Gold Mining Fun!!

 With temperatures in the 40's at night and 70's during the day, it couldn't get any better in Jackson California.  Unless that is, my oven would actually cook!!!

Yessirree ... that breakfast casserole just didn't want to get done.  After an hour in the oven at 375, I upped it to 400 with no success.  When offered the oven next door that was already hot, I took them up on it and cranked THEIR oven up to 400.  Another 20 minutes and it was done, just as everyone was finished eating.  Just my luck!!  Of course there was a ball game here and there.

Gorgeous park and yes, it's expensive.  $194.00 for three nights, which would have been worth it had we been riding the speeders.  With that cancelled, we got in the spirit of the gold rush and headed off to see how gold was mined.

With the Gold Rush of 1849, the placer mining operations (getting gold from the rivers) dried up completely.  Mr. Kennedy knew there was gold anywhere you could find quartz, which was a product of plate tectonics from millions of years prior.  That created the Mother Lode that runs over 150 miles long from Northern California to the south.  

Kennedy discovered that lode in Jackson and began mining operations.  He didn't make much however, and sold out for a measly $5,000.  In the early 1900's a group of investors in San Francisco bought the place and began mining deep in the ground.

Here's our group getting info from our guide.  If you are ever in the area, this is a GREAT place to stop.

Mines dotted the country from North to South as they worked their little piece of the mother lode.  Many head frames can still be seen in the area.  This particular mine played out and was purchased by an eccentric artsy person in San Francisco.  It was eventually donated to a group who sought to preserve it, which is why it's still here today.

Miners not finding gold themselves, went to work in the big mines, arriving at the brick Change House.  Everyone had their own locker to leave their street clothes and change into their work clothes.  Mine owners were apparently worried about these guys stealing their gold.

On the way back out at the end of their shift, they were required to leave their work clothes, shower and be inspected to be sure they weren't carrying any of the good stuff, then were allowed to get dressed and leave.  With mine temperatures from 85 to 100 degrees with 100% humidity, I rather imagine that shower felt pretty good.  Their lunch boxes were also inspected every day before leaving.

It was pretty hard work for these guys making little to no money, but I guess it was better than starving.

Most gold mines were drilled or worked on a slant from north towards the south as you see here.  All those colored lines are section where they followed the mother lode outwards, which wasn't much more than a few yards.  Instead, the Kennedy Mine drilled straight down (the line on the left) and worked the side sections out until the quartz rock disappeared.  

This is the head frame of the mine.  The entrance is under the triangle of steal.  This was originally all built of timber.  Fascinating history here.  The mine opening is at 1200 feet elevation, but was over 5,000 feet deep.  That means it was 3800 feet below sea level at the bottom.  

This area of the mother lode didn't really produce all that much gold.  They had to crush one ton of rock to get barely 1/3 ounce of the yellow stuff.  There's a lot more to the story, but I'm out of time this morning.  I'll post the rest of the images tomorrow along with some of the harrowing stories of gold mining.