EISPIRATEN

Hey Joe,

Great trip report!!!!!!!!!!!

My son and two buddies attempted Iron yesterday. But with time constraints, fatigue, injuries, etc. it just wasn't our day. Got up to about 5200'. Anyhow, we started behind you by about 45 minutes. I briefly went down the trail from Allison/Coldwater Saddle and saw your fresh footprints.

My main question: Is there any problem with the trail encroaching on that Coldwater Canyon property below the trail? I could see what looked like a pond, heavy equipment, etc from the Iron trail. (Others have posted pics of the property in the past.) We would like to visit those mines at some point.

thanks.

sucks about Iron. it got pretty hot I would imagine not the optimal weather to hike it!

the trails hits Coldwater canyon north of Widman Ranch (private property). You'll have no problem accessing the mines (north). However you don't want to start walking south, but even if you do I believe you'll encounter signs indicating 'no trespassing' so its not like you'll accidentally cross onto their property.

It wasn't too hot.
Like you said, the bugs were everywhere.... under my sunglasses, in my ears, up the nose....

Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe. I don't know if anyone else appreciates what you just did, but I do. I've gone after some of those old mines including the Allison, Baldora, and Stanley-Miller. I never in my wildest dreams thought about attempting the Gold Dollar or Eagle. Just finding them would be half the battle.

Hats off to you. Doing that and back in one day is an amazing feat. FINDING the stinkin' mine is an amazing feat. Bro, props to ya. MAJOR success. Wow.

QUESTION: What made you hop over that ridge rather than going up the drainage? Did you just do that because you wanted to visit the Baldora and Widco?

HJ

Very nice. Looks like a lot of suck was encountered.

Hikin_Jim wrote:Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe. I don't know if anyone else appreciates what you just did, but I do. I've gone after some of those old mines including the Allison, Baldora, and Stanley-Miller. I never in my wildest dreams thought about attempting the Gold Dollar or Eagle. Just finding them would be half the battle.

Hats off to you. Doing that and back in one day is an amazing feat. FINDING the stinkin' mine is an amazing feat. Bro, props to ya. MAJOR success. Wow.

QUESTION: What made you hop over that ridge rather than going up the drainage? Did you just do that because you wanted to visit the Baldora and Widco?

HJ

thanks!

I assume you mean the Coldwater drainage? A few reasons, 1) yes it let people see the Baldora/Widco stuff. since I didn't think all would make it further, it would be good they saw something! 2) Having already been to that area, I knew we could ascend the ridge from Dry Gulch without brush problems. I knew it would be steep, but figured we could handle that. perhaps following the Coldwater drainage as far as possible to just below Eagle would have been a bit less steep, but who knows what the brush would have been like. might be better, but didn't want to risk it.

Zé wrote:I assume you mean the Coldwater drainage? A few reasons, 1) yes it let people see the Baldora/Widco stuff. since I didn't think all would make it further, it would be good they saw something! 2) Having already been to that area, I knew we could ascend the ridge from Dry Gulch without brush problems. I knew it would be steep, but figured we could handle that. perhaps following the Coldwater drainage as far as possible to just below Eagle would have been a bit less steep, but who knows what the brush would have been like. might be better, but didn't want to risk it.

Ah, that makes sense.

So, when are you going to finish the job, you "slacker?" (exploring the old BHR trail)

HJ

Congratulations, thats some hike and the pics were great. I checked out the Eagle Mine about 8 years ago, I was doing the San Antonio Ridge traverse, West baldy to Iron mtn when a huge thunder storm broke so I bailed from the Ridge and headed down the gulley that eventually leads to the Eagle Mine. It was pretty cool,I did'nt see the shafts but spent some time where the old shack use to be, and considering how old the equipment was(stampmill/crushers, pumps and pipework) it was in recognisable condition. I took some pictures with my old snap shot camera(In the days before I went digital)and if I can dig them up will scan and post them.
The way out to Widman ranch was fairly difficult in the rain, it looked simple on the map, but when I followed the water course down to the canyon there were some steep drop offs that were too much of a risk with out ropes, so I cut over a few ridges and came out in the canyon leading to the Widman ranch. I would have exited via Cow Canyon, but, the unfriendly "no trepassing" sign convinced me to back up 400 yards to pick up the connection to the Heaton Flat Trail. All in all that is really a fun area to hike, but you have to have good maps and of course, GPS helps to.

Cheers Phil

http://philbrown.smugmug.com/

The flies were the crux of this route. The last time I experienced something like this was my first time up Iron Mtn a few years ago, also in May. At that time I vowed never to come back. Of course, I end up coming back three more times but from three different directions and this bastard of a mountain tries to kill me each time!

This time fatigue did me in on the hike out. I stepped too close to the side of the trail, lost my footing and instantly fell backwards onto a yucca plant. Before I knew it, I was upside down with six puncture wounds in my leg, all covered in blood. Holy crap, I couldn't believe it. I could feel my leg swelling up in the area of the wounds. I sucked water out of my hydration bladder, spit in my hand and dump it on the wound to crudely clean it. Fortunately you don't seem to bleed much after a deep yucca impalement. I was worried the tips of the yucca may have gotten embedded deep in the tissue, but not much I could do about it now. I just wanted to keep walking and get out of there. I kept thinking about how much this place stinks, literally. I can't stand that pungent smell from the flowering buckthorn or whatever it is.

Anyhow, about those flies. They bite too. It was awful. I'm still scratching my 30-odd bug bites two days later. The steep climb up from Baldora to gain the ridge actually isn't that bad if you're use to snow climbs. It's about 35° and you use much of the same footwork. The problem was the damn flies. You couldn't even breathe through your mouth because you'd eat a few. I think they got pissed off at me and bit me even more because I was aggressively swatting them with my hand towel. All I knew was I needed to gain the ridge because a certain someone on the radio told me it was a no-fly zone up there! So I'm frantically climbing, not even sure which way I'm going, just that I need to go up and somehow I end up climbing like 200 ft higher than the group that's waiting for me.

All in all, it was painful and miserable but these are the trips that you remember the most

Hikin_Jim wrote: So, when are you going to finish the job, you "slacker?" (exploring the old BHR trail)

I would be lying if I said I didn't want to try to finish the entire "highline" trail. I don't know why really. those brush hikes really have to be spread out though or else you go crazy. and i have too many 'objectives' and maybe not a whole lot of time so I may have to wage war next fall...

Phil B wrote: The way out to Widman ranch was fairly difficult in the rain, it looked simple on the map, but when I followed the water course down to the canyon there were some steep drop offs that were too much of a risk with out ropes, so I cut over a few ridges and came out in the canyon leading to the Widman ranch. I would have exited via Cow Canyon, but, the unfriendly "no trepassing" sign convinced me to back up 400 yards to pick up the connection to the Heaton Flat Trail. All in all that is really a fun area to hike, but you have to have good maps and of course, GPS helps to.

That's great you got to see the ruins at least, I think few souls get out to see this one. I've heard even if you trespass and go down the road, the stream crossings make it pretty hard. Seems just easier to head up the trail to Heaton Flat trail, but most people who end up down there probably wouldn't know about that.

I really have to improve my map & compass skills. I probably rely on the GPS too much. Having neither is fun too depending on what you're doing, but would be terrible if you were trying to find a mine!

Tim wrote: All I knew was I needed to gain the ridge because a certain someone on the radio told me it was a no-fly zone up there! So I'm frantically climbing, not even sure which way I'm going, just that I need to go up and somehow I end up climbing like 200 ft higher than the group that's waiting for me.

"Are there a lot of flies up there?"

"No no, it's pretty good up here" [while swatting flies away]

Boy you guys are committed! Good find though, thats a rare sight indeed.

Ze, you will have to research those flies for your science blog and see what can be done about it. Thats one of the reasons I get real picky about local spots....do not bring food *arrgh*. I know this doesnt apply in this case, and I also ran into flies very briefly on the S.Hawkins ridge going into Iron Fork.

The only thing I know, which is obviously little, is that by putting a cover over my head, it stopped these flying varmits on the PCT...which I dont understand since it seemed so easy to just fly under and get in my face....and the second I raised it up to a certain angle, they came swooping around...lower it a little bit..no flies. Rested a bit, and there were no flies to be found...well for like 5 seconds of walking..then the storm cluster came for me.

AW wrote:Boy you guys are committed! Good find though, thats a rare sight indeed.

Ze, you will have to research those flies for your science blog and see what can be done about it. Thats one of the reasons I get real picky about local spots....do not bring food *arrgh*. I know this doesnt apply in this case, and I also ran into flies very briefly on the S.Hawkins ridge going into Iron Fork.

The only thing I know, which is obviously little, is that by putting a cover over my head, it stopped these flying varmits on the PCT...which I dont understand since it seemed so easy to just fly under and get in my face....and the second I raised it up to a certain angle, they came swooping around...lower it a little bit..no flies. Rested a bit, and there were no flies to be found...well for like 5 seconds of walking..then the storm cluster came for me.

lol, so you think there is an angle threshold for flies to get under a cover? interesting. maybe there's some fluid dynamics limitation, who knows.