I'm sure this is on the internet somewhere.. but can't find it. For those of you who have done this trail, as soon as you get out from the creek area and climb up the hill where you have to make a sharp left to get to the mine... basically the first mine shaft you see, if you go straight from there that is the loop, I haven't taken it all the way because I can't find out where it comes out at. Does anybody know?

That's not the loop if you mean near the mine bldgs.
You have to go back and follow the creek and then take the only sharp right up the loose gravel hill. It's almost just as long from there as it is backtracking. Although I like it b/c it mixes the scenery up with some dirt washouts and trees. After dropping back down, you'll go climb up once more and meet the main road. By taking it right, you'll get back to the cattle guard you turned at the start.

What the other side looks like: http://www.higherground4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390&highlight=manping

There are two roads at the main Sunflower blgds. Up just takes you to the top of the mine area, and the other is closed further up the hill to motor travel and leads to Story Mine.

no.. like.. k, I'll try to explain better.. lol it's hard.

When your taking the main trail, there's only one trail to get there. When you climb out of the canyon there is a small flat dirt area. So, if you're drive up that hill and pull into the dirt area, there is a cave (it's FULL of trash) to the left of you, there's a road straight ahead, and there is a road right behind you going up hill. If you take the road going up hill it takes you to a Y where you can either go down ill to the processing plant, or you can go up hill to the other mine shafts. Now, going back to the little flat dirt area.. if you take the road straight ahead of you it gets real nasty and you get into some rock crawling stuff.. I was under the impression that is the loop that's rated 5 that takes you back to a main road somewhere.. I just want to know where.


But, that loose gravel road you said that cuts off to the right.. where exactly is that?

Keep going past the trash mine without turning, you'll drop back into the creek. It won't get above a 3.5 down there. The hill up and out shouldn't be hard to miss since it's the only one. On the topo map, it's shown right before the old Cornucopia Mine.

So, the trail that drops me back down into the creek.. where does that go?

No more words. Topo:

God, I love it when you show off your topos like that... :clap:

I love maps. That helps alot, so now my question is where does that hill come out at? lol

Avis wrote:I love maps. That helps alot, so now my question is where does that hill come out at? lol

FS 201, the road you turned off of at the cattleguard

We call trash mine Little Girl Mine

Very cool.. I'm gonna have to do that. And Little girl mine huh? lol works for me.