Did some exploring in the Stansbury Range

[bergdh]

I have been doing some digging around the internets and have not found much about specifics on the area. We have been to the area twice now, approached from I 80 via the Iosepa exit. Last year we took the trip in snow and made it to a left fork up a canyon that has two shafts leading down just before the road ends due to a keep out sign, and some old no trespassing signs that where burned in the fires.

This time we took the right fork of the road and came across a super sweet find that I think I will need some help exploring further!

When I saw it I was reminded of some of the lore surrounding the Caleb Rhodes mine and how it was supposedly in a area of trees with a entrance in soft earth rather then hard rock....or so the tale goes (jumbled and told over again and again )


What a great welcome sign on the trail in!!


This was the first thing I saw as I came around a corner, seems to be possible a smelter? Large ore bin on top with a chute into a oven type thing.


Very large, just above is the mine opening.


Oven area, had another chute coming out the front.


This made my day to see! +1 bat about 10 feet in, in case someone was counting lol




Spotted these guys on the way down, thought it was odd to see them so low in elevation. Also saw 11 deer.

It was a pretty rugged lil trail to get up to it, lots of brush so the vehicle scratches are many. Prob rated by 4WD's as a 2-3 though. Stock rover locked did just fine.

If anyone knows what mines these are or any info on them Id love to hear more! And better yet if you want to see them for yourself lets do that!

Some of last years pics

[ExpUt]

Neat pics. So from Iosepa where did you travel to get to those mines?

[Mark1955]

There is one road I've been back in on that heads east to the Stansburys almost from the point where the road that goes to West to Rydlach Canyon is at, the road heading east is just south of that road. There is a very old over grown road back in there and you can only drive so far, hike the rest of the way. There was a huge tailings pile but I was not able to find the mine. It may be up in the hills a bit though.

Mark

[bergdh]

MARK - I didnt see any large piles of tailings here. Which was odd, meaning that these entrances dont go very far or connect into other tunnels. I think the area you are talking about is more to the south, but I may be wrong.

EXPUT - From the exit for Iosepa head south under the freeway, take your first left onto a dirt road and it will come to a three way intersection with a blm sign post and a spring on the left heading out into the GSL. Take the left road and you will head back towards SLC towards what they call timple point. The road will lead around and climb the cliffs to the outcrop and back down the other side. So you end up on the Tooele/Grantsville side of the Stansburys. It says this road is also the Cali - Oregon Trail.

From here you follow the base of the mountains south until you will see a north facing valley open up. The road to the mines is on the far south end of the valley. There is a few storage containers out in the middle that are marked no trespassing and explosives ?? in use? Id say its just to keep people away from them Anyway after you pass the turn off for the storage containers the road to the mines is your next right, this road will fork, left takes you up the southern foothills and ends, right leads up into the canyons in a south westerly direction.

As you climb up you will pass some small prospect tailings on the right side of the canyon. Just up from here the road get narrow and forks again, left leads to the shafts and the keep out sign where I turned around, and right leads to the bucket and entrance in the pics. On the right road it will fork again stay right. You can go left but it ends for motorized access rather soon and there may be more above if you hiked.

I didnt have a GPS with me, but from my best use of google earth and where I believe it to be, Id approximate it at 40°39'20.68"N 112°36'25.44"W That will at least put you in the right canyon.

[ExpUt]

Thanks guys, I'll have to check it out next time I'm out that way. From your directions it sounds like from your directions this could be the Monte Carlo Mine?

[bergdh]

Im still debating in my head if it is as well. I think from what I have found that the monte carlo mine is further south in the range but I am not sure yet.
My thought lately are that this is a currently unnamed mine as far as maps go, I want to look around for some indications that may give a number to figure it out like the post you have on exput to decipher the number logs and see if that may tell me anything.

I would be up for a sunday trip out there anytime. Its low enough that with good 4x4 it should be year round accessible.

[ExpUt]

Cool, I've book the next couple weekends but maybe when things slow down a bit we can sneak out there on a Sunday morning.

[Skylinerider]

When you do, swing by and grab me.

[Joanne]

Yeah, swing buy and pick me up too!!

Joanne

[Patrocks94]

Yeah, let me know when youre planning on going out there again! The stansburys are just down the road! Fun place to explore! Ever been in the Ahlstrome Mine in Johnson Pass?

[Mark1955]

I found the spot that I made it to previously. Its at 40°30'6.24"N 112°41'1.11"W and although I did hike around a bit up there that day I didn't find the mine that was obviously right above me, just the tailings pile that was below the mine. The road is so greened over past a point and seeing anything above me was difficult. This is the first time I lokod at this place on Google earth. If you follow the road back down to the highway you'll see that it's almost right across the road from the road going out west to Rydlach Canyon. The circle on the image shows where I parked the SUV. I hiked up around the first curve but no further. The road actually looks better on Google than it does in person... plus alot of cattle up there!

Mark

[bergdh]

well we should definitely plan a stansbury exploration trip.

[bergdh]

Would next sunday the 15th workl for everyone who really wants to go?

[Mark1955]

That might work out good. I have a friend comming in from Chicago and she likes to do this stuff too! Let me know where and what time....

Mark

[bergdh]

Ok that sounds good, EXPUT can you make it out that day?