California, 5th November, leaving Death Valley, Emigrant Canyon Road and Eureka Mine
We spent our last night in Furnace Creek after a pleasant evening around a campfire with Mairi's friends Lily and Susie. We would not be seeing them again as our paths were diverging.
It was sad to see the last of Death Valley. We had enjoyed it more than Yosemite, I think mainly because it was quieter. Also I must admit it was nice to feel the warm sun. We drove out south east along Emigrant Canyon Road as we wanted to see Eureka Mine on the way. The road was very quiet and rough for the last part towards the mine. The scenery was barren and no one else was around.
The mine was created by Pete Aguereberry, a French Basque who came to Death Valley in 1905 and nearly lost his life travelling across it in the summer heat. He visited the Eureka area with Shorty Harris and found gold so they both filed claims for the area around the hill. A tented camp known as Harrisburg was set up nearby and 300 men women and children eventually lived and mined around here. Pete worked the Eureka mine on his own from 1907 until the early 1930's, apart from some help from his nephew when his health was failing.
The entrances to the mine are now sealed off with bat doors, but the wooden structure of the Cashier Mill, used to pulverise the ore, is still there along with a mass of rusty detritus.
I can't imagine what it must have been like to live there. Water had to be brought in from springs a little way away and I can imagine that the barrenness of the surroundings might eventually become depressing. Not to mention the heat of the summer, without even a tree to shelter under.
It was sad to see the last of Death Valley. We had enjoyed it more than Yosemite, I think mainly because it was quieter. Also I must admit it was nice to feel the warm sun. We drove out south east along Emigrant Canyon Road as we wanted to see Eureka Mine on the way. The road was very quiet and rough for the last part towards the mine. The scenery was barren and no one else was around.
The mine was created by Pete Aguereberry, a French Basque who came to Death Valley in 1905 and nearly lost his life travelling across it in the summer heat. He visited the Eureka area with Shorty Harris and found gold so they both filed claims for the area around the hill. A tented camp known as Harrisburg was set up nearby and 300 men women and children eventually lived and mined around here. Pete worked the Eureka mine on his own from 1907 until the early 1930's, apart from some help from his nephew when his health was failing.
The entrances to the mine are now sealed off with bat doors, but the wooden structure of the Cashier Mill, used to pulverise the ore, is still there along with a mass of rusty detritus.
I can't imagine what it must have been like to live there. Water had to be brought in from springs a little way away and I can imagine that the barrenness of the surroundings might eventually become depressing. Not to mention the heat of the summer, without even a tree to shelter under.
We walked from the mill over to the remains of the cabin where Pete Aguereberry lived until his death in 1945. He obviously loved the isolation. It lies in a small complex with a guesthouse and another cabin next to it.There is another mine entrance here as well as the remains of an old car, riddled with bullet holes, and a stove which lies mysteriously out in the open.
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