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Not enough TR's these days!

Quick run up and down Van Epps Pass to start off. Stopped by at the mine, someone dug out the entrance! Last year this was completely filled in with rocks right at the entrance. Anyone know how far this goes around the corner? I'll need to go check it out next summer. Didn't feel like going swimming. I've also heard there are some vertical shafts somewhere, but I've looked around a bit and never found any, anyone know where exactly these are?



Then went up to the top of Hawkins Mountain trail above Lake Gallaher (6200ft). Bare ground, then it snowed a lot all night. Picked up more than 6" in the first 2 hours! In the morning we climbed up to the top of Hawkins Mountain. The deepest fresh snow was more than 3 feet.

I've been up to Hawkins/Gallagher Head Lake many times....that looks awesome in the snow!

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Bryan Peterson | WOHVA | PNWJeep | Eldorado Dust Devils

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Van Epps mine had 2 entrances. The mine shaft is under a creek and followed the creek uphill. There were 2 owners, they had a dispute and one owner blasted the main horizontal entrance closed (1960s?) The other owner turned the air shaft into a vertical entrance and put up a bucket hoist. The upper entrance is in the rocky stream bed by the wood foundations. About 10 years ago the USFS dumped large pieces of hard foam in the hole and partially filled it in with rocks. The mine entrance that someone has started to open up has a different name. Most mines up there have been blocked off by the USFS or Park Service. Hawkins mountain has a few, one was a surface mine and the other 2 are blasted shut. Mine to market road has a horizontal shaft at the end of the road, past the mining cabin.

The best shafts are by Liberty. Many are used up and not yet blasted shut.


This thread has a picture of the Van Epps vertical shaft before it was filled in http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11763

This pdf has all the mines in the area, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... PQhtU9uq_n

Nice Report

I was up there 2 days prior to your trip. Looked a bit different!

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78' FJ55...family rig
84' CJ-7...wheeler
17' Dodge 3500...hauler

Great pics. Looks like you needed to throw in the snowshoes, or pick some up for your next outing.

Baller

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Nemo me impune lacessit.

In case anyone is curious, I went back up there yesterday. Snowy from pavement but just trace snow until well up the trail. Got to about 0.1 miles from the top of Hawkins trail when I noticed a hissing tire (not that there's much difference between 2PSI and 0PSI). Took huge wheel speed bouncing off invisible rocks to even get up to the lake and ripped a sidewall open (oh well, every time I rip a sidewall I actually save money thanks to Discount Tire certs, you don't even have to lie about what you were doing to get it covered!).

About 2 feet of heavy wet slush with a rain crust above the lake.

Did a 1000ft ski run above parking on horrendously bad snow conditions.

Ok, I've had my fall fun and am ready for real snow wheeling season to start now.

What a difference a week makes. We ran up to Gallagher and Van Epps on Saturday 10-28. More snow in the timber than up on top but very manageable.

Nice day in the mountains for sure

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78' FJ55...family rig
84' CJ-7...wheeler
17' Dodge 3500...hauler