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Every year I attend an "Outlaw Run" with a group of friends from the Western US (mostly Colorado and Utah). Basically we drive all over the SW chasing down the old haunts and trails of the Outlaws like Butch Cassity and Matt Warner. As we are all 4x4 guys our routes usually take us to some really remote places and places the average tourist never sees, which is often the home to another favorite hobby, old mines 
We've been in the Swell, in the Maze and in the isolated Henry's... all of which have some neat mining history as many of you have experienced.
While the last few years have focused on Southern Utah locations, this years trip had us all over Wyoming, basically from Evanston all the way to the old Hole in the Wall near Kaycee. We passed dozens of old mine sites, however there was one area in particular that really caught my attention, the South Pass City area. We were not off the pavement for 10 minutes before we had already happened across a couple of neat old mine sites. Now they 'reclaim' things in Wyoming too, but when I say reclaim they put a fence around a mine and a few signs... not once did I see a bull-dozed site capped with a sickly assortment of rebar and cement. Mines were gated but the earth around them wasn't reshaped and replanted as hide their past life.
Just down the road we happened across the mother load, a giant mine & mill in fascinatingly pristine condition... almost too good of condition? As we neared closer I could tell that much of the mine workings had actually been recently replaced, like recent as in this year even. The 150+ yard rail trestle between the mine and the mill were brand new. The obviously aged mill building had brand new windows. Amongst the mine and mill were a half dozen out buildings, what looked to be old mine offices, bunkhouses and equipment sheds. All in great shape some literally having food on the shelf. Interpretive signs marked the sites and detailed its life in the heyday of mining history
How can this be you ask? Well Wyoming has a different thought process than our close-minded approach here in Utah. They are actually restoring this mine & mill as part of a historical preservation project, with tours to boot! This whole areas is chuck full of restoration projects, all aimed at protecting their heritage and past.
The small mercantile in town has all the needed goodies, a Sarsaparilla, a miners rock hammer or assay sample bags. They even had some nice Keen sluice equipment in stock, in a town of 7 mind you
Along with the operating facilities is a host of older buildings along mainstreet. They are not burned down or crumbling, rather they have fresh paint and contractors were actually there working on roofs and decks... finishing some items they didn't get done during the summer tourist season that brings sight see'ers and prospectors to the area from all over the world. Right in the middle of town is an operating stamp mill and small mine, obviously relocated and refurbished but they give tours of the operation. How cool is that?
Just up the road is another town called Atlantic City, also famous for its mining past. We ended up spending a long night at the Miners Grubstake Bar & Restaurant with the locals, turns out on of the more vocal in the group is a geologist and owns a very prominent Mary Ellen Mine. Towards the end of August each year they do a big historical society to-do and show folks around all of these sites. Steve (the vocal bar dude) knows everything about everything in that town, give him a rum & coke and he'll tell you anything you need to know (including about UFO's and anti-aircraft guns
)
Enough talk... I'll have a more detailed report down the road. Here are some pics:
Interpretive sign at the Carissa Mine & Mill
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Site view of the Carissa Mine & Mill
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A neat old classifier just warming in the sun
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Into the mine
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Into the mill
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The Mine & Headframe, as you can see it has been restored but all the inside is still original
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There is another incline on the property, partially caved. Rather than backfill it and gate it off, they built a viewing deck so you can safely peer down
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The operational Wolverine Mine & Stamp mill
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The Atlantic City Merc
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We've been in the Swell, in the Maze and in the isolated Henry's... all of which have some neat mining history as many of you have experienced.While the last few years have focused on Southern Utah locations, this years trip had us all over Wyoming, basically from Evanston all the way to the old Hole in the Wall near Kaycee. We passed dozens of old mine sites, however there was one area in particular that really caught my attention, the South Pass City area. We were not off the pavement for 10 minutes before we had already happened across a couple of neat old mine sites. Now they 'reclaim' things in Wyoming too, but when I say reclaim they put a fence around a mine and a few signs... not once did I see a bull-dozed site capped with a sickly assortment of rebar and cement. Mines were gated but the earth around them wasn't reshaped and replanted as hide their past life.
Just down the road we happened across the mother load, a giant mine & mill in fascinatingly pristine condition... almost too good of condition? As we neared closer I could tell that much of the mine workings had actually been recently replaced, like recent as in this year even. The 150+ yard rail trestle between the mine and the mill were brand new. The obviously aged mill building had brand new windows. Amongst the mine and mill were a half dozen out buildings, what looked to be old mine offices, bunkhouses and equipment sheds. All in great shape some literally having food on the shelf. Interpretive signs marked the sites and detailed its life in the heyday of mining history
How can this be you ask? Well Wyoming has a different thought process than our close-minded approach here in Utah. They are actually restoring this mine & mill as part of a historical preservation project, with tours to boot! This whole areas is chuck full of restoration projects, all aimed at protecting their heritage and past.
The small mercantile in town has all the needed goodies, a Sarsaparilla, a miners rock hammer or assay sample bags. They even had some nice Keen sluice equipment in stock, in a town of 7 mind you
Along with the operating facilities is a host of older buildings along mainstreet. They are not burned down or crumbling, rather they have fresh paint and contractors were actually there working on roofs and decks... finishing some items they didn't get done during the summer tourist season that brings sight see'ers and prospectors to the area from all over the world. Right in the middle of town is an operating stamp mill and small mine, obviously relocated and refurbished but they give tours of the operation. How cool is that?Just up the road is another town called Atlantic City, also famous for its mining past. We ended up spending a long night at the Miners Grubstake Bar & Restaurant with the locals, turns out on of the more vocal in the group is a geologist and owns a very prominent Mary Ellen Mine. Towards the end of August each year they do a big historical society to-do and show folks around all of these sites. Steve (the vocal bar dude) knows everything about everything in that town, give him a rum & coke and he'll tell you anything you need to know (including about UFO's and anti-aircraft guns
)Enough talk... I'll have a more detailed report down the road. Here are some pics:
Interpretive sign at the Carissa Mine & Mill
Site view of the Carissa Mine & Mill
A neat old classifier just warming in the sun
Into the mine
Into the mill
The Mine & Headframe, as you can see it has been restored but all the inside is still original
There is another incline on the property, partially caved. Rather than backfill it and gate it off, they built a viewing deck so you can safely peer down
The operational Wolverine Mine & Stamp mill
The Atlantic City Merc
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