By Jennifer Pund
GILPIN COUNTY
Here on Earth, water is life. If you want to live, you need it, and if you want to live well, it needs to be clean. Despite billions of marketing dollars spent by spring water companies around the world saying otherwise, one of the purest known sources—by far—is located on an obscure former gold-mining town site just off Gilpin County Road 15S. The water flows freely at two to three gallons a minute from a small tube on Uncle Charlie’s Ranch where its used for hot, therapeutic soaks and very limited distribution. New clients, especially those who are sick, are always considered.

“There are only a handful of waters in the world that even come close to this water, and Wideawake is definitely the purest,” according to Jock Bell, co-founder of Trinity Springs. Not only is the water clean—it reportedly comes from a source thought to be about 30,000 years old and untouched by man or any pollutants—most anyone who drinks it regularly will testify it is “something special” and making them healthier. Uncle Charlie’s Ranch and Wideawake Water owner Charlie Morgan believes it is a “miraculous gift from God,” given to them to share with others.

Morgan, a long-time Gilpin County resident, discovered the spring shortly after purchasing and moving onto land at the former mining town of Wideawake in Missouri Gulch in 1999. “[After] I bought the land, I tested the water before I drank it, and that’s when I knew I had something really good. I have six springs, and this one spring is really, really good,” Morgan said. “The guy wanted three [springs to] test, and I only wanted two. I just had this little pool of water, so I said, ‘just try it,’ and it was the purest water they’ve ever seen.”

Wideawake Water is open about its test analysis, which is published on the Uncle Charlie’s Ranch website. It shows there are no chemicals or contaminates and that the water has only 10 total dissolved solids (TDS). “It’s all math. If you have a TDS of 150 [a level found in local well water], there are 150 different things in your water. So, mine is just calcium and magnesium,” he said. The water also has a naturally clean and refreshing taste due to this lack of impurities.

Many believe that because of the unique properties of the water, it has healing aspects for the body. According to the owners, it is naturally structured “living” water, which gives maximum hydration quicker, faster and with more efficiency than any other water. They say Wideawake Water cannot be carbon dated because there is no carbon in it and the age is an educated guess based on what is not in the water and the rock formation it comes from.

“It is thought that because of its low TDS, it hydrates and washes the deep tissues of the body and facilitates better lymphatic drainage of muscles, joints and skin. What it’s doing is, it leaches the inorganic compounds out of your body, really, super quick. That’s what the doctors say,” Morgan explained. “Our customers have seen many benefits in drinking and soaking in this unique water. Everything from skin problems, arthritis, chronic fatigue, MS to different types of cancer. It’s not the cure, but a piece of the recovery process.”

According to Morgan, the water comes from a unique rock formation and the theory is it filters the water before it reaches the surface at a constant 40 degrees. He said geologists believe the water was deposited into the bedrock laid down tens of thousands of years ago along with the water trapped until the spring was discovered.

“It’s really old water. It hasn’t been through the water cycle for at least 33,000 years, and we can tell that by what’s not in it. For some reason, it’s not effected by surface water,” Morgan said. “It’s so pure, it shouldn’t be coming out of the ground, let alone here, in the mining district. What I really have is super old super-pure water, so I started giving it away.”

Morgan now sells his water for a small fee each gallon. He also takes trades if someone can’t afford it, but says he’s happy to give it away if someone is ill. “I give it away if you’re really sick, just to see what it does,” he explained. “I charge $2.50 a gallon and really that’s cheap if you know anything about water. Some people get $15 a gallon for water that’s not even as good as mine.”

The water’s benefits have been noticed by soaking in it as well. Morgan offers a “spa-type” soaking treatment for anyone in need. Call ahead because it takes about two hours to prepare the rustic bath heated by wood. Customers can also bring a tent or trailer and stay the night at the ranch following a soak.

“I have a lot of women over 40 who come and soak. I just leave them alone. It’s the best water in the world and you need it when you’re sick,” he said. “The only way I can get you hooked on it is to throw your ass in the tub, especially on a bad day. I have a woman with MS come because she deals with so much pain and she’ll sit there for hours, never to come out. She just wants more hot water all the time. It tunes you up, It just makes you feel better. The water is heated using a wood stove and drained into rustic tubs or horse troughs. It’s rustic, but silky smooth and extremely comfortable. Many soakers feel that the metal of the horse trough tubs provide an additional type of energy level that they enjoy.”

To set up an appointment, or ask questions, contact Morgan at 303-378-9740, e-mail info@unclecharliesranch.com, visit unclecharliesranch.com or simply stop by any day except Fridays.

© Originally published in the September 2017 issue of the MMAC Monthly

© Photos by Jeffrey V. Smith