Gunsight Pass
Maps:
USGS 7.5' Map:	Oh-be-joyful
Statistics:	Difficulty: Number: Miles: Altitude: Obstacles: Time: Easy 3 FR 585 3.02 9,000 to 12,090 ft. NA 3-4 hours
County:	Gunnison
Adopted by:
Managed by:	Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forest Gunnison Ranger District	216 N. Colorado Gunnison, CO 81230	970-641-0471
Summary:	Gunsight Pass is an easy road through Wolverine Basin with many switchbacks that gets you up on the flank of Mount Emmons
Attractions:	Scenery, Mines
Seasonal Closure:	Natural - Gunsight Pass is closed by heavy snows
Best Time:	June - Best, possible snow drifts July - Best August - Best September - Best, fall colors October - Upper part may be closed by snow
Trail Heads Accessed:	Daisy Pass, FT404 - Hiking, Horse Riding Gunsight Pass, FT585 - Hiking, Horse Riding, Bicycle
Camping:	There are no dispersed camp sights along the road.
Base Camp:	This would be a good area to base camp and esplore the other 4WD roads around Crested Butte.
Fall Colors:	Poor - Mostly pine forest.
Navigation:	From Gunnison, CO head east on Elk Ave toward 2nd Street and go 0.4 miles. Turn left onto 6th Street and go 0.3 miles. Continue onto Gothic Road and go 0.6 miles. Turn left onto County Road 734 and go 3.6 miles. Turn onto County Road 739A and pass through the parking area, around the hairpin turn and cross the Slate River near a foot bridge. This is the Gunsight Pass road.
History:	Gunsight Pass is a connection route for the mines of Wolverine Basin to the north and the mines east of Irwin in the Ruby mining district. The Daisy Mine was worked for gold and silver in the early 1900's. In 1965 two molybdenum deposites were discovered beneach the Redwell Basin and the Red Lady Basin. The deposit under the Red Lady Basin has been work since the mid 1980's. The Redwell Basin Deposit has not been worked to date.
	Ludington, Steve and Ellis, Clarance E. Mineral Resource Potential of the Oh-Be-Joyful Wilderness Study Area Department of the Interior, USGS. Print.
Description:
Gunsight Pass separates the waters of Oh-be-joyful Creek to the north from Coal Creek to the south. The south side of the pass is blocked from access by the re-activation of the old mine shown later in this write up. The upper section of the road on the south side of the pass has also degraded along a scree slope to the point where it is not passable safely. This part of the road is now a hiking trail. Starting from the north side of the pass at the Slate River, you will cross the river near a well built foot bridge. From here the road remains wide and starts it climb up the many switchbacks that take you above timberline. Some of the many switchbacks photo by: Adam M The switchbacks will continue to climb the north side of Mount Emmons through the pine forest. There will be a few spur roads that go to old mine tailings. As you come out of the forest you will pass the remains of the Daisy Mine before crossing the head of Redwell Basin. The road will be a more narrow two track as you continue. View from upper Redwell Basin photo by: Adam M From here you are only a few more switchbacks away from the pass. The pass is a gap in the ridge between Mount Emmons and Scarp Ridge. View of Gunsight Pass, just in the shadow photo by: Adam M View of Paradise Divide from Gunsight Pass photo by: Adam M View of Gunsight Pass photo by: Adam M Approach to Gunsight Pass photo by: Adam M Approach to Gunsight Pass photo by: Adam M From the pass the road to the east is blocked. It heads toward Red Lady Basin and ties into Trapper's Way. This old road does another large amount of switchbacks down to County Road 12, but access is blocked by an active mine near the county road. The west road continued down Evans Basin and then over to the Elk Creek drainage above Irwin. Just below the pass, at the first switchback, the scree slope runoff is eroding the road. Below this switchback three areas of runoff are cutting the narrow ledge road in the scree slope. FR585 ends at the pass and becomes a hiking trail down this eroded old road. Over in the Elk Creek drainage, around the ridge to the east of the pass, were the remains of two old mines. They were most likely part of the same claim. Mine on south side of Gunsight Pass, below road end photo by: Adam M Mine on south side of Gunsight Pass, below road end photo by: Adam M Both of these claim areas have been reactivated, and it is unknown what remains of the old buildings.
Data updated - December 6, 2018     4WD Road driven - August 12, 1999     Copyright 4X4Explore.com - 2000-2018