Just a quick question...
Does anyone know of any mining remains in Eastern California that are easily accessible, either as an amble in or as a visitable show mine?
I may be passing through there next week (Death Valley mostly)...
Keane Wonder Mine seemed to be the best option, but it's temporarily closed
http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/keane-wonder-mine.htm
To extract the gold from the ore, cyanide and other toxic chemicals were used at the mill site. Not far from the parking area are the remains of tanks used in the cyanide process and fine tailings that remained after processing. Preliminary testing has shown elevated levels of lead and mercury in these tailings. Erosion is constantly exposing this material and wind blows the dust around. This would not be something you would want to breathe!
The historic structures of Keane Wonder Mill and tramway are suffering from rot, rust, and decay. These structures are in danger of collapse and need to be stabilized.
Rhyolite 'ghost town' seems to be an option as well:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/rhyolite-ghost-town.htm On the subject of ghost towns, there's quite a nice selection of pics at this
http://www.dustylens.com/ghost_towns.htm , although there's a tad too much HRD going on for my liking!
Hello again darkness, my old friend...