The same grit and perseverance displayed by tens of thousands of
nineteenth-century immigrants pioneering their way to Utah,
Oregon, and California, and a decade later to Colorado, would be
required a decade after that to overcome the natural fortifications
of the San Juans range. That same grit and perseverance required on
these treasure hunts also would be required to locate and profit from
San Juans mines. Reynolds' Last Best Chance is the treasure tale of the
Vermont/Ocean Wave Group and the generation of brave-hearts and
sporting classes that struggled to unearth its prize.
The 1875 "San Juans Excitement," all about gold of course, birthed
frontier Lake City and the Vermont and Ocean Wave claims. In an
age of robber barons, A.E. Reynolds was able to amass a king's ransom
in mines without joining their ranks. He also amassed great debt. The
Vermont/Ocean Wave Group would turn out to be his last best chance
to restore his wealth. Mindful of lessons-learned from ventures past,
Reynolds played his ace-in-the-hole, a haulage tunnel, a proven con-
cept but risky to execute. He also would need someone else's money.
A valuable and rare look at a treasure hunt for a San Juan mine.
