High Sierra Topix

Does anyone know if you can park at the mine? Is it still open and functioning? Seems like it would save a little distance and more important elevation. Thanks in advance

You park at the trailhead (Pine Lakes) and walk up the mine road for about 2 miles, mines
are to your left up the hill.

In other words locked gate at the trailhead. Is there any traffic goin up...maybe hitch a ride if youre lucky?

The mines are closed and the only people left are security folks and I doubt they would be willing to give anyone a ride. All the same, the trail to the pass is on the south side of the canyon and the mine is on the north, so it wouldn't help to gain elevation, only to be going in the wrong direction. The road you walk up on the south side of the canyon is an old mining road, but to mines that were abandoned a long time ago.

Maverick's description is for the trail that goes toward Pine Lake and he mentions the Brownstone Mine.

Are you by any chance asking about the trail that goes toward Morgan Pass (or Peppermint Pass)? The Tungsten Mine there has not been operating, but last year we saw a worker in a truck arrive to the buildings at the bottom. Map.

I was asking about the pine creek trail. Thanks for the responses! That really clears things up. I wonder how many trails are old roads? There is an old truck or wagon frame in little lakes Valley so the road went over morgan pass at some point. Cool history in that area.

The hermit wrote:I was asking about the pine creek trail. Thanks for the responses! That really clears things up. I wonder how many trails are old roads? There is an old truck or wagon frame in little lakes Valley so the road went over morgan pass at some point. Cool history in that area.

You need to look at all the equipment left at the hanging valley mine, amazing amount of stuff.

Any pictures of either Pine or Hanging mine equipment?

See:

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rlown wrote:Any pictures of either Pine or Hanging mine equipment?

I have pictures somewhere, I'll have to look. There is a great book called " Mine in the sky" all about hanging valley and pine creek mines. My father-in-law owns the hanging valley mine.