BACHELOR SYRACUSE MINE - OURAY

From Montrose, it was southbound. I had planned on visiting a mine tour but the day before I realized that I could not get there from where I would be. It was on the east side of the mountains. So I found another one on the west side.
The Bachelor Syracuse Mine.
Even though it was warm most of the trip, except some mornings, I did bring a light jacket for the mine tour.
There were only two others on the tour, a woman called Kate and her boy Harvey. They were from Oregon. The guide was Bruce.
The tour walks back through the tunnel that goes straight back into the mine.
It only goes so far to a small area where Bruce shows how they used to dig an blow stuff up.
The drilled little holes in the rock where they would put sticks of dynamite.
There's one of those drills.
He turned off the lights and just left candles lit as the miners would have had.
The shaft goes a good way more, but it is closed. There are also many other levels.
A look back.
There was water running the length of the shaft.
It would be a hard life as a miner, but the scenery you would have when not inside a mountain is generally stunning.
The mine is just north of the town of Ouray, elevation 7,792 ft.
The Elks Lodge Building was built in 1904.
There were lots of old looking building in this little town. I did not take pictures of them all. You can thank me later.
The Beaumont Hotel dates back to 1887.
It is a nice little town tucked into the mountains.

NEXT