November 3rd: Today, we went scouting for a couple mines, and a few stone cabins - one location in particular: we didn't have any luck finding it last year … but this year, we were favored :-)
But before we left Independence, I enjoyed a cup of Pecan-Maple flavored coffee while watching the early morning sun rays flirt with the mountain peaks in the distance; then, inspired by the sun-kissed sparkle, I dabbled with some sparkle of my own - there was no point in doing anything with my hair because the static jumping between atmosphere and hairbrush made my hair stand out in all directions like I'd touched a live wire; so, I left it "as is", and walked out the front door into adventure ;-)
Sunlit Plomosa Mountain peaks, this morning; Quartzsite-AZ
Plomosa Mountains: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plomosa_Mountains#:~:text=The%20Plomosa%20Mountains%20are%20a,across%20the%20La%20Posa%20Plain.)
'Polite' for browline; 'Lionheart' for eyelid.
'Groovy' for liner & 'Sunny' for lid accent bling. 'Lt. Brown' Brow Gel; 'Rose Quartz' Lipgloss; 'Glam Brown' Mascara.
'Coral Ember' cheek tint; Face on = Game on ;-)
First off, we went scouting for the Gold Eye Mine, which has been on Holland's Bucket List for quite a while.
I'm glad we were able to find it, this year :-)
We drove out the blacktop Dome Mountain Road, past the Conè cabin we revisited recently … veered off onto the gravely Pipeline Road, and then onto flighty dirt Cholla Road - where we found it, tucked into mountainous hollow of a naturally terraced landscape.
I loved the unusual shaped, terraced mountainside.
We walked through the roofless cabin, signed the Visitor's Log Book, looked over the various junk piles, and inspected the vintage mining gear & safe-guarded mine shaft.
There are 2 stone cabins on the site … and there is portioned off active mining activity taking place, behind the public tourist area.
I wasn't interested at all in the line of toilets stuffed with plastic flowers; it was gaudily out of place in the natural beauty of the area.
Holland pointed out to me that the miner, and builder of the stone cabins, had used truck under-carriage parts to bolster his roofing at various places of his buildings. He also told me that the concrete pillars had been fashioned using cement poured into empty oil barrels to harden & fashioned with rebar bars poked into the cement; in building the massive pillars. I thought that was a smart solution.
There is a headstone commemorating Lehre Erdman on the site (not sure if he is interred there, or if it's basically for ownership history) - Erdman had worked his mine on this site for 63 years, before he died in 1996.
We noticed that there were lots of rods and antennas installed at the top of the mountain behind the second cabin, and we wondered what it meant. Doing research at home, I read that it appears Erdman was quite a character … also, he so interested in UFOs, that he installed these things to communicate with extraterrestrials. Hmmm
Dome Mountain Road; Quartzsite-AZ
Pipeline Road; Quartzsite-AZ
Cholla Road; Quartzsite-AZ
I think this is a mining operation - it had a closed access.
This is our destination: we tip-toed Betsy down the sharply-dipping incline.
There were prospector piles everywhere - the landscape looked like giant moles had run amuck; the warning was a kindness.
Erdman's original Gold Eye mining operation.
There is a new owner, and an active mining operation taking place behind Erdman's cabins, now.
The smaller of Erdman's stone cabins; possibly his operation office.
Silver embedded in a chunk of quartz.
The front doorway lintel, tells when the cabin was built.
There are 12 windows in this building; 6 down each side wall; there really wasn't anything of value in the junk piles that was worth keeping - other than the craftmanship in building the cabin, there really wasn't much in any of the junk piles worth saving, or showing.
The cabin had a concrete slab foundation.
Concrete Pillars with truck part cross-beams.
Erdman Headstone.
Erdman's second stone cabin & vintage mining apparatus. This stone building was, I believe, his main house - it was pretty extensive, with a patio, a mud room, an upper section … and stone stairs leading up to the upper section. Very nicely done.
Erdman's eccentric fascination with UFO's was highlighted on the mountain top, behind his main living stone cabin.
Erdman's Historical Gold Eye Mine Shaft & Shaft Elevator.
A covered open mine shaft.
A blossoming, prickly, Ocotillo Flaming Torch; the tubular red blossoms, resemble the Lipstick Plant blossoms. MPO.
Ocotillo (ah-kah-tee-yoh):
(https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/fouquieria_splendens.shtml)
Done tramping around there, we drove back towards civilization, and crossed the overpass to Carl Jr's for a quick burger lunch; then booked in another direction that has been on Holland's Bucket List Itinerary.
A very good price for diesel fuel.
Traffic snare; the semi driver held traffic up by misjudging his turn ... and he forced the red car behind him to back up - which forced the semi behind it, to back up. No wreck, but it was a dicey moment.
Our next stone cabin destination :-)
We carefully kept our eyes peeled for a dirt road that would lead off into the bush: we knew the cabin would be on the other side of a wash - and we knew where that wash would be, because we crossed it last year when we went to view the petroglyphs.
The first thing I noticed about the cabin was the fireplace that dominates the right corner seen from the front door opening. I really liked the homey feeling it gave the cabin interior.
Research of local Quartzsite-AZ, leads me to think the remains of this stone cabin belonged to a man named Bob Lambeth; according to reports, he was shot in the later 1970's during an argument over a mining dispute … and is buried at the High Jolly Cemetery in downtown Quartzsite. He was 52 years old.
His father, known as "Old Man" Lambeth, built the stone cabin for his family when he moved to Quartzsite-AZ in 1930 from Texas (there was a wife and 3 children; later 5 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, who would have enjoyed the cabin and it's desert solitude): Bob would have been 9 years old when his father built the cabin that would be his home for all of his life in Quartzsite. Both men were miners of gold, and precious stones. Both men are buried in the High Jolly Cemetery.
(((Shazam!))) There it is!
We took a right turn, here … in the La Posa South LTVA Campground; Quartzsite-AZ
Betsy didn't flinch when those bushes grazed her flanks; Holland grimaced, but Betsy gamely soldiered on ;-)
The wash was very soft, and Betsy is a heavy beast - but Holland is "the man!" when it comes to dicey situations, and he got us safely through.
Not sure what this is; a mine? A water cistern?
We were not happy to see the tagging; WHY do people have to ruin everything they come in contact with?
Date the concrete foundation was laid - not sure what the D.F.C. stands for; for sure it isn't Lambeth.
I love this fireplace. The cabin was basically 1 main room with a fireplace, and a smaller cubby room off to the side.
This cubby room was about the size of a small closet.
We drove this dirt road back into Quartzsite. I just love loop drives :-)
A bonus! Holland had researched the other sites we visited today, online - but this one was a complete surprise; and (((I))) spotted it ;-)
This shape on the hillside resembles the back of a lizard. MPO The road we were on went past it … and straight into town.
But, we turned right - towards the mines we could see from the main highway: we hoped there would be a way to get close to them.
There it was! Holland parked Betsy as close to the trail, as he could. I grabbed my walking stick - and was off on a hiking adventure. I have been missing my hiking adventures.
The Chocolate Mountain Gold Mine & Stamp Mill remnants (directly under the "Q" on the mountain that depicts where Quartzsite-AZ is located) are two separate areas within close proximity of each other.
The hike is on an upward incline - not too strenuous. I had to climb over a skeletal fallen palm tree, and a pile of boulders - which I prayed to God, a rattle snake was not coiled under. I felt reasonably safe because a couple people had already passed that way, and no one shouted a warning … but still. The danger is real, and I was cautious.
After viewing the Mine, I decided, 'what the heck - I'm going for it': and I set out towards the Stamp Mill, which I could see from where I was standing, was massive. The foot trail hugged the mountain side and was littered with large rocks that had rolled down the hillside, but it was an okay trail.
Chocolate Mountain Gold Mine; Quartzsite-AZ
Chocolate Mountain Gold Mine & Stamp Mill; Quartzsite-AZ: (https://azoffroad.net/williams-mill)
I was pretty high up in elevation (the {Q} hillside is 879 feet from base to top, and I was at least 2/3's or better uphill, tramping around it). I was huffing and puffing, but I was confident that I could reach my goal without a struggle - and get back to Betsy in a reasonable amount of time. Holland wouldn't have to start worrying.
I was enjoying the sun's warmth. I was hiking along thinking on the best angles to snap pictures, and watching dust devils dance across the roadway in front of me; when a sudden, strong, gust of wind blew sideways against me and staggered me for a second - I dug my walking stick into the rocks and steadied my footing … and when the wind died down, decided to backtrack - back to Betsy & Holland. I'd already snapped off a few pictures, and a {closer-up} wasn't worth dying over. I am still a newlywed, after all ;-)
The Stamp Mill - also, where the gust of wind tried to roll me, like those boulders on the road below :-(
I did make it safely back down off that windy hillside, and laughingly told Holland about my near Mary Poppins moment; and we aimed Betsy's nose towards home.
It was a fun day.
It was an adventurous day.
It was an informative day.
It was a day filled with exciting moments.
It was a memory making day.
It was a fulfilling day.
