Remnants from the old mining days can be found throughout the San Juan Mountains in places like Telluride, Ouray and Silverton. On a recent trip to nearby Ouray I explored a ghost town that was made up of several falling down cabin structures, an old church, what looked like a schoolhouse and another building that could have been the general store or saloon. My favorites include Red Mountain in the scene to help convey the story of this once thriving place, called Ironton. A bit further down the road stood another abandoned camp with a less distant past. The mountain backdrop and cloudy sky called to me and helped to complete the scene. From a nearby vantage point I photographed the head frame of the mining operation which sat below Red Mountain and added scale to its impressive height. I look forward to exploring more of these remnants in my new home… the San Juans of Colorado.
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Denise Bush's Photo Blog 