Home Page
About Us
Our Goals
Bingham
Copperfield
The Tunnel
Memories
Census Records
Links
Send E-Mail
I Remember the Mountains
Do You?
The Rock Trail
Who remembers drinking coldest, sweetest water in the water tunnel next to Bodmer's? Who then walked the trail that started there straight up the mountain to "Black Rock"? Did anyone ever find the "Skinks" there? They were half snake and half lizard. Long and skinny as a pencil. Dark brown with tan corners and bright blue tail. These were not the common blue belly lizards.
From there we walked over the mountain to "Hawk Rock". Here there were star shaped "Puff balls" that exploded when you stomped on them. Then down to "Eagle Rock" above the old Yosemite Mine above Lark. The head frame pulled cars up from the shaft going deep down in the mountain. Who then was stupid as I was to climb in another tunnel and walk to Dinkyville. Then a walk along the "Old Holden Railroad" brought me home to Telegraph, all level walking.
The Bear Gulch/Queen Trail
If you remember the "Big Tree" you are on the right trail. After a steep climb the road levels out where a cement dam was used to save the creek water for "gold mining". Every time I panned out a nice piece of gold, Alvin Cole would say, "That's a good boy, here put it in my bottle". Across creek was the most beautiful grove of ancient old Maple trees and the only lawn I ever knew? A half mile later you were under the "Big Tree". Who remembers the spring there before the arsenic got in it? I found many arrowheads and flint knives here. Can anyone remember Jack Ass Gulch with all the old Quaken Aspen trees? The center road went to a couple of mines still being worked. Who then walked over the mountain to the Queen Mine then on the water line to the Boy Scout Camp in Butterfield? I remember when Queen housed a half-a-dozen families.
The Middle Canyon Trail
Staying on the ridge over looking Queen was the trail to Middle Canyon. Who remembers Doctor Frazier's ski run and ski jump just a few hundred yards from here. Farther on you find you are at the top of "Silver Shield Mine/Gulch". Did anyone besides me ever go over into the heavy pines above here and see the huge 5/6 foot diameter stumps the pioneers called the "Big Grove". It was clear cut to build Salt Lake City and the Mormon Tabernacle. Soon the trail leveled off, then it was a straight drop for a mile to a spring above the Highland Boy water tunnel. Did that once but being a stranger in strange town I thought I was going have to fight my way out.
The US/Galena/Bingham Gulch Road
From Telegraph for the first half mile was steep until you reached the old Bingham Gulch and crossed this huge air pipe coming from Copperfield to the US. Did any of you try to slide down it too? The road was mostly level for the next mile or so to the US. Can anyone remember the Utah Copper Dump on the right going to the US too. Anybody ever go for a quick shower at the Silver Shield Dry-house? The water was full of arsenic and tasted bitter but it was hot. Can anyone remember the many rock chucks below the road? Who remembers when US was full of houses and people. Lorraine, Blacky Clinton's daughter said, "In the winter time when the roads were closed, we went to school in Copperfield through the mine.
I remember when our 5th grade class hiked to US and then over the mountain and looked into Highland Boy. We went into a mine and ran when we heard a bear but it was just our Principal.
But, tell me who remembers the Galena Mine's railroad car that was built to kill the strikers who had killed five scabs going to work one morning. It was a self-propelled round metal tank that turned as it moved to give about six men in it his turn to shoot.
"I'll give anyone a hundred dollars for a good picture of it".
When the people moved away we tore the roof off the town's water tank and swam in it. Who besides me was dumb enough to swim here. Hell, it was cold!