1987-12-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981017 (300)

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APPENDIX Bl 2340 - Winter Sports Area Inventory 140V 1969 MID-CONTINENT--REDSTONE ABSTRACT (Crystal River District, White River National Forest) NFRS No. 31 DESCRIPTION: The site is approximately seventeen miles south of Highway 82 at Carbondale, about three miles due west-southwest of Redstone, and generally south of the Mid-Continent Coal and Coke Company coal washing plant and truck transfer site that was acquired in October 1969 by the Company through a land exchange. The area is generally bounded on the south by the Huntsman Ridge (Pitkin-Gunnison County line) and the Hayes Creek-Bears Galch divide to include Bear Creek, Spring. Creek and upper Hayes Creek, and on the north by Coal Creek and the paved haul road from the washing plant to Redstone. The overall area covers approximately nine square miles, eighteen percent of which is in private ownership (coal patents and the exchange tract) . There are also some limited expansion possibilities, along with the Hayes Creek basin, on the two-mile long south-facing slopes that drop approximately 2,300' from the 10,555 ' point overlooking Hayes Creek down to the McClure Pass road at approximately 8,200' on the Gunnison County and Gunnison National Forest side. Existing access is good via paved Highway 133 to Redstone and the haul road (paved) to the coal washing plant at the junction of Dutch and Coal Creeks. There is also an aerial tram access possibility for summer and winter use out of Redstone on a southwest line up to the 9,663' point that also provides a spectacular view of the valley and Chair Mountain. At present the area is of secondary importance and it is only being abstracted for a far-in-the-future development possibility when the coking coal is com- pletely mined out and the local economy needs a shot-in-the-arm, plus utilizing some of the existing facilities, power lines, roads, etc. For example, the coal washing plant site and waste pile could be rehabilitated into a landscaped and attractive base facility in conjunction with the town of Redstone and the Placita Reservoir (West Divide Project) that will no doubt be completed within the next ten years. The entire concept--aerial tram access and scenic ride, skiing, etc. --has some interesting possibilities that are only evident from aerial reconnaissance. The idea was suggested by the writer to Mid-Continent officers in--1969 even though the skiing possibilities have been obvious ever since the Dutch Creek mine was opened in the late 1950's, and since the skiing potential in the immediate Redstone area is quite limited and marginal from all standpoints except highway access. Elevations range from about 8,000' along Coal Creek up to about 11,000' , or a maximum of 3,000' vertical and an average of around 2,500'. The east-facing Hayes Creek basin would provide about 1,900' of usable vertical from 11,035, down to around 9,200'. The terrain, of course, isn't perfect in the main or Bear Creek-Spring Creek segment due to the avalanche paths, somewhat restricted slopes between drainages, and some exceedingly steep pitches off of the summit ridge as is evident from the attached "Placita" USGS map and photos.