... I took a year off (for the most part) , just stuck all my stuff in storage and either rock or ice climbed, or snowboarded almost every day. Celebrated my 50th B-Day by rope soloing roughly 3600' of pretty hard climbing (up to 5.10c/d, anyway). I was out all the time and loving it. Friends would sometimes show up for a day or two, but other wise I was just into my own rythm...nice...just had to be a hair more careful so that you didn't do a 'ralston'.

I have never been up to Wild Irishman in any season other than winter, so it was again nice to see pictures of that area not all covered in snow. I have snow shoed and x skied all around there. Years ago before they opened up the back side of Keystone, we would ski up past Wild Irishman or up the pass, turn 180 degrees and then ski down into Keystone, a 13 mile trip, but fun.