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Just got back from a trip today to Mary Ellen Gulch in American Fork Canyon. The drive up was quite nice for AF canyon, as there were very few people and the weather was wonderful. After some relaxing offroading, we came to quite a large mining complex at the back end of the Gulch. We explored around and found most of the mines to be open, with a few building still standing. The entire area is deeply rich in iron ore.
The first mine we came to was hand backfilled and is now uncovered and one could slip into the mine. I did not venture into this one as I was by myself in this area and there was no airflow, and I had no gas meter on me. I continued walking and came to an old ore bin that is in pretty decent shape. Above the bin, I found some heavy cabling running up the hill. I decided to investigate the cable and saw they lead up to a building with a tin roof. Intrigued by what I saw, I climbed several hundred feet up the hillside and discovered a very interested building. A sign on it said Private Property, but there were no "No Trespassing" signs around, so I peeked in. I found what appears to be a home / survival retreat in fairly good condition. Pots and pans were in the cupboards, dining utinsils and condiments on the table, it appeared as somebody suddenly left the location several years back and never returned.
I left the location undisturbed and continued hiking north on the trail and came to a mine with strong wooden supports running back into it. The mine was short and I had to duck the entire way. A small cave in pooled up water on the other side, so I did not proceed further as I did not have my mining boots on. It is a wet mine, but deserves further exploration. We hiked down to the stream and followed it for a bit until we came to a mine that the river ran right next to. I ventured in there a few thousand feet before returning to join Chris, as he did not have a light. This mine was also short, and there was just enough airflow for me to be comfortable.
Returning, we stopped to shoot a few rounds from the .45 and sharpen our skills before returning home. Mary Ellen Gulch appears to have some very rich mining history, rich ores, and provides a fun offroading experience. We will have to return back with the MMT and thoroughly explore the mines.
Photos of the trip can be seen in the image gallery at:
The first mine we came to was hand backfilled and is now uncovered and one could slip into the mine. I did not venture into this one as I was by myself in this area and there was no airflow, and I had no gas meter on me. I continued walking and came to an old ore bin that is in pretty decent shape. Above the bin, I found some heavy cabling running up the hill. I decided to investigate the cable and saw they lead up to a building with a tin roof. Intrigued by what I saw, I climbed several hundred feet up the hillside and discovered a very interested building. A sign on it said Private Property, but there were no "No Trespassing" signs around, so I peeked in. I found what appears to be a home / survival retreat in fairly good condition. Pots and pans were in the cupboards, dining utinsils and condiments on the table, it appeared as somebody suddenly left the location several years back and never returned.
I left the location undisturbed and continued hiking north on the trail and came to a mine with strong wooden supports running back into it. The mine was short and I had to duck the entire way. A small cave in pooled up water on the other side, so I did not proceed further as I did not have my mining boots on. It is a wet mine, but deserves further exploration. We hiked down to the stream and followed it for a bit until we came to a mine that the river ran right next to. I ventured in there a few thousand feet before returning to join Chris, as he did not have a light. This mine was also short, and there was just enough airflow for me to be comfortable.
Returning, we stopped to shoot a few rounds from the .45 and sharpen our skills before returning home. Mary Ellen Gulch appears to have some very rich mining history, rich ores, and provides a fun offroading experience. We will have to return back with the MMT and thoroughly explore the mines.
Photos of the trip can be seen in the image gallery at:
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