Black Eagle Camp aka The Champion Spark Plug Mine

 The story of our short trip up Jeffrey Canyon to Black Eagle Camp aka The Champion Spark Plug Mine began a couple of hours earlier and about 10 miles to the west. From the previous blog post: We drove a short spur road up out of Red Rock Canyon to eat lunch. At our lunch spot Jan's cell phone started to receive messages because it now had service. We discovered that our friends Clark and Jo Ann were hiking and camping west of us in the Sierra. They told us that the next day they were hiking to the Black Eagle Camp in Jeffery Canyon. Looking across the Chalfant Valley with my binoculars I could see Jeffery Canyon and the road to the upper trailhead. I looked at Jan and said, "It is only 3 PM, we could be at the trail head by 5 PM, set up the camper for you and I could start hiking by 6 PM." Jan asked, "What are you up to?" I replied, "I'll spend the night at one of the cabins and surprise Clark and Jo Ann when they arrive in the morning." She said, "Won't they see me and the camper at the trail head?" I chuckled and said, "They will be using the lower trail head." Jan asked,"Why?" I replied, "You will understand after we drive the road to the campsite".

Crossing an old aqueduct that once carried water to the White Mountain Ranch from Millner Canyon. White Mountain Peak 10,000 feet above our location.

As we drove the high road Jan saw why our friends driving a large truck camper would not be hiking from the upper trail head. Five months later there was a mishap on this road.

Using a conveniently located wide spot at the road's end we turned the truck around and set up camp.

Jan's airy trailhead camp. It was difficult finding a flat spot to set up camp which wouldn't be in the way of other vehicles wanting to turn around.

 2,500 feet below a rooster tail of dust plumed behind a distant vehicle on the Fish Slough Road.

It was 6:30 PM when I started my hike to the camp.

The sun was setting and the shadows were getting long.

Not a bad trail considering that is isn't maintained by the Inyo National Forest.

The narrowest part of the trail. This section is about 200 feet in length and the trail narrows to less than a foot in width.

After about a mile of hiking the Black Eagle Camp came into view.

My accommodations for the night would be provided by the Champion Hilton.

A quick scout of the camp revealed that I had the place to myself.

The Champion Hilton proved to be a very relaxing place to eat dinner and watch the sunset.

I spent the rest of the evening reading the cabin logbooks.

Sunrise on the Sierra Nevada. The overnight low at Black Eagle Camp was just 41 degrees.

 Early morning photograph of the Champion Hilton Cabin at Black Eagle Camp. The upper mine is about two miles from camp in the formation behind the cabin.

View of the interior.

 More of the interior. I have spent the night in many old cabins and need to say that these are by far the cleanest and best equipped. (Except for maybe the Briggs and Thorndike Cabins in the Panamints.)(Well, there is another but I promised to never reveal its location.)

 A sample of some of the artwork on the walls of the cabin. This artist should sell their work. I would buy a copy of this pen and ink.

It seems as if Sarah was here, again.

I walked over to the museum to see if it was open. (wink)

This collection of footwear reminded me of a woman's shoe Jan and I found when hiking an old emigrant trail in the Sierra.

Once inside the museum there were many artifacts and photos. What follows is a small sample.

 A photograph of the upper mine.

Three of the cabins in the upper camp burned in a 1987 fire.

A postcard of the Jeffery Mine from the 1930's.

It is hard to believe when walking around the camp but everything was carried in by mules.

400 pounds at a time.

Must have been something to see.

My next stop was a look inside the cookhouse. Makes one think about all the meals and conversations that happened in this building.

The dining room is now a bunk house. Sure do wish these walls could talk.

I visited the rest of the buildings and although nice, none of the other cabins were quite as comfortable as the Hilton.

This coin was stuck in the floor outside of one of the cabins. It reminded me of the six weeks I spent in the South Pacific. That was a long time ago.

A bit after noon I decided that I had waited long enough for my friends and started the hike back to the truck on the high trail.

Approaching the end of the trail I heard someone yell from far across the canyon. (12x zoom) It was Clark and Jo Ann hiking on the old pack trail. From what I could gather from our across the canyon confab they got a late start because of truck trouble.

Later in the week they sent a photo of me from their side of the canyon.

Leaving our upper trailhead camp.

More of the shelf road that makes up most of the route.

The only section of the road where one wouldn't mind meeting another vehicle.

One of several switchbacks on the route.

We stopped for burgers at the Chalfant Mercantile and then headed for home. I had new garage door windows to install.

Casa Diablo - "ended in the midst of a large boulder field"

 The plan was to head to Mahogany Flat in DVNP and meet some friends who were hiking Telescope Peak. A few days before our departure I checked on road conditions and discovered that the road to Mahogany was closed. Our hastily conceived alternate plan was to head north to the Bishop area and explore the mountains north of the volcanic tablelands.

 It had been many years since I first drove the Casa Diablo Road. We explored a few vaguely remembered side roads and continued north to the road's namesake.

 When we arrived at Casa Diablo Mountain Jan spotted an arch on a northern ridge.

Our next stop was the Casa Diablo Mine. Suffering from a brain cramp I did not take any photos. "Workings include underground openings comprised of a number of tunnels at different elevations. The main tunnel was driven as a crosscut S30E for 1,000 feet, intersecting the veins. The May Brooks vein was cut 300 feet from the portal. Drifts run 300 feet SW and 75 feet NE. 250 feet of its length was stoped to surface in the SW drift. The Don of Hope vein was encountered 390 feet from the portal and was drifted 300 feet NE, and was stoped for 100 feet. A winze was sunk 250 feet deep on the Don of Hope vein." - www.mindat.org

 Driving a short section of 4x4 road on the eastern edge of the mountain.

We set up camp south of Casa Diablo Mountain.

Overlooking the Chalfant Valley with the White Mountains highlighted by the last rays of the setting sun.

Early the next morning our game camera photographed a fox passing through camp. We did not hear what the fox said. ;)

That photo explained the track that I found under the truck.

 Evidence that sometime in the past

 other people had used our campsite.

Interesting inversion layers between our camp and White Mountain Peak.

 We lingered in camp until mid-morning.

 North of Casa Diablo Mountain with the White Mountains in the distance.

 Off a short spur road we found the remains of an old cabin.

Probably the man who built the cabin. A Google search did not uncover any information about Mr. Falconer.

  Near the cabin Jan found a couple of sets of bear tracks.

 Moments later I found an unusual print near the bear tracks.

No mystery to the source of the second track. It was Jan's boot. She had foot surgery last month.

 Descending into Chidago Canyon. Glass Mountain in the distance.

 Driving south in Chidago Canyon. The road ended in the midst of a large boulder field about 1/4 mile past this location.

 Entering the Chance Mine claim.

 Why or how did the rock end up on top of the sheet of steel?

 Main portal of the Chance Mine.

 Departing the Chance Mine.

Very cool rock near the road. Jan and I both thought it would look great in our backyard but it remains where we found it.

Driving the Chidago Cutoff Road.

 Sierra Vista Mine.

 The miners created a unique design on the foundations by using corrugated steel for the frames when pouring the concrete.

 Upper section of Red Rock Canyon.

 We drove a short spur road up out of Red Rock Canyon to eat lunch. At our lunch spot Jan's cell phone started to receive messages because it now had service. We discovered that our friends Clark and Jo Ann were hiking and camping west of us in the Sierra. They told us that the next day they were hiking to the Black Eagle Camp in Jeffery Canyon. Looking across the Chalfant Valley with my binoculars I could see Jeffery Canyon and the road to the upper trail head. I looked at Jan and said, "It is only 3 PM, we could be at the trail head by 5 PM, set up the camper for you and I could start hiking by 6 PM." Jan asked, "What are you up to?" I replied, "I'll spend the night at one of the cabins and surprise Clark and Jo Ann when they arrive in the morning." She said, "Won't they see me and the camper at the trail head?" I chuckled and said, "They will be using the lower trail head." Jan asked, "Why?" I replied, "You will understand after we drive the road to the campsite."

 We drove quickly through the lower section of Red Rock Canyon. I plan to return and photograph the arches in the canyon. There seemed to be an arch everywhere we looked.