Leaving Pioneer Basin I couldn't help but feel the weather was shifting as the last two days had not had a single cloud in the sky yet it was very windy and the mornings were extra cold with an outrageous amount of frost everywhere...
Climbing Mono Pass I stopped by the snow
survey cabin and I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed by the whole wilderness act since there is so much drama about removing bear boxes and I cannot use a wheel barrel on trail work despite the fact that the wheel has been around a hell of allot longer then say Loppers! and it does not disturb wild life but nooo can't use it yet here is this cabin and how is it not illegal under the wilderness act? The "act" says exceptions can be made when it benefits the wilderness such as pit toilets in heavy use areas yet how does studying what the snow level is "help" the "wilderness"?
Nearing the top of the pass I tried to get information out of people on Rock Creek Resort to know if I was wasting my time or if great things were waiting there but sadly no one knew, a stock packer out of the pack station just up the road had no idea either, I guess working just down the road from the only store just isn't enough to have a clue right? Finally one guy knew that yes they have fuel and yes they had "some" food including great pie so "yes!" I thought as I trudged down the trail.
Crossing Mono Pass and beginning down to the amazing beauty of
Little Lakes Valley I had forgotten just how beautiful this valley is! One woman said I was radiant with positive energy and well why not? I enjoyed the view of
Mt. Morgan and thinking back to when I lost my trekking pole trying to climb it in 2008.
Reaching the trail head I probably could have hitched a ride yet I just made the walk down the road which wasn't more then 2 miles or so and I reached the Pie In The Sky Cafe.
It did not offer more than a simple store and the only food served was 3 types of burgers, chili and need I say PIE!! lots of pie! If any of you have ever seen the movie "Waitress" then you have found the place! So after eating a good meal, chatting with wonderful people and getting a ride to the Rock Creek Lake Campground I was able to close a good day in the chaos of a campground surrounded by people "trying" to have a wilderness experience. [In the background is the noise of a father and his two kids trying to make a fire out of charcoal to cook dinner. "Father: It just wont burn!?" dumping fuel after fuel on it and frustrated by failure until I finally walk over "Me: It's charcoal, it's not supposed to burn like wood it's supposed to simmer into hot coals" "Father: oh..."]
[While I took a shower at the resort, Man: F%&#ING PEOPLE!!! AARRGGG!!!! Me coming out of the shower: What's the problem? Man: SOMEONE STOLE MY F$%&ING BOOTS!!!!! THEY EVEN TOOK MY FILTHY SOCKS I HIKED IN ALL DAY!!! Me: 0_o]
Before hitting the trail I downed some drinks, filled my water bottles with gatorade, put 3 cans of Pepsi in my pack, 1 full bag of chips and some heavy flavored tuna spreads for lunch, mmmm! today will be a good day!
Back up the road and onto the trail to the easy and beautiful world of
Little Lakes Valley. Crossing Morgan Pass I was enthralled with the entire nature of this area, from it's unique geological features to the impressive mining operations conducted here. Reaching the Pine Creek Mine Shaft I found that it had been filled in yet air was flowing so hard from between the rocks it sounded like water roaring inside and I could feel the cold air coming out, as I understand this mine goes 8000 feet into the mountain and I think it would not be that hard to make a hole big enough to get your body through with the use of a pick mattock so if you see one on my pack in the area you know what the story is.
After spending the night behind the parking lot of Pine Creek Trail Head I awake to see clouds forming early thinking "here it comes that I have been expecting for the last 3 days".
Climbing up I finally reached Brownstone Mine which I had been keeping an eye out for and I take the hard way up the scree to the mess which is not necessary if you ever go there, the mine will be up on your left but stay on the trail for a switch back or two and you will be fine.
My first goal was a
door in the side of the hill that read "Danger Explosives" and I thought this might be an entrance into the mine but after a difficult class 5 move to get to the door I only found a small room in the rock so climbing back down I approach the collapsed
structure of wood and thinking this is the primary mine shaft so I work my
way in appreciating the nature of this complex as I reach the
motor room for the lift system, I decided to leave my camera here as I did not have a flash and thought it was pointless to bring it in.
Beginning in I see that the room is flooded and oil is floating around on the water, some where in the back I hear water flowing so navigating boards on the floor I manage to reach the back of the room but all I see is where the water is flowing in and I take in the history around me thinking this was the end of the line but then above me a ladder leading up is on a wood structure about 6 feet off the ground and at first I thought no way I can't get to it but my sense of adventure took over and I thought "hell with it I am crazy, lets do it" so taking a moment to look I began making a difficult maneuver onto the 6X6 board and crawl on my knees trying not to hit my head getting to the ladder. I tried to pull the ladder down and checked the wood closely and decided it was safe so up I went through the shaft just big enough for my body and out I came into a huge room where the ceiling was probably 30 feet up with a set of ladders going up to a hole leading outside and I was so amazed by this room alone before I learned of the main shaft leading further into the mountain as far as I could see. As I moved down the shaft it was also flooded and required you stay close to the wall and make use of rocks and boards possibly placed by other people visiting the mine and I reach a junction with both directions going as far as I could see, at this junction was an electrical box, "wow! I thought" "this place was big enough for power!?".
Cold air was flowing from the shaft on the right so I decided to take it first and it did not go very far before the shaft branched in 3 directions including a 4th vertical direction! I stopped and glanced around as strange noises bounced from the mine shafts, man! I thought... this is no place for the faint of heart, alone in a pitch black mine with my flashlight. Water was flowing from one shaft and re-entering the ground in another. Moving down a shaft the mine went on and on with water coming from the ceiling and my breath could clearly be seen on the air with my flashlight, rusted pipes hanged from every tunnel and finally I reached another branch leading into a medium sized room filled with junk and a ladder was going up into another shaft which I decided not to climb. Turning to Resume down the other shaft BAAMM!!! AAARRRGG!!! "ouch my head!" as it smashed into a low hanging pipe leaving a rust stain on my hat for the rest of the trip.
I reach what looked like a small dam structure to hold back all the water that was flowing from the ceiling and a ladder was placed on it going into the water. Along it I walked until the water was so deep the ladder was under it, I high beamed my light around trying to assess the chambers ahead and if it was worth all the risk I was taking, the risk of getting wet that is. With carefull and risky manuevering one may be able to enter this chamber without getting wet but I decided it was not worth it so back I went aways to explore other shafts.
Reaching one I was convinced it led out to where I said 3 tunnels branched but as I went in the tunnel was too flooded to pass...Or? at least I think it is... "Is that rock under water?" hmmmm, SPLASH! Yes, yes it is. Back I go!
I back tracked to the chamber start where I said 3 branching and one vertical shaft which had a ladder. Testing the Ladder yet again it was safe so I took it up to a set of ladders running at about 45 degrees to another vertical ladder so up I go but when I got to the vertical shaft I shined my light up and all there was as far as I could see was more vertical ladders so I decided I didn't really want to do that much climbing right now and back tracked to the electrical box. The air here was sucking down the last shaft I had not been down so off I went and it was not that long of a walk before I reached a large room with a reinforced ceiling of netting. This room appeared to be a bathroom and or a recreation room of some sort. Across the room I hear sound and the air is flowing heavy so I walk over and holy shit! in the floor going straight down is a hole perfectly round about 6 to 8 feet wide. Clearly some sort of drill hole since it was perfect but I could see no light at all and my flashlight could not even come close to seeing the bottom. So I pick up a rock and throw it in, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, KNOCK.....KNOCK......KNOCK......knock.......knock as if the hole was curving as it went down and after about 15 seconds I hear
BOOOOOOOM!!!! "holy crap I thought! mines of moria!!" "Pippin you fool! throw yourself in next time!".
This room could be camped in and there is even a spot where you could light a fire in the mine and all the smoke would just suck straight out this hole.
At this point I had been in the mine for over an hour and I had not even explored it all but it was time to go so back tracking out and down the starting ladder I approach the blinding white light of the outside and think wow!! that was awesome!!! best mine I had ever been in! I will have go back there some time and explore the rest!
For those of you scared of mines this mine is very safe, the tunnels are solid granite, the air is clean with constant fresh air flowing through the shafts and I didn't see any sign that rats, bats or mice were living in it as the chambers were clean.
Resuming the trail I finished the 4000 foot slog up and over
Pine Creek Pass and down to Hutchinson Meadow and by the time I got there I was beat. I stayed at the packers camp and thought what is that smell?, well I soon found it as there was a
dead mule by my camp and if that was not bad enough the winged demons were horrible!!! I had not had bad mosquitoes in about 3 weeks and now I had hundreds on my tent as I ate dinner hiding from the freaks. Crap camp, crap dinner, good day. =P
