Let's get the uncomfortable silence dealt with right at the beginning... this time we made it!
Keith, Adam, and I left early. We didn't know how long it would take to get up there with packs on, and we had heard that there was lots to see once we arrived. We needed time.
We got our Timmy's, headed on the road, made it up past Panorama, onto the Delphine Creek road, and then to the road block. It was impassible by jeep, though evidently people have made it over with bikes and dirt bikes. We parked the jeep, put on our packs, and headed up.
Attempt 3
Same as last time. Hike over a few wash outs, then on the Delphine Creek road for a while, and then watch for the flag. We knew where the trail was, but the marking was reassuring. We cut into the trees, and then headed up, and up, and up. Lots of switch backs, a few creeks, a few dried creeks, a but of brush... you know, the usual. The trail was still in excellent condition, and as the sun illuminated the valley we made excellent time up the mountain, like, surprisingly excellent. If I recall correctly, by the time we made it to as far as we got last year (when we ran into the bear and decided to head home), it wasn't even lunch yet. Wow, at that rate we would be at Thunderbird mine in no time...
Sultana Creek?
Oh, how wrong I was... it looked so easy... it always looks so easy...
So, we made it past where we were last year, and kept going. We were pretty sure that based on the treeline we couldn't be that far from the mine. Well, maybe we weren't, but distance and effort are two very different things.
Mine Building
One thing you don't see from the highway is that between every ridge on a mountain there is a little valley. They are cute little things, often with beautiful little creeks, or maybe just dry stones if the runnoff is gone. It sounds good, and it is, that where we got water several times, but there is also a lot of erosion in these little valleys, and sometimes avalanches and rockfalls. So we were hiking around the ridge, which was fine, and approaching the valley. I wasn't at the front of the pack, but the guys stopped. It didn't look easy anymore. Immediately before us was a near vertical drop of gravel and sand. Erosion had cut the wall sheer, and it was quite obviously impassible.
It was a good thing we had lots of time...
Gorgey Washout
We looked down, we looked up, and we made a judgement call. Based on photos we had seen the mine buildings were up above the treeline, so that meant if we went up we could find a less treacherous spot to cross the creek and then continue up the mountain, though that also meant that we would lose our path. The path was right across from us, but either way we skirted around our obstacle (up or down) it would take us a long way off the path.
Up we went. It was steep, and hard, and the air just seemed to get thinner and thinner (funny that). We did find a way to cross the scree filled valley, and we slipped and slid down to the water. We took a break, grabbed some more water, and looked up. It was a bit daunting. Super steep, not a ton of trees to grab on to, but the mine couldn't be that far, I mean, we were already nearing the treeline, and there were only so many more ridges to hike around. We didn't have a path, and we didn't want to hike back down to it, so we headed more or less straight up.
Resting
The View
Other than being hard work because it was steep, the hike was surprisingly easy. We just kept climbing, without too much thought. We climbed up one ridge, kept going, over a little spring, then another ridge type thing, and another spring, and then hope. It seems easy, having only taken two paragraphs to describe, but it was arduous, and a bit insane. The sun was out in full and beating down on us, and the mountain was steep below us. The ground was food for hiking, except when it wasn't, so when we got that glimpse of hope, we needed it.
There it was, the buildings that we had seen posted on Panoramio. Two mine buildings, that's all, sitting there, clinging to the rock. Above the trees, above the everything. Amazing.
We still weren't there yet. There were a few more scree walks, a hint of scree skiing, and then the final ascent. By the end there were no trees or bushes to grab on to, just the hope that the scree would hold you instead of kick you out and send you down the mountain. It was a good day. It was sunny. It was dry.
I wasn't worried.
Up we went, and we made it to the first building. I still have no idea what it was, but there was about a zillion metres of what looked like ancient hemp rope in there. Perhaps the miners used the rope to make that last ascent, when it got steeper and steeper and was no longer appetizing to hike. Who knows, but it was amazing how well preserved it was, especially considering the door to the shack was gone, and the shack itself it only clinging to the mountain by a few precarious boards.
Mine Shed
It was nice to see, but we were tired, and needed rest, but there was no where to rest. When I say the shack was clinging to the mountain I mean it, and there was really no where for us to sit, since none of us would even consider stepping in the shack.
Up or down. There was still the bigger building above us, but we were starting to have the concern that we would get there and there wouldn't be a place to pitch a tent, hell, there might not have been space to lay out our sleeping bags. It was a bit concerning, but, not the end of the world. It was still early in the day, and if there was no tent room we could always head back down the mountain until there was (although, we would have to go a loooooong way...).
The last part was easy and hard at the same time. Super steep, and with every step the scree slid a few inches before building a strong enough foot hold. There were a few springs and where there was water it was muddy and slippery. Heh, I guess that's what makes it an adventure.
Thunderbird Mine
We made it up the slope, and made it to the little house. There was a small flat spot in front, enough for us to sit, but not enough for us to sleep. We would have to sleep in the house, or down the mountain. Most cabins we find in the woods are, well, full of pack rat poo and structurally sketchy. I would have expected the same here, but being so high on the mountain, and being so dry, the house seemed to be in spectacular shape. I mean the two doors to the main part of the building had long since fallen off, but the house itself was standing straightish, and the roof was intact. It appeared to be made completely of cedar, and maybe that was what saved it.
There is a small room with a bunch of used drill bits, and then there is the one big room. The house is resting on a concrete pad, and its been up there since 1935 so we figured it was pretty safe. There were no mouse nests, and no pack rat poo, likely given to there are no doors so its actually not a great shelter, and its so high on the mountain there is nothing else there. The floor boards were busted a bit, but the concrete pad was good. There were a few steel pegs sticking out, but, it would certainly do the job. No spot to put a tent, but definitely a spot to put sleeping bags.
We relaxed a bit, well, I wanted to hike a bit more to see if I could get to the top of the ridge, but the guys rested. I did want to get to the top of the ridge, and I probably could have, but the mountain was, as always, misleading. The more your hike, the more you need to hike, and that ridge just keeps moving farther and farther away. The scree was also less stable, and though I had a good grasp of it, it wasn't worth it to keep going, especially given my light would fade relatively soon. So, I didn't make it to the ridge, but what I did find was the initial mine portal. The portal itself was destroyed, but there, sticking straight out of the mountain like bolts of randomness were two steel rails. It was actually quite beautiful, and almost a magical moment. It was an absurd vision to say the least, and not one that I was expecting to see; though, I am so glad I did. Just a few metres from the tracks I had a line of sight on the house with its concrete slab foundation and large inexplicable side door... was there a cable car between that house and where I was standing? Did they just raw hide ore down the mountain or let it fall down the steep slope? I don't think I'll ever know, I don't think anyone does, but for that moment I was living in a world of infinite possibility, where I could see the worn faces of miners with their picks and dynamite as they climbed up and up at the chance at finding riches. It was like looking back into their very dreams. I wonder what ever happened to them...
Mine Entrance
I made my way back down to the house where the guys were building a firepit. I helped them finish it off, and then we sat on our perch with our little fire as the sun began to set. It was a good night. We were all sore, so sitting down and just enjoying the world was the best thing any of us could have done. We enjoyed our water, and our delicacies of steak and boring old camping food. The weather was good, the sky was clear, and the stars were wondrous; though, it is amazing how that even in the middle of nowhere you aren't alone, as satellites and passenger jets streaked across the evening sky.
But still, the night was spectacular, and the milky way as milky as always.
We turned in for the night, and headed into our sleeping bags in the little house. The concrete pad was a bit sloped, but not too bad, and the weather stayed good... except for like an hour in the middle of the night when a gale force wind swept in, threatening to blow us and our little house off of the mountain. I suspect that the only reason that the house didn't fly off of the mountain was that both doors are missing and the wind was able to blow on through. It was invigorating though, just lying there warm in my sleeping bag with the fresh mountain air whirling past us.
Other than that, the night was without incident, well, except I did get up to pee once, and on such a precarious little jut of stone, and walking over mine debris in the dark I came a little closer than I like to falling off the mountain. Long story short, I didn't, but I definitely would have gotten points for distance.
Sunrise
We woke, enjoyed some corned beef, which tasted spectacular for some reason. Don't get me wrong, its always good, but after the hike, and short on water... amazing!
We packed, and began our descent, which was, shocking, easier than the ascent. One thing that we were interested in was what looked like a cabin down below. The day before we heard voices calling out, but couldn't see where they were from. Were there more cabins? Was that the mining settlement that our path was leading to (if we hadn't lost it)?
Only one way to find out.
Making our way down we did find the remains of an old switchback path, which must have been the main path to the mine. We continued down, crossed a rather skecthy scree slope, and then continued down the creek. We had some landmarks to go on, but mostly we just watched in the trees to see if there was a path to the cabin, and there was.
Mining Settlement
I've been to a few abandoned mines, as you know if you've read any of these posts, but this is the most complete mining camp I've seen. One of the cabins is still in use for mountain rescue, and it is in... relatively good condition. It has a wooden stove/heater that looks like it still works, and there is limited rodent poo inside. The rest of the buildings are in much poorer shape, but still recognizable. It looked like there was a store room, a shower, and a bunk house. All in all, it was incredible, but I'll let the photos do the talking here.
Storage and Shower Buildings...
Bunkhouse
There was a path from the settlement up to the mine, and path down towards the river (and what looks like possible two out houses), and then the path down the mountain. The path down the mountain was the path that we had lost, and for our hours of brutal climbing it took just moments on the path to cover that same distance and get back to the eroded/avalanche/ravine/thing. On this side it actually looked, well, much more significant, which gave us all a feeling of "oh crap."
Bear Banger Test
We looked closely and saw footprints going down. We chose up on the way over and it sucked, down actually looked much better from this side. It was better, but still not great, especially carrying packs. We managed to get down to the stream, and then with a bit of creative hand climbing we managed to get back out again. We hiked back up, and we were on the path.
From there it was all easy, as nothing on the path was nearly as hard as the obstacles we had already conquered. Mountains are pretty big, and when you tire, they are enormous. Down was better, but holy crap. My legs were fine, likely due to my massive quads, but my knee was giving me some trouble (and still is a few weeks later actually...).
After eating a few Shaggy Manes (a local wild mushroom), we found the Jeep, it was parked beside the truck of someone still exploring the back country. We hopped in and headed down the mountain. On our way down we stopped at the aqueduct/flume near Lake Eileen, and then made our way to Radium Hot Springs. The hot springs was a nice way to end the trip and the hot water definitely soothed what would turn out to be brutal aches.
Out of the water, in the Jeep, and on our way back...
Always an adventure.
