Alta Silver and Rock Eagle Mines

Way back in 2004, I met up with Dan, my dad, Micah, Lewis, his son Aaron, Werner, John and his cousin for a trip to some out of the way mines out in the Mojave desert. Some of these are very old mines.

Alta Silver and Rock Eagle Mines

33 photos

Top of the tramway.

Rain showers are moving in but we press on.

Werner finds a piece of brake pad from the tram wheel behind him.

Some of the tram system is still in place.

Mine entrance

Looking out.

Micah inside the mine.

Bit of a drop...

Myself in a stope.

Dan

Hiking down the old miner's trail.

It is raining lightly on us.

Lewis shows us a dugout he has found.

Remains of a camp clothes line here. A trail heads off.

Nearby at the "Rock Eagle" mine.

Mine dump pile.

Lots of holes around here.

The gang at what looks like a roasting oven.

A closer look at the oven.

This is a pretty neat find. These are certainly rare here.

Lewis claims this was a pizza oven....

Lonely spot.

Mine entrance. This had a long cross-cut tunnel.

We climb higher up the mountain.

We find the remains of a tramway.

Probably depression era.

Cables to stations.

Interesting home made set up.

Half of a 55 gallon drum makes an ore bucket, which delivers ore to a chute.

Remains of an old car (!) was used to drive the tram. How on earth did they get a car up here? The road ends way down there.

Aaron rides the tram.

Melissa takes in the view.

Close up of the tram