The Touristy Stuff

Part I

Darwin Wash & Skidoo



Skidoo Stamp Mill


"What would the tourists do?" That's what we were thinking on this warm August day at PSR. We had just finished puting the new drag link on the Blazer. Finally! Now it was time to go somewhere. But where? Kinda hot ya know... OK, Darwin Wash was decided on. We did that pretty quick because, it was kinda hot...

Once we got that out of our system and I was done testing out the new drag link, we ditched the "Beast" because it was hot outside. We grabbed our gear and we hopped into the nice air conditioned X. "Now what would the tourists do?" They would head up high into the mountains to beat the heat, that's what they would do. Up we go to Skidoo and it turned out to be the correct decision. The temperature was barable and actually quite nice. We explored the townsite including the grave yard. Unfortunately we found 5 graves dug up. I have no idea how long ago though. Bushes are growing next to them but not in the piled up dirt out of the graves.

We also took a look at the Skidoo Millsite. What a grand place! The water that ran the 15 or 20 stamp mill (don't know which) came from Telescope Peak over 20 miles away. There are three exisisting batteries of 5 stamps each that we could see from outside the mill. Two are in nice shape and one is in disrepair and missing a stamp. Another stamp is out of place. If there was ever a fourth battery of 5 stamps it is completely gone. The view at the Mill is quite breath taking and would be a fabulous place to watch the sun set so I will have to go back.

Every destination we decided on during our two day excursion was hampered with side roads that were of course irresistable. They all payed off in one way or another. And the touristy idea was perfect as there was no one at the touristy places at this time of year and this time of the week. The average temp at PSR was hanging around the 110 area but of course it's a dry 110... Up in the mountains it was much nicer and very tolerable.



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First things first. Let's see, the knuckle bone connected to the axle bone... No that's not right. Chris you sleeping under there? Come on dood it's getting hot. Out with the old... In with the new... Drag link good...
And off we go up Darwin Wash for the big test. Good one too as it is highly wash-boarded as seen in this video. A mine up there somewhere. Getting really hot now... OK we ditched the Blazer and hopped into the air conditioned X. This one didn't make it.
Dang Fords... Kinda like being in the curl of a wave. The "Secret Arch!" shhhh... A damn little dam.
I found these cans already stacked like this. Could it be mutants practicing some kind of evil witchcraft? Tabby checks out the dam. We find this arrastre. This one is pretty big. More of the arrastre.
And another view. Seems this arrastre belonged to the ill-famed husband of Tina Turner. After she divorced him he was forced to mine for a living. A parting shot of the arrastre. I later find out that this was the mill site of Telephone Spring. Is this plate half empty or half full?
A family of barrel cacti. Looks like a big family. A closer look at the family. You are now entering the twilight zone. Walking on the walls is not uncommon in the twilight zone.
Well it's bigger than a bread box... One of the first trampolines in the west... Hope it holds... The perverbeal Brick Shithouse!
Good place for it... I get the head frame and you get the shaft. The townsite of Skidoo at it's peak in 1907. This plaque really gives a person the feeling they are a tourist. The adits have doors here. When opened, you can feel a really cold blast of air. I wonder if the Avon Lady attempted knocking on these doors?
A bat gate... Sorta like water gate but without all the lying politicians. What's left of a clothes line. The miners here were very clean... Around the corner we find yet another plaque and we feel even more touristy then ever. This one shows the Skidoo Mill in it's heyday. Water to run the mill came from Telescope Peak over 20 miles away. The view at the mill is fantastic.
Another view of the mill. Notice the jacuzzi in the upper left corner. Again the miners were very clean here. This must be how the pyramids got started... A zoom shot of the mill shows the heavy wooden flywheels of the stamp mill and a keep out sign. So why is there a stairway if no one is supposed to be there? The view from the top of the mill. The miners called this place Sheep Lovers Leap. Hmmm....
I found these broken pieces of glass and pottery nearby. I guess trash cans weren't invented untill after 1907. The Skidoo Graveyard. We found 5 graves dug up and the headstones broken and scattered about. It's not even halloween yet! Only the shadow knows.... One of the dug up graves. Dang!


Part II - The Argenta Mine, Eureaka Mine & The Cashier Mill