On to Ouray

Saturday morning we woke up and headed to a spot on the blue mesa reservoir to cliff jump. Everyone went, James went off of a really high one.
It was a really fun way to start the day. After the cliff jump we drove to Ridgway and took a quick peek at an old railroad museum and a real wagon from the movie true grit.
Twenty minutes further and we arrived in Ouray. Our first order of business was to find a campsite. The campground we checked was full.  There was an area nearby where you can camp for free but the road is a very steep, bumpy and rutted our road suggested for only 4x4. We gave it a go and after an exciting ride up we found an awesome, secluded spot with amazing views down the valley and overlooking the town.
By now it was almost 4pm and I still had a long run to do. I set out for a 22 miler and James took the girls exploring in a river canyon. They headed in to town and got pizza for dinner and I met up with them afterwards. We had a campfire and went to bed. 
Sunday we woke up late and drove to a mine tour. They cook breakfast for you there and we had a big breakfast of eggs and pancakes. Then we got our hard hats on and went into the mine about 300 yards.
Our guide explained all about the lives of miners and the working conditions. It was really fascinating. Casey volunteered to demonstrate a "double Jack".  When two men would work together to dig into the mine walls with a sledgehammer and post. After exiting the mine we got to try panning for gold. Casey was especially into it and very determined to stay and strike it rich.
After the mine tour we went on a short hike on the Ouray Perimeter trail. We climbed off the trail and went to explore an old mine on the cliff face. It was neat but a little hairy getting the kids up and down from there.
After hiking the kids rode with me on a 9 mile run. It was a fairly easy ride so despite the distance they managed it well. James drove to the end and parked and ran towards us then we all ran back to the car. We stopped a a scenic lookout and made some pasta on the camp stove for dinner and then headed back to camp. We had another campfire and turned in after a full day.