Discovering the Log Cabin Mine of Mono County

We start our excursion by traversing beautiful Sonora Pass, the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada.
By most accounts, the first immigrant crossing of this route was in the late summer of 1852 by a wagon train known as the Clark-Skidmore Company. After this, merchants in the communities of Sonora and Columbia promoted the route to California-bound immigrants, not always with happy results when immigrants discovered how difficult the route was.
Then, With the discovery of silver and gold east of the Sierra in the beginning of the 1860s, the counties on both sides of the pass pushed for development of a road that would enable them to improve trade. Surveying for a road through Sonora Pass began in 1863 and the road was being used by 1865.
Once we we've come over the pass we head south on US 395 through the town of Bridgeport, CA. It's the Mono County seat and boasts a population of about 600. Hold on, we have about 20 more miles to get to Lee Vining, at the Junction of US 395 and CA 120, coming from Yosemite National Park's Tioga Pass.
The road to the mine is just a mile or so from the highway intersection, across the highway from a ranger station. The road is dirt and fairly long, and is best suited for four wheel drive or high clearance vehicles.
The Log Cabin Mine was operated from the 1910's until the onset of World War II and efforts were made to restart the mine in the 1950's and even to the early 1980's. For a while the mine was the largest producer of gold in California. The mine property was given to the Boy Scouts and then on to the US Forest Service. Today, many of the mine buildings are intact and public access is permitted.
The site features an impressive head frame and mill which appear to be on the verge of collapsing into the gaping opening of the main shaft, and this is fenced off as it is very dangerous. We explored the hoist house, assay shack, bunkhouse and office, mess hall, various other structures and the original “Log Cabin”. Some areas are marked with "Warning -- Mercury" signs.
The site is also littered with old mining equipment like stamps, cams and pulleys from earlier mining efforts, all shoved off the side of the hill. Following about 200 feet down another road, overgrown with young pines, you can find another tunnel adet which is marked on my Gaia topo map. We didn't go down to see it, but on-line sources indicate the adet is collapsed and has water flowing out it.
Def of Adet: "A horizontal passage leading into a mine for the purposes of access or drainage."
For further information on the Log Cabin Mine:
westernminingh...
Music Credits in Order:
Scarlet Fire - Kevin MacLeod*
Say Nothing -- Tubeback*
Safety Net -- Riot*
Right Place Right Time -- Silent Partner*
Grand Canyon -- Lohstana David*
Coffee Stains -- Riot*
Acoustic Folk Instrumental -- Hyde*
All Good in the Wood -- Audionautix*
*Used under Creative Commons Licensing. Available on KZbin and further individual attribution statements are available there for each piece.
©2022 Kenneth Johnson
Ken’s rig:
2011 JKRU
6-speed Manual
5.13 gears
4” Ready Lift®
Synergy® flip drag link/tie rod
Rubicon Express® adjustable front control arms, and transfer case skid plate
Synergy® ball joints
35” Iron Man tires on Pacer LT Mod 17” wheels
OR-FAB® front bumper
Poison Spyder® evap canister skid plate
Rubicon 10th Anniversary rear bumper with Smittybilt® Gen2 tire carrier
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Smittybilt® - XRC Series body cladding
Flow Master Hush Power exhaust
MetalCloak® Overland fenders
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ARB® Maximum Output Twin Air Compressor Unit
Rubicon Express® heavy duty front sway bar
MetalCloak® Swaybar disconnects
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