After some tearful goodbyes with our staging host families, Cast B 2008 boarded the two buses that would take us to the first city of our tour, Summit County, Colorado. But before we reached the first of many destinations, we stopped along the way to do some Regional Learning. Regional Learning is one of the components in the Up with People program where we learn about the communities in which we will serve through tours and various activities. This day, we stopped in Idaho Springs, Colorado which is really interesting, because the look and feel of the town is more along the lines of the Old West. In fact, when we first drove through, the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly whizzed through my brain. We were let loose to go to the various coffee shops in the area, and also to take a look at a waterwheel that was built by a colorful character by the name of Charlie Taylor, “who attributed his health to the fact that he never kissed women or took a bath.”
After touring Downtown Idaho Springs, we traveled to the nearby Phoenix Mines. When we arrived, we were greeted by our host Al…A life long miner, whose family has owned the mines for generations. We split into groups of around 20, to either pan for gold, or tour the mine. It was interesting, because for our cast, panning for gold turned into panning for iron pyrite, or mica, which is more commonly referred to as Fool’s Gold, because, well, you’re a fool if you believe it’s gold. Fools Gold looks like real gold, but is much flakier than the real stuff. After striking it poor with the Fool’s Gold, it was off to meet Mark for our mine tour. Inside, Mark explained the process of gold mining, and how they separate the ore into different metals by heating it up to various temperatures. During one part of our tour, he offered a few of us the chance to chisel away at some of the rock in order to plant blasts of dynamite. According to Mark, before the days of dynamite, it would take a team of miners all day to chisel their way through 20 feet of rock. Very interesting stuff!
So to conclude, on behalf of Cast B 2008, we would like to thank the people of Idaho Springs, Colorado, and Al, Harry, and Mark for educating us on the rigors of gold mining.
Well…Another not-so-ordinary day in the life of an Up with People student…
Stewart Caswell
Belfast, Maine, USA
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