BIG PINE (Inyo Co.)
Email: crazyforgold007@yahoo.com
Tel. (760)374-2102
GoldMiners OutPost
This is another one of my favorite places to go to! It’s not as crowded getting there and there are really awesome places and towns to visit! This claim, is my own that I just bought (called the Surprise Claim) It’s just above the well known ‘New Era’ mine. It’s a hard rock mine and I haven’t had much time to process any material, but I have some photos of the time that I went and had a blast!
This claim is between Independence and Big Pine and it’s a beautiful area with a lot of history! Just before Independence (If you’re heading North up Hwy 395) is Lone Pine and a lot of famous Western movies were made in Lone Pine and there’s even a really neat Cowboy Museum that you’d like. In Independence there’s another Museum (History, Mining, etc) that I really enjoyed.
This area is on the Eastern Slope of the Sierra Nevada’s (the back side of the Mother Lode mountain range.) There’s a lot of gold and minerals in this area as well, although not as well known as the Western slope of the Sierra Nevada’s. But no doubt there is a LOT of gold history in the area!!! Just North, more further up is the famous gold mining town of Bodie, CA! That’s a must visit for history buffs and gold bugs!
This is a beautiful and historic area and while not as famous as the main 'Motherlode Side' but worth a travel to the area!
Filming a cowboy movie with Roy Rojers!
My claim in the Poverty Hills range (Big Pine, CA area) Poverty hills
Beautiful area!
Inyo County Court - (Independence, CA (I go to pay my fees for the claims that are due each year) Below - Nice creek/park near the area!
* Click below for 4 video clips of the mine and the area - (Sorry for poor quality but interesting and beautiful area!)
Preserved Ghost Town and Mining artifacts, Independence, CA
History/Cowboy/Mining Museum - Independence, CA
GOLD!!!
Interesting Indian artifacts
INYO COUNTY, California Gold Panning & Gold Prospecting
Inyo County produced 496,000 ounces of gold between 1880 and 1959, primarily from lode mines scattered throughout the county, with a considerable percentage as byproduct from lead, silver, copper, and tungsten ores. In the Inyo Range, the Russ district opened in 1861) had many area mines that produced lode gold. On the west and east slopes of the Inyo Range in Mazurka and Marble canyons, there were many small scale placer workings.
At Ballarat, in the South Park District, in the southcentral part of county there was a total production of over 100,000 ounces. There are many area old mine dumps that show gold traces. The Ratcliff Mine, was a chief producer of lode gold. Southwest of Ballarat 10~15 miles, in township 23S. range 42E and 43E, in the Argus Range, the Sherman district had a total production, 1939-41, of 14,184 ounces of lode gold. There are also many area lead, silver mines that had a by product of gold. The Arondo Mine was a rich producer of free gold. The Ruth Mine was also a rich producer of free gold, with pyrite.
West of Bishop by 17 miles, the Willshire-Bishop Creek district, on east front of the Sierra Nevada Range and in the Tungsten Hills; had a total production, 75,000-100,000 ounces of by product gold, from lead, silver mines. The Bishop creek Mine and, at head of Bishop Creek and the Willshire Mine were large lode gold producers. The Pine creek Mine was once the largest domestic tungsten mine also had a by product of gold. The Cardinal Gold Mining Company Mine only produced lode gold.
At Death Valley National Monument on slope of the Funeral Range you will find The Chloride Cliff district which had a total production of 60,000 ounces. Also the site of the Keane Wonder Mine which is now in ruins, but once a large lode gold producer.
East of Lone Pine in the Inyo Mountains in north central part of the county, you will find the Union district, that had a total production,1860s-1959, between 10,000 and 50,000 ounces of lode gold. The Reward and Brown Monster mines, were major producers of lode gold. In area canyon and gulch gravels, slopes and drainage channels, placers gold can still be found.
In the southeast corner of the county, you will find Tecopa. If you go east 5-10 miles, you will find the Resting Springs district, that had a total production through 1959 of 15,000 ounces of lode gold from lead, silver ores, from the Shoshone Group of mines.
If you go west in the Panamint Mountains you will find Wild Rose district, a ranger station is located in Monument, west in the Panamint Range, had a total production of about 73,000 ounces of lode gold from the Skidoo Mine.