Quicksilver Mine Ride

11 responses to “Quicksilver Mine Ride”

1. 

   rocketmavericks

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:08 am

   More important than the usage of the mercury in the early gold mining of placer deposits, was the strategic importance of the mercury to the civil war. Explosives state of the art munitions at that time were dependent upon fulmanated mercury, and this mine and the guadalope depost the ridge over from where you are, a currently still active mine, were vital supplies to the north to beat the south.

   I use to run around these mines as a kid, but this one looks like a tourist mock-up, as it is in way too good a shape. Those are fresh timbers with preservative.

   Those that want to know more can read some of the historical information found here: http://www.jstor.org/pss/25160617

   Did you find any strawberries while you were there? Not the fruit, but the mercury type? They litter the creek.

   Reply
2. 

   jurvetson

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:14 am

   What? I thought all mines were clean and idyllic like this?

   I biked down it, and they have it sealed off a bit farther down. The view there:

   

   Certainly refurbished since then.

   Reply
3. 

   rocketmavericks

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:23 am

   Go up Hicks Road on the other side of the ridge to Guadalupe Mines Road. Its a great climb up the winding road, but you will wind through a whole bunch of old mines and tunnels before you get to the Guadalupe Reservoir. You can ride all the way up to Mt Uminum, part of the Nike Missile radar system that use to be perched atop Mt Loma Prieta. There is another Nike site up there too! They took the antenna and radar system down I think before you moved to the area. You can ride all the way down summit road which turns into skyline, and take that back to Alpine road and back to your house. A big ride, but you will really get to see the area. I you turn left off summit before teh old store, that is Soquel Road, and you can take that to downtown Capitola.

   Reply
4. 

   rocketmavericks

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:25 am

   Just saw the photo. Now that picture brings back memories. How far did you go in? Lots of asbestos in the rock, so if you go exploring, bring a mask. We use to go just to pick up old blasting caps for the 4th of July. There and the old Kaiser cement plant quarry were the best places as a kid in the valley to get your hands on explosives, if you couldn’t make them yourself.

   Reply
5. 

   jurvetson

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:35 am

   grinning ear to ear… this is why I love you man!

   Reply
6. 

   tifotter

   Oct 28, 2009 at 5:52 am

   You biked into the mine? I’m claustrophobic just imagining it and seeing that photo. Yikes. I need to step outside. Pretty neat… but yeesh.

   Reply
7. 

   drona

   Oct 28, 2009 at 2:57 pm

   Wow! What a discovery!

   RocketMavericks: I’ve hiked those trails upto Loma Prieta, but didn’t know about the mines…another Wow! BTW, Alpine ends on PageMill, which then intersects Skyline.

   Sorry Steve, I’ve been tardy on getting myself a Warshawsky-Jurvetson grade Mtn. bike…!

   Reply
8. 

   born1945

   Oct 28, 2009 at 3:01 pm

   I saw a "Dirty Jobs" program on Discovery Channel about closing mines in Northern California. There are apparently thousands of them. The one shown in the program was a vertical shaft. The crew went down into the mine to ensure there was no living things in it (like people) and then they mixed up a foam chemical and used it to cap the mine, covering it with dirt to hide it. If the VC business, Steve, ever slows down, this could be a new career for you…

   Reply
9. 

   Leino88

   Oct 31, 2009 at 11:25 pm

   love the flask….

   Reply
10. 

    jurvetson

    Nov 1, 2009 at 12:08 am

    a nice aged tequila…

    tifotter: yes, but you can’t go very far in.

    drona: just got back from Montebello. The coyotes seem to be eating well this year.

    Reply
11. 

    TomiTapio

    Nov 17, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Good shot!

    Reply