Page 74 - Walks In The Black Range

Ready Pay Gulch Overlook
The trail to the Ready Pay Gulch Overlook starts at the pull out on NM-152 (at an elevation of 5,509’) and follows the main road up North Wicks Canyon. This road is easy to walk on and has only minor elevation changes. Just short of 1/2 mile from the start (at an elevation of about 5,480’) turn
from this vantage point a prominent dike running up the hillside immediately to the north (just right of the line in the photo below) is visible. If you were a miner you would refer to this dike as a vein, and there are numerous diggings along its length. On the other (west) side of North Wicks Canyon there is another dike (vein). Wicks mine is located along that vein.
west toward obvious diggings on the hill side. Proceed up hill, gaining roughly 100’ in elevation, until you reach a large pit with a permanent pond of water. In the photograph of the Wicks Mine workings along the vein (following page) this is the pit in the middle of the photograph. At this point, it is .68 miles back to the start of the trail. Follow the old road around the pit to the south and continue uphill. This track is clearly visible at the “top edge” of the pit in the photograph. The trail is steeper and more rocky as it continues in a straight line to the saddle and the Ready Pay Gulch overlook, at an elevation of 5,793’. This trail is just short of a mile long (.9 miles).
There is an old mining road, quite overgrown, which connects the overlook to the Wicks Mine shaft (and trail). It is possible, therefore, to make a loop which ends at the pit described above.
East of Wicks Mine
Across the valley from Wick’s Mine are the diggings along the east dike which radiates from the Copper Flat area. This trail is on an old mining road and involves cross-country walking in part.
As you approach Hillsboro from the east there is a pull-out on the north side of NM-152 which is often used by locals to make cell phone calls - there is no cell service in the town of Hillsboro. An old mining road runs up into North Wicks Canyon from the gate (as described above). Looking north