JO Pass Trailside "Chimney" Mystery
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:11 pm
Hello folks,
My friend and I were supposed to hike to Twin Lakes on Saturday, but we were slow in getting out so we set up camp at the bear box/campsite located at the Twin Lakes Trail - JO Pass Trail junction linked below:
http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/SC02.html
We liked the site so much (good water, good fire rings, lots of deadfall, not crowed at all) that we spent 2 nights there, and we made some interesting discoveries.
1. I found two trees by the creek that had a bunch of nails pounded into them, some of which were "U" shaped. The trees were about 2' apart, so I guessed that the tree had been used to cure/stretch a hide at some point.
2. There was a curiously flat piece of log-wood that we used as a bench...it also had a door or roofing nail in it (very wide head, short shaft).
But the big mysteries for us were:
3. Some sort of "chimney." The thing was a dome built out of rock and compacted earth about 4' in diameter, with a 6-8" square shaft in the center. There were recent burned wood remains inside the chimney, and a long rectangular shaft perpendicular to the chimney that measured about 6" x 6" x 5 feet.
4. At least 4-5 odd rectangular "bricks" made of a semi porous beige substance, about 4" x 6" in size scattered about. It was too hard/tough to be hardtack or old fashioned campfire bread, but that was what we initially thought it was.
Any ideas on what these things might have been?
My friend and I were supposed to hike to Twin Lakes on Saturday, but we were slow in getting out so we set up camp at the bear box/campsite located at the Twin Lakes Trail - JO Pass Trail junction linked below:
http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/SC02.html
We liked the site so much (good water, good fire rings, lots of deadfall, not crowed at all) that we spent 2 nights there, and we made some interesting discoveries.
1. I found two trees by the creek that had a bunch of nails pounded into them, some of which were "U" shaped. The trees were about 2' apart, so I guessed that the tree had been used to cure/stretch a hide at some point.
2. There was a curiously flat piece of log-wood that we used as a bench...it also had a door or roofing nail in it (very wide head, short shaft).
But the big mysteries for us were:
3. Some sort of "chimney." The thing was a dome built out of rock and compacted earth about 4' in diameter, with a 6-8" square shaft in the center. There were recent burned wood remains inside the chimney, and a long rectangular shaft perpendicular to the chimney that measured about 6" x 6" x 5 feet.
4. At least 4-5 odd rectangular "bricks" made of a semi porous beige substance, about 4" x 6" in size scattered about. It was too hard/tough to be hardtack or old fashioned campfire bread, but that was what we initially thought it was.
Any ideas on what these things might have been?