Back in 2003, Alysia and I met up with my dad, Brad, and friends to hunt for a remote old mine out in the Mojave desert. Several quartz veins here worked for gold as late as the 1950s. The mines aren’t deep but don’t seem to be played out either. I’d bet there is some gold still here. The area is inside of wilderness now and off-limits to mining. We had a great day out there.
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Goldstar and Pinyon Pine Mine Cabins
On the eastern slope of the rugged Old Woman Mountains are the remains of two weather-beaten cabins. Unlike the area's earlier gold and silver prospects, these mines targeted barite, a mineral primarily used in oil drilling. Barite (or Baryte) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate, generally white
Lady Jeanne Mine
Nestled in the Old Woman Mountains Wilderness, the remote Lady Jeanne Mine is a challenging trek for those seeking beautiful scenery, solitude, and mining history. Surprisingly, I couldn't find any history on this gold and silver prospect. One wonders who Lady Jeanne was.
Up at the mine itself
The Lost Arch
No, there is another...
In 2022, while brainstorming for our annual Turkey Day Vacay, I recalled a saguaro that I’d seen in Vidal Valley and wondered if it was still there. The problem was that I’d never been to Vidal Valley, so I couldn’t possibly have seen