Search for a Steam donkey

Some footage I took while searching for an old steam donkey in the mountains near the Linn Lane county border. If you don't know what a steam donkey is check out this link.

My buddy Doug was with me on this trip and will probably be with me on many future adventures. Doug went with me to the Pathfinder Gathering where we did some looking around at native American sites & site seeing. I did not realize that Doug liked to explore.

I have information from two different "old fellers", that there is all or part of a steam donkey in this specific area. One fella that has since past away, told me about two huge wheels being up here. He said He had no idea how they ever got them up there. The other fella said that there is remnants of the steam donkey and cords of split wood stacked between trees still up there. Other information from both these old fellers has checked out, so I have no reason to doubt them. I have always made it a point of stopping and talking to anyone in the area of something I am looking for. Sort of pick their brain and take some notes. Older folks have some of the best life stories and are a treasure in themselves.

We did not find the steam donkey this trip, just some great scenery, some black bear scat & had some fun. Planning a second trip in the area the weekend of Sept 18th-19th.

4th of July Gold Hill

Julie and I decided to head up to Gold Hill for the 4th of July and then relax at the pretty pool we had found in June. Okay, so it was really more like... I talked her into going to the pool and forgot to mention going all the way to the gold mines. ;-) I planned to take you folks with inside one of the mines, but above the mine is an old cabin that has been semi-taken over by tweekers. As we went down the road that leads to the mine I see some shady types, so it is best to turn around and come back a different day.

Here is a pic of the cabin that is above the mine from a previous trip. I will be back in the area in mid July for a camping trip with my buddy Doug I Plan to revisit this mine and cabin then.

Here is a pic of what the tweekers have done to the cabin and this poor old cast iron stove from a previous trip. Very sad.

Here is a pic of the mine below the cabin from a previous trip. When Doug and I go back, I will take pics from inside. The mine goes into the rock about 40 feet back and then opens up into a large sphere.

Onto another area a little higher up the mountain...


Just past an open quarry style quartz mine the road heads down and the road gets really bad, these pics don't really show how back it is. I tried to take pics that would show how nasty the road is. I walked down the road this time to take the pics and found an old pair of pliers that must have bounced out of someone's truck. I also found a rubber hose from an engine, two different parts of two different mufflers, and a washer.

About halfway down.

A view looking back up the road. My 4x4 Toyota Tacoma has made it up and down this road many times, it's a great truck!

The pliers, marked "BlueBird No. 25"

Unknown wild flowers near the quartz mine.

More unknown wild flowers near the quartz mine.

It sure is hot up here, 90 degrees or so. Time to head down the mountain a bit and revisit the magic pool too cool off.