Not for the savings bonanzas or the ol’ fashioned tramplings, nor for the buyer’s remorse or the last item on the shelf fist fights.
No, like many of us I worked, but #Optedoutside the minute I got out!
Didn’t have a lot of time, with the sun being so stingy in these winter months, so a short walk to Franklin, WA, an old coal mining ghost town fit the bill.
“New” ruins
Eh, it’s got a spooky ol’ cemetery anyway. Who needs light when you have ghosts?
We parked at the small cemetery along SE Green River Gorge Rd. and began our walk.
Someone has done a lot of work to improve the road heading up to Franklin. What has historically been a muddy grade now has a new layer of gravel on top of it.
The trails have been liberally brushed, and some sites that I hadn’t seen in a decade of visiting this place have been cleared of vegetation.
A heartfelt “Huzzah!” to the volunteers and their efforts!
We reached the graveyard after the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon. No ghosts, but plenty of ambiance.
Heading back we encountered some people who decided that dropping a road flare down the 1300′ mine shaft would be a good idea. We were just in time for the show.
The flare erupted in a magnesium flash, brilliantly contrasting the decaying twilight.
Sweet Jeebus no!
Within seconds it was gone, screaming it’s way to the bottom. A robust slap announced it’s arrival with mine’s icy waters.
Darkness. Then inexplicably a light began to flicker from the ghostly depths. A menacing glow struggled to life.
Looking down the stygian pit, pulsating red with sulfurous smoke, it really was a vision of hell.
After the flare burnt out we ambled back to the car, both of us the better for #optingoutside…
Then promptly #optedforthriftshopping at the Goodwill where I got a couple of nice merino wool sweaters, 50%off!
Score!
Happy Trails,
Harry Biped
Catching those last rays
GETTING THERE
Head to the center of Black Diamond, WA. Turn east on Lawson Street (There is a Los Cabos and a Cenex station at the intersection) this road will change names a number of times.
Continue on this road for about 3 miles then start looking for a small graveyard on the east side of the road. This is probably the best parking available. Hike south on the road to a gated off area. This is the trailhead.
Rain, rain and more rain was on the forecast today. Despite that, armchair enthusiasm was running high!
We headed up for Snoqualmie Pass, bolstered by rumor that there was enough snow to make it worth the effort to break the snowshoes from their long, long hibernation.
Well, there was snow, but it was a lot higher than any of us really cared to hike in this sorta November slop.
So instead Blewett!
If it’s rainy on the west side, it’s usually a little less so over there. The fact that the place is absolutely steeped in mining history is another selling point, at least so long as I’m concerned.
The Arrastra
We got to the old townsite and took a quick tour.
First we swung by the arrastra, a curious artifact sandwiched between the US 97 and Peshastin Creek just south of the Blewett historical marker.
The Crushenator
The second site we visited was the remains of the old stamp mill, which is in surprisingly good condition considering the proximity to the highway. Definitely a gem hidden in plain sight for the history minded road tripper.
Briefly we headed back down the highway thinking that a hike along Negro Creek would be fun, but with the high water, didn’t seem worth the treacherous crossing. So…back to Blewett.
We built this city on Rock n’ Roll
We followed the little footpath which passes the Keynote Tunnel and followed it to it’s end before beginning uphill.
Two thick metal cables were stretched down the hillside, inviting us upwards to find their source.
Gaining the ridge granted us some beautiful views of the surrounding hillsides partitioned by low, soggy looking clouds.
Nuclear Moss
Continuing up, we passed countless collapsed adits and cuts, sometimes marked by small piles of shattered, milky quartz left behind by those who still search these hills for precious metal.
One small cut even contained a pick axe and shovel. Modern no doubt, but waterlogged and weathered.
Old tram something probably
The ridge made a nice stopping point and allowed us ample views up and down the US97 corridor.
Leaving the ridge, we opted for a more direct path to the car.
CONSIDERATIONS
Blewett can be a fun place to visit, but be aware that there is a lot of privately claimed land in the area and many potential hazards in the form of open shafts and deteriorating tunnels.
Respect all private property postings, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because many sites are full of hazards, and… some people can get pretty weird when that funny yellow metal is involved. Just a friendly word of caution.
As always PACKITINPACKITOUT!, leave it better than you found it, take only pictures leave only feet prints, and especially in the Blewett area: STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE
It is in these hills that Juan Valdez and his trusty mule…
Did you ever happen to catch The Prisoner? If you are an American I’m guessing probably not.
I happened to have a grandma who was hooked on BBC shows. Consequently I was just as likely to be sat down in front of Monty Python as I was Sesame Street.
Bad rover! Bad!
Anyway, on the show The Prisoner there was this strange white orb called The Rover. It kept the prisoners from escaping “The Village” by incapacitating them, I seem to recall that it could even kill people.
Get walkin’
It made an impact on me as a kid, and the bizarre thing continues to dwell somewhere in my psyche.
Then one day driving down the Hwy 410, there it was. Looming white in contrast to the stately evergreen blanket beneath it. What was the Rover doing here in real life? and in Washington State?
I decided to do some internet research…and then the story got a little weirder.
Turns out that the mysterious white orb was a “gap-filler” radome built during the cold war to detect low flying Soviet Bombers. While that’s not incredibly remarkable, the fact that it is even there may be…
я покажу вам Кузька и мать!
On paper the thing was planned, but never built. Yet there it is, boldly standing in defiance to it’s own non-existence along the Hwy 410.
According to the information I found, the site’s ID designation was to be P-1B
I was also able to get my hands on a current flight planning map, on which it is simply marked as ‘radome’.
Nothing unusual here…
THEORIES
Bond villain hideout
Aliens bro!
Exclusive nightclub?
The site is hemmed in with barbed wire topped chain-link and to add a little bit to the mystery, the private property signs are completely devoid of any information as to identity of the operators.
It’s not flying, so it’s not a UFO
An L-shaped building with blacked out windows is also within the fenced area.
Numerous security cameras watch your every move with silent vigilance. A tin foil hat might help keep them out of your thoughts.
Tin Foil Cat
Honestly if I were to guess I’d bet this is a Boeing site, but admittedly I base that on very little.
Firstly they are the largest aviation company in the area. (…and the second largest defense contractor on the earth.)
Two-stly, the private property signs look very much like the ones posted around Boeing property.
Shaky? Maybe, but I think it holds up to Occam’s Razor better than Bond Villain nightclub staffed by Aliens. (But I want it to be so badly!)
RED TAPE
THIS TRIP MAY BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, but…
So far as I could tell there is no legal reason you cannot visit the area, so long as you do not attempt to enter the enclosure itself which is clearly marked as private property.
The Hancock gate at the bottom does not state that a Hancock Forest Pass is required for walk-in entry, but this could be out of date, or subject to change at any time.
Is it just me, or does this look…dirty?
Know before you go. Trespassing is trespassing, and usually moreso if you are being a general nuisance.
GETTING THERE
If you are driving SE on the SR 410 during the daylight hours, you will probably notice this thing hanging out on top of the hills north of the highway.
You’ll have to deduce which logging road you will have to take to get you up to the thing. The correct one has a rather large open area to park, and past the gate, starts climbing immediately.
If you get to Federation Forest, you’ve driven too far. (but Federation Forest is another great place to go roaming around!)
When walking up the logging road there are a couple of intersections, when in doubt, stay right.
As always, PACKITINPACKITOUT!
Oh, and if you ever plan to have children, don’t hang around this thing too long.
The Kitanning Mine is located not far from the tiny hamlet of Index, WA, and can be found just off the long washed out Index-Galena Road.
GETTING THERE
(Disclaimer: These directions are for novelty purposes only)
Winter walk
The washout makes for two different ways to reach the Kitanning; either from Beckler Road, just past Skykomish or by driving to the washout at the end of Index-Galena Road and hoofing it along a rough hewn path through trees, mud and some post-apocalyptic looking sections of washed out roadway.
“Road Closed”
In the wintertime hiking is sometimes the only way, and makes for a nice winter walk anyway.
Either way you go you’ll wanna end up at the east side of the wash-out.
♪♫Ooh, ooh, ooh looking out my back door♪♫
Maybe ½-1 mile or so east of the washout shore exists a curve in the road from which a faint trail leads off into the woods. Follow it and you’ll start gently gaining elevation.
At this point mine finding experience is a good thing to have. (A copy of Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1 really helps too)
To the best of my recollection I followed the little trail until it disappeared beneath thigh deep Oregon Grape.
Lonely miners…
I found an ephemeral stream bed to my right and followed it up, staying left when an obstacles came and eventually began reaching small cliffs, working my way around the them.
When I first went some years ago the sight of the old cabin meant you were there. However I’ve heard in recent years the old Kitanning cabin has collapsed, possibly making the mine more difficult to find, and sealing the hodge-podge of relics and ancient pornography within.
The upper adit
THE TUNNELS
The first adit is right around the corner from the remains of the cabin, literally. It’s right there.
The tunnel is a couple hundred feet long and is blasted into what seems like pretty stable rock. Turquoise colored mineral staining can be seen inside, as well as a couple scattered artifacts.
The upper adit is approximately 500ft above you, amongst steep and sometimes cliffy terrain. An old miner’s trail fades in an out, occasionally leading the way.
This tunnel is a couple hundred feet longer than the lower one and boasts more impressive mineral deposits.
Tessbo Biped deep in the Kitanning
An interesting side note is that this adit does not have a corresponding tailings pile. Strange, no?
According to DWHM#1, the entire tailings pile was hauled off to the smelter by the Twentieth Century Alaska Copper company in the early years of the 1900s.
Had the day off today so I decided to head off into the hills in search of an old mine site I’ve been interested in locating known as “The Devil’s Canyon Claims”.
I’ve poked and prodded a little around the area before, in search of the same thing, however that time my search was seriously hampered by snow on the ground and even more coming from the sky.
Conveniently melted…
This time there was only traces of snow where before there was a solid foot, at least near the valley floor.
I headed up an abandoned road toward the Cougar Creek drainage which is where Devil’s Canyon lies.
The main road/trail hits a distinct fork not too far in, at this time it is marked by the remains of a campfire. The logical way is to continue along the more clear path, which is what I did. The other path, or abandoned road I should say, is very overgrown by scrub alder, and according to old maps, terminates some distance away, around the headwaters of Lennox Creek.
Might be worth a bushwhack someday….
The road-less-overgrown steadily devolves into a trail the higher you get. I imagine there would be some views opening up around here, if today wasn’t socked in with clouds and a now light, but steady stream of snowflakes.
I just happened to notice the remnants of a Forest Service “Entering Wilderness” sign as I made my way up, interestingly it’s old enough that is says “Snoqualmie National Forest” rather than “Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest”.
Seeing this I got excited, I love finding abandoned trails!
I followed it up and up, the snow steadily getting deeper, obscuring the already decaying trail.
Aside from the sheer curiosity of wondering where in the hell this trail was going, I oughta mention that there is a surprising abundance of old growth here that kept me heading up, kinda like a rabbit chasing a carrot on a string.
Big honkin’ Cedar
Eventually the snow became deep enough to completely eradicate any semblance of trail, and compounded with the lack of visibility and not quite knowing exactly where I was, I decided to turn around.
Getting home and consulting the internet, DWHM#1 and the USGS Lake Philippa 7.5, all the pieces came together.
So the trail turned out to be the abandoned Dog Mountain Trail, which passes near Devil’s Canyon, and down below most certainly was the Cougar Creek drainage.
Considering today’s conditions, it would have been a pretty tall order to find my quarry, however it was a day well spent nonetheless.
Multiple trips make an area far more familiar, and also I find, sort of help “gel” the spatial relationships in a set area together in the navigation/homing center of my brain.
I’ll be back later, when the snows have melted as there are far more mining sites to locate in and around this drainage.
If you are driving down the I-90 and spending more time looking out the window than on the road, McClellan’s Butte is hard to miss. It’s the big rocky spire, sorta looks like the Matterhorn from some angles.
Anyway, most rubbernecking hikers probably fall into one of two camps:
A: Man! I gotta climb that thing!
or…
Hanging out along the ridge
B: There is no F$%#ing way you’d catch me up there!
Well guess what? Ol’ Mac’s Butte is a win-win!
The prominent rocky spire doesn’t disappoint those looking for an airy scramble, and allows some decent bragging rights the next time you’re rubbernecking down the ’90.
Alternatively, if exposed scrambling isn’t your thing, the Butte provides a challenging enough hike and great views from a slightly less lofty perch just below the imposing monolith.
THE NUMBERS
Distance:9-12 miles RT
Elevation gain:3700′ ft (1128m)
Difficulty:YDS-1 hike, YDS-3-4 scramble
Licks to get to it’s center:The world may never know…
THE NAME
Spittin’ Image!
McClellan’s Butte is named for General George B. McClellan, a civil war era general and moustache aficionado which history seems to hold in mixed regard.
In 1853, George was here in the Washington territory surveying possible routes for the coming railroad.
Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that Yakima Pass near Tinkham Peak would be the best option for the rails, however no one else of consequence shared his opinion and Yakima Pass was never used.
McClellan’s efforts were however recognized, and his name was bestowed upon the butte, perhaps, some speculate, due to their uncanny resemblance.
Later Ol’ George even made an unsuccessful presidential bid against the incumbent President Abraham Lincoln.
In the end McClellan died of a heart attack in Orange, New Jersey at the age of 58.
Biggest trees on the ’90!
THE HIKING
We start out just off the Tinkham Road exit on the ’90. The trailhead is just a little way south of the interstate up a dirt road.
(There does however exist cheaters parking area further along the FS 9020)
The trail briefly winds along through forest, then beneath power lines, meandering along old grades. Early along there is a split, either way you’ll end up at the John Wayne Trail (Old Milwaukee Road)
Heading west at the split along an old grade will take you along the “official” trail.
Reaching the Milwaukee Road, you’ll likely hear Alice Creek to your left and might see a bicyclist or two scoot on by, to continue up the butte trail, look to your right.
Off trail scrambling
It’s within this next section that one can find the “old” trail which ambles past the Alice Claim , where one can view a handful of mining relics from an earlier era.
The next grade crossing is that of the FS 9020 (the cheaters parking area), not a lot to see here but a gravel road, and usually some parked cars. Press on!
You may have noticed by now that there are some pretty impressive trees along the trail. Somehow these giants were spared the lumberjacks unforgiving sawblade, while their less fortunate brethren are now only massive stumps.
These are some of, if not the largest trees along the ’90, so feel free to plop your butt down and view them with reverence and awe.
Lotsa big ol’ trees
The trail now begins to climb, and soon, at about the halfway point, the next and most dangerous landmarks will appear…
THE AVALANCHE CHUTES
As is evident from the lack of trees (or most anything but rock and snow) avalanches regularly thunder down these gullies when conditions are right for it.
Avalanches don’t always happen when you might expect!
Even during a nice, sunny spring day, so long as there is snow in the upper reaches, a slab of white death can break off and before you can say “Kalamazoo!” you’re history.
Avalanches aside, these gullies can also be dangerous to cross for the unprepared as when they are snow filled they can be extremely steep.
Furthermore they can be undermined by flowing water and a simple posthole could potentially put you in the drink, or worse.
Carry the right gear, and know how to use it.
AHEM, BACK TO THE HIKING…
So after the avalanche gullies, the trail continues up and up.
Eventually you’ll round the south end of the ridge and sparse views of the FORBIDDEN lands of the Cedar River watershed will appear.
The trail does a large sort of U-Turn and soon you’re traversing the west side of the ridge.
The forbidden lands
(Note: this is a good place to jump off trail if you wanna scramble the whole ridge)
Here is a nice pleasant respite from the singularly upward direction of the trail prior to this, and with westward views and mountain meadows to boot!
Soon you’ll find yourself passing below the large rock walls of the ridge before turning upwards, just below the summit block itself.
A steeper rocky section of trail is the last little bit to conquer before finding yourself at the landing beneath the imposing, monolithic block that is Ol’ Mac.
Ol’ Harry up on the block
THE BLOCK
As you will certainly see, the block is pretty exposed.
Climbing out onto it, you might think that exposed is an understatement when you discover that the block essentially terminates into oblivion, and any resultant falls from here would likely result in death, or worse.
Stay within your comfort zone, this isn’t a place to screw around.
That being said, the block isn’t technically difficult, and affords many hand and footholds that have been tried and tested hundreds of times before. (Never hurts to double check)
I read somewhere that at one time there existed an aviation navigational light at the top of Ol’ Mac, part of a system of lights that guided aircraft to Seattle.
“The Closer” ascending the block
In those times there was also a handhold and more of a path to the top. (At the moment my book collection is in storage, so I’ll get back to you all about the specifics)
Along the scramble you can occasionally spy remnants of those days etched into the rock.
Once on the top you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts (weather permitting) as you are standing upon one of the best viewpoints along the I90.
360º of unobstructed views!
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
In Cascade Alpine Guide vol. 1, Beckey describes a couple different routes;
One of them is ascending to the summit ridge via the upper south slopes by way of the second avalanche gully as a moderate winter or spring snow climb.
This one I can vouch for, as a couple friends and I took it one spring without knowing it was really a route. The slopes here are steep, but if you keep your wits about you, the ascent to the ridge is a piece of cake. Some light class 3 scrambling is the worst of it.
Ascending the south slopes
Keep in mind however, there are a lot of loose rocks, and you are climbing directly above a fairly popular trail.
Another is the East Spur, which I gather is essentially taking the first avalanche gully directly to the summit, I’ve looked at it and intend to give it a try someday, appears to be a long class 2-3 scramble.
The NORTH BASIN is more of a climbing route, popular when the basin is snow filled. I have read that the rock near the upper reaches is pretty loose and crumbly and may have been a factor in a 2005 fatality along this route.
ETC…
McClellan’s Butte has a little something for everybody, and while a popular destination, thus far never seems too crowded.
Besides the summit block, the entire trail is YDS class 1, however, McClellan’s Butte, or any mountain should never be taken lightly; Steep Slopes, avalanche chutes, and George McClellan’s ghost are just a few hazards one may encounter while treading upon it’s flanks.
The ’90 snaking across the land
There is often water available along the route, so bring a filter etc and fill up along the way.
Anyway, be prepared, leave it better than you found it, see ya there
Happy Trails!
Jack “The Bulge” at the summit
GETTING THERE
Take exit 42 West Tinkham Rd. and head south, you’ll pass a WSDOT facility and a gated road on your right before coming to another road veering up and right to the trailhead. Sometimes this is signed, other times not. Either way it is a very short drive from the freeway offramp, so if you can’t find it, you probably went too far.
PASSES
Currently a NW Trailpass is required for parking.
References:
Beckey, Fred, Cascade Alpine Guide vol.1 Columbia River to Stevens Pass. The Mountaineers Books, 1973
Along the way up the McClellan Butte trail you might stumble upon the remains of the mill site and adit of the Alice Claim… that is, you would have along the old trail.
Nowadays you’d probably only find it if you were looking for it.
The aditThe adit from the trail
At one time in the not so distant past, the trail up the butte passed right beside the claim, but now that trail has been abandoned in favor of another, and is slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Rusted “thing”
Interestingly enough, hikers still pass right by the site, albeit on a different path, though I imagine only a few oddballs ever notice.
The abandoned trail and mill site are found along Alice Creek, which as a matter of interest was named Revington Creek during the time the Alice Claim was in operation.
Abandoned trail
The adit itself is collapsed and flooded in addition to being dug into steadily decaying overburden. Which is to say, even if this thing were open, it would be exceedingly dangerous to enter.
STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE!
Ore crusher detail
According to Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.#1, there once existed three tunnels totaling 500ft of underground workings. However, during my visit I only located the one.
El Crush-o
A Seattle Times article from July 1900 stated that construction of a surface tram had begun at the claim, linking one of the adits to the mill site. At that time, the mine working machinery was already in operation and the milling equipment was on order. The capacity of this mill was said to handle 10 to 15 tons of ore per day.
Old wood pile
Nowadays not much remains, though what does is impressive enough.
The first major artifact seems to be some sort of furna.. You know, honestly I have no idea what in the hell it was exactly, maybe a furnace/boiler something. It looks as though it handled high temperatures at one time, judging by the decaying wrap on the pipes and a mixture of ash and brick underneath it.
Moss toupee
Feel free to school me on this one!
The second, and in my opinion, most impressive artifact is what I’m very certain is an ore crusher. It consists of three large metal pestles set in a large cylinder with an ore chute on one side. I imagine this thing was as loud as hell when it was running.
Other artifacts include what appears to be a smashed wood stove and a pile of cut wood in addition to the miscellaneous corroding pipes, bars and various chunks of rusted metal that litter the site.
The Alice Claim is worth a visit for those of you interested in such things and luckily the star artifacts are too heavy to be carried off, so they will likely be there awhile. Though some jackass tagged one of them… yeah.
Anyway, as always, don’t be that jackass, leave it the way you found it.
Happy Trails, Harry Biped
Inside the Ore Crusher
References:
Woodhouse, Phil; Jacobson, Daryl; Petersen, Bill; Cady,Greg; Pisoni, Victor, Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1: The West Central Cascade Mountains. Oso Publishing Company, 1997
The Damon & Pythias, one of the very first mines I ever visited and usually the first I bring folks to visit when they are just becoming interested in mines.
Before I ever even knew of the Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines series or really much of anything about mines, I stumbled upon a trip report to The D&P on 2drx.com , a great site with lots of trip reports and photos (unfortunately as of this writing the site is down, but hopefully it’ll be up again soon)
View from the adit
I remember being captivated by their pictures of the relics deep inside the mines depths and glued to every word I read as I imagined exploring the abandoned abyss.
Intrepid explorer
They included a hand drawn map as well, which I printed out and carried along with me on that first trip.
Well, it’s been a long time since then, and I’ve visited the Damon & Pythias dozens of time since, and I keep coming back.
Simply put, it’s a combination of ease of access, mine complexity and abundant relics that keeps the D&P at the top of my list.
Ye olde ladder
At a time in the not too distant past it was possible to drive all the way to the D&P (albeit with a high clearance vehicle) but the final 100yrds of the road have now been blocked, with future blockages coming in the future.
Deep in the Priestly Vein
One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at the site is a very large culvert pipe kinda just sitting there. As you approach further, the tailings pile and large rusted ore hopper will appear to your left.
Climbing up the tailings pile you’ll see another culvert piece, this one covering the adit a la Quonset hut.
Cool effect man…
Also on the top of the tailings pile is the charred remains of what used to be a sort of covering over the tracks leading to the end of the tailings pile.
The miners here were seeking gold and silver as well as lead found in the ores arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. Samples of these ores can still be found in the mine and tailings pile today.
Disclaimer: Mines are extremely dangerous, stay out, stay alive.
Ahem, upon entering, a dilapidated gate halfway blocks the door. I’m sure at one time it kept people out, but it’s purpose is much more passive these days.
Twisting tunnels
Walking along the cart rails, paralleling the drainage channel and old ventilation pipe you’ll probably begin to think “How deep is this thing”?
Eventually you’ll come to the first drift.
It’s not very long in either direction, the floor is pretty muddy, there are no artifacts and the rock looks…questionable. Typically I explore this one with a flashlight beam.
Interesting switch tracks
Continuing along the main tunnel you are again in store for a decent walk before coming to the next drift. This is known as the Damon Vein. You’ll immediately see a large rusted air compressor tank. It’s rivets speak of it’s age.
The ore chute
There some other debris of note in the area, but none more interesting than the huge wooden structure to your right.
As you approach the moldy wooden giant, you might notice that it sits directly below a very high raise. Shine your light into the darkness to try and see the top.
The compressor tank
Also of note is the bucket from an ore chute, at one time this would be supplied with ore dropped from the raise above, once the bucket was filled, the handle pulled would have dumped the ore into a waiting mine cart. Good lesson to learn here, let gravity do the work.
The rest of this drift is mostly barren, but worth the walk.
Heading back down the other direction of the drift, one follows cart rails down a sometimes twisting tunnel, past a couple old ladders (broken in recent years, thanks geniuses) to an uneventful end.
rails and rails
Back at the intersection with the compressor tank you may have noticed a creepy door further down the main tunnel. Enter if you dare, but be warned, some say Dracsquatch (Dracula and Sasquatch’s unholy progeny) dwells beyond this point…. but I’ve never seen him, in fact I just made that up.
The tunnel continues on, and eventually the cart tracks give up the ghost, but not before passing a pile of rusted cable (Which is the last artifact of note from here on out)
The Drac-Squatch door
You’ll eventually end up at another large intersection. This is known as the Priestly Vein. The drifts here are slightly shorter than in the Damon Vein and largely uneventful.
The adit from the old rusty cables
Heading back to the intersection, turn off your light and look toward the adit, this tunnel is so straight, you will be able to see the tiny pin prick of light over a quarter mile away.
Well thats the Damon and Pythias, and I’d like to keep it that way so as always, leave everything just as you found it, take only pictures and leave only footprints.
Phew! Made it out alive
Happy Trails- Harry Biped
References:
Woodhouse, Phil; Jacobson, Daryl; Petersen, Bill; Cady,Greg; Pisoni, Victor, Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1: The West Central Cascade Mountains. Oso Publishing Company, 1997
This story starts off in a book, a great book in a series of great books that are full of history and adventure for anyone who opens up a copy. I am talking about the Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines series by Northwest Underground Explorations, in this case volume #1. (henceforth DWHM#1)
The great tome itself.
Whether you are the swashbuckling adventure type or just the type who likes to swashbuckle and adventure via the pages of a good book, relaxed in a cozy armchair, this series will serve you well and is worth every penny. The pages are loaded with historic photos and are an unbelievable wealth of information about Washington’s mines, state history and even some local lore. If I haven’t made myself clear, if you are reading this blog, you are the type who needs these books.
Rusty rails…
Ahem,
Having spent a great deal of time in the Miller River area, finding the Bergeson Prospect within the pages of this tome of the abandoned, I was immediately interested in locating the site.
and rusty cowling, all kinds of rusty stuff!
The book gives very good directions for both driving and footwork, that being said, unless you’ve spent a lot of time wandering the woods beyond the well worn trail, you probably wanna take someone who has. I should add also that if you should ever decide to enter a mine, not that I suggest you do, you should really never go alone. The potential for serious injury or death is there, and I don’t know about you but drowning in icy cold mine water, shattering my body by falling down a shaft or being crushed by unstable rock and spending my final moments on earth in the pitch black, Stygian depths of an abandoned mine is not exactly how I want to go.
The boulder blocking the grade
Moving right along…
Gathering all the essential gear including three sources of light, I picked up a friend of mine and we were off towards Money Creek Road, a rough little dirt road off the Hwy 2 often in need of repairs. Following the directions to a tee, we parked and headed up into the woods.
Lady J emerging from the darkness
One of the first orders of business was to locate an old road. The first time you go out looking for an old road in the woods, you’ll have no idea what to expect, every flat spot you see you’ll be asking, “Is that the road”? This is normal, over time you will develop an ability to pick out even the most ancient mining or logging road, and suddenly the Cascades will never quite look the same. It really is interesting just how many old road grades there are out there, and kind of a curse because if you are anything like me, you’ll wanna find out when they were built, why they were built and where they all go.
The Bergeson adit
There are a couple landmarks on the way up, the first is a very large boulder, hogging up half the old road bed. It’s impossible to miss if you are on the right track, and I feel pretty confident in saying, this baby isn’t going anywhere for a very long time.
Honey, we’re gonna need to call the HVAC guy…
The second real landmark is a little trickier to notice even though it is huge. It is the tailings pile from the mine, but it is mostly overgrown and doesn’t really look much like a tailings pile until closer examination. Really it looks like any old berm built up from an avalanche gully.
Being that this is the tailings, or waste rock from the mine, you know you are right below it. A short climb up the pile takes you to the quite picturesque site of the Bergeson Prospect. There are a few pieces of interesting debris outside the adit (mine entrance) and if you are more interested in just locating the site and taking it in, this would make a good place for a woodland picnic on a nice day. There are many massive old growth trees in the area, and it really is a pleasant feeling woods.
Looking back toward the adit
My friend and I however were going to enter the mine….
The adit was flooded, and likely still is, to a depth of mid-shin height or better. One of the first things you’ll notice in this mine is the tremendous amount of rust coating the walls and covering the floor.
Such a stillness, it’s eerie
There are also a lot of relics left inside, the old mine cart rails, the ventilation pipes and various bits of wooden debris.
The mine is pretty deep in comparison to a lot of the other small claims in western Washington, around 1200′ deep I believe. Fortunately in this mine, there are no winzes (shafts) and it’s pretty straight forward.
There is however a great deal of water coming from the ceiling in this mine, and the constant dripping on the pipes, on the floor compounded with the echo can really play some tricks on your ears. Standing still and just listening, I could swear you could hear voices. On one occasion as we were going down a long straight section of tunnel, we saw what appeared to be a face at the end of our lights reach, stopping, we could hear the garbled voices. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I figured maybe someone else was exploring, or maybe A GHOST!
Into the depths of the Bergeson
Turns out it was just a ventilation pipe half hanging from the ceiling with a steady rivulet of water falling upon it. Gotta say though, better scare than a haunted house.
The mine was pretty interesting, and not too difficult to find. If you are so possessed I’d suggest getting a copy of DWHM#1 and locating it yourself. I do not suggest entering a mine, and certainly not alone or with less than three separate light sources. Also, take only pictures and leave only footprints, there are many sites that are completely lost to us, the people of this age, because others decided to loot and plunder and for what? So they can have some shitty old piece of rusted metal sitting in their garage? We’re lucky to still have some of these outdoor museums in the state they were left, so lets keep it that way.
Good luck, and happy trails, Harry Biped
Ye olde boxe
References:
Woodhouse, Phil; Jacobson, Daryl; Petersen, Bill; Cady,Greg; Pisoni, Victor, Discovering Washington’s Historic Mines Vol.1: The West Central Cascade Mountains. Oso Publishing Company, 1997
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