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104 posts

Par Value Mill

Par Value Mill

Late autumn of 2017 found us tracking down a very unusual stamp mill high in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. The mill was a unique hammer design called a Pratt Ideal Stamp Mill. Very few of these mills were ever put into use, and even fewer (if any!) still

Law’s Spring

Law’s Spring

Over the summer a few years ago, we explored the Ponderosa pine forests of northern Arizona. One of the spots we visited was Law’s Spring. It was an old campsite along the historic Beale Wagon Road. The Beale Road was born from a need to travel over the newly

Lava River Cave

Lava River Cave

In late spring 2015, we took a trip out to Flagstaff seeking cooler temperatures. One of the places we stopped at was the Lava River Cave. Formed in the Pleistocene, roughly 675,000 years ago, this 0.75-mile-long lava tube is remarkable for its length and tall ceilings; at some

Lakeview Mine

Lakeview Mine

Over the summer of 2013, I took a trip to the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains and hiked up to the Lakeview Mine. Located at timberline, 10,650 ft up, the mine sits on a ridge overlooking a dramatic landscape of glacially carved cirques, granitic spires, and alpine lakes. It was

Arcturus Mine and Buckwheat Wash Dunes

Arcturus Mine and Buckwheat Wash Dunes

Down in the southern end of Death Valley, a small group of mines lies hidden in a low set of hills. Also known as the Ibex, it was first prospected for copper and silver in the 1880s but was developed as a mine in 1914 by the Ibex Spring Mining

Carlyle Mine

Carlyle Mine

The Carlyle mine, also known as the Carlysle or Carlisle mine, is perched on the steep north slope of the Pinto Mountains. It was first discovered in 1902, but extensive mine development didn't start until 1911. A mill was built sometime in the 1910s. In 1936, the Carlyle

Big Bell Mine

Big Bell Mine

The Big Bell mine sits perched on the steep western slope of the Funeral Mountains, approximately halfway between the Keane Wonder and old Chloride Cliff mines, approximately 3,650 feet above Death Valley's floor. Discovered in 1904 during the rush that followed nearby Bullfrog strikes, this gold mine