Ouray is named after Chief Ouray of the Ute tribe, circa 1870. Ouray became a mining town, primarily for lead. Today’s hike was to the Chief Ouray Mine along with a side trip on the Portland Trail. It was another hot and sunny day for a steep hike. The hike offers great views into Ouray and of the surrounding mountains. The hike was continuously steep - a steady 15 degrees to 25 degrees in pitch, but no crazy steep sections. Because it’s been dry, the various waterfalls along the route were a bit low in volume.
Today’s stats: 9.2 miles, 4h 28m, 3018’ elevation gain