GhostMiner

I'll let you in on something - during the hot days of Summer the cold beers tasted mighty good after supper. I averaged 6 - 8 of them every night.

It's a long & hard ride. Enjoy the read.

August 9 2002 Part Two We worked into the early evening even though the temperature had topped out at 108 degrees. There was little talk between the crew and it was dusk when we got back to camp. I washed up and started cooking up some hash and beans and grabbed a cold beer. Everyone was sitting around the campfire after supper as it was getting dark and the temperature had cooled some. I had called a meeting and I wanted to get some things settled. I stood up and addressed the crew. I told them that we were all in a partnership out here as far as the work and the gold. However, I told them that these were still my claims with my name on them and I would not tolerate anyone disrespecting me. I didn’t mention names but everyone knew who I was talking about. To my surprise, Bill and Jacob quickly came to my defense and agreed with me. Then Jacob turned to Conor and gave him a good scolding of sorts. He told Conor that Jed ran a tight ship out here back in 1936 and he would have kicked his ass for back talking. He told Conor that he had gold fever and he needed to control himself. He also said that I was his close friend and he appreciated being on the mine. Conor looked a little sheepish and stood up and faced the crew. He said he had a lot to learn about mining and gold and then he turned to me and said he was sorry for the way he had acted. We shook hands and put it to rest. Then I handed him a beer and we all had a good laugh and Bill said the fever can do that to people sometimes. We all had a few more beers and hit the sack. I felt relieved and I am hoping this will be the end of any problems between the crew. TO BE CONTINUED ................

Not quite but close LOL.

Not a good situation for me.

Still have all the claims.

August 9 2002 Part One Loose Cannon The temperature had not cooled overnight as much as we hoped and we all knew it was going to be a real hot one today. We got up to the Hidden Mine right around 9:00 AM. Everyone was ready to work. We took up the same positions and resumed the work of moving that massive slide that kept us from the supposed big gold treasure. All of a sudden I heard a loud clang and turned in Conor’s direction. He had thrown down his shovel and was half running half sliding down the hill. I hollered out to him but he didn’t answer. He had now pulled his 45 and had it pointing to the west. Then he started hollering at someone to stop or he would shoot them. There were two hikers out there. A man and a woman and Conor had them at gunpoint. I yelled as loud as I could for him to put the gun away. So did Bill. Jacob hadn’t seen the two hikers and was walking in that direction to see what all the hubbub was about. The hikers had their hands up and looked terrified. It was obvious to Bill and I that they were just innocent hikers out for some morning sightseeing and exercise before the heat of the day. Conor was hollering at them and telling them they were trespassers and claim jumpers. He told them they weren’t going to get any gold from us and they’d better move on or else. All I could think of was oh no, this is bad. He was not listening to Bill or me but when Jacob came over he put the gun back in his holster. I tried my best to de-escalate the situation and told the hikers we had been having trouble with robbers and it was all a big mistake. Luckily they calmed down and seemed to believe me and moved on. Then I turned to Conor. I was mad as hell. I told him he had no business pulling a gun on people without a good reason and I'd had it with him. Jacob tried to take his side and said he was just trying to protect the crew. I told Jacob that he was a loose canon. He didn’t like that and walked back off to the bottom of the hill. Bill just shook his head and headed back to work. That left Conor and me standing there face to face. He said he didn’t like being talked to like that and I’d better watch my mouth. I thought to myself that these are my mining claims and who does this smart ass think he is to come out here and give me grief. I told him he was on shaky ground with me and he’d better get back to work. Conor gave me a dirty look and went back to digging. Then something occurred to me that I hadn’t thought about. I was out here in the middle of nowhere with three people who had no names on my claims and maybe nothing to lose. What would happen to me if we found the big gold strike? I didn’t know Bill at all really. He seems like an ok guy but who knows for sure? It was also obvious that Jacob would probably side with Connor seeing as they were related. I never said anything to Jacob but when he invited Conor out here he should have discussed it with me first. It now seemed like I might be the odd man out if push came to shove. All of a sudden I had an uneasy feeling. TO BE CONTINUED .............

August 8 2002 Part Three After supper we were sitting around camp and listening to Jacob give a long lecture to Conor. He was warning him about not only working in the heat but also about the dangers of gold fever. Jacob told him it could get him killed or maybe even one or all of us. Evidently Jacob had witnessed what Bill and I had watched up close. Conor had become a crazed lunatic when he got to the dig site. I’d seen gold fever before but this was on another level. Jacob was attempting to talk some sense into him. Conor had come around pretty well by dark and had gotten some food and hydration into his body. The heat never seemed to bother Jacob for some reason. We were sitting there in camp with a couple of lanterns for light and drinking some cold beers. We didn’t bother to build a fire and the temperature was not cooling as much as it usually did after sunset. Suddenly we heard some kind of ruckus and growling off in the dark. I shined a flashlight over in the area of the disturbance and caught a quick glimpse of a mountain lion. It had something in its jaws and was scampering back up the mountain. Jacob had his flashlight on it for a few seconds as well. He said it had caught a jackrabbit. Conor cracked open a cold beer and started going on about how rich we all were going to be when we got into the Hidden Mine. He still had gold on his mind and said he was anxious to get back up to the dig site. I was wondering to myself if he was going to be a problem. TO BE CONTINUED ..............

Mine also. I have the DVD.

Fools Gold

Funny you mention that. Yesterday I was shocked to see the journal had 2000 views. That is 2nd highest ever. The top was 2900 views in a day back in season one. For perspective, it's had 300 so far today. Not sure why the views were so high yesterday.

Absolutely.

August 8 2002 Part Two We stopped for a lunch break around noon. The temperature was starting to climb but we do have some nice large pines up in this area. I was advising Conor to make sure he drank lots of water. When we got back to work Conor was still outpacing Bill and I by quite a bit. We had learned that a slower and steadier pace was more productive in the long run as well as being easier on the body. I always like to place a thermometer near the work area and by 3:00 PM it had climbed to 103 degrees. All of us were ready for another break in the shade except for Conor who refused to stop. Bill told him to take it easy and that he wasn’t going to open the mine in a day. It fell on deaf ears. After our break we resumed the digging and rock moving. Conor was off to my left and I had heard his pick and shovel banging away all day but it suddenly went silent. When I turned to look Conor was on his knees with his head down. His clothes were soaked with sweat. Then he rolled over on his side. I hollered over to him but there was no reply. I hollered for Bill and we headed over to where he was lying. He appeared to be unconscious. I grabbed my water canteen and poured some of it over his head. Bill did the same. He seemed to come out of the stupor and was groning a bit. I gave him a little water and then Bill and I carried him down the slide and into some nice shade. He finally started talking to us and said he felt sick. Jacob came over and was shaking his head. He told him he needed to slow down. Conor nodded in agreement. We left him in the shade with water and Jacob stayed with him while Bill and I resumed our work. I told Jacob to give us a holler if anything changed with him. We worked for another two hours and decided we’d had enough. Conor said his legs felt weak but he thought he could walk back to camp. We took our time and finally made it back after several breaks. Conor had learned the hard way that the big heat out here in the Summer was no joke and could take you out. TO BE CONTINUED ................

The main reason to own a mining claim or claims is commercial. Then you need to own them or lease them. If you're a recreational miner just doing it for fun then you must weigh the monetary costs against the emotional (fun) aspect just like any other feel good hobby. Some people don't mind spending money & losing it if they feel it is worth it on the fun factor scale. To each his own. I personally wouldn't waste my money on a claim unless you are making money every year. You have fees & taxes. With gold pushing $2100 / ounce & likely climbing higher next year you will see a lot of dreamers get taken to the cleaners. The Greenhorns are easy prey for the less than honest. It has always been this way. It will only get worse. HEY - Be careful out there.

August 8 2002 Part One Attempting The Impossible Conor and Jacob were up before dawn and they made the crew’s breakfast while talking up a storm. There was a full pot of hot coffee awaiting Bill and I and Jacob spiked our cups with Irish whisky. The bacon and eggs with biscuits tasted great in the cool mountain air. Conor was beyond excited and straining at the bit to get up to the Hidden Mine and start digging. He had armed himself with a Colt 45 and carried it in a holster on his hip with a band of extra rounds strapped across his shoulder and chest like a Bandelero. We trudged up the mountain with barely enough daylight to see where we were treading. There was no slowing down Conor. Eventually we made it up to the mine. It was a sight to behold. The sun had just made it over the big pine trees and was shining down on our digging tools laying in front of the work area. The shovels were actually reflecting the light and glistening. Some of the white quartz that was laying in chunks looked to be lit up as well. I thought to myself that this was all surreal and what a hell of an adventure we were on up here in the Sierra Nevada. Jacob stayed down at the bottom of the slide and worked slowly at moving rocks while the rest of us climbed up the slide and began the work of pitching and pushing rocks off the side. They would tumble down and crash to the right of where Jacob was working. When we had enough rock moved we worked the picks and shovels moving smaller rocks and gravel. By mid morning the temperature was already 80 degrees and we were drenched in sweat. I looked over at Conor and he was working like a mad man on fire. I tried to warn him to slow his pace but it was no use. He had the worst case of gold fever I have ever witnessed. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

It also seems like one happy little mining crew has been formed now. Or has it? This infamous mining property is always full of surprises.

Bill knows that Jacob worked at the mine with his brother back in 1936 now. He still doesn't know the entire story. However, anyone researching that area would be aware of some of the goings on including the killings because it was common knowledge.

August 7 2002 Part Two Conor had worked his way up the line on the railroad and retired as a high ranking company supervisor. He knew very little about gold mining but was eager to learn. He asked us to give him a tour of the mine so that’s what we did for the rest of the day. The first place he wanted to see was where the big gold strike of 1936 had taken place. When we took him there he was stunned. He turned to his uncle and told him how incredible this dig site was. He could hardly believe how much ground had been moved and all by hand to boot. Jacob gave him a wink and simply told him they had a great crew and everyone was determined. Conor said that his dad and uncle were one of a kind and great men. He admired them to the fullest. We showed Conor all around and showed him a little of the gold and his eyes glazed over. We ended up at the Hidden Mine and Bill was telling him all about how rich it might be. Conor asked us if we thought we could actually move enough rock and gravel to make an entry. Bill told him that he figured we could. Conor was up for working with us and he looked like he was in shape for the job. However, I warned him it would take him some time to get used to the hard life here. There was nothing easy about any of it. When we got back to camp it was nearly dusk and we cooked up a nice supper and found out that Conor enjoyed a good cup of whisky just like the rest of our crew. He seemed like a good fit. Tomorrow the four of us will get back to the task of moving a mountain. TO BE CONTINUED ................

August 7 2002 Part One Conor Arrives At The Mine We had word that Conor would arrive this morning so after breakfast we all went down to the main road near the lower creek and waited. Around 10:00 AM a Ford pickup truck pulled off the main road and onto the north mine road where we were waiting. The driver pulled up and put his window down. He laughed and said that this must be the old Stevens Brothers Mine. Then he said hello to his uncle Jacob and parked the truck. Bill and I introduced ourselves and we shook hands. Conor was wiry and looked to be quite fit. His grip felt like a vice. After we exchanged a few words I got in my truck with Bill while Jacob and Conor got in his truck and he followed me to camp. He was very excited to actually be on his father’s mine with his uncle Jacob. His truck was new and the bed was packed up with all kinds of equipment and camping gear. He said he would share a camper with Jacob and we helped him unload his gear. There was a portable generator, a tent for storing equipment, picks and shovels, a small recirculating sluice, and plenty of provisions. It was past lunch time by the time he was off loaded and had his gear arranged in some order. Then we all sat at camp and I fixed up some lunch with hot dogs and hamburgers. After lunch we cracked open some beers and talked with Conor. TO BE CONTINUED ..................

August 6 2002 We had a good breakfast of biscuits, bacon, and eggs and the three of us headed up the mountain to do some digging. Jacob told us this morning that any gold found with Conor’s help would come out of his percentage which was very fair. I really didn’t want any more partners and neither did Bill. Our gold cut would not be changed and it would be good to have another mine worker. As we approached the Hidden Mine I couldn’t help but wonder what that quartz vein was holding in gold values. Could it be as rich as Bill claimed? There was no denying that ore sample he had shown us. Was I allowing gold fever to take over my thinking process? Would we even be able to get into the drift this year? I know that rains will come in late September and into the Fall season. The temperatures will cool and then drop drastically by November. We may even be snowed out by then. We are going to need to work hard to at least see the ore. That’s all I am hoping for at this point. To confirm Bill’s claims of big gold deposits. I can rest easy then. It was still cool when we started moving rocks and gravel from the adit. I got up on the big slide fifty feet above the area of the supposed entrance and began pitching rocks off to the side and watched as they rolled down the hill to the east of the entrance area. Jacob and Bill were digging down near the bottom with shovels. It was hard work and by noon we were ready for a break and something to eat. We had brought up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and plenty of water. After lunch we were right back at it. Jacob took frequent breaks while Bill and I settled into a slow and steady pace. By 6:00 PM we were worn out. There has been a bit of progress made but tomorrow Bill is going up the slide where I have been working in an attempt to help eliminate all the material that keeps coming down on the lower dig site. We could use a crew of ten or twenty people here. We are calling it a day and heading back down to camp. TO BE CONTINUED ...................

August 5 2002 Part Three Jacob Throws Me A Bombshell The three of us sat around a small campfire after a good supper of hash and beans. We were bending our elbows and talking about the Hidden Mine. After a small cup of whisky Jacob quietly said there was something he wanted to tell us. Then he took a long pause as he rolled one of his smokes. Finally, he continued. He came right out with it and I was stunned. He said that Jed had a son and his name was Conor. It seemed that Jed had gotten the girl who worked at the general store in town pregnant. They never married and Jed never knew his son because he was murdered. Jacob was made aware of it and had helped the mother out until she finally got married. Jacob’s nephew’s name was Conor. Jacob told us that Conor had visited him several times when he was in Oregon and wanted to know all about Jed. They had kept in touch with each other and Conor was now 62 years old and had retired from a position with the railroad. Jacob said Conor was a good man and in a recent phone conversation while Jacob was in town he asked to come to the property to see the place where Jed and Jacob had made the big gold strike of 1936. He also wanted to work with us. He will be arriving in two days. I was more than surprised but happy for Jacob. I wondered what he would be like. Jed’s son, here on the mine. TO BE CONTINUED ................

August 5 2002 Part two Jacob and I walked together as Bill led the way. By the time we got to the Hidden Mine it was late afternoon. We knew we wouldn't have a lot of time to work before dusk but everyone was anxious to get our new venture started. We had carried a supply of digging tools up with us. We had shovels, pics, rock bars, and sledge hammers. We would still need to crush our ore samples and either carry the crushed samples down to camp or find a water source in this location. Bill had told us there was a seasonal stream and small pond up here. It was a bit further north and at a higher altitude. He thinks we could dig a small trench to get water flowing down to the mine site and store it in a small holding pond. This would be possible when the rain season came in late fall and also in late Winter or Spring. Everything would have to be done by hand using old school methods. If the ore was as rich as Bill thought it would be worth the effort. The three of us got to work digging away at what Bill told us was the mine entrance. It was hard to tell how many feet and tons of rock and gravel that covered it. It would take a massive amount of work by us to find the adit. Around 7:00 PM we decided to head back to camp. We had hardly put a scratch in the slide that buried the gold. As we dug in horizontally more rocks and gravel would slide down from above and cover our progress. The three of us were worn out. TO BE CONTINUED ................

Never have. I usually drink Tullamore Dew triple distilled Irish whisky.