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Tim takes a break after setting up his tent at Goodale Creek Campground. |
Nate (Lepidium) and his wife Riannah visit the campsite. |
The site begins to take shape. |
I give the power a test. Oh a wise guy eh? |
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Jeff unloads his backpack. He's set up in less than 3 minutes. |
Kinda looks like the Mars Rover! |
Vallet Parking inside the Reward Mine. |
Jeff is astounded at the idea of driving into a mine. |
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We take a break. |
Another look at the vehicles. |
Once outside, I begin the hike up to the upper ore bins and chutes. |
Arriving at the foot of the bins I notice the rock retaining wall being used as a foundation. |
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I'm not sure what the outrigger is for. |
Another view. |
The cable pulleys still rotate. |
Another view. |
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I take a look back across the valley floor. The view is spectacular. Notice my Blazer below. |
Tim and Jeff say CHEESE! |
A look at the chute from one ore bin to the other. |
View from the other side. |
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Looking up to the priamry bin. |
This catwalk looks a little scarry. |
Here is a secondary bin next to the primary one. It has a steel screen to size the ore and another chute. |
We find a trail that leads around the top of the mountain and many holes along the way. |
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Ore cart tracks sticking out of an avalanch of rock and debris. |
More of the apparent avalanch. |
The trail leading from one ore bin to the other and the start of the one we are currently on. |
A compressed air pipe that follows the trail to all the other adits. |
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Heading around the mountain we find another set of ore bins that finish up with a tram to the bottom. |
Another adit. |
Another view of the trail and air pipe. |
We continue along the trail. |
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We get closer to the second set of bins and tram. |
The tram is in ruin but the path is clearly marked by the downed cables. |
The trail keeps going and going and going. It eventually leads to above the main adit that we drove into earlier. |
We rest at the end of the trail. Jeff goes up to recon the ore bins and tram. Tim and I are too tired to continue. |
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A look back at the starting point of the trail. |
We start back. |
I grab another shot of the tramway. |
Taking another break in the heat of the day. |
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Tim plays with the handles on the ore bin. |
Shortly after Tim falls and lands his hand on a barrel cactus, we remove the quills and head down to the truck for fist aid. |
This part of the Owens River shows just how windy it was as the waves crest against the flow. |
In Lower Mazourka Canyon we find an unusual method of milling. This is some sort of concrete catch basin. |
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It seems the material is then washed down this troth on it's way to the mill. |
The mill. |
The material is further reduced and then passes through this spinning screen into what used to be a small truck bed. |
Another view of where the material enters the milling machine. |
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The spinning screen device. |
Once through the screen the material ends up in another troth where I immagine pan washing was the next step. |
Another view. |
Close up of the still working driveline. |
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This strip mine is where the material came from. |
We found a few of these rubber mats lying around. I think they were liners in the troths. |
A nice cabin once stood here untill it was burned to the ground. |
Another spinning screen device. Was this a backup or for a different grade of ore? |
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Azurite |
OK! Time to charge the radio... |
Heck, let's charge everything! |
Tim must lay the tent down each day so the wind doesn't do it for him. |
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This thing turned more than a few heads in the campgrounds. |
Airing down for the trip up Wyman Canyon. |
Before we head up, we take a look back towards Deep Springs. |
Tim and Jeff lend some size to the reduction furnace at White Mountain City. It's a little shorter every time I visit. |
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Tim airs down even more. |
A whip tail lizard that I encountered on the trail. There were two but only this one stopped to have his picture taken. |
The first of the many water crossings of Wyman Creek. |
Jeff makes the crossing. |
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Tabby takes her time as she just loves the water. |
A small waterfall along the side of the road. |
The trail is very scenic. |
Water, water and more water. |
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This looks like a good place to stop for lunch. |
What in the heck did I bring all this water for? |
Another view of our break area. This would be a great place to camp. |
Back on the trail. I think we need a boat... |
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We take a look at the cabin at Robert's Camp. |
Tim checks out the wood burner. |
What a great front porch! |
There is a corral here for the horses. |
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The crapper has been knocked over. |
It wasn't like this last year. |
Back view of the cabin. |
The geology is spectacular. |
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Power poles line the canyon all the way up. |
At the top, we pause below Silver Peak to take in the view. The wind is around 60 mph. |
Through the windshield we see Bishop below. |
Back at camp we hook up the bug zapper. It's just a little windy now. But the wind will return tomorrow. |
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LuckyPabst (Chris) stops by the campsite for an overnight visit and checks out Tim's solar generator. |
Tabby takes a nap in the cool damp dirt under the tree. |
Ready for a feast! |
Along the Eastside Road we find a sunlit stope in the San Carlos Mine. |
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There is a hole in the entrance of the stope to another level. |
Another adit at the San Carlos. |
The ants seem to have thier own mining operation going... |
Out on recon on a side road up to Crystal Ridge. I look for a turn-around spot. |
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The view from Crystal Ridge. |
I radio for the guys to come up. Tim climbs over the top. |
Jeff is next. Not much up here really. |
Jeff goes out on a small road to see if there is anything worth looking at. |
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He returns with nothing more than a smile. |
Someone camped here for a while. We later learned that this person did some mining here. |
This adit is blocked because of a very deep hole at the entrance. |
A view from farther away. |
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A plank across the pit. I wouldn't walk on it though. |
Another view into the adit. |
We find this arrastre towards the end of the Eastside Road. Someone ran a milling operation here. |
My truck lends some size to the arrastre. No drag stones were found. |
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This was the spring that fed water to the arrastre. |
Another view of the mill site. |
Up another side road we find this huge strip mining area. |
An old claim marker. |
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Ore is everywhere. |
A 3 inch test core was drilled here. From the sound of a rock being dropped in, it was about 10 feet deep. |
Closer view of the ore. |
Tailings pile of the Black Jack Mine. |
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Black Jack adit. |
View of the valley from the Black Jack. |
A sample bag in the adit of the mine. |
There were hundreds of these lying in the entrance of the tunnel. |
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We begin walking through the tunnel which goes all the way through the mountain. |
It seems never ending. |
We find that timbers were installed where there were previous cave ins. We decide it is not safe and leave. |
A short stop at the river for fishing and a wet Tabby decides to roll in the dirt. |
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A very dirty dog indeed. |
Jeff fishes the muddy water of the lower Owens River. |
"Hey buddy, can you spare a carrot?" |
We find ourselves at the top of the Mollie Gibson Canyon. A strange campfire ring holds up a dead tree trunk. |
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Another strange looking campfire ring. We have missed the right turn to the mine. |
In search of the Mollie Gibson Mine, we find a view of Deep Springs. |
We decide to take lunch in the shade and check out our GPS readings. |
Indian Paintbrush lines the road down. |
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We find the Mollie Gibson Mine. |
A caving drift heads off to the right. |
Looking towards the end of the mine. |
Inside looking out. |
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Part of an old wooden dove-tailed box and some cans. There was supposed to be a huge can pile somewhere here. |
The caving adit to the Mollie Gibson Mine. |
Tim stands on the tailings pile. |
Looking out over the end of the tailings pile, Jeff faces the camera. |
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This shot of the tailing dump shows that little has changed since Mitchell was last here. |
These cans tell me that I am near the huge can dump that Mitchell described in his book. |
And here it is! It runs halfway down the hill. |
Amidst the pile we find altered cans for use as containers. |
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Another altered can. |
The sole of a shoe or boot is found amongst the cans and the trip to the Mollie Gibson is at an end. |
A short trip up Onion Valley reveals a waterfall. There is a crowded pay campground at the end of the road up here. |
A very steep stream cascades down from the lakes above on the other side of the canyon. |
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Back at camp the wind is finally giving us a break. LOL! Just in time for us to head up north. |
We finally have our first campfire since arriving with a truckload of wood a week ago. |
Fire Man finally gets to do his job. |
We have a wonderful surprise visit from Snow Nymph! She sets up her camera for a group photo. |
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Our group photo |
Snow Nymph readies her camera. This is our last night at Goodale Creek. What a way to end the week! |
First night at Pine Creek. Jeff sets up his tent. By the end of his trip he has decided this tent is not good enough for the PCT. |
Ready for a nice cookout at our new campground at 7000 feet. |
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The "SolGen" is set up, the wood is piled and we are very comfortable. Um, Tabby says "Where's my dish?". |
"I still don't see my dish guys...." |
"Let's see now. Where's that kitchen sink?" |
Our final and most exciting road trip finds us at the main camp of the Buena Vista Mining District in Queen Canyon, Nevada. |
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Off of a side road we find an adit that is not blocked by the Nevada Division Of Minerals fencing. |
It was most likely missed because of being hidden from the road behind scrub brush. It is caved just 15 feet back. |
We decide that this is a good place for lunch. Janies Ranch is visible on the valley floor in the background. |
Looking NW I believe we see Mammoth and Glass Mountains. Need a bigger map to make sure. Janies is at the intersection in the valley below. |
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Tailing dumps are everywhere on the way to to the top. Zig-zagging switchbacks lead off in every direction. |
This zoom shot shows another side trip we must take on the next trip. We are running late. |
The top of that saddle is where we will begin the trek down and it is also the trailhead for Boundary Peak. |
I have no idea what these are. They are planted on a huge tailing dump. |
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Another side road. Next time. |
I have been in this mine before. Now it is closed. |
A closer look. |
This is also a mine I have been in. It has a steel door. |
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Ahh... the lake... There is no mention of it on my map. We now head out of trail canyon. |
Jeff spots this rock and sod house in the distance on a side road so we check it out. |
From the size of the ruint gate we decide that this may have been a cattle or horse ranch. Burrows or mules maybe? |
The front of the house is caving and the roof has had it. We find traces of the sod still in place. |
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This old car was found in the junk pile. |
It's a beautiful day in Fish Lake Valley. |
Along the way out we spot yet another side road that leads to this ore bin. |
The rails are still in place. |
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Quite by accident, we have discovered the Red Rock Mercury Mine and Camp. Side roads are great! |
More of the abandonned buildings in the area |
All entrances to mines and diggings are blocked by the Nevada Division Of Minerals. |
Looking down at the mill with the townsite in the background. |
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Looks like a real nice place. |
The diggings here are very colorful. Hence the name Red Rock Mine. |
An open pit with suport beams. One has fallen to the ground. |
No thanks... |
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Another look. |
A caving open pit. This place is very dangerous even with the fences. Who knows what you are standing on top of. |
Another view of the colorful open pit. It's about 30 feet deep. |
A close up view of the rock. |
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Colors are everywhere you look. |
Cabins line the street to the millsite. Above the millsite is another set of shafts and open pits. The water supply is up there too. |
Two-pipe open-hearth furnace built by George Dunnigan in the late 1920's. |
The mill. |
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Brick-and-asbestos-lined rotary kiln maintains a temperature of 1200 to 1600 degrees. |
The Rotary Kiln |
The roasted ore is converted to the form of a vapor and the quicksilver then passes through a series of condenser pipes. |
The quicksilver is ultimately deposited in special containers filled with water. |
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Hopper and crushers prior to the rotary kiln. |
An all rock building. |
Looks like someone shot a couple of holes in this mechanics garage. |
I guess someone didn't like the tune-up he got there. |
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We check out the townsite. |
A very nice old cabin indeed. This one deserves to be fixed up! |
The one car garage is in great shape also. |
Back at the camp, we decide to take the next day off and just relax. |
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Tabby enjoys a bone... |
Dirty Ed is with us in spirit and ash. He used to love to fish up here. Here he is in his fishing chair and with his fire permit container. |
Crossing Wyman Creek MPG Video |
The Bug Zapper In Action! Tabby hates this thing! MPG Video |