Sunnyside and the Hurricane
A San Juan Mountains, Colorado Adventure

By: Bob Norton
Photos by: Bob Norton & Arne Gjerning
New Mexico 4-Wheelers

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Labor Day weekend 2000 would provide one last opportunity this year to visit the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. This is a long time favorite location of mine to visit and go 4-wheeling. Numerous old roads lace the mountainsides, allowing access to visit old mines and spectacular vistas. Most of the mining took place in the 1870's and 1880's with some still operating into the 1930's. Wagons and pack animals were used to haul the ore in the early days. Tramways were built in places to carry the ore from the mines to the mills.

Arne and myself, each with well equipped Jeep Cherokee XJ's, chose to drive up the challenging route in Poughkeepsie Gulch the first day. (http://www.4x4now.com/trcopg.htm) But mud from freshly melting snow would lead me to grenading a front axle shaft u-joint, along with the assembly, before the day was done. I would be relegated to 2-wd operation for the remainder of the weekend and forced into continuing further trail runs as a nervous passenger!

Access to the first featured trail was accomplished by traveling from U.S. Highway 550 up colorful Corkscrew Gulch trail past the Red Mountains (route 886). One can also come northward from Silverton past Gladstone on route 110 to join up with this road. A right, southeasterly turn is then made onto the unmarked Ross Basin Road, just after the remnants of the Queen Anne Mine are passed. (Mile: 0 - UTM Coordinates: 13 S 0269731 4198737 Map datum is WGS84). This is the last turn before the climb up Hurricane Pass to the north. The U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute quad map" Handies Peak includes much of the area highlighted in this article.

This particular region consists of an assortment of BLM managed lands and private property. Please keep in mind that we are "guests" using these currently open 4-wd routes and that 90% of the mine sites and mill ruins are on private land. Protect these historical resources by leaving them undisturbed.

This road then begins a steep climb towards Sunnyside Saddle and Hurricane Peak. Encountered are sharp switchbacks and talus slopes. To stay on the main trail, keep left at each branch road as the others lead to several old mine sites in the basin.

After climbing to an elevation of about 13,000 feet, a viewpoint is reached. This is known as the Sunnyside Saddle (also: Whiskey Pass). (Mile:1. 0 - UTM Coordinates: 13 S 0269670 4199360). Panoramic views include those to the west of the Red Mountains and Black Bear Pass, plus views to the southeast of what was known as Lake Emma. The basin was filled with a lake until 1978, when suddenly a geologic weakness broke through into mine shafts below. Mud and all of the water drained away. The lake bed has since been reclaimed and we could see from the saddle several 4-wd vehicles exploring this area below. Ambitious mining activity took place at Lake Emma in the Sunnyside Basin until about 1939.

Many maps still show, incorrectly, the existence of the lake, as well as a road that leads from Sunnyside Saddle down to the Lake. Arne and I could not find evidence of such a usable road. Other than what are now pack trails, nature has reclaimed any roads down these slopes, it seems.

From here, the road upward becomes increasingly steep and the talus is quite loose. The inexperienced and those with stock 4-wd vehicles might consider carefully whether to continue the climb up the remaining switchbacks toward Hurricane Peak.

The road ends at a saddle (approximately 13,170 feet in elevation) on the southeast flank of Hurricane Peak (13,447 feet elevation at the top). (Mile:1. 5 - UTM Coordinates: 13 S 0269962 4198509). Here, we discover the likely origin of the name. The winds are ferocious! The Cherokee rocks in what we estimated to be at least 60-70 mph blasts. Watching the clouds fly by is dizzying and hiking about is difficult and uncomfortable. But oh, the views!

The view of California Gulch & Pass from Hurricane Peak is spectacular

To the east are views of California Gulch as it reaches towards the Animas River Valley. To the west, the Red Mountains and numerous 14,000 foot (plus) mountain peaks. Looking in northerly directions: views of California Pass, Poughkeepsie Gulch and the distant Engineer Mountain. Ross Basin and Eureka Gulch are southward. Due to the narrow ridge, a hike to the top of Hurricane Pass may not be possible. But another high point at 13, 306 feet elevation just south of where we are parked is easily climbed, wind permitting, of course!

A visit to Sunnyside Basin and the Lake Emma site is accomplished by driving up Eureka Gulch northeast of Silverton. From route 110/586, turn west on the road just north of the former townsite of Eureka, crossing the Animas River. The road is signed San Juan 25. (Mile: 0)

While driving upward, a building that housed the upper end of a mining tram can be seen high up the side of the gulch. A couple of branch roads and sparking streams invite further explorations.

(Mile: 4.0). The location of Lake Emma in Sunnyside Basin has undergone extensive restoration since it drained and a network of roads now lace the bottom. Evidence of only a few structures now remain of the many that existed during the mining hey-day. And, as with most mines in the San Juan Mountains, silver was the most common ore, although gold and other metals were extracted. It is believed that these mountains still contain much of these valuable metals, although motorized recreation is no doubt the leading contributor to the local economies today.

The road ends at the far (northern) end at the base of a cliff where considerable ore had been removed. (Mile: 4.3). Looking upward to the west, is a closer view of Sunnyside Saddle (Whiskey Pass), where we saw other 4-wd vehicles poking their way up to Hurricane Peak. While it was fun to look, poking around the diggings and tailings would lead to finds no more valuable than fool's gold and some small crystalline specimens.

The 4-wd routes from Ross Basin to Sunnyside Saddle and upward to Hurricane Peak and that up Eureka Gulch to Sunnyside Basin provide a historical window to the mining activities of the past, plus such outstanding scenery. In addition to the more widely known routes driven in the San Juans, these two are certainly deserving of a visit as well.

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