High Sierra Topix

Last weekend hiked up Grapevine Peak in the Nevada section of Death
Valley with John and Sooz. This was my first real hike in two months.
Was planning to do Wahguyhe Peak the next day, but decided I would be
better off just getting a early start for the drive home. Snownymph
just happen to be there hiking Mt Palmer which starts from the same
road as Grapevine. Nice seeing her again, it's been a while. Maybe
next time I'll get to hike with her. Photos at
http://community.webshots.com/album/549863587jLwMaT

Nice trip, mtflyer! Looks like beautiful country! Do you know what kind of mine it was? Was it blocked off? I would have had a hard time not doing a little exploring in there, mines fascinate me

No idea what kind of mine it was. It had a vertical shaft that went down about 40 feet with steel netting covering the opening.

It was fun meeting up with you guys! Had a great time!


I like to check out mines too. We spent almost an hour at a mine 1/4 mile from camp after everyone left.

re: mines . . .


Sudden hole swallows man from inside home
Associated Press


ALTA, Calif. - It was like a scene from a horror film: A 27-year-old man plummeted into a gaping hole that suddenly opened beneath a house in rural Placer County, trapping him beneath foundation rubble and killing him.

Authorities say the home, built in the 1980s, may have been sitting atop a decades-old underground mine. Recent rains could have softened the ground under the home, in an isolated area near Lake Alta.

"It's unbelievable," Placer County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Dena Erwin said. "From the front of the house, it's absolutely normal. Then, in the middle of the house, is this enormous hole."

The victim was awake and on the ground floor about 9:30 p.m. Friday when the concrete foundation near the kitchen gave way, sending him plunging into the ground, Erwin said.

The man's wife also was in the house at the time and called 911. She was uninjured, Erwin said.

Rescuers had trouble reaching him because the ground began to shift, creating an unsafe situation for work crews. They still were trying to remove the body on Sunday afternoon, and Erwin said the home has been condemned.

Wow!!! That story is amazing! It would be interesting to know how far below the surface the mine shaft was. And how old the mine was. You would have thought there would have been some kind of record.... well I guess not necessarily - there are some old coal mines around here that are still surfacing. Interesting!

Mtflyer...very beautiful pictures! I love the ones of the Geodes. I can't get over you guys got snow there!!!

SN what a horrible story that is...that is near Tahoe..Placer County is North of here..I think Alta is off of I-80...that is very sad. Rosabella it does seem like there should have been a record of it or something..How odd