Week ending Nov 16, 2017 Vicksburg BLM

Friday, we hooked up the trailer and headed to Parker to stock up on groceries.   Then we continued to Vicksburg, where we have boon-docked a couple of times before, including this spring on our way north.   We were  surprised to see that a permanent little old class C parked just past the railway tracks on a site marked as private property was gone.  It had been there since we started coming here.   We were shocked that there was only one other RV in the area, as there were quite a few units here the other times.  The other unit was parked closer to the beginning of the area than we have ever seen anyone.

Saturday,  we walked from the trailer on a route toward Calcite Mine, a trip we had planned but not done in the spring.   We confirmed a good place to park the truck, where it would be off the road and easy to turn around.   We went about another mile  along the route before heading back.

Deer tracks near canine tracks

We saw this post with tin can nailed to it.  We speculated that they only had enough wood for one post, so nailed a tin can on it for donations to buy more posts.  

Sunday, before watching the NASCAR race from Phoenix, we took our lantern so we could go into the tunnel at the Desert Queen Mine.

Remains of Winchesters' house

We walked into the level tunnel for about 60 paces, before a side tunnel, about 20 paces.   We continued down the main tunnel for about another 40 paces, where it split into two branches.  Up to this point, there was light from the beginning, which faces south.  

Entrance to the mine

Tunnel from near the entrance

Chute in the mine

John scrambled up the hill above the tunnel, then around to the back of the hill, where it looked like there might be another entrance into the mine, as there was a tailings pile on that side too.   This entrance was not as accessible as the south facing one.  It may have been partially covered by a rock slide.

Opening on the back side of the hill the mine is in

Joan found a good website regarding the Desert Queen.    Due to the discovery of gold here being announced in Phoenix in 1909,  the town of Winchester, created at the mine,  is possibly the most well-established, shortest-lived mining town in Arizona’s history.  Most of the people left after a couple of months, as they thought the gold had run out.   The Desert Queen Mine stopped production of GOLD in 1942 when the United States Government no longer allowed mining of non-strategic minerals (including gold) during World War 2.

Monday, we drove the truck up the road near the Desert Queen, and walked the route from there to Calcite Mine.   As we were heading out, John noticed the battery in the GPS was low.    We dug into our packs and found a few batteries, which were stronger, but still used.  We knew the general route, so turned off the GPS, turning it on at junctions to make sure we took the right direction, and then more often as we got close to the mine site.  

Colorful hill

We startled a hare, but were lucky to see him trying to be inconspicuous near a tree. 

Well camouflaged except for the ears

There were many digs near Calcite, with different colors than we have seen at other mine sites.   They mined calcite (of course) which is the principal constituent of limestone and marble.  It is used in construction materials, abrasives, agricultural soil treatment, pigment, pharmaceuticals, etc.  There was also kyanite here.  It is used to manufacture a wide range of products, particularly refractory and ceramic products like bricks, kilns, sinks.  It is also used in electrical insulators and abrasives.    Not as exciting as gold mining, but probably almost as profitable.

A calcite pit (we think)

We stopped at a 'waterfall' location on the wash below the pits to eat our lunch.

Dry waterfall in the foreground

On our way back, we saw some artistic displays, surprising to see in this valley.

Modern Rock Art

Aliens below a cave

Up close

We were able to keep the GPS on all of the way back, by putting in our last used battery.

When we got back to the trailer, we put new batteries in the GPS and a spare pair in the pack. 

A while later a local stopped by on his ATV.  He had seen our trailer from the highway, and was surprised that we were able to get the trailer in as far as we had (exactly the same place we parked in March) since there had been heavy rain this summer, and the road had been washed out.  Some work had been done on it, but he hadn't figured it was good enough for a large trailer.   He told us that if we had concerns about getting back out to the highway to come and get him to bring  his tractor to grade the wash.   We told him we would be okay, unless there was a flash flood.   It would take a lot, since when the road got washed out, the ground had a lot of water in it, so the next rain all ran down from the hills instead of soaking in.  We also found out that the owner of class C just across the tracks died this summer.  A couple of other locals also passed away this summer.

Tuesday we walked down our route back toward the highway to make sure it was as easy to get out as it was to come in.   Looks okay. 

Wednesday we went into Quartzite.  We took our garbage to the waste transfer station.   We found out that the towing and vehicle repair shop in town takes stale gas.  We have been trying to find somewhere to take it for quite a while.  We took the refundable bottles to the museum, since they take them to California, about 30 miles away, to get the refunds.   We had breakfast at Sweet Darlene's Restaurant and Bakery.   Good food for a reasonable price.   We stopped at Discount Solar, since our batteries have been getting too low this week.   When we described the issue, they recommended that we add another 160w panel.    We were very pleased with their patience explaining the rational.
Then we headed to the markets to look for another bin and a cover for the phone.    Everyone recommended Amazon for the phone cover.   Most of the vendors don't arrive until January.  Apparently there is one vendor who only sells phone accessories.  We did find the bin we wanted in a dollar store.

When we got back to the trailer, John connected the wiring to the batteries for the new panel.    Thursday morning, John finished the connections at the panel.   Then we headed to NAPA in Salome to pick up a few screws to attach bits of one of the eaves troughs to create a stand for the panel.