Spring Interlude: By Hike, Not Bike to the Gold Queen Mine

You know, I never really have known the lyrics to that Doors song - This is the End - other than two lines of the chorus. But, as we reached the end of the Gold Queen Mine's single adit, those two lines popped into my head: "This is the end, My only friend the End." Little did I know, and checking back at home, that the lyrics also included reference to a "gold mine." Okay then, I guess it was appropriate for me to bust out in song at that moment: 
 

"...There's danger on the edge of town

Ride the King's Highway, baby

Weird scenes inside the gold mine...

This is the end

Beautiful end

This is the end

My only friend, the end."

Anyway... Taking another Friday off for another mining adventure (I believe this makes number seven on the year), we headed back to Mill Creek Summit, trailhead (you might remember) to the Falcon Mine; this time, however, instead of heading south along the power line service road leading to that mine, we went down into the canyon to the north of the Summit, along the remains of what is affectionately named the Monte Cristo Wagon Road. Like other, similarly inspired "roads" this road which served the Monte Cristo mines, and built in the 1890s is, today, more like a rarely used and quickly fading trail. In fact we missed the road head, followed a higher road which I knew to be wrong, but hoped we could find an "easy" way down somewhere along its length. Without the benefit of any such luck, we backtracked and bushwacked (picking up two ticks along the way which I, fortunately discovered before they had time to burrow into my leg) our way down to the correct "road" leading to the mine. We scooted around a couple energy company utility trucks working the lines, until we got to the canyon bottom, followed a short side road back up the canyon bottom, and there it was.

I have seen photos and video of the Gold Queen, so kind of knew what to expect once we arrived: A bunch of junk just inside the portal, the medicine cabinet built into the wall (bottle of penicillin gone), rat dropping everywhere, and the "dam" at The End. Workings at the Gold Queen began in 1897 (for unknown duration) and again in the 1990s, but has been abandoned since that time. The adit is at least 145 feet long, though, because of the bulkheads (or dams) inside the total length is not known. Two additional exploratory tunnels are in the general vicinity, though we made no attempt to find them.

heading down the Monte Cristo Wagon Road

shhhh, she doesn't see it yet, but the portal is just to her right

just inside

a little further in

a bit of metal

see him / her?

now you do

friendly little critter accompanied us all the way to The End

dark tunnel

the dam at The End. Actually there is, apparently, a second dam even further back. They were supposedly built in the 1990s, keeping the front part of the mine dry while also providing a source of water (notice the pipe and valve leading from the bottom of the bulkhead). But, I ask you, does this not also defeat the purpose - I mean, you can't go past here, so how do you continue to mine (there are no side tunnels)?

the beginnings of some calcium carbonate formations

heading back out - if you can't see the entrance you know there is at least a bit of a bend to the tunnel

spike

back up the wagon road

just so that Tamera can say she has hiked on the PCT

view from Mill Creek Summit - the distinct road (closed to motors) goes to Mt. Gleason. You might be able to discern two other road cuts below; the lower one is the wagon road, and goes to that black colored tower of power and, at that point, you're really close to the Gold Queen Mine

samples from the days adventure - simple quartz, but two of them have some black minerals in them too

What I didn't expect to find was the little mine bird. The bird, which apparently lives in the mine, was featured in the video I watched about the mine; could this be the same bird, I wondered? The thought did not seem likely, yet here it was "leading" us all the way back to The End of the mine. Maybe he is a progeny of the original "mine bird" of the video and simply likes showing visitors the way in? What ever the case, it is a friendly little creature.

About half way along the adit, which has a slight bend to it, there starts to be a little water on the ground, not much and, quite frankly it does put the mind at ease knowing there would not be any hantavirus kicked up from the dried rat droppings (we wore masks anyway). Also about half way in I noticed a spike on the ground and carried it back out for a more clear photo - you'll find it at the entrance now. Some calcium carbonate formations were just getting started all the way at the back of the tunnel, but I didn't notice any elsewhere along the length of the tunnel.

Anyway, the short hike was far from equal to the drive required to get there, but is was a fun adventure none-the-less, and we checked another mine off the always expanding list. If we had brought the bikes, the Mt. Gleason Road beckoned - I have never ridden up to the ruins of the old Nike missile facility there, but it (and other mines along the way) await "the next time."

Have a great weekend all - and don't forget The Local Bikestand bike swap is tomorrow (Saturday, one-o'clock to five-o'clock) swing by to check out the offerings, say hello, or just to check out the shop and the services they offer. I'll be there at some point.