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GCQD70
Old Dallas Townsite Waterpipe CacheType: Traditional | Size: Micro 
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| Terrain:  By: TwoOldBears @ | Hide Date: 09/01/2005 | Status: Available Country: United States | State: Colorado Coordinates: N38° 11.115 W107° 44.801 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 8 
 1880's wooden waterpipe Uncompahgre Riverway Trail Map View at Old Dallas Townsite Waterpipe cachesite Waterpipe trestle over Uncompahgre River Cache is within a foot or two of stroller & wheelchair-accessable paved pathway: the Uncompahgre RiverWay. The parking area is in a no-fee access location for Ridgway State Park, north of Ridgway in Ouray County. This cache can also be accessed from within two of the main (fee) parking areas of the park if you are already fishing, camping, or boating there. No-fee parking area coordinates: N 38:11.067' W 107:44.765' (elevation 6980'). Parking area is small gravel lot off of Ouray County Road 24, just off Highway 550 (between Ridgway State Park main entrance and the town of Ridgway) where Dry Creek (from the east) and Dallas Creek (from the west) flow into the Uncompahgre River. The paved walking & bike-path is part of the Uncompahgre RiverWay that follows the old 1887 narrow-gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad bed right-of-way. From the no-fee parking area to the Dallas Day-Use area of Ridgway State Park lies the old townsite of Dallas, now just a meadow with an apple tree or two. Dallas was incorported as a town in 1889 though it had been settled since the early 1880's. Originally called "Gold City", by 1888 it had been renamed "Dallas" and more than 17 houses, a hotel, a railroad depot, and a grocer had been built on the east side of the Uncompahgre River. Only two years later in 1890, the buildings of Dallas were being dismantled and moved a few miles south to the newer booming town of Ridgway (originally called "Dallas Junction") where an already existing railroad bridge (over the river) ensured Ridgway's selection as the origin point for a new railroad branch, the Denver & Rio Grande Southern, that would carry freight & passengers to Durango. You will find this old placename of "Dallas," in honor of George N. Dallas, the Vice-President of the United States between 1845 & 1849 (under Pres. James K. Polk) repeated on trails, passes, irrigation ditches, creeks, and roads throughout Ouray County. Along this portion of the walkway you will see an old 9-stave wire-wrapped waterpipe, about 10-12" in diameter, a typical wooden waterpipe from the 1880's. There are miles of such waterpipes still in existance throughout Ouray county, especially below-ground in the mines. Most of the pitch & tar sealer on this pipe has weathered away. Part of the waterpipe has been stabilized down along the ground, but you can still see where it was mounted above shoulder level in many places. You can even look into an open section of pipe! The pipe branches toward the river at one point and you can see the trestle that carries the flume over the river to the other side. CACHE is a small 2" x 3" container with a sliding lid -- you will need to bring your own writing tool (a pen or pencil). Sorry - but there is no room for travel bugs. BEWARE of bicycling geo-muggles when retrieving & replacing cache. They can ride up quickly and quietly! Please be stealthy! Click To Rate This Cache
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Very strong magnets !
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