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| Hiking | 9.91 Miles |
1,269 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.91 Miles | 4 Hrs 13 Mns | | 2.35 mph |
| 1,269 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | One thing or another came up the last two Fridays -- my normal hike day -- and it was not until today, a Thursday, that I was actually able to get out. It had to be today, because I had to pick my wife up at the airport on 3/1, and I REALLY did not want to skip another week!)
When I last explored Buckeye Copper Mine [ photoset ] , in 2017, I ran out of storage on my camera’s memory chip. Then the camera’s battery ran out of power. I ended up using my blurry cell phone to shoot my final video segments. So, I had to skip some of the prospects & shafts south of the main workings, near the mine’s well.  
Today, I finally returned to finish up my mine exploration.
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First stop, 2.0 miles south of Agua Caliente Rd., was Poison Well. One wellhead was capped; the other wellhead had a tap that gave clear water. (Being worried about the name — “Poison” — I did not try it.) Just across the wash was the main well area, with another wellhead, a cement spring box, a large yellow plastic tank with a tap, and a corrugated metal tank. The spring box had water, the tap gave water, and the tank had crystal clear water. I could have swum in the metal tank (for a few feet). 
I checked out Prospect #1 and Prospect #2 -- no official number, just what I call them on my attached route -- on the way to Buckeye Copper Mine Well. In what would be the theme for my day, no artifacts, or miners garbage: Just broken rock.
From Buckeye Copper Mine Well, I hiked a counter clockwise loop up to Buckeye Copper Mine's main workings / ghost town, checking out every prospect & shaft indicated on the topo along the way.
My best find, from rather slim pickings, was only 250 ft. west of Buckeye Copper Mine Well: Shaft #1 is a vertical shaft, with the top ten feet, or so, shored with boards. It is fenced, but not gated. I could not see the bottom and saw no evidence of a lift.
Of the nine or so prospects, including several that were not marked on the topo, 2/3rds were hillside cutouts, while the remainder were, essentially, foxholes. (Like the Army, but minus the cold mud.)
"Shaft" #2 and "Shaft" #3 are in quotes because despite being marked with the shaft symbol on the topo, they were no more than glorified prospects. Is that what passes for geologist humor? 
Between "Shaft" #2 and "Shaft" #3 was a medium size cairn apropos of nothing. Not a geocache, or even a benchmark. It was like getting coal at Christmas.
I took a break in the shade of a large palo verde by Prospect #6. I was so grateful for the shade, I spent an hour snacking, rehydrating and checking twitter. (Shockingly, I had 2-3 bar LTE reception via Verizon!) 
By the time I hit Prospect #8, I was hitting so poorly, the lofty heights of the Mendoza Line were out of view. 
Prospect #9 had nothing to offer other than a great view of Woolsey Peak.
So, my recommendation is that only mineral collectors should check out this hike, while people with a more casual interest in mining, should stick to Buckeye Copper Mine’s main workings & ghost town.
Driving to Buckeye Copper Mine Well: https://vimeo.com/468334316
Exploring Buckeye Copper Mine: https://vimeo.com/468338387 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Lots of small ones, particularly stinkweed. |
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Poison Well |
76-100% full |
76-100% full |
| | | Lots of water, including fresh from the tap. Crystal clear, but I'd still filter to be safe. Awesome! | | _____________________
| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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