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by Don Booher (Author), Don Booher
They were real men of sterling quality, belonging to that class which future generations will delight to honor as pathfinders, trailblazers, and empire builders. Oft indeed do I feel grateful that it was my good fortune to associate with such men. -- The Cook.
The same grit and gumption 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 gumption displayed 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 mine and the generation of brave-hearts and sporting classes that struggle 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 project 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 concept but risky to execute. He also would need someone else's money. That's when the treasure hunt got even more interesting.
