Trail Report: East Johnson Valley Mines

[mkjeepers]

[COLOR="Blue"]For anohter chapter in Gulliver's travels I checked out some local mines in the east side of Johnson Valley. There are a few more out in this area but maybe on another trip.

The first one was pretty cool with lots of stuff inside. The original mine looks like it was worked many years ago, maybe in the 50's.

The second site, neat Emerson Dry lake, also looks like the same era...ie. an couple old Cadalac's junked there. This one looks like a mill site, as there are no mine shafts in the area. Possibly they chose this site for the water that collects in the dry lake in the winter months, for use in processing the ore.

On the way to the Blue Ribbon mine - I thought - I started going up the exit to Outer Limits. This looks like a pretty cool trail, but not in the JK.

On the way out there was a temporary city set up on Means dry lake for the KOH event next weekend.

The last site is the Jim Hill mine. It is very short - maybe only 60 ft deep, but wood lined. Mitch has the history on this one.

Was a nice day to roam this portion of the Mojave desert.

MK[/COLOR]

Slideshow
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow

A few pix.

Dry Lake


Giant Rock


Area Mine








Nice car


Emerson Mill site


Cad. Year anyone??


Marines out playing in the mud.






Emerson DL


JV sand dunes




KOH main camp




Jim Hill mine

[Mitch]

Mike,

Was the first one 10 miles north of Giant Rock, straight as an arrow north? If it was, it's the Los Padres Mine. Sealed up for years and leased for 20 years by Lawence Livermore Labrotories as a seismic station. It door was breached just 4 weeks ago and quickly vandlized. I have not been inside yet.

Mitch

[mkjeepers]

Mike,

Was the first one 10 miles north of Giant Rock, straight as an arrow north? If it was, it's the Los Padres Mine. Sealed up for years and leased for 20 years by Lawence Livermore Labrotories as a seismic station. It door was breached just 4 weeks ago and quickly vandlized. I have not been inside yet.

Mitch

[COLOR="Blue"]Yes that is the mine site. I thought it was the Los Padres mine. Too bad about the breaking in and destruction of the seismic equipment.

Do you have any info on the Emerson mill site?

MK[/COLOR]

[Mitch]

Mike,

The Emerson Mine was originally prospected in 1923 by L.S. Emerson. He also built the mill that you saw. The Emerson Gold Mine was in operation from 1927 to 1938 producing only a small amount of gold.

The Los Padres Mine (or Lost Padres Mine) had a twenty stamp mill at one time from the teens and twenties and was closed by 1940.

Mitch

[Roger]

Mitch,

Why did Mike post to Mike on your last thread??? LOL!

[mkjeepers]

Mike,

The Emerson Mine was originally prospected in 1923 by L.S. Emerson. He also built the mill that you saw. The Emerson Gold Mine was in operation from 1927 to 1938 producing only a small amount of gold.

The Los Padres Mine (or Lost Padres Mine) had a twenty stamp mill at one time from the teens and twenties and was closed by 1940.

Mike

[COLOR="Blue"]Mitch
Good info on the area. I didn't see any mines near the Emerson mill. Do you know that location?? As far as the LP mine is that going to stay adandoned, do you know?

Mk[/COLOR]

[Mitch]

Roger,

What are you referring to?

[Mitch]

Mike,

Try these 2 spots.

34 26 34.29n
116 26 47.74w

34 25 36.80n
116 26 24.35w

Several shafts and a couple of tunnels in that area

Happy hunting.

Mitch

[Roger]

Roger,

What are you referring to?

Nice editing job Mitch - as if it would go unnoticed:
Last edited by great88; Today at 05:05 PM.

Did Sam Adams help with the original post?? HA!

[GP4Play]

Nice editing job Mitch - as if it would go unnoticed:
Last edited by great88; Today at 05:05 PM.

Did Sam Adams help with the original post?? HA!

LMAO,love Sam Adams,Capt.Morgan,Coor's,JD,and ............

[Mitch]

I quit drinking 2 months ago so that's not the reason I typo!

Mitch

[GP4Play]

I quit drinking 2 months ago so that's not the reason I typo!

Mitch

Mitch,everybody has a senior moment sometime

[Desert Patty]

I have been looking everywhere for history on the Los Padres mine! Thank you! Where did you find this info, if you don't mind.

Going there Thursday with the State Geologist who is probably bulldozing the entrance if no bats or other life is found. :-(

KOH was insane, sounded like a freeway over there. LOL!

Patty

Mike,

The Emerson Mine was originally prospected in 1923 by L.S. Emerson. He also built the mill that you saw. The Emerson Gold Mine was in operation from 1927 to 1938 producing only a small amount of gold.

The Los Padres Mine (or Lost Padres Mine) had a twenty stamp mill at one time from the teens and twenties and was closed by 1940.

Mitch

[troyboy162]

I have been looking everywhere for history on the Los Padres mine! Thank you! Where did you find this info, if you don't mind.

Going there Thursday with the State Geologist who is probably bulldozing the entrance if no bats or other life is found. :-(

KOH was insane, sounded like a freeway over there. LOL!

Patty

why are they bulldozing this mine? do you know what other mines are being targeted?

[Mitch]

Patty,

Try this link for a short paper about the Lease on this property. I have been inside 75 mines and have seen a bat or two in 5 mines total. The "bat habitat" thing is a complete joke and another waste of funds and money. This is just a way to make the touchy feely people feel better about them selves. Plus it keeps us out of mines on our public lands, protecting us from ourselves. Enough of my rant.

I hope that I get out there before it is destroyed.

Troy,

All of the mines on public lands are set to be destroyed at some point. Go out and see everyonethat you can, while you still can.

Everytime I write to our Reps or Senate I remind them not to screw with our public lands and to quit wasting time and money on destroying these sites.

Mitch



archives.slc.ca.gov/Meeting_Summaries/1994.../11-15.../111594C25.pdf