Not what you want to find on tailing, piles when alone....

Jim in Idaho

Silver Member
Jul 21, 2012
3,313
4,684
Blackfoot, Idaho
Detector(s) used
White's GM2, GM3, DFX, Coinmaster, TDI-SL, GM24K, Falcon MD20, old Garrett Masterhunter BFO
'Way Too Cool' dual 18 Watt UV light
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
So, about 3 weeks ago, I'm out in the Little Lost valley doing some prospecting. I backpack in about 1 1/2 miles above the old Great Northern mine. I'd seen an interesting rock anomaly on Google Earth, and thought I'd take a look. When I get there, I see a tailing pile, and think "crap"...it's been prospected in the old days. The adit goes in about 15', and then turns to the right, and I can't see back in there. I look for scat, and see nothing, but an oldskull laying there. Gave it no mind, took a few pics, did some detecting on the pile, and left. I wasn't going in, no matter what. So a couple of weeks later, (last week), buddy Dave goes up with me, so I can go in, with someone to yell for help if things go bad. We make jokes about bears, lions, etc, all of which are in that country. I happen to look down at the skull I'd seen when alone on the first trip, and notice, I'm looking at a medium-sized bear skull...LOL hadn't looked close enough first time up there. If I had, there would have been no pics, or detecting..guaranteed...Ha! We had a great time on that second trip, but no good minerals. Found some new prospect holes and adits we hadn't seen before, andm Dave detected some hunks of silver and lead, and a really neat brass plate from a Wilfley table used at the mine. Here's a few pics I took. The second day I backpacked 4 miles, and climbed 1700 vertical feet. I felt pretty good for being 72 years old....topped out at 8350' on that hike.
Jim bear skull on tailing pile.jpg Around corner to back of bearskull adit.jpg bear skull size comparison.jpg Close up of molars.jpg View into bearskulll adit.jpg back of bearskull adit.jpg
 

OP
OP
Jim in Idaho

Jim in Idaho

Silver Member
Jul 21, 2012
3,313
4,684
Blackfoot, Idaho
Detector(s) used
White's GM2, GM3, DFX, Coinmaster, TDI-SL, GM24K, Falcon MD20, old Garrett Masterhunter BFO
'Way Too Cool' dual 18 Watt UV light
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Here's a few more pics, including an adit below which Dave thought he saw evidence of digging when looking from the bearskull adit looking across the canyon. I'm tougher than he is, so I got to climb the mountain, and look for it. Had a nice vein of material on one side wall. Haven't got around to crushing the samples. Also some scenery pics of a monster quartzite dike I still have to check out. another view of smelter foundation.jpg Adit across canyon that Dave thought might be there.jpg Dave adit 1.jpg Dave adit first view.jpg close view of Dave adit vein.jpg Closer view of dike gap.jpg
Jim
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top