1960 Map of Calamity Mesa

About this map

Calamity Camp and Climax Camp serve as industrial anchors in this landscape of high plateaus and deep canyons within the Uncompahgre National Forest. The map reveals a high concentration of uranium and vanadium mining activity, with numerous named operations like the Arrowhead Mines, Blue Creek Mines, and the Hidden Treasure Mine dotting the terrain. The geological structure is defined by massive landforms such as Calamity Mesa and Outlaw Mesa, which are dissected by the drainage of Blue Creek and Calamity Creek. This 1960 revision, based on earlier surveys and photogrammetry, documents the rugged extraction economy before many of these remote mining sites were reclaimed or renamed. The presence of Stony Treasure and Yellowbird Mine further illustrates the specific claims that defined this era of Western resource development on Potato Mountain.