Some years ago while elk hunting, I came upon a place down in a hole below a mountain that looked like it had once been a camp of some sort. After a little research and talking to some locals, it turned out to be an old mine site that dated back to the 1860's. It was on my list of places to detect "One day". Being a little hard to access by foot or vehicle this site has been on the back burner for a while.
The weather was so perfect Saturday that we loaded up the four wheeler and headed out to see if it we could make it with the atv. The last time I was there, it was almost impossible to get into with even a motorcycle, the old roads all overgrown with trees and brush. It was worth a try.
I took a picture on the way into the area. The hill in the center of the gate is the place we were heading. There was and old church sitting to the east side of this old cemetery that my son and I had detected a few years back, but that is another story. This photo is about 20 miles from my house.
<center>
[attachment 56059 cemetery.jpg]
We unloaded the four-wheeler and headed out on the trails to see if we could get close the the mine site. It was a pretty day as we headed out on the first leg of our trail.
<center>
[attachment 56057 snowhill.jpg]
As we got closer to our destination the timber opened up a little and the trail was through a rocky part of the country.
<center>
[attachment 56048 trail.jpg]
The wild flowers were starting to bloom and the high country was green and lush.
<center>
[attachment 56053 flowers.jpg]
For a minute there I thought we had taken a wrong turn and ended up on Easter Island.
<center>
[attachment 56054 mori.jpg]
I was amazed at how much this area had changed since I was there 15 years ago. The brushy trails had been cleared by some logging activities and that made the spot easy to reach by atv, but it took me a while to identify the mine location. The trees had been thinned out and the old wood and iron stuff that I had found were covered over or removed by the logging and it was not until I climbed up a ridge and got my bearings that I realized we were right in the spot! Nancy is sitting on the atv about 50 feet from our goal. I had driven by this spot the first time and did not recognize it.
<center>
[attachment 56049 nancy.jpg]
Now that we have found it, we are going back with the detectors to see if the early miners left anything for us to dig up. Even if we don't find a thing, it was an incredible trip. I took 53 pictures of our day, I hope you enjoyed 6 of them! HH DC
The weather was so perfect Saturday that we loaded up the four wheeler and headed out to see if it we could make it with the atv. The last time I was there, it was almost impossible to get into with even a motorcycle, the old roads all overgrown with trees and brush. It was worth a try.
I took a picture on the way into the area. The hill in the center of the gate is the place we were heading. There was and old church sitting to the east side of this old cemetery that my son and I had detected a few years back, but that is another story. This photo is about 20 miles from my house.
<center>
[attachment 56059 cemetery.jpg]
We unloaded the four-wheeler and headed out on the trails to see if we could get close the the mine site. It was a pretty day as we headed out on the first leg of our trail.
<center>
[attachment 56057 snowhill.jpg]
As we got closer to our destination the timber opened up a little and the trail was through a rocky part of the country.
<center>
[attachment 56048 trail.jpg]
The wild flowers were starting to bloom and the high country was green and lush.
<center>
[attachment 56053 flowers.jpg]
For a minute there I thought we had taken a wrong turn and ended up on Easter Island.
<center>
[attachment 56054 mori.jpg]
I was amazed at how much this area had changed since I was there 15 years ago. The brushy trails had been cleared by some logging activities and that made the spot easy to reach by atv, but it took me a while to identify the mine location. The trees had been thinned out and the old wood and iron stuff that I had found were covered over or removed by the logging and it was not until I climbed up a ridge and got my bearings that I realized we were right in the spot! Nancy is sitting on the atv about 50 feet from our goal. I had driven by this spot the first time and did not recognize it.
<center>
[attachment 56049 nancy.jpg]
Now that we have found it, we are going back with the detectors to see if the early miners left anything for us to dig up. Even if we don't find a thing, it was an incredible trip. I took 53 pictures of our day, I hope you enjoyed 6 of them! HH DC
