Bolam Pass 2.0

Bolam Pass runs between US 550 south of Silverton to State Highway 145 north of Rico.  It is the next opportunity to do this south of Ophir Pass.

The eastern half of this Jeep trail is well graded, while the western half is somewhat rutted and bumpy.

There is a GPS - gpx track at the bottom of the page.

A spot of color on a hazy day

Originally patented in 1910 by George Pearson, the Harrison Ranch was purchased by the Harris Family in 1934.  John Harris Sr. and his two sons from La Plata, New Mexico used this ranch extensively as a cow camp.

In the spring of each year, the Harris’s drove cattle from winter pastures in New Mexico through Ridges Basin and Durango and up Highway 550 to the Hermosa Valley. Here the cattle were turned loose to graze along Hermosa Creek.

The road leaves the ranch and then turns north at Hermosa Creek.

Harrison Ranch

Hermosa Creek

After turning north the road climbs up to Graysill.

Beginning to climb

Almost to Graysill

Many mines were located in the Graysill area, near Bolam Pass.  A single cabin is all that remains along this route.

Did they come for gold?  Silver?  No.  Vanadium and uranium ore drew miners here from 1945 until the mines closed in 1963.  Vanadium, useful as an alloy for hardening steel, held pride of place until the 1940s, when scientists harnessed uranium’s radioactive properties to produce atomic power.

At its peak, the Graysill area supported 450 working claims, but shipped only about 3,000 tons of ore a year to the mill in Durango.  The mill separated “red cake” (vanadium) from “yellow cake” (uranium).  Some of the Durango yellow cake was used the development of the first atomic bomb.

Cabin in Graysill

A small lake between Graysill and Bolam Pass.

Nice views at Bolam Pass.

Bolam Pass 1

Bolam Pass 2

There are many meadows west of Bolam Pass, then the road follows Barlow Creek down to Highway 145.

One of many meadows

Heading down Barlow Creek

We like to run this in conjunction with Lime Creek Road.

Updated 2016.

---

---

bolam_pass_2.0.gpx
File Size:	163 kb
File Type:	gpx

Download File

---