Digging in the "High Lonesome"...

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CALDIGR2

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...can be an entirely frustrating undertaking, and today's trip was certainly no exception. After a two hour drive we arrived at our destination, the remains of a miner's cabin that sat along a ravine at 5600' in the Sierras Nevada Mountains. No snow, except for residual patches, a warm day, plenty of skeeters, and high hopes for some quality glass. Here we are, hiking through the pines and firs to the site.
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What appears to the average person to be a pile of rocks is actually the collapsed chimney and hearth of the cabin itself. After 150+ years not much remains to identify what once was the home to perhaps a couple of industrious gold seekers.
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The problem with bottles laying on the surface at that altitude, and suffering the effects of so many years of freezing and thawing, is that most are shattered. Yes, there were super bottles just beneath the needles and leaves of the forest floor, but all that we found today were broken beyond salvage. There were green Udolpho Wolfe's, Voldner's, Pig snout case gins, Aqua London Jockeys, deep green Lediard's Bitters, J.T. Daly's, and numerous small medicines, all pontilled of course. It's shameful that none survived at this site, but we never know, so we continue searching out new one's to investigate.
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Yes, it was a laundry list of "criers", but we did salvage some artifacts to bring back. There were brass gun parts, tools, and even the guy's personal scales that were contained in a tin box that resembles a glasses case. Unfortunately, my camera's battery started to go, so no more photos were taken today. Next Friday, we will go to another, much larger mine site, so remain positive that it will give up some "glasseous" treasure. Many such places have produced great bottles, and that alone keeps us walking the high mountain canyons. We did get to see hatchling blue grouse and mountain quail, as well as young spotted fawns. I'm surprised that no bears were seen, they are usually out and about this time of year.
 

CALDIGR2

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Swiz, the privy pits are there and rock lined on top, but absent of any glass. Bottles and assorted garbage was tossed out the door and onto the ground. It's amazing how much crapola they could toss out. Boots, leather pieces, deer and elk bones, metal things like old chains, worn out knives and gun parts, and just about anything that was used and no longer needed. I found an 1850s gold pan and a pair of decent silver plated scissors, too. The pan has no bottom, but some residual green paint on one edge. it's still out in the back of my PU.
 

swizzle

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There's gotta be a slim possibility of another pit in some of these places. I know most mining camps didn't last all too long. 20 to 30 years tops but it seems to me like it'd be enough time to have a second pit in a few of these places. Maybe a quick pit before they made the deeper permanent one. Do you think it was the people living here that tossed all that stuff right out the window or maybe a weekend squatter or hunter just clearing everything out for a place to spend the weekend and didn't want to spend the whole weekend cleaning up? Just doesn't seem kosher to me that the ones that lived there would just throw everything out the back door or window. Trash draws critters and critters eat your gear and steal your food. I'd guess that the stuff your finding right next to the place was left in the house by the miners and that they had a separate dump somewhere close to there. Just my thoughts on the whole thing. I hate to see you drive hundreds of miles when the trash is only a few more feet away if its still there. Swiz
 

Lordbud

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Some pretty nice history and likely a great hike out in the open country. The scissors sound interesting. The old stage stop I dug in Mountian View had three pairs of 1860s vintage scissors amongst other assorted artifacts.
 

willong

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Hello Michael,

I hope that you don't mind my asking this; but, how do you find your initial leads on such old and isolated structures?

I have old mining books without detailed locations (no LAT/LON listings); and, I have detailed topographic maps showing individual structures in high country, but only from about the 1890's. My area of interest is Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, Montana, and Southern BC. Admittedly, the mining began in these areas later than in California, but only by a decade or two. Yet, detailed maps that I can locate don't seem to be produced before the very late 1880's, at best.

Care to share any secrets or insights?


Thanks and regards,

Will
 

CALDIGR2

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Will, we get out and hike the canyons after reading the 1870s maps done by the US Coast & Geodetic Survey. Also, state mining bulletins are available for most years from the Gold Rush on out to the 1910s. Mine names are listed, as well as an approximate location. The original roads have changed a little, but the grades that are no longer in use are easily seen. Basically, we walk, walk, walk, looking for individual cabin sites and small operations. None of them have ever seen a shovel since the original occupiers lived there.
 

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