Virginia Pass & Mono Diggings - October 2016

[ski3pin]

We went off last weekend to celebrate the Lady's birthday. I've posted the story up on our blog -

Virginia Pass & Mono Diggings - October 2016 - Part One

Virginia Pass & Mono Diggings - October 2016 - Part Two


Please enjoy!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Nice trip 3pins (and Happy Birthday Ms 3pin!). Great photos, in particular the downed aspen leaves caught my attention.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Ski/Ms.Ski for the trip.Nice color and just enough snow.
Big Foot oh my!
Looks like you had a great time.
Frank

 

[craig333]

I know that rock. Nice way to celebrate a birthday.

 

[slickrock steve]

We don't have the wonderful leaves, or even aspens (?), here. But I really enjoyed the pics!!
Looks like a wonderful trip!

Steve..Slick Rock Steve

 

[billharr]

Good to get the last of fall before winter comes in. Another fine report.

 

[Vic Harder]

wonderful way to spend a B'Day!

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. The final part is completed and posted to our blog here -

Virginia Pass & Mono Diggings - October 2016 - Part Two

The adventures continue..................

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

What an interesting trip in history.. Wonderful photos as well.

 

[craig333]

Wow, way cool.

 

[Foy]

Another fine TR. And I agree that waking up with a 60 year-old woman is a fine experience!

The construction of ditches to provide water for hydraulic mining or just conventional sluicing is a fun topic to study. The water was often provided by a "ditch company" which was capitalized and operated to produce the water and deliver it to miners. The pricing was by the "miner's inch", resulting in a series of calculations which brings the advantages of the metric system into full view. Entire crews of ditch company workers "rode herd" on the ditches to keep them repaired and maintained. If the notched boulder provided a good view of a long segment of the ditch, it's quite likely it was created as an observation post for ditch workers, who were also responsible for prevention of misappropriation of the ditch company's saleable product--the old saying being "whiskey's for drinkin'; water's for fightin'".

There were likely many more ditch company owners enriched than miners. Sort of like the suppliers of hardware, tools, and other supplies.

Foy

 

[takesiteasy]

Very interesting story and place. Thanks for reporting your trip and research. I enjoyed reading it, as well as the supplement by Foy.

 

[Lighthawk]

Super write ups as always. That Tokina lens is serving you very well.
Respects to the Lady on her 60th, she and SR are well matched.

I just finished Part II and was fascinated by the history and actual artifacts that you and the Spiders have discovered.
More to do!!

 

[longhorn1]

Fun trip for the birthday girl. Reading about history is always great. Thanks for sharing. jd

 

[ski3pin]

Another fine TR. And I agree that waking up with a 60 year-old woman is a fine experience!

Respects to the Lady on her 60th, she and SR are well matched.

 

[ski3pin]

Another fine TR. And I agree that waking up with a 60 year-old woman is a fine experience!

The construction of ditches to provide water for hydraulic mining or just conventional sluicing is a fun topic to study. The water was often provided by a "ditch company" which was capitalized and operated to produce the water and deliver it to miners. The pricing was by the "miner's inch", resulting in a series of calculations which brings the advantages of the metric system into full view. Entire crews of ditch company workers "rode herd" on the ditches to keep them repaired and maintained. If the notched boulder provided a good view of a long segment of the ditch, it's quite likely it was created as an observation post for ditch workers, who were also responsible for prevention of misappropriation of the ditch company's saleable product--the old saying being "whiskey's for drinkin'; water's for fightin'".

There were likely many more ditch company owners enriched than miners. Sort of like the suppliers of hardware, tools, and other supplies.

Foy

Very interesting story and place. Thanks for reporting your trip and research. I enjoyed reading it, as well as the supplement by Foy.

Super write ups as always. That Tokina lens is serving you very well.
Respects to the Lady on her 60th, she and SR are well matched.

I just finished Part II and was fascinated by the history and actual artifacts that you and the Spiders have discovered.
More to do!!

Foy, it is always a joy to see your comments!. We get our domestic water from a canal that dates back to the Gold Rush. Now I'm going to calculate our usage in miner's inches! I'm fairly sure that the Mono Canal conduit was much more complex than just the pieces we have found thus far, I don't believe the lookout position is associated with the canal due to where it sits, but good point.

I am real curious about this - the origin of the river deposited gravels that were mined here. Dogtown is at the confluence of Dogtown Creek and Virginia Creek and the deposits there were most likely were associated with that drainage. The Mono Diggings area is not now connected to a major drainage so I figure it must be from a more ancient waterway that predates how the glaciation around Conway Summit rearranged things.

LIghthawk, you are absolutely right, many times the things we find right under our noses are the best!

 

[ski3pin]

Everyone, thanks so much for all the nice comments. Getting out and rediscovering things is such a fun adventure!

 

[GroovyDad]

First, Happy Birthday to the Lady!

You all always find such great places to explore. I love your shot of the Milky Way!

And " this is a telephoto shot - to the tracks left by a large bipedal creature with huge feet and a long stride that sunk into the snow far deeper than we did.

You really need to get a photo of this guy next time!

 

[craig333]

At the Bickel place (Randsburg run) he mined an old riverbed. Claimed he was poor but always paid cash for whatever he wanted. I'm sure some of those miners at Dogtown must have done well.

 

[ski3pin]

........................................................... I'm sure some of those miners at Dogtown must have done well.

I'll add a little information about Mono Diggings -

The Sinnamon Cut is a feature shown on the 7.5' quad -

"Named for James Sinnamon, extensive placer mining cut at the Diggings. James Sinnamon was at Monoville prior to 1861did well enough placer mining here to purchase prime ranch land in Bridgeport Valley, where he was well-established in 1873"

"A former placer Au mine ................... westward through the Sinnamon Cut (gap) to the divide between Rattlesnake Gulch and Bacon Gulch. "

"The Sinnamon Cut ................. is 1700 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 75 feet deep. Gold is from ledges and stringers, as the gravel is fine and more or less angular, with no boulders."

"Workings included surface openings. At Sinnamon Cut the gravel was washed by water via a ditch from Virginia Creek."

"Production information: Sinnamon Cut produced over $80,000 of Au (period values)."