13 @ Gunnison to Durango

For those with an iPad if you hit p and backspace together, usually by mistake your complete text disappears in notes. I'm not sure if the software greats from Apple know that. I found that out last night completing this story. So for me I have to tell it again. The best part is with a fresh beer. So not wanting to repeat myself but here goes.
Having to circumnavigate the Gunnison mountain because of the Pro challenge Lenore wanted to see a bit of the park. We headed off in Montrose direction for 20 miles or so but disillusioned in seeing only a reservoir with a highway next to it we decided to back track and head down 141 to Wolf creek pass Pagosa Springs.

A small paved road with little traffic, alpine vistas you know quite picturesque. Time to rest and take our bums for a walk so we stopped at a small mining town Lake City. Couple of quaint buildings. Shortly outta town we stopped on a lookout to look at Redcloud peak @14034' and got talking to three bike travellers. The one that had the Gs (like mine) told the history tale that 6 men got lost in the mountains out of the town we had just visited in the late 1800s. Six months later only one returned, who was later being crowned in being the only cannibal conviction in the States.
We continued on and looked at the headwaters of the Rio Grande river, on thru alpine sodden pastures with small water holes punctuating the brightest of grass. We heard that these bikers were stopping at a mining town Creede for lunch and thought we would at least look at the town. Approaching the Main Street we were drawn up the street, beyond the town limits into a canyon where all the early mining had taken place. Fascinating relic mines, stamping mills and railway so much one wonders how hard it was to make an income setting up let working the mines.

Continued on to Wolf Creek Pass 10,800' (don't you love that name) and down where some nice pictures highlight the greenness and greatness of it all. Pagosa Springs was a burrito for, again a 3pm lunch (curse those big plastic breakfasts)!

And on to the mining town of Durango!