Martinez mine I believe was primarily silver/lead. I’ve also seen a mica mine. All kinds of interesting stuff in the desert.
CID
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Topo says the trail continues but Mother Nature says otherwise - 😥
DG Rider
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I want to go back to that mine and do some further exploring inside with a good lamp.
CID
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Just one of the obstacles at Sand Hollow. I won't try this stuff alone but got adopted by a turbo RZR and we rode together for a few days, he led me up this. 
DG Rider
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Revisited the "Creepy cross" mine. This mine is near the Sultana mine on the hills above Riverside AZ.
A few more in the entrance as well. I am very curious to know why this is. Was there an accident? Did somebody die? Do the locals think the mine is haunted? These questions have been bugging me, and im going to look for a FB group in the area to find answers. @PJon, any ideal?
The old crane sitting at Riverside...
Random shot at Grey horse mine near dusk...
A few more in the entrance as well. I am very curious to know why this is. Was there an accident? Did somebody die? Do the locals think the mine is haunted? These questions have been bugging me, and im going to look for a FB group in the area to find answers. @PJon, any ideal?
The old crane sitting at Riverside...
Random shot at Grey horse mine near dusk...
Revisited the "Creepy cross" mine. This mine is near the Sultana mine on the hills above Riverside AZ.
View attachment 366127
View attachment 366124
A few more in the entrance as well. I am very curious to know why this is. Was there an accident? Did somebody die? Do the locals think the mine is haunted? These questions have been bugging me, and im going to look for a FB group in the area to find answers. @PJon, any ideal?
The old crane sitting at Riverside...
View attachment 366125
View attachment 366123
Random shot at Grey horse mine near dusk...
View attachment 366122
Haven’t been in that exact area but it looks interesting.I’ll use your coordinates and see if there is a decent route from my place to get there. Regarding the crosses, my guess is that several miners were lost at that location.
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DG Rider
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You can drive right up to it.
Coming from hwy 177, turn down Florence-Kelvin highway and Cross the Gila bridge at Riverside. Then immediately turn left down Riverside road. About 1/4 mile or so is a wash that turns south (up the ridge). Follow it and the FS road eventually exits to the left (east). You will top a small saddle with the main road traveling to the left (and eventually the Sultana mine area), but you want to take the right branch on a lesser but still clear road.
It will split again shortly thereafter, with one road climbing slightly to the right, while the other drops down into a slight yard type area. Go left and the road turns into kind of a shelf road with some small rock slide debris. Don't worry...thats all there is and you'll be fine. A few hundred yards later you'll come to a wides spot, and the mine entrance is a few steps away...though you can't see the entrance until you are in front of it.
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Thanks DG. I’m sure that I can get there from 177 if I trailer to Riverside. I was looking for a way drive the sxs sort of parallel to the San Pedro river/Gila river and then come in from the south. Looks like there are a few fairly wide sand washes that will get into the right area. That way it’s more of an adventure and I’ll save some gas. 12 mpg vs. 20+. Looks like it’s going to wet & sloppy for a few days.
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DG Rider
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It was chilly yesterday. I'd tell you how chilly...but my little thermometer blew out going down the road. Probably 50ish high.
Found some interesting stuff yesterday. I may have posted some of this before, but...
The Copper Basin Railway runs from Winkleman to Magma, AZ. 54 miles through mostly remote desert, and some of my favorite trails are near it. It was built sometime around 1904. It was also used in a Dwight Yoakam video back in the 90's...
It's interesting to watch this video. It was probably monsoon season, since things are very green. It's also notable how much the salt cedar has taken over the river. Bare patches of "beach" like you see in the video are rare these days.
I had known about an old "station" along the route. I had thought this was near the ghost town of Cochran. I don't know if this station was for passengers or just for train crews of whatnot. I am trying to find info and maybe pictures...but none yet.
In the meantime, I came across this while looking for other stuff...
This is quite a bit east of Cochran...and not all that far from Riverside. I confess that I wonder about the validity of the location, since Cochran makes much sense, but I had been to this area before and remember certain aspects that made me think it could have been something, so it was my unofficial destination for the day.
But...I always take the long way. I have explored these specific canyons before, but had never been up this side one. A tricke of water and a rock cairn up on the side. And a bit of my finger...
Went down to an area just west of the station to revisit and old car...
While snapping pics, the CBRR made a cameo...
There were concrete foundations near the car, so there was definitely some sort of railroad infrastructure right here. Down track a noticed an old drag detector. Inside was something very cool...
Logs. Last entry was 2020. 1st was 1991!
So...before the music video above was shot...in the same year I graduated from high school...someone stood here and filled out information. Never could I have even imagine back in those days that one day I'd stand in the same spot.
It's also a testament to how well the dry climate preserves things.
After checking the log book out, I headed over to the spot listed for the old station. As mentioned, I had been there before and did recall the place looking as though it were un-naturally flat. For sure, there has been grading done in more recent time...probably for water control. There were some scraps of wood and the odd metal pieces, but no smoking gun as far as and old station on the north side of the tracks. In the other side, there was some stuff...
It looks to be more about ranching than the train, but who's the say for sure.
Obligatory Hayden/Winkleman lights at dusk shot..
Found some interesting stuff yesterday. I may have posted some of this before, but...
The Copper Basin Railway runs from Winkleman to Magma, AZ. 54 miles through mostly remote desert, and some of my favorite trails are near it. It was built sometime around 1904. It was also used in a Dwight Yoakam video back in the 90's...
It's interesting to watch this video. It was probably monsoon season, since things are very green. It's also notable how much the salt cedar has taken over the river. Bare patches of "beach" like you see in the video are rare these days.
I had known about an old "station" along the route. I had thought this was near the ghost town of Cochran. I don't know if this station was for passengers or just for train crews of whatnot. I am trying to find info and maybe pictures...but none yet.
In the meantime, I came across this while looking for other stuff...
This is quite a bit east of Cochran...and not all that far from Riverside. I confess that I wonder about the validity of the location, since Cochran makes much sense, but I had been to this area before and remember certain aspects that made me think it could have been something, so it was my unofficial destination for the day.
But...I always take the long way. I have explored these specific canyons before, but had never been up this side one. A tricke of water and a rock cairn up on the side. And a bit of my finger...
Went down to an area just west of the station to revisit and old car...
While snapping pics, the CBRR made a cameo...
There were concrete foundations near the car, so there was definitely some sort of railroad infrastructure right here. Down track a noticed an old drag detector. Inside was something very cool...
Logs. Last entry was 2020. 1st was 1991!
So...before the music video above was shot...in the same year I graduated from high school...someone stood here and filled out information. Never could I have even imagine back in those days that one day I'd stand in the same spot.
It's also a testament to how well the dry climate preserves things.
After checking the log book out, I headed over to the spot listed for the old station. As mentioned, I had been there before and did recall the place looking as though it were un-naturally flat. For sure, there has been grading done in more recent time...probably for water control. There were some scraps of wood and the odd metal pieces, but no smoking gun as far as and old station on the north side of the tracks. In the other side, there was some stuff...
It looks to be more about ranching than the train, but who's the say for sure.
Obligatory Hayden/Winkleman lights at dusk shot..
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TripleB
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Cool. I've seen that video a thousand times but will have to watch it later to actually remember anything about it. That must be a rare cactus.
DG Rider
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Only grows near Christmas, AZ.
CID
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CID
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YAY!!! I just learned how to import a GPX file into Google Earth, izzat cool or whut? 😎
CID
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I was but got froze out, I got home just before Thanksgiving; sitting here reminiscing.
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This year's Sand Hollow track. The two red circles are major play areas we missed, not knowing about them.
CID
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I definitely want to spend some time up there in the next few years.
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