Death Valley, CA |
ZUKIWORLD
Travels To Echo Canyon and visits the INYO gold Mine |
Story/Editor:
Eric Bewley Photo: Sara Bewley |
DEATH VALLEY, CA. —This
year's kick off to the 2003
Adventure Series was a blast. A full itinerary with wheeling every day had the group
seeing something new and sometimes unbelievable each and every moment. Our first full day
had us exploring the INYO mine located in Echo Canyon.
The INYO mine is one of Death
Valley's most historic sites. Every piece of rusting machinery, every building, and every
bit of wood preserves a part of it's past. In January 1905 Maroni Hicks and Chet Leavitt
discovered gold here. Within a year more than two dozen claims were established along Echo
canyon, but the Inyo mine was the largest in what was to become the Echo-Lee mining
district.
Production began in the winter of 1906. Most of
the ore assayed at $300 per ton with some running as high as $650 per ton. By the fall of
1907 the mine had three vertical shafts, 755 ft. of tunnels, hoisting equipment and a
blacksmith shop, boarding house, and store.
The mine changed hands several times over it's
34 year life. The Inyo Mine was worked for the last time in 1940 with the addition of a
small smelter but the deposit ran out and the mine became unprofitable which forced it's
closure.
| Our day's journey began just South of our base
came at Furnace Creek. The group, consisting of three Samurai piloted by ourselves, Gene
and Sharon Forrer, and Dennis Hurt with a special reconnaissance vehicle (Honda 250R)
ridden by fellow Samurai enthusiast Stasi Vaillancourt, started up Echo canyon at a
reasonable pace. As with most of the canyons in Death Valley, the way was rocky but
passable by most all wheel drive and certainly all 4wd vehicles. Along the route we
noticed several interesting rock formations, cacti, and washed down tin cans and other
artifacts from the mining town a head. In short
order we were at the Inyo mine. All were amazed at how much of this mining town remained.
One could easily imagine the entire operation from the extraction to the processing.
  
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After kicking around the townsite and processing
mill, it was time to explore the mine shafts. The National Park Service has recently
'child proofed' a lot, if not all, of the known mines in the valley due to a law suit from
a visitor the fell and was killed. Now, many mines have a stainless steel chicken-wire
like material that keeps adventures out. The Inyo mine, however, is mostly open and
accessible.
The mine seemed quite secure even
with the wood wedges and braces. It is amazing how well the wood holds up in this dry
environment. The main mine shaft went on for quite some time and was well ventilated by
functioning air shafts which made for a pleasurable experience even for the claustrophobic
of the group. At the end of the main shaft and a 'left turn' there was the shaft that
followed the gold vein. It was quite a bit smaller and headed off in about a 45 degree
angle. Sara was the bravest and climbed up, up, and away out of sight. She returned to
report that the shaft hit a landing and then started down in a similar fashion continuing
on out of sight.
We walked out of our first Death Valley mine
shaft exhilarated and wanting more. We new the next few days would expose even more
opportunity to experience the history, beauty, and awe inspiring nature of this desolate
and inhospitable land which was tamed, even if briefly, by men in search of their fortune.
   
 ZW
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