Silverton: A gritty little
mining town with
Victorian pretensions!
Travel with us from Ouray to Silverton
I awoke around 4:30 in the morning in my
Orvis hotel room.
Mela was asleep in the
easy chair and I
was sprawled out all over
the double bed. It
was quiet - just a soft
breeze rustling the
branches outside the
window. I got up, put my robe on and pulled the curtain
aside. It was so
dark that I could barely
make out the trees
moving. I could not see
any stars, or the
moon so I knew it must
be cloudy. That is
when I saw her. It was Ailsa walking slowly to the rear of
the resort. She was just an outline of dark
shadows, but I recognized her walk (Ailsa
walks as if she were floating on air). I
decided to go out as well and sit and chat
with her. I had not had nearly as much time
as I would have liked to get to know her,
and I really wanted her to enjoy her vacation
and like me as well. I walked out and towards the area where I
had last seen her. "hmmmmm, where did
she go", I whispered to myself. "Over
here Tory", I heard Ailsa's soft voice
say - it had a tinge of anxiety in it. "Are
you okay", I asked her as I sat down
on the ground next to her. "I don't
know", her voice quivered. "I have
been having nightmares...every night and
even sometimes
Ailsa had nightmares
about a creature
she
called "Big
Baby".
when I am awake...I guess they call those
visions, but I don't want to see those things". "What things", I asked. Ailsa began
to describe much
of the same things I had
been dreaming: sepia
colors, fast movements
of dark shadows,
emptiness and terrifying
danger. While my
dreams had told of visiting
a house in Silverton
marked by a willow branch,
her dreams included
a huge man in a diaper..."Big
Baby" she called
him. I would have giggled
if I had not seen
the horror in Ailsa's eyes. "Any cowboys with funny accents",
I asked her. "Not
funny accents but
Scottish accents",
Ailsa answered, "two
cowboys telling us
to get to Silverton
before
the roth moon, but
I die in a graveyard
before
we get there".
Scottish? No wonder
I
had no clue as to
the accent I heard
in my
dream. "I am
sure it is just a
bad dream,
my friend",
I reassured Ailsa,
"you
have nothing to fear
with me around".
I was kinda lying
since danger had
been stalking
me since I discovered
how to poof into
Real
- but I really did
not want Ailsa's
first
visit to Colorado
to be anything but
a joyous
event.
Ailsa's dream
ended with
her not moving
in
a graveyard.
"How did you know about the Scottish
Cowboys", Ailsa asked. "Ohhhh,
it is a tradition in Colorado...everyone
has those dreams...it is like a Sorority
initiation for our State", I lied. I
knew I was going to get struck by lightening.
Angels just do not fib, but my heart was
telling me to not let Ailsa know I was having
similiar dreams. "So what happened last night",
I asked Ailsa as we began to walk back to
our rooms, "did I black out"? "I
don't think so", answered Ailsa. "There
was a time when you became very quiet and
your eyes were kind of glassed over, but
I just thought you were a lightweight when
it comes to Margaritas". "But you
know...you did say something that freaked
us out a bit. "What was that",
I asked. "You were doing your lecture on all
the neat stuff in Silverton - the history,
the train, the harsh weather - and then you
stopped for a moment and began to tell us
about how the town of Red Mountain is a better
place to visit and how we should go there
instead of Silverton...stuff like that".
Then you went back to telling us about the
Silverton and the Narrow Gauge - but like
I said, I just figured you couldn't handle
your liquor". I had never heard of
The Black Bear Manor
the town of Red Mountain, but I decided
not tell Ailsa that either. We said our good
nights and retired to our rooms. Mela was
still fast asleep in the chair so I went
for an early morning soak and watched the
sunrise. I heard Henry softly practicing
his guitar. I relaxed. We all soaked one more time before checking
out and drove into downtown Ouray for a quick
breakfast at Black Bear Manor. One of the most delightful Bed and Breakfasts
in the San Juans, the Black Bear Manor is
owned and operated by Phil and Lucie Mims, who moved to Ouray from
Dallas. Phil met us at the door and warmly welcomed
us. He confessed he had never met an Avatar
or (GASP) ever heard of Angel Kiss. But he
was fascinated with my fish hook earrings
(Phil use to work in the jewelry business
and old habits die hard. LOL).
We filled ourselves with the tastiest pastries,
eggs, and about two gallons of yummy coffee
each, said our goodbyes and headed off to
climb the Million Dollar Highway to Red Mountain
Pass. The highway to Silverton from Ouray is paved
and a fairly easy
drive in the Summer months,
but is cursed with
avalanches, heavy snows
and slick roads in
the Winter. Though the entire stretch has been called
the Million Dollar
Highway, it is really
the twelve miles
(19 km) south of Ouray through
the Uncompahgre Gorge
to the summit of Red
Mountain Pass which
gains the highway its
name. This stretch through the gorge is challenging
and potentially hazardous
to drive; it is
characterized by
steep cliffs, narrow lanes,
and a lack of guardrails;
the ascent of Red
Mountain Pass is
marked with a number of
hairpin "S"
curves used to gain
elevation, and again,
narrow lanes for traffic-
many cut directly
into the sides of mountains.
During this ascent, the remains of the Idarado
Mine are visible. Traveling north from Silverton
to
The remains
of the Idarado Mine..or Big Baby's
Lair?
Ouray allows drivers to hug the inside of
curves; travel south from Ouray to Silverton
(as we were doing) perches drivers on the
vertiginous outside edge of the highway.
Large RVs travel in both directions, which
adds a degree of excitement (or danger) to
people in cars and on motorbikes. The road is kept open year-round. Summer
temperatures can range from 70-90 degree
highs at the ends of the highway to 50-70
degrees in the mountain passes. The snow
season starts in October, and snow will often
close the road in winter. Chains are often
required for Winter driving.(wk1) The temperature was fabulous for a mountain
drive and the skies were clearing of the
clouds that had set in before dawn. As we
climbed the steep road, I told Mela about
the Gov't Mule concert and how Henry was
going to get an opportunity to jam with Warren
Haynes in Telluride, if everything worked
out. Mela was a bit jealous since she loves
music as well, and as conversations some
times do, we drifted from one subject to
another: the joke on me at the Fly Shop,
the Margaritas, the lithium waters, how Ailsa
and Henry met...etc. No mention of the nightmares
was brought up. I was glad. Soon the topic
of Silverton came up and that was my cue...LOL...SUPER
TRAVEL GUIDE to the rescue.
The Silverton district opened legally to
miners in 1874, following the Brunot Treaty
with the Utes. An estimated 2000 men moved
into the region that year. Most of the early
settlers came from states east of Colorado,
but the middle 1880s saw large numbers come
from Europe … Austria, Italy, Serbia, Croatia,
Cornwall, Ireland, Wales, France, Germany,
Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
and elsewhere. The mining companies advertised
in foreign newspapers, promising jobs and
the opportunity to own land. Foreigners,
usually the men first, made the exhausting
ocean voyage, usually crowded into the lower
levels of often dirty ships, then after finally
arriving in America crossed half a continent
to reach Silverton. Few could speak English,
and most left their families in the old country,
worked in the mines, saved their money, then
sent for their loved ones. Not all who settled were miners. By 1875
the 100 "sturdy
souls" who lived
in Silverton proper
worked in the post
office,
sawmills, blacksmith
shop, mercantile,
newspaper,
liquor stores, smelters
or assay offices.
Utes are an important part of the fabric
of Colorado both in the past and today
The town's population grew to 500 by 1876.
LIfe was not easy
for any of them.
Statistics
from Silverton's
cemetery note causes
of
death in early Silverton
as 117 from snowslides,
143 from miner's
consumption, 161
from pneumonia,
138 from influenza
(most in the 1918
epidemic)
and 202 from mine
accidents. In the summers Ute Indians hunted and lived
in the Silverton
area before the first explorers,
the Spanish, arrived.
The Utes remained until
1873 when the Brunot
Treaty opened the San
Juans to settlement.
The first permanent
white settlers came
for diverse reasons,
but gold and silver
served as magnets to
the region. Some
also wished to escape cumbersome
responsibilities,
perhaps even crimes, and
turn over a new leaf.
Others hoped to earn
enough money to send
for their families that
they might all embark
on a better life. Early day Silverton was rough, turbulent
and often violent. The environment was extremely
harsh, especially the long severe winters.
Mining was a very dangerous occupation with
few, if any, safety precautions on the part
of the mine owners. Mining casualties were
frequent … falling down an open shaft, being
blown to pieces in a powder explosion or
the mine itself caving in on the workers.
Snowslides carried many to eternity. Saloons,
alcohol, prostitution, gambling, robbery
….there were
Silverton Library
today
many opportunities to die violently. Suicides
were not uncommon, especially among the prostitutes.
Also in the early years of the town there
were a few lynchings by the local vigilantes. I continued to ramble on and no one noticed,
including me, that I had turned off the highway
onto an dirt mining road a few short miles
from the top of Red Mountain Pass. The Congregational Church was dedicated in
1881, the railroad reached Silverton the
next year, and the Grand Hotel (later the
Grand Imperial, still in operation) had its
grand opening in 1883. Silverton’s population
was 3,000, and the town was becoming civilized!
Fraternal lodges and various literary societies
were organized. In the early 1900s the Carnegie
Library, County Court House, County Jail,
Town Hall, Wyman Building, Benson Block,
Bausman Building, Miners Union Hall and Miners
Union Hospital were built. Are we going the right way", Henry finally
asked as we came
upon a line of Range
Rovers
(a traffic jam!)
lined up on the dirt
road.
I did not remember
turning off the highway
and I was confused.
An unusual
traffic jam off the main road
"I think I went the wrong way",
I said as I shifted
the jeep into reverse
in a futile effort
to turn around. The
road
was too narrow and
within minutes another
4X4 had pulled up
behind us. I shut
the engine
off and we all got
out to gawk and stretch
our legs. Henry walked down the road to see what was
going on and us three girls rested our butts
on the front grill in awe of the majestic
beauty that was all around us. "Well,
if we are lost, I cannot think of a more
beautiful place to do it in", Ailsa
cheerfully said. "Are we lost",
Mela asked me. "Nawwwww, I am sure this
road comes out somewhere", I replied,
showing all the confidence I could muster.
"I wonder where THIS road goes",
Mela pointed to a smaller, narrower road
hidden by an out cropping of rock. Ailsa
and Mela began to walk up the hidden road
for a peek.
Ailsa and Mela
exploring...bad idea!
I stayed by the jeep so Henry would not freak
out at all three of us missing. I crawled
upon the hood and leaned back against the
windshield. The sun was just beginning to
really warm up and it felt wonderful on
my face and wings. I closed my eyes and just
listened. I could hear distant voices from the other
drivers in the "wilderness
traffic jam",
their voices faint
and muffled by the rocks
and trees. I heard
the screech of a hawk
and the sounds of
a stream and wind struggling
to find a route around
ancient stones. I
almost dozed off
when I heard a whisper. I strained to listen. "Help meh...rescue meh...it hurts....take
the road....find me......trapped....Red Mountain......". That was all I could make out. I opened
my eyes to see if Henry or Mela or Alisa
were trying to scare me, but I was alone
with the jeep. Not only was no one whispering
to me, but all color seen by my eyes was
gone. I was in what they call Sepia...a yellowish
old timey look. I knew I had not traveled
back in time since the other 4X4's were still
there, but everything was colorless - like
in my recent nightmares. Was I going blind?
Was this Nightmare on Elm Street, Red Mountain
style?
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Ladies Keds
I began to freak out a bit and squinted to
look down the road for Henry - but without
color, different shapes are hard to make
out. I decided to walk down the road to find
Henry and had not gone more than 50 feet
when I saw him running as hard as he could
up the rocky road; his hat in hand. He looked
scared. His pace slowed as the high altitude began
to take its toll on his lungs and I trotted
to meet him. "WHAT IS WRONG", I
shouted as I grabbed his shoulders and shook
lightly. Henry was trying to catch his breath.
"They are gone.....HUFF HUFF...all of
them....HUFF HUFF".
"WHO"?
WHO IS GONE"? I was
starting to panic.
"The people.....in
these 4X4's...the
ones I was talking
too...they just vanished.....all
of them". Henry
leaned his hands on
his knees still trying
to catch his breath
and then looked up
and around - "Where
is Mela and Ailsa"?
Continued Below
Is this the
last of the "San Juan Skyway
Fantastic Four"
Mela and Ailsa Mela and Ailsa had only ventured a short
distance up the narrow road before they lost
sight of the jeep and Tory. It was a few
yards further that both of them saw a brief
flash and lost the ability to see color "Is
it a nuclear war", Mela thought out
loud. "My eyes are all messed up",
Ailsa said as she rubbed both of her eyes
hoping that somehow it would help. It didn't.
Ailsa and Mela
follow the fiddle music -
bad idea!
My eyes are messed up too", Mela answered.
"I think we
better get back to
the jeep".
They both turned
around only to find
that
the road back looked
nothing like the
road
they had just come
up. "WTF",
Mela
said as she began
to walk down the
unfamiliar
road. "Something
is VERY wrong Ailsa".
Ailsa agreed while
still rubbing her
eyes
and then caught up
with Mela and grabbed
her hand. "I'm
a bit scared",
Ailsa
confided. "Me
too", Mela answered. The two walked down the road towards where
they thought the jeep would be, only to find
a dead end with a wooden plank boardwalk
disappearing into the pines. "I think
we should go back", Mela advised, knowing
that they were trapped between two unfamiliar
places. In other words, they were lost. The
duo had just turned around when the very
softest fiddle playing wafted through the
cliffs and crevices. "I think it is
coming from down this boardwalk". Ailsa
said exactly what Mela was thinking. They agreed that it might be better to take
the boardwalk in the hopes that the fiddle
player
Ailsa and Mela
enter the town of Red Mountain
- bad idea!
(whoever they were) could offer some help
in getting them back to the jeep. The two
Avatars gripped each others hands tighter
as they tried to quietly follow the creaky
old boardwalk path. It led them to an abandoned
town. A ghost town called Red Mountain. Henry and Tory After hollering for Ailsa and Mela for a
bit, Henry and I
tried to get the
jeep turned
so we could follow
the road our companions
journeyed down. It
was not easy. Back
- turn
the wheel - forward
- turn the wheel
- back
- turn the wheel,
but finally I had
enough
room to get us to
the entrance of the
side
road. I went as fast
as I thought the
shocks
and tires could handle
the rocks; causing
Henry and I to bounce
up and down like
Mexican
Jumping Beanz It was one of these rocks hitting the right
front tire wrong that caused the steering
wheel to jerk to the left. I tried to compensate,
but it was too late. "HANG ON",
I screamed as the jeep left the road and
we plummeted down the side of the cliff crashing
into the river below in a massive spash........
Tory leaves
the road down
a cliff with Henry
- the worst
idea yet!
I awoke around 4:30 in the morning in my
Orvis hotel room.
Mela was asleep in the
easy chair and I
was sprawled out all over
the double bed. It
was quiet - just a soft
breeze rustling the
branches outside the
window.
