The campground was just across the highway from Blue Mesa Reservoir, a fisher person's haven. Though we don't fish, it was beautiful to look at.

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We found some good jeep runs in this area that took us through ghost towns that at one time were booming due to coal, silver and/or gold. The Ohio Pass trail was one of these. One of the largest coal mines in the region operated here from 1897 to 1946, producing over 2 million tons of coal from shafts over 150 feet deep.

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We are in awe of the aspen trees no matter how many times we see a forest such as this one.

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The Ohio Pass trail took us to Crested Butte, once a gold and silver mining town, now a booming ski area. Here we found many old buildings, signs that read "Caution Snow Slide Hazard Please Stay Under Canopy", lots of good restaurants and views of the mountains that are unparalleled.

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Some of the earliest miners mined placer gold in this region in the late 1850's. The Ute Indians resented the intrusion into their lands and in one instance killed 6 miners in Deadman's Gulch along the creek. Avalanches, the white death, proved to be an extreme hazard during winter travel in the canyon.

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We saw some great examples of beaver dams along the way. This one even has a small waterfall cascading over the top. We've decided that the beaver is an extraordinary animal.

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We stopped for lunch at an abandoned house and had to chuckle at this mailbox. Is one to believe there was actually mail out here or does someone have a good sense of humor?

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It rained every afternoon during our stay at Blue Mesa but today the lightning, thunder and rain started early catching us while we were still on the trail. Another new experience though not one we want to see repeated too often.

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We experienced some beautiful sunsets during our stay here.

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Today we drove the trail to Cumberland Pass through ghost towns such as Hillerton, Abbeyville and Tincup that survives today as a summer resort community with many of its buildings restored and in use.

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We had lunch at the old Blistered Horn townsite. It continues to amaze us how much remains of many of these old towns.

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On our way back to camp we found to some more wildflowers such as these wild iris...

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...and these beautiful little red flowers.

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