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robk700
    
location:
Los Angeles / D.C.
Gender: Male
 |  | Mt. Lowe: mines and the Echo Resort
< on 5/15/2009 2:49 PM >
|  | | | High above Altadena, in the San Gabriel National Forest lies a rugged territory steeped in history. The foothills and cliffs below Mt. Lowe tell stories that date back as far as the 1880s. Some of the earliest exploits of this region were conducted by gold rushers following quartz veins deep into the earth. Dawn Mine, today, is now the most famous example of these endeavors but few know of those within Los Flores Canyon. My most recent trip set out to document many of these, some which were later converted into water tunnels. Shockwave was kind enough to journey with me on my first attempt. After just a few minutes of hiking we passed the ruins of the Cobb Estate which was razed and then purchased by none other than the "Marx Brothers":
Not much to look at here so we ventured down into to the ravine in search of tunnels. After some wrong turns and bush wacking we stopped at a dead end next to water tunnel #8.
Whether originally mined for gold or water it is unclear but it is unfortunately currently sealed off by an iron gate...and a pile of something's poop. The late Hugh Blanchard explored it and found it's length to be 455 ft. Below is a photo taken of the interior by Hugh.
This is where our afternoon ended but I was determined to find more. So I set out the next day, after more research, and found the right path to the long lost:
I don't know the official name to this mine. Maybe it never had one. But mapping by Hugh puts its length just under 1000 ft. Parts are flooded with 1.5 feet of water. Throw on your waders because this one's worth it. Untouched, it a perfect example of historic San Gabriel Mining. But what really raises this beauty are the millions upon millions of a certain calcite deposits called "cave pearls".
Well, there are many more unexplored mines within this canyon but I'll search them for another day. On the way back I did happen to come across this little devil:
Maybe some other time when I'm feeling a wee bit more adventurous.
So after exploring Las Flores Canyon I decided to make a treck back to the famous Dawn Mine. No matter what path you take it's a rough on. If you are a serious nature lover, into UE, and don't want to travel this is the mine for you. Otherwise go to Big Horn mine.
Now a little known fact. Before disneyland, LA's biggest tourist attraction lay high up in these very hills and mountains. Little evidence of it remains a hundred years after it was built but the echo mountain resort and tram way once entertained tens of thousands.
Though it is flooded with hikers on the weekends, a weekday trip to the ruins can be quite rewarding. If nothing else you get one heck of a view.
I'll update with more when my computer is not acting strange.
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big dave
   
location:
SoCal
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: Mt. Lowe: mines and the Echo Resort
<Reply # 1 on 5/15/2009 7:45 PM >
| | | | Hell yeah! I went up there a couple of times back toward the end of high school when i used to mtn bike. Cool stuff!
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! |
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Shockwave
Gender: Male
| | Re: Mt. Lowe: mines and the Echo Resort
<Reply # 2 on 5/16/2009 12:27 AM >
| | | | wonderful work rob. I've heard about al this stuff, but have never taken the time to explore it. well done man. you are the undisputed king of socal mines.
don't talk shit about total |
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robk700
location:
Los Angeles / D.C.
Gender: Male
| | Re: Mt. Lowe: mines and the Echo Resort
<Reply # 3 on 5/16/2009 1:02 AM >
| | | | If anyone wants to come with me to the Bridge to Nowhere Sunday I'll be going there to check out the nearby Horseshoe mine.
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