Soldier Creek Hike August 6, 2010

Above Robinson lake in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada

Location: To get to Soldier Creek take State Route 227 south of Elko towards Lamoille Canyon. Near the main canyon take a left towards the town of Lamoille, Nevada, (the turn is well signed). Drive straight through the picturesque town of Lamoille until you reach a crossroads. Turn left and follow the gravel and oil road nine miles to the turnoff for Soldier Creek. The road crosses private road for the first two miles and into the canyon. Two miles later is the Soldier Creek trailhead.

The Hike:The first two miles of the hike follows Soldier Creek up Soldier Canyon. The trail is rocky and muddy in places so watch your footing. The canyon is the only place a hiker has shade from the Nevada sun. Today the canyon was very picturesque with Fireweed blooming, rock walls, and a beautiful creek. After two miles the trail reaches the beginning of Soldier Basin which is treeless and meadowy. Today I saw an explosion of Larkspur and Paintbrush along the trail which made for a beautiful hike. After about mile and a half of hiking in the basin the trail for Krenka Creek goes to the left. Continuing another two miles a hiker will get into the main part of the basin with Hidden lakes, Soldier lake, and Robinson Lake as possible destinations. Robinson lake is the farthest from the trailhead at about five miles.

The trail in the canyon

Pack animals grazing near Robinson lake

Trail with Soldier Peak in the background

Soldier lake with surrounding vegetation

Tuscarora, Nevada August 3, 2010

Picture showing some of the modern buildings in present day Tuscarora

Directions: Tuscarora is an old mining community to the north of Elko, Nevada. To get to Tuscarora drive north on Nevada 225 for 27 miles going toward Mountain City. Head east on Nevada 226 for 17 miles. A sign for Tuscarora shows the turnoff.

History: Mining began in Tuscarora around 1867 when a group of men from Austin, Nevada, found gold while placermining. Initial mining operations remained small because of water limitations and few prospectors. In 1869, the community got a boost when chinese workers came from the Central Pacific Railroad. The new workers were more successful because they worked harder than the original prospectors. The community remained small even after the discovery of silver ore to the north.
The beginning of the boom occured around 1876 with the discovery of a three-foot vein of silver-ore. The first ore was sent to the Leopard Mill at Cornucopia, Nevada, which was considered some of the best in the district. Because of advertisments settlers flooded into the area. One of the first companies in the area Grand Prize Company brought the Windsor Mill which increased production.
By 1877 the town had blossomed and the mines were producing ore in large quantities. The population of the town was 3,000 citizens and businesses and companies sprang up. Tuscarora had 12 saloons, entertainment, a baseball team, and a brewery. Stage lines were created to facilitate the movement of people in the county. The same year two newspapers began publication: the Mining Review and Tuscarora Times Review. Examples of some of the mines in the area: Grand Prize, Susan Jane, Young America, and Grand Prize along with three mills. The best years for the mines were during the years 1878 and 1879. Each of these years production was well over million dollars.
The first boom would not last and by 1881 the town started diing. The major reason for the decline was a slow down in the area mines which ultimately led to many of them closing. Likewise, the town suffered a number of major fires which burned important structures.
The second boom began in 1887 when two new companies entered the area: Nevada Mining Company and East Grand Prize Silver Mining Company. Likewise, three new mines broke ground in the area bringing the total number to eight. However, the boom would not last and 1890 would bring a mixed distinction: total production was high but one of the most productive mines closed the same year. During the years 1890-1891 the mines closed one by one. The last mine to operate in Tuscarora was the Dexter Mine which closed in 1903. The newspapers also folded in 1903.
Today, the town is surviving because of a pottery shop in town. The town is small but has a nice mixture of old and new building. There are also many ruins in and out of town. The cemetery is very historical and a worthwhile visit. The town is currently restoring the old tombstones.
(Source: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Elko County By: Shawn Hall)

Some of the old and new tombstones in the cemetery

Old store front in town

Car with old shack in Tuscarora

One of the old mills to the north of town

Ophir, Utah July 30, 2010

The historic Town Hall in Ophir

Location: Ophir, Utah, is an old mining community south of Tooele, Utah. The town is located 3.5 miles up a canyon, east of State Highway 73. A sign on Highway 73 shows the turnoff for Ophir. The canyons to the north and south of Ophur have mining history and ghost towns. I would not suggest going to Mercur because Barrick Gold has the road gated up the canyon. If you go, all the historic mines and much of the remnants are on private land. I did talk to some very nice residents who let me photograph on private property.

History: The mining boom in the Oquirrh Mountains began in the 1860s when tales of indians using slugs made with lead and silver reached General Patrick Connor of the California Volunteers. After some investigation the group found crude mines near present day Ophir.

In 1870 Ophir had a big mining boom. A town sprang up with saloons, a red light district, and crudely build shanty homes. Miners rushed in to mine primarily silver, lead, and zinc. The names of the mines in the area reflected the excitement: Miner's Delight, Wild Delerium, Ophir Hill. Ore mined in the area was sent to a smelter in Connor, Utah. In the mid 1870s, it was apparent that the boom would last and more stable buildings of stone and wood were built. In these years the town had its highest population of 6,000 people with drugstore, two schools, and a theatre. Production:1870-1900 $329,000 in gold and over $13 million in silver, lead and zinc.

By 1880 the easy silver was long gone and many of the miners moved on, however, a core group of miners resorted to vertical deep rock mining with shafts over 1,000 feet deep. The mines were profitable enough that a wealthy man W.A. Clark owned many of the mines in the area even building the St. John and Ophir Railroad which was active from 1912-1918. Some mining occured into the 1970s. Today, all seven of the silver mines are not active. (Information from Utah Ghost Towns By: Stephen Carr).

Remnants of the St. John and Ophir Railroad down canyon

Slag piles with old railroad tracks on top

Railroad tracks with ore bucket

Old shack in town

July 29, 2010 Cardiff Pass Wasatch Mountains

Fields of wildflowers with mountains in background

Location: Today I am hiking on the trail towards Cardiff and Twin lakes pass. The trailhead is across from Alta ski area in the northern part of the town of Alta. The trail is approximately 1.5 miles straight up to Cardiff pass and another two miles to Twin lakes. A hiker could use the trail to access Brighton ski Resort and Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The hike: Today I wanted to hike over Twin lakes pass into Big Cottonwood Canyon. A mile into the hike I passed some of the old tailing piles which made Alta famous before it became a ski resort. Unknowingly, I got off the main trail into fields of wildflowers most of which were over three feet tall. It is impossible to describe the experience and the aroma I experienced on this hike. This is the first hike I have been on in which I saw five or six different colors of Paintbrush. Some other notable wildflower species seen: Sunflowers, Penstomen, Lupine, Fireweed, Paintbrush, Cow parsnip, Woodland star and Larkspur. Enjoy the photos. For those who want more I will have a comprehensive album on facebook.

Blue flax

Different colors of Paintbrush

Sunflowers

July 28, 2010 Red Pine Lake and the Pfeifferhorn Wasatch Mountains

On the ridge above Redpine lake

Location: The trail for Redpine lake is located about 5.5 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Like every hike in the Wasatch this one is extremely popular and hikers should get to the trailhead early in the morning. The trailhead is called Whitepine and it accesses three different lake basins Redpine, Maybird Gulch and Whitepine. The trail junctions for each basin are clearly marked.

The hike: Today I am going to hike the three miles one way to Redpine lake. From the lake, I will scramble up Pfeiffer Horn. The trail to Redpine is easy to follow and well-signed however, the trail is steep and rocky. Hiking to Pfeifferhorn, off-trail navigation and common sense are required, likwise, thunderstorms are numerous in July and August. For this blog I will not describe the route from Redpine to Pfeifferhorn.

Upper Redpine lakes

Looking towards Twin Peaks to the south

Whitepine avalanche chute across the canyon

Bannack State Park July 21, 2010

Mainstreet in restored Bannack, Montana

Location: On the way back to Nevada from Montana, Tara and I explored Bannack, Montana, which was a vibrant mining community in the late 1800s. The old town is now a state park about 21 miles off of Interstate 15 south of Dillon. The route from I-15 is well signed and easy to follow

History: The mining boom began in the summer of 1862 when John White and William Eades discovered gold flakes in what they named Grasshopper Creek. That summer 400 men moved to the area to stake their own mining claim and make a fortune. Life in newly incorporated Bannack was tough because of its isolation. Supplies came in by wagon from Virginia City during the summer. Food prices fluctuated greatly by the availability of goods and winter brought low temperatures.

By far the most interesting story of Bannack concerned Henry Plummer and his Road Agents. Henry Plummer entered the town in 1863 and he was elected sheriff. Henry Plummer headed an outlaw gang of robbers and muderers called the Road Agents. The gang robbed wagon trains and murdered settlers on the road from Bannack to Virginia City. Vigilantes caught a few members of the Road Agents who implicated Henry Plummer as its leader. Vigilante members hanged men from cottonwoods, beams, limbs anything they could find without trial. In 1864 Henry Plummer himself died at the town gallows. In May of that year community leaders (many of them vigilantes) petitioned to seperate from the Idaho Territory. Bannack became its first capital.

At first gold was easy to find and many of the miners used a technique called placer mining (using water to wash minerals out of sand or gravel). As a result, the town prospered with saloons, mercantile and a school. However, by 1890 the easy gold in Grasshopper Creek dried up and most of the town's miners moved on to Virginia City. Dredging and underground mining continued until 1902 under the direction of the Gold Leaf Mining Company. From 1902 to 1935 the buildings lay empty until the last resident Kevin Stallings bought Bannack for $1,400

to create a historical park (Source: Montana: Mining Ghost Towns By: Barbara Fifer)

Tara and Nevada in the town jail

Bannack townsite

Piper Lake Mission Mountains Wilderness July 19, 2010

Piper Lake with mountains in the background

Location: The Mission Mountain range borders the western end of Swan Valley and the eastern edge of Flathead Lake. The higher country of the Mission Mts. is very rugged with alpine lakes and dramatic cliffs. It tops out at an elevation around 8,000 ft. This year June in Montana was very cool and rainy so I decided to go for a hike in the northern part of the range especially when I saw how much snow was still in the southern part of the range. I chose Piper Creek because it is close to the southern end of Swan lake. To access the trail head take Highway 83 to Forest Service access road 966 (a sign for Piper Creek also shows the way).

The hike: Today I went for a hike with my dog Nevada. The hike to and from Piper Lake is a nine mile round trip. The first part of the hike is somewhat monotonous because it meanders through logged forest to the wilderness sign. The trail continues to follow Piper creek climbing the last mile to Piper Lake. From Piper Lake the trail continues on to Cedar Lake and Fatty Creek. Tree life in the Mission mountains is very similar to the Swan Range but this hike had more Western Larch. Remember the Missions have Black and Grizzly Bear populations. Hikers need to be aware and make noise. Backpackers need to hang their food and cook away from their tent.

Larkspur

                                            Bear Grass with Thimble Berry leaves in the background

Nevada looking into the wilderness at lake's edge