Allison Mine

[margaritox]

Does anyone have any experience getting to the Allison Mine going up the gulch, without rappelling?
We tried doing it coming up from Heaton Flats, but as soon as we turned onto the Allison Mine trail, it got way to sketchy; probably “doable”, but with way-too-small margin of error. We decided it simply wasn’t wise to continue.
I still really wanna see the mine though and was looking for other possible ways of getting there.

[tekewin]

Sean and I tried to take the Allison Mine trail from Heaton last year and it was in awful shape.

viewtopic.php?p=68984&hilit=allison+mine#p68984

I think your odds are better going up the gulch.

[dima]

I walked up the gulch last year, and the route was very doable. But that was before the Bridge fire, and the conditions are probably very different now. Report back on conditions if you try to get there!

[margaritox]

Sean and I tried to take the Allison Mine trail from Heaton last year and it was in awful shape.

viewtopic.php?p=68984&hilit=allison+mine#p68984

I think your odds are better going up the gulch.

Thank you for that tip. It is in an awful shape indeed. Especially after the rains and probably the fire.

[margaritox]

I walked up the gulch last year, and the route was very doable. But that was before the Bridge fire, and the conditions are probably very different now. Report back on conditions if you try to get there!

Yea I saw that trip report if yours and it did indeed look doable based on your photos (not factoring in the damage from the fire). I’m just curious, why does everyone talk about repelling when talking about the route from the gulch?

[dima]

why does everyone talk about repelling when talking about the route from the gulch?

There are some falls that canyoneers like to descend. The trail goes around.

[margaritox]

Sean and I tried to take the Allison Mine trail from Heaton last year and it was in awful shape.

viewtopic.php?p=68984&hilit=allison+mine#p68984

I think your odds are better going up the gulch.

Thank you for that tip. It is in an awful shape indeed. Especially after the rains and probably the fire.

Yea I saw that trip report if yours and it did indeed look doable based on your photos (not factoring in the damage from the fire). I’m just curious, why does everyone talk about repelling when talking about the route from the gulch?
Did you guys also come back the same way?

[margaritox]

Sean and I tried to take the Allison Mine trail from Heaton last year and it was in awful shape.

viewtopic.php?p=68984&hilit=allison+mine#p68984

I think your odds are better going up the gulch.

I noticed in one of your post you talk about how hard it is to find the start of the trail that goes up the gulch. Is there anyway you’d be kind enough to share the coordinates with me or describe a good way to find it?

[margaritox]

I walked up the gulch last year, and the route was very doable. But that was before the Bridge fire, and the conditions are probably very different now. Report back on conditions if you try to get there!

I’m sorry to be asking the same question multiple times, but
is there anyway you’d be kind enough to share the coordinates with me or describe a good way to find it?

[dima]

The route on OSM is and the USGS topo map is close to correct. Stay in the river, and then climb up where those routes on the map say: at the small clearing near the big metal debris piece in the photos in the trip reports. The switchbacks leading up away from the river were a bit indistinct, but there are many workable lines in that area. Expect brush, and wear long pants and sleeves

[margaritox]

The route on OSM is and the USGS topo map is close to correct. Stay in the river, and then climb up where those routes on the map say: at the small clearing near the big metal debris piece in the photos in the trip reports. The switchbacks leading up away from the river were a bit indistinct, but there are many workable lines in that area. Expect brush, and wear long pants and sleeves

Thanks so much. You guys are so helpful. Love this communnity!

[margaritox]

I walked up the gulch last year, and the route was very doable. But that was before the Bridge fire, and the conditions are probably very different now. Report back on conditions if you try to get there!

So we tried the Allison gulch trail to the mine.

Based on the pictures from your trip report, it looks like most of the vegetation has been destroyed by the fire, so the soil is very loose. Anyway, the hike until the end of the “switchbacks” was very tiring and very slow (took us two hours).

After the switchbacks, I guess that’s the altitude of the mine, we no-oped out that day. The trail looked sketchy from where we were looking, but I wanted to ask more information from someone who has done that trail. Most people keep saying that it’s not that bad and I wanted to ask for your opinion.
Either way, that day we were pretty much done with unsteady surfaces and it was getting late.

I do wanna try again. I just want some more information.

[dima]

Hello. Once you're at the top of the switchbacks, you're level with the mine, as you say. From there it was a short, easy, level trail. But the fire might have changed it a lot, and I haven't been seen what it looks like now. You were really close. Did it feel too risky to continue?

[margaritox]

Hello. Once you're at the top of the switchbacks, you're level with the mine, as you say. From there it was a short, easy, level trail. But the fire might have changed it a lot, and I haven't been seen what it looks like now. You were really close. Did it feel too risky to continue?

From our perspective, it did. And granted that we were super tired as it is from all the loose soil climbing, we decided to nope out. Or at least my boyfriend did.
The truth is, we probably didn’t have enough daylight left anyway.

IMG_7505.jpeg

[dima]

Cool trip. That photo doesn't look all that surprising given that it's an abandoned, burned area. It's possible that you were slightly off where the old trail was. Or maybe that's what the best route looks like now. In any case, you'll feel all the more accomplished when you finally get there!

[margaritox]

Cool trip. That photo doesn't look all that surprising given that it's an abandoned, burned area. It's possible that you were slightly off where the old trail was. Or maybe that's what the best route looks like now. In any case, you'll feel all the more accomplished when you finally get there!

True. I just prefer not to die in the process haha
The hike was hot and very unforgiving. And we’re not strangers to scrambling. It’s just that it looks like that after the fire, they were pretty much no switchbacks or vegetation left. And that required us to go straight up on the loose soil, which was very exhausting. It took us two hours to traverse half a mile.

I do think that was the correct trail. But from your memory, do you remember any parts where you could slip and die?

[dima]

do you remember any parts where you could slip and die?

There wasn't anything hairy required, but if you get off route or if conditions change, then you could certainly encouter exciting terrain. The first time I was over there (circa 2012) we came from Heaton Saddle, and were trying to find the descent trail. It all looked really unpleasant, and it took a long time to find the trail. We were green at the time, it was getting late, and it was kinda stressful. Found the trail eventually, and it was far better than the areas on either side of it.

So yeah, I can't say anything more specific than the usual wisdom: don't do anything you're not comfortable with, take your time looking for usable lines, don't be afraid to turn back, etc, etc. If you go back, you'll have more confidence.