Mammoth, Utah November 19, 2011

Directions: Mammoth is located two miles off of Utah 36 on a paved road. It is located approximately eight miles from the town of Eureka.

History: Mammoth began in 1873 with the discovery of a rich ore vein containing gold, silver, copper and bismuth by the Samuel and William McIntyre brothers. Within a couple of years a number of mines were producing including the Ajax, Black Jack and Mammoth. Prospectors rushed in and a town sprang up near the mines. From the beginning water was a problem and residents paid high prices for drinking water.

In 1890 two mills- the Mammoth near the townsite and the Sioux down the the canyon- were built by a man named Robinson. Wanting to garner as many prophets as possible, Robinson created a town in his name. The railroad was built into Robinson but not Mammoth angering the McIntyre brothers. As a result, they ran him out of town. From then on Mammoth would have an upper and lower town.

Business and mining activity was greatest in the early 1900s. Uppertown (Mammoth) would be the residential area while businesses were located in Robinson (lowertown). Robinson had a wide diversity of businesses including a general store, meat markets, a dry good store, stable, billiard hall, bookstore and four large hotels. One of the hotels would be remodeled as the Tintic Hospital. Just like most boomtowns Mammoth had a newspaper called the Mammoth Record.

In the early 1900s the mines in town were making an extraordinary amount of money which caused dissatisfaction with many of the miners. It was necessary to load the ore under armed guard because of the high price of the shipments. In fact one carload in 1907 carried over $107,000 worth of ore. The mines profits were well over $20 million. Miners disatisfied with their pay began "high grading" the ore- or pocketing high value ore when they left the mines. This led to a certain amount of organized crime in town.

The boom in Mammoth faded because of lower ore volumes and higher production costs. Today, the town has a number of old buildings and many relics from its past. It is a must stop for anyone interested in the history of the western United States. (Information from Utah Ghost Towns by Stephen Carr).

Ruins of the old mill in town

Old buildings in town
Old mine on the hillside

Stairs to nowhere

Picturesque abandoned structure

Monument to Tintic Hospital

Mill ruins at the bottom of the canyon

Shafter Valley November 3, 2011

The Jeep in the ghost town of Shafter next to the Union Pacific

Directions: There are two ways to get to the ghost towns of Decoy and Shafter. First way, take I-80 west 22 miles until the Silverzone exit. Follow dirt road eight miles until Shafter. From Shafter take a rough dirt road south following the Nevada Northern south. Second way, take Rt. 93 south of Wendover, Nevada, approximately 38 miles. Turn onto dirt road at sign for Dolly Varden. Follow dirt road skirting the Dolly Varden Range until you reach the Nevada Northern. Follow unincorporated dirt road next to Nevada Northern.

The trip: I have been planning this trip for a while but I needed a vehicle with high clearance. The dirt road in the valley is extremely rough. The ruins in Decoy and Shafter are interesting to see and the views of the Goshute Range on the eastern side of the valley and Dolly Varden range on the western side are extraordinary. In the southern end of the valley I saw a herd of wild horses and antelope. Remember this is remote desert country carry extra water, full tank of gass, extra food and a good atlas. Mileage from start to finish was approx. 80 miles.

History: Decoy-Prior to 1917, Decoy was a siding which served a few dry farms nearby however, these farms would fail because of drought and rabbits. In 1917 the Decoy mining company started mining manganese ore eight miles to the east. From 1917 to 1918 4,500 tons of ore were shipped on the railroad. The mines folded after three years. At its heighth Decoy had a loading platform and a small population associated with the railroad.

Shafter was a small railroad community on the Western Pacific and the Nevada Northern. In 1909 forty people lived in town and businesses sprang up. Both railroads also had section houses and maintenance buildings in town. A school opened in 1909 and did not close until 1933. In 1950 Shafter started to decline as businesses moved away. By 1957 all businesses had closed. Today, there is very little left of either community. (Information from: Old Heart of Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining camps of Elko County by Shawn Hall)

Signal tower on Nevada Northern south of Shafter
The Jeep in Nevada desert

Abandoned tracks to the south of Decoy

Foundation in Decoy

Remnants of loading platform in Decoy with Goshutes in background

Cool pic of NNR tracks and Nevada scenery
The siding at Decoy
Old crossing gate

Leave No Trace

I have noticed a disturbing trend with my explorations throughout the west in the last couple of years. This includes trash in places, erosion caused by cutting switchbacks, and multiple trails from SUVs or ATVs. I am not advocating a loss in freedom. What I am seeking is better awareness with environmental ethics. In this post I will remind readers about Leave No Trace principles.

What are the major concepts involved with Leave No Trace?

1) Plan Ahead and Prepare

2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces

3) Dispose of waste properly (pack it in pack it out)

4) Leave what you find

5) Minimize campfire impacts

6) Respect wildlife

7) Be considerate of other visitors

Thanks to the Boy Scouts of America for the information.

Whether you are a hunter, ATV rider or hiker, it is important to practice Leave No Trace. If you engage in Off-road driving it is your responsibility to stay on existing trails and roads.

Kelton, Utah October 16, 2011

Interesting headstone

Leaving Terrace, Utah, drivers pass by a number of small ghost town sites but nothing is left at any of them. The desert scenery and crumbling bridges on the old rail bed make for an interesting trip. One of the highlights before Golden Spike is the town of Kelton, Utah. There is nothing left of the town but foundations and a cemetery. The cemetery has a number of interesting headstones and is worth a look.

History: The town of Kelton, Utah, sprang up as a result of the building of the Central Pacific through Utah. It would be the center of freight and stage coach lines running into Idaho and Oregon. In its heyday the town would have a post office, hotel, saloons and stores. A pipe from the neighboring mountains brought water to steam locomotives.

The town's decline began with the building of the Lucin cutoff across the Salt Lake. As a result, many workers and residents moved away. Until 1942 Kelton would be an important hub for local shipping. At the beginning of World War II the rails were removed to aid in the war effort.(Information from Utah Ghost Towns byStephen Carr).

Desert scenery with grade in middle of photo

Some of the original pioneers of the west

Headstone that you can barely read

Terrace, Utah Historic Transcontinental Railroad October 16, 2011

Twenty-five miles of driving on the Central Pacific grade took me to the ghost town of Terrace, Utah. There are no intact buildings left in the town. If a visitor looks closely one can see foundations and imprints of buildings in the area. What is left is a historic cemetery which only recently became vandalized; however, visitors can still see some interesting headstones RESPECT America's history. You are not a patriot if you do not.

History: Terrace, Utah, was an important division point on the Central Pacific. It had a yard, roundhouse and repair shops for freight cars and locomotives. At its height 1,000 people lived in Terrace. The town was noted for being one of the only Chinese American communities in the west. The Chinese lived in shacks in the western part of town segregated from their white counterparts.

The town was noted for following strict rules of decorum. First, community leaders taxed citizens to maintain a public library and bathrooms. Second, the Sabbath was respected by towns people. Third, rules in the town kept public drunkenness to a minimum (Information from Utah Ghost Towns by Stephen Carr).

Terrace declined for a number of reasons. It was a railroad town, so when the Central Pacific moved its railroad shops to Montello many towns folk left as well. In 1900 a fire destroyed important buildings in town sealing the city's fate.


Interesting cross

Headstone

Historic Central Pacific Railbed October 16, 2011

Directions: From West Wendover take I-80 west over Silver Zone Pass. Take Exit 378 (NV-233) toward Montello, Nevada. Approximately 34 miles later Nevada 233 becomes Utah 30 on the border. Six miles later turn right onto Grouse Creek Road. Follow road toward the ghost town of Lucin until you cross the historic Central Pacific grade. If you drive the grade be sure to have a four wheel drive car with adequate clearance. THIS IS REMOTE DESERT COUNTRY. Have a full tank of gas, food and three or four gallons of water. It is 90 miles of dirt road driving to Golden Spike National Monument. Respect our past and do not vandalize old buildings or cemeteries. Enjoy the history of this area. This is truly the route that built and colonized the west.

History: The original Transcontinental Railroad was completed in May of 1869 with the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Point which linked the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. This line was the primary mainline for the Overland Route until 1904 when the Lucin Cutoff was completed across the Great Salt Lake cutting distance and grades. Local passenger traffic used the line until it was abandoned in 1942. Towns that sprang up along the tracks included Rozel, Kosomel, Monument, Kelton, Ombey and Terrace. The ghost towns of Kelton and Terrace will be the subject of following posts because of their interesting graveyards. (Information from www.abandonedrails.com)

Old bridge on the Central Pacific

Abandoned trestle on route

Looking east down the abandoned Central Pacific grade

Abandoned bridge with desert surroundings

Cool trestle

Informative sign for the town of Bovine. Nothing is left.

The route that built America. The original Transcontinental

Plaque at Golden Spike

Thomas Canyon Ruby Mountains Nevada October 2, 2011

Fall color in the upper part of the canyon

Directions: Thomas Canyon is approximately seven miles up Lamoille Canyon outside of Spring Creek, Nevada. The trail starts from behind the Thomas Canyon Campground. The trail into Thomas Canyon is one of the overlooked hikes in the Ruby Mountains. This is a mistake because the views of the canyon are stunning, three waterfalls are viewable from the trail and the fall color of the Aspen is vibrant.

Thomas Canyon is a 4.5 mile out back, moderately strenuous hike. The main trail is well built, even though, travelers have made unincorporated trails to view waterfalls in the canyon. I lost the trail but managed to find it after forty minutes. The trail ends in the upper part of the canyon but more adventurous travelers can go off trail and summit the surrounding mountains or ridges. Fauna of the Ruby's consists of Mule deer, Mountain goats, and the introduced Himilayan Snowcock.


Waterfall in the canyon


More fall color
Beautiful color
Clear stream water

Thomas Canyon

The view back toward Lamoille Canyon

Another waterfall in the canyon