Random Summer Photos

A few random photos from this summer

Red Sun from the forest fires in the West

Evening parade

Backdoor visitor - Got carrots???

Early Summer blooms in neighbor's yard

Unusual Aspen 

Mine opening found in nearby foothills

Mine Tag

Sign at nearby laundromat

Crude but effective

Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine

I love my Mother Earth. And I have always seen an open pit mine as an abomination. And yet, I have willingly moved next door to one.  (click on pictures to enlarge - the photos do not capture the immense size of the equipment being used or the pits being dug!)

Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine seen from the sky.
The towns of Cripple Creek and Victor are marked.

Someone once said that until mankind quits devouring minerals like they were candy, mining and open pit mines will be necessary. A very true statement.

Gold was discovered in a gulch outside of Cripple Creek in 1890. Within five years the town had grown to 8,000 people. The neighboring town of Victor was founded in 1894 . By 1901, at the peak of production, there were 500 mines in the District and $77 million in gold had been taken from the ground. 

Gold production continued until it tapered off in the 1920's, with a brief resurgence in the 1930's. World War II saw a halt to all gold production. In 1995 , a new process of gold leaching was developed and extraction began again at the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine. But this time the ore wasn't coming out of shafts, it was being mined in an open pit. 

I am not going to give a lot of details about the early days of gold mining here in the District. That is a story for another series of posts. What I am going to write about is the modern day mining which is currently taking place just over the hill. The current owner of the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine is Newmont Mining Corporation, a world wide mining company.

Pit located on northeast section of mining area. This pit is now used for rock disposal.

An open pit mine is just what it sounds like. A great big hole in the ground that keeps getting bigger because of the rocks (minerals/ore) that are being taken out of the hole. Blasting (with explosives) is done which loosens the rock near or just below the surface of the ground. Large heavy equipment then takes out the loose rock to be processed. This process of blasting and hauling rock is repeated over and over until the ore is all extracted. Roads are built around the sides of the pit to allow the heavy trucks to drive down to the bottom.

This hillside is being stripped down to bare ground and will soon look like the photo below.

The gold found here is not in the form of a nugget or dust. It is found mixed in with other minerals and must be separated from these other components via a leaching process. The ore bearing rock is sent to a crusher then on to a mill for processing. Once the rocks have been milled down to a more manageable size,  they are then taken to a leach pit where the precious minerals are extracted. A diluted Potassium Cyanide solution is sprayed on the crushed gold bearing ore in the leach pit. The cyanide trickles down through the rocks, binding with the gold and silver. At the bottom of the pit are carbon filters which trap the cyanide/gold mixture. 

Leaching area

Once the gold and other precious minerals are trapped in the carbon, it is then sent to another processing station where the gold, silver and other minerals are separated from the carbon and smelted down into bell shaped forms called dores. These dores are then sent to a refinery in Switzerland so the gold, silver and other minerals can be separated.

The rock which has no mineral value is loaded back on to dump trucks and taken to a part of the pit which has already been mined. There the rock is dumped and the mountain begins to take shape once again.

Disposal pit with roads running around the sides.
Dump trucks can be seen bringing rocks to be dumped.

Dump truck bed now being used for a viewing platform near the disposal pit

We frequently follow tankers carrying potassium cyanide up the mountain road to Cripple Creek. Never see the gold shipment leaving the mine though. Wonder who's riding shotgun on that stagecoach?

On Monday, I will write about the new exploration going on at the mine and its impact on the local community. I'll also write about the community involvement of Newmont and the most important part of the mining process - reclamation.

Mountainside near disposal pit that has been reconstructed.

Sidewalk in a Mining Camp

sidewalk in a mining camp

the boom has long gone bust

head wheels now stand silent

how they gather rust

fall has drawn to winter

rain and fog survive

empty lots and empty bins

still we are alive

sidewalk in a mining camp

changes like the season

stand there month and moment

shake your head and reason

what has been production

to depth or great divide

the point was once to prosper

grandeur to decide

a limit to the landings

random without fuss

left is only a fog

no limit to the dust

long has gone the shadow

from the summer leaves

reason now distorted

levels by degrees

standing on the sidewalk

an empty one at that

reminder of the old days

money in the camp

the city was a magnet

roulette like a rush

fog binds the open

ushers to a hush

Anonymous

Ghosts of Christmas

Sometimes the Ghost of Christmas Present meets the Ghost of Christmas Past and it is a magickal thing.

The Donkeys of Cripple Creek

Or rather, "Why there are farm animals walking down my sidewalk"....

I have written about the Donkeys of Cripple Creek before. They are a common site around town in the warmer months. Click Here! 

The Donkey was the companion of early day miners. This pack animal was surefooted over treacherous mountain trails and could carry approx. 1/4 of its body weight. Miners would use the burro to carry their supplies and equipment to and from their mining claim. Quite often the burros would get loose or stray from their owners. These donkeys formed the foundation of many of the wild burro herds found around the United States. 

The story - Tourists to the Cripple Creek area are told that the local Donkeys are ancestors of the donkeys brought here by early prospectors. 

The truth - The Donkeys seen around town have all come from various donkey rescue organizations. The City of Cripple Creek maintains (paying for their health care and feed) a herd of 15 individuals. When a herd member is lost due to illness or age, then another burro is acquired. Sometimes when a new member is adopted, a 'bonus' is also included. This past year, two new females were adopted who were both pregnant and they gave birth this past Spring.

During warm weather the Donkeys are left to roam around town, making themselves at home wherever they please. Munching on grass and fertilizing lawns and flower beds. The Donkey herd is quite an attraction for visitors, who might never be able to see this clever creature up close and personal.  During the winter, the burro herd is corralled at the local rodeo grounds.

And that is why there are farm animals walking down my sidewalk. A tribute to the legacy which helped build this town.

There Ain't No Ass in Victor

I can already hear your thoughts. I know where your mind went!

But this post is about a mainstay found in the early mining communities of the Western United States. The Burro!

The burro, donkey or ass was the companion of early day miners. The burro was surefooted over treacherous mountain trails and could carry approx. 1/4 of its body weight. Miners would use the burro to carry their supplies and equipment to and from their mining claim. Quite often the burros would get loose or stray from their owners. These donkeys formed the foundation for many of the wild herds found around the U.S.

The Cripple Creek/Victor area of Colorado has always had 'wild' burros roaming the streets from as far back as I can remember. I can remember going to a Craft Fair in Victor one summer and wild asses (four-legged) wandered through the streets and attracted much attention.

Today, the Burro herd is only located in Cripple Creek. Not Victor. There is a fierce rivalry between these two old mining towns that are located only about 5 miles apart. Should the Burros begin to wander towards the town of Victor, then someone will go herd them back towards Cripple Creek. I do not know the whole story as to why the burros are only found in Cripple Creek now and not Victor, but I suspect it has to do with money. When gambling came to Cripple Creek, there was extra money to be had to care for these animals. Victor did not vote in gambling and is still a small struggling town.

During the warm weather months, the burro herd can be found wandering the streets of Cripple Creek. Quite often stopping traffic and attracting attention. During the winter, the herd is corralled and taken care of by the City of Cripple Creek. The herd is maintained at 15 individuals. All the herd members are 'fixed'. Should members be lost due to illness or age, anew donkeys will be acquired from a donkey rescue organization.

I always enjoy seeing these asses when I go to town!

Grabbin' Ass!

Sheesh! I can't take my Hubby anywhere!

I caught him grabbin' ass not once but twice this weekend! 

looking southwest over the town of Victor, Colorado

It happened over the weekend in the small mining town of Victor, Colorado (elevation 9,780 ft). 

It was a spur-of-the-moment trip. We were in Cripple Creek early to deliver a faux bois bench to the gift shop, Shops at the Silver Mine, and decided we didn't want to go straight back home. So off down the road we went to the neighboring town of Victor. We stopped at a scenic overlook that looked over a beautiful valley and a hiking trail with a few people - and their burros! - walking towards Victor. 

After watching the hikers for a bit, hubby & I wandered off to look at the various mining equipment displays. Not long into my absorption of history, I heard someone yelling, I looked around and saw a woman running down a nearby hill. Far ahead of her was her burro! I got Hubby's attention and he headed towards the main trail. I headed over to the trail spur which led to the parking lot. 

The runaway burro wasn't going any further! Fortunately the burro headed towards Hubby where she was promptly caught and led back to her owner. 

Back on the road we laughed about the "ass grabbin" and wondered what the race was about. As we wondered through town, we decided to stop and eat at a small cafe that looked out onto main street where the finish line was.  

We watched the racers come down the street as we enjoyed the best green chili I've had in awhile! After lunch we went out to mingle with the racers. 

Elrod

There was one burro that took a liking to me, his name was Elrod. Hubby had to keep intercepting him. I don't have a fondness for horses or burros. 

The race was a 'Haulin Ass Up The Pass' race sanctioned by the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation. Burros were an integral part of Colorado's mining history. Burros supplied the labor to pull the heavy ore carts in the mines. They were the transportation to get the gold ore out of the mountains. Burros were the prospector's best friend. Today's races are an acknowledgement of the part the Burro played in the search for Colorado's riches. Each burro in the race, regardless of size, had to carry a shovel, a pick, a gold pan. The full size donkeys also had to carry 33lbs of weight. 

miniature donkey

How can anyone be mad when the Ass is as cute as the one in the picture above?