Bohemian Saddle Trails

Last weekend a friend took me up to the Bohemian Saddle Trails to explore old gold mines. The trails are scatted with old mines, most are closed (with steel bars and boulders) but some are accessible. Many only went 100 yards or so into the mountain, a couple went much farther than that. Having never explored old mines I wasn't sure what to expect, I had no clue how exciting it would be. Each mine was unique and offered its own curiosity and history, it was amazing to see how intricate these old labyrinths were. The individuals that worked these mines must have been some hardy individuals. All the wood that was used in the tunnels and shafts was cut and worked right outside the mine, the iron and other metal equipment had to be packed in. 

This mine was one of the first we explored. Phil discovered this mine while I was busy trekking through a creek in search of fauna. This mine was at the end of an overgrown road not far from a run down shack. The mine looked as if it collapsed from the inside. I imagine this was a very active mine at one time due to the large runoff pile that buried the hillside and the abandon equipment at the base of the hill.

The old shack.

Mining Bucket?

Some kind of tank, I've never seen welds like this.

One of the many creeks around the mines.

It was a smokey day due to the fact Oregon is on fire. Again.

One of the closed mines

I felt that every mine should be explored and Phil acting as the voice of reason, reminded me that many of these mines are dangerous and could collapse at any time.

I can only listen to reason for so long, eventually I give into curiosity. The mines that ran deep were cold, damp and the rocks were brittle. It was easy to see how they collapse and cave in over time.

There was life in the caves. Phil spotted a Pacific Giant salamander in one of the caves and patently waited as I took photos.

Banana slugs were abundant in the caves (a favorite food for Pacific Giant Salamanders).

A tailed frog that was lurking in one of the mines.

Spotted a few camel crickets in the mines.

Wolf Spiders were abundant on the rocky trails.

A grasshopper.

Now for the biggest mine we explored. It was blocked off but others had clearly found a way to enter, so we thought it was worth a look. This mine was amazing and massive, at certain points I realized I was several stories up on a platform inside a mountain. Incredible to think of the amount of time and work that went into constructing this mine. I apologized for the quality of these photos, I only took my phone in.

A much appreciated warning. While walking down the mine it appeared we were walking on solid ground, while in fact we were not. I shined my light down and could see three levels below us.

A handmade ladder.

The old wood structures that were holding this mine together were impressive to say the least.

A common sight in every cave were piles of thousands of moth wings. Not sure why.

If you choose to go check these mines, proceed with caution and go with someone. Be prepared and bring the necessary equipment. It was apparent that people had been in these mines recently and would not like to have surprise visitors.