Hunkidori Mine
We came off of Webster Pass and went through Montezuma to head briefly up the start of Saints John to get to Hunkidori Mine. The beginning of the trail is always the most fun, with the long but shallow water crossing. There were vehicles and people all over near the trailhead, including people who watched and took pictures of us crossing from the other side of the water. Everyone was smiling and there were kids and dogs playing the water.
There were people in tents camping on both sides of the trail on the other side, but luckily we found our way through to the trail. There were small puddles here and there but otherwise the trail was dry.
We were cruising along following the tracks of another vehicle and hoping we didn't meet them going in the other direction, and then there was a dead tree across the trail. We saw the fresh tracks on the other side, so we wondered if someone was trapped over on the other side. We couldn't tell if the tracks were from the same day, but they were fresh enough to still have ridges in the mud a few feet on the other side. We had a couple saws and made quick work of clearing the trail again.
There are rocky spots mixed with muddy spots, but nothing gave us any troubles. Most of the trail was in the trees, but a quick glimpse across the valley was pretty.
We got to the cabin and it hadn't changed since we were there the last time. Somehow it still stands. We took a break long enough to check it out and wander around a bit, but then we headed up to the mine.
We were pretty close to the end when we found another dead tree across the trail. We were close enough to walk, though, so we left it where it was. We walked up to the mine and it was also just as it was. We looked around to try to find where the old mine was, but time has erased most of the usual indicators. It's a gorgeous area, so we enjoyed ourselves and took our time getting back to the Jeeps.
Strangely, we didn't see anyone else on the other side. It must have been a long time since it rained before we were there, otherwise the tracks in the mud wouldn't have been there. It made us wonder how many people got trapped on the far side of trails by trees, and it also made us wish for a chainsaw (like we have many times in the past).
We passed a few people on mountain bikes on their way up, but otherwise the trail was quiet. It was a nice trip, and Carter, Niko, and Roger left for home when we got back to the trailhead. Monica and Matt continued up Saints John for a couple more trails.
Reports from Other Days: 2
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Hunkidori Mine. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
