A weekend in the San Rafael Swell

[IntrepidXJ]

Got back a little while ago from exploring the San Rafael Swell this weekend with Ryan and Clint. Here's some pictures from the weekend.

Had to fix a minor coolant leak before heading out on Saturday

Crossing the San Rafael River at Fuller Bottom

All 3 of us in Coal Wash

Ryan climbing out of the wash

North Fork Coal Wash

Where we were headed all along

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Wind carved rock along Devils Racetrack

Dutchman Arch

Ryan on top

Oil Well Flats

San Rafael Bridge

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Sunday morning we headed South of I-70 to do a little exploring.

In Reds Canyon

Canyon near Lucky Strike Mine

Went exploring in this mine

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Hondu Arch

Muddy River

Wild Horse

...and on my way home, I had to stop for a picture of I-70 snaking it's way through the San Rafael Reef

 

[Willman]

Great shots!!

That is one area i need to check out!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Great pics

Some of my favorite destinations The Swell has become so appealing to me over the past couple years, in the last 5 months I've been 6 times... I'm guessing you know why... all the scenery and adventure with the added solitude you don't find in other recreation "hot-spots".

The mine you hiked in was the Dirty Devil Mine... pretty big operation given the size of the workings. Did you notice the ATV tracks inside the mine, racing up and down the tunnels? Insane!

 

[IntrepidXJ]

The mine you hiked in was the Dirty Devil Mine... pretty big operation given the size of the workings. Did you notice the ATV tracks inside the mine, racing up and down the tunnels? Insane!

Thanks for the info...I coulnd't find the name of that mine on any of the maps/books I have.

...and yes, I did see the ATV tracks in the tunnels

 

[burke]

We passed your crew on the Moore cut off road (silver double cab Tacoma). The dirty devil mine looks really cool. Where is that located?

 

[SOAZ]

Great shots! I gotta go there. :clapsmile :drool:

 

[cruiseroutfit]

We passed your crew on the Moore cut off road (silver double cab Tacoma). The dirty devil mine looks really cool. Where is that located?

Tomsich Butte, which is at the souther end of Reds Canyon (south of I-70).

The abandoned Dirty Devil uranium mines at Tomsich Butte were started by W.J. Hanret and John Tomsich in 1951. The operations continued until ~56 or 57' producing sizable shipments of ore. As the bottom fell out of the uranium mining industry, the mine was abandoned. To my knowledge it has never been re-mined since, though there is very little info about that particular mine that I've been able to dig up. A couple of books I have reference the area, and some of the info I've gathered is direct from the BLM.

To have been exploring that area 20 years ago... man it would have been neat. Not only were the mines and structures far more in tact, but there used to be a road that crossed the river just past the Dirty Devil Mine and lead part of the ways up the canyon with The Hondu Arch as its terminus. Its now been closed by the BLM.

 

[burke]

thanks Cruiseroutfit, i'll add that to my list of places to check out down there. I had to go check out the MK tunnels after seeing a write-up you did awhile back:luxhello:

 

[Cody]

I passed you guys while you were stopped in Buckhorn Draw at the pictograph panel. I think it was Friday. Big ugly grand cherokee that was probably going entirely too fast.

Nice pictures. Looks like you had a good time.

Cody

 

[Guinness44]

OK, now I am going to have to drive there. cool.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I passed you guys while you were stopped in Buckhorn Draw at the pictograph panel. I think it was Friday. Big ugly grand cherokee that was probably going entirely too fast.

You passed just Ryan (yellow XJ) and Clint (silver XJ) then. I didn't make it out there until late Friday evening.

 

[Cody]

I was heading out to run fullerbottom, then around s. fork coal wash and back over fix-it pass. I assumed I must have been prior to your pictures since I didn't see any tracks on the road going through fuller bottom or coal wash.....other than ATV's in coal wash.

Can I just say how bad the washboards sucked in the wash? Thats the 3rd time I've been in there in the last 4 months, and that was the 1st time I've run into that.