The story of Hermit John’s Gold. I think I found the spot, but no Gold.

[Ant]

This story is quoted from this site:
http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/treasures47.html

The story of Hermit John’s Gold.
In the early 1900’s, a prospector by the name of Hermit John found a ledge of gold somewhere southwest of Amboy. Today you could find this area in the Sheep Hole Mountains or the Calumet Mountains.

The legend states that Hermit John along with his trusty mule came into Amboy to send sacks full of quartz ore to San Francisco to be refined at a smelter. Several men watched as Hermit John as he unloaded the sack curious as to what they held. The stationmaster noticed that one sack had a hole in it. Hermit John had to dump the ore onto the platform in order to change the bags. Of course, this made all their curiosity fade as to what the bags held. Each and every rock they saw was held together with large clumps of gold. What they saw was wire-gold or leaves of gold filling every crack in the quartz rocks. Hermit John noticed that everyone was staring and quickly placed his find into a new bag.

Later on after the sacks were loaded and ready to go, a man from the group who happened to be a writer, went to Hermit John’s campsite and asked him about the ore. His story was that he stumbled upon an old Mexican or Spanish mine that had been abandoned. He explained that there was shaft and an old arrastra at the mine. During the 1900’s an arrastra was used to grind the ore into a powder in order to free the gold from the quartz rock. He described 2 or maybe 3 graves, some old mining tools and either an old well or another shaft close by his find. By his recollection that he found the mine northeast of Dale dry lake and southwest of Cadiz dry lake.

No one ever saw Hermit John again or every found the location of the rich gold mine. Did he actually tell the exact location? No one will ever know the truth until they happen upon the Lost mine of Hermit John.

They say that Hermit John’s Gold has never been found. I think this is the same story of the Lost Shotgun Mine that someone claims to have already found. But I don’t think he found any Gold. He found a pile of rocks shaped to look like a turtle (a sign said to be left by Indians to mark the Gold mine), and a shotgun stuck barrel first into the ground. The shotgun was supposedly left to mark the mine by Hermit John himself.

I have found a shaft and atrrastra that might be the spot. It has atrratra with a vertical shaft nearby and it's located north of Dale Dry Lake.The shaft is lined with stone and is too dangerous go into, this kind of shaft is also known as a coyote hole but lined with stone.

Do you think a pole mirror and a powerful pole light will enable me to see down at least 100’ or deeper. What’s the least expensive way to see what’s down there so I can discern why they stopped mining and how the vertical shaft was excavated?

 

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[tac512ltd]

Just a thought - Good light and one of those fish cam set ups that you could lower on the cable. Bass Pro Shops carry quite a few. Good Luck

 

[godisnum1]

Maybe a twenty dollar spotlight from anywhere... and a nice pair of binoculars? Just a suggestion...

Bran <><

 

[Ant]

If anyone wants to try and see what’s down in the shaft, the location is not far from radio repeaters at the top of Sheephole Pass. In the opposite direction from the atrrastra and shaft there’s water catch reservoir, General Patton troops used it for training, and it still catches water.

The atrrastra and shaft might just be a location that miners used to process Gold ore that came out of the Old Dale Mining District. The shaft might just be a deep water well as I don't see very much tailings evidence.

If you need more details let me know.

 

[gollum]

Hey Ant,

This isn't the arrastra you are talking about, is it?

This one's near Dale as well. I think I might head out that way Sunday or Monday.

Best-Mike

 

[Ant]

No, but I think I've seen that one. I'll PM you with the location.

 

[gollum]

Okay Ant,

Sorry, this one isn't Hermit John's Lost Mine. Nothing matches the description we have. I spent a good part of the morning out there. It was the maiden voyage of my Rover (I have to say, I was absolutely impressed). That truck handled everything I threw at it with ease. Needless to say, I am HAPPY with my Christmas present to myself!

There was no Arrastra. Just the remains of an old Single Stamp Mill. There were two cement rain catcher pools. The site looks like it was probably from the 1940s or 1950s.

My baby's first off road:

Getting to the mines was a little complicated (but no problem for a Range Rover):

First look at the mines from above:

Here is another mine a little further down the wash (this one I missed twice, but finally saw the tailings pile):

After leaving, I drove over to the Old Dale Ore Stamp Mill:

And did some more off roading near the Sheephole Mountains:

Overall, it was a great day. I didn't find Hermit John's Lost Gold Mine, but my baby DID pass all the tests I threw at her without breaking stride!

Best-Mike

 

[Ant]

Wow, nice ride and a great adventure. I’ll get out there soon and take some photos of it. Judging the photos I would say you are not too far from the area in the photo taken from the cave advantage. I also say that judging from the photo taken from the cave that I see the west side of the wash and you would need to go up farther to find the atrrastra and vertically stoned lined shaft.

Thanks I'll get out there during the Holladay’s.

 

[Mercury dude]

man that must be fun driving out in no mans land, I hope you had a lot extra gas from what it looks like out there, man I would love to have gone with you, man that is my kind of stuff

JC

 

[gollum]

Wow, nice ride and a great adventure. I’ll get out there soon and take some photos of it. Judging the photos I would say you are not too far from the area in the photo taken from the cave advantage. I also say that judging from the photo taken from the cave that I see the west side of the wash and you would need to go up farther to find the atrrastra and vertically stoned lined shaft.

Thanks I'll get out there during the Holladay’s.

Okay,

Get ready for the beatdown! Where (in relation to the mines I found) was this arrastra and stone-lined shaft? From your description, I thought what you see was it. Let me know!

Best-Mike

 

[Urban Prospector]

While Xmas shopping at Costco I saw a radio Controll dune buggy that has a camera permanently attached to the hood. It sends a wireless signal to a pair of glasses w/ the display screen on one side so your hands are free to operate the remote.It was about $80 and if you added an LED flashlite and lowered that puppy you'd see in there.Once on the floor you could move it around. Kids now sure have bit-chen toys.

P>S> so do adults, very nice ride there Gollum congrates.

 

[Ant]

Wow, nice ride and a great adventure. I’ll get out there soon and take some photos of it. Judging the photos I would say you are not too far from the area in the photo taken from the cave advantage. I also say that judging from the photo taken from the cave that I see the west side of the wash and you would need to go up farther to find the atrrastra and vertically stoned lined shaft.

Thanks I'll get out there during the Holladay’s.

Okay,

Get ready for the beatdown! Where (in relation to the mines I found) was this arrastra and stone-lined shaft? From your description, I thought what you see was it. Let me know!

Best-Mike

The site is farther up the wash. It's on the east side of the wash, the same side that you took the photo in the cave from.

You need to go up to the point were the wash starts to narrow a bit more, at the point the west side of the wash is about 40' to 50' high, or twice as tall as what as is seen in the photo. The prospecting activity in the area I’m talking about is hard to notice.

I found the place prospecting, but many of the local prospectors know about it. I was traveling from the upper wash on foot, not from the bottom. And be careful like I said. You won't be able to see the old stamp mill and or prospecting site from the location I’m referring too.

The old road on the east side of the wash comes up from the stamp mill area close to the site. This road comes and goes and is in not down in the wash.

 

[Ant]

While Xmas shopping at Costco I saw a radio Controll dune buggy that has a camera permanently attached to the hood. It sends a wireless signal to a pair of glasses w/ the display screen on one side so your hands are free to operate the remote.It was about $80 and if you added an LED flashlite and lowered that puppy you'd see in there.Once on the floor you could move it around. Kids now sure have bit-chen toys.

P>S> so do adults, very nice ride there Gollum congrates.

I think I might just use the powerful light and a mirror .

 

[gollum]

I ain't afraid of no cave!

If I do come across a cave I am not comfortable with, I already have an RC Rock Crawler (mine cost a LOT more than $80 and I had to build it all myself):

It has a 3,000 foot (above ground), and 200-300 foot (inside cave) range. I can watch all the action on my laptop. The camera is Infra-Red, and will broadcast a clear picture in total darkness.

Well, I guess I'm going back out there next week.

Best-Mike

 

[Ant]

That's freaking cool.

The hobby I bad before MD'ing was racing 1/10 scale offroad trucks. My home track was over in Hemit at thedirtracing.com. I sent anothe bit of information on another site. One that you might want to fool around at too. This one is on BLM land too, and is ok for Recreational prospecting. Check your PM's.

 

[gollum]

Got everything, Thanks. Looks like I won't make it out to my OTHER site next time. I'll be spending all day (or two) up there. Might just have to drag a big ole' recirculating sluicebox out there, and spend the day shoveling.

Even though I'd rather stumble into Hermit John's Mine!

Best-Mike

 

[tapoutking]

Any updates?

Also, Gollum, regarding that second mine you found. The tailings look a little high for that mine. From where the mine is it looks like they would have had to dump them uphill. Could it be that there is another mine under those large rocks above the tailings?

 

[gollum]

Hey TOK,

Went back out last Wednesday. Ant, I don't know who gave you that info, but it just ain't there. I drove all the way up the wash until I was blocked by the boulders around the far North Corner. I then climbed up to the top of that ridgeline, and spent as much time going vertical as horizontal, all the way back to the double mine. After about 5 hours, I gave up.

I hiked up into a steep gorge, and went about three or four miles into the deep mountains. I did find a few old timbered mines from the early 1900s:

First Mineshaft:

Gold Sulphide Vein (this is what they were after):

Second Mineshaft:

A double shaft (1) Going horizontal, and (2) going almost vertical:

Mine Skylight:

CAVE IN!!! Collapsed Lower Shaft (skull added for dramatic effect ):

Looking out:

Best-Mike

 

[tapoutking]

Awsome pictures!

 

[Oroblanco]

Bump - <tag post> fascinating!
Oroblanco