FIELD TRIP TO
The second field trip is scheduled for Saturday, 15
November and will last all day. We shall
use the Sage Coach to travel from
We shall visit either the Desert Queen Mine or the
Lost Horse Mine. Consult a map of the entire park for a birds-eye view and the
following topographic maps of these sites for the details. (source: Microsoft
Terraserver and USGS). Gold mines in the national park including our
destinations are described in a draft manuscript by Dee Trent. The route to each mine involves 2 miles of
hiking.
1)
the Lost Horse Mine
The
trail head for the route to the mine is just off the road to the Salton Sea
View, easily the most scenic point in the park.
The trail is an old mining road that
leads directly to the mine which is situated just below a ridge. Access to the mine is prevented by a chain
length fence. The view from the ridge is
excellent; one can see Malapai Hill, a prominent basaltic plug.
2)
the Desert Queen Mine
The
trail to the Desert Queen Mine starts at the Split Rock picnic area. The trail is a wilderness trail which is
scenic but requires skill to follow.
Although the shafts of the mine have been closed with grates, one can
get much closer to them. The mine was
one of the most profitable in the area.
The instructor has mapped the route
with a GPS and determined the profile
for the hike. The map shows a side trail
to Skull Rock which we shall not take. A
topo map with the trail and a satellite image with the trail have also
been generated using Arc View GIS software.
last
revised, 7 October 2008