Whazoo's Penumbra Umbra or Chasing Moon Shadow

[Whazoo]

So I'm a bit new here, I think I posted once years ago, and I'm not sure if I fit in but here's a try and I'll hope it's enjoyable. This was a trip up to Idaho's highest dirt road, Railroad Ridge. Not as high as some in Colorado but a good escape from lower mountain heat. And of course running from fires is fairly disconcerting.

Thanks,
Dave Rogers

And a link to the trip report...https://grandwhazoo.blogspot.com/2017/09/whazoos-penumbra-umbraor-chasing-moon.html

 

[Foy]

Livingston Mine

Great blog report, Whazoo, and thanks for the always enjoyable reading.

On each side of Railroad Ridge are workings of the Livingston Mine: Little Livingston on the north side and Livingston on the south side. The larger Livingston mine was connected to the mill complex by the road and ore was transported directly by a 3 mile aerial tramway whose cables you followed for a while. Most of the roads, the aerial ore tramway, and a hydroelectric plant were built between 1922 and 1924.

See "History of the Livingston Mine, Custer County, Idaho" by Victoria E. Mitchell of the Idaho Geological Survey, Staff Report 97-10, April 1997 at www.idahogeology.org for a detailed history and many maps and pictures of the mine and mill complex.

Foy

 

[Whazoo]

Hi Foy! Thanks a lot for your reply and great history lesson. I knew the name of the place and that was it. I'll read into your link for more info. We did look for wood remnants of a tram but didn't find any making us wonder about that incredibly long cable. I've said it before, those men were tough individuals weren't they? Also, if you read this Foy, we hiked to the Old Hundred boarding house out of Silverton and went inside. Now THAT was an accomplishment! The building of it I mean. Although the hike was a life or death hike too. One fall and you were a goner. Thanks again Foy....

 

[Whazoo]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

 

[old_man]

That last pix looks like the Old 100 Mine outside Silverton. Am I correct?

 

[Whazoo]

Yes Tom you're correct, I just threw those in there for my friend Foy as I talked about how hardy all those miners were back then. They were not part of this trip report. As for the Old Hundred, you probably know that the owners had a grand piano up there. And that when the floor caved in the piano landed on A flat miner. I heard it in Silverton lol.

 

[Foy]

On the run from the Ibex fire.........

Whazoo,

It's likely to have been the Ibex fire which seemed to chase you around the Yankee Fork area. It's the only "big one" in that part of Idaho and it's been burning since July 24. It's north-northeast of the big open pit mine, which by the way is the Thompson Creek mine, aka the Cyprus-Thompson Creek mine. It's primarily a molybdenum producer which has been off-line for a while during a period of low moly prices. Interestingly (at least to rockheads), the Thompson Creek mine is a modern discovery, first determined to be a sizable moly deposit in 1968, with production having started in 1983.

I'd be interested in some details about how far you made it past the Yankee Fork Dredge--did you get across the divide into the Loon Creek drainage before the fallen tree forced you back? And I can't readily see any roads leading you back into the Yankee Fork drainage from up above the dredge site. Were you instead on FS Road 070, aka the Custer Motorway, which leads directly back to Challis? If so, was the picture of the pass sign/Frank Church River of No Return sign at the pass between the headwaters of the Yankee Fork drainage and whatever drains into Challis?

I have a friend in Challis and he's been after us to pay a visit to some hot springs and mines out there, so some specifics about your recent trip are of great interest.

Foy

 

[Whazoo]

Hello Foy, Yes indeed we were only a mile or two from the Loon Creek camp and past the Diamond D Ranch I think it's called. A strange place for a dude ranch! There is also incredible history around there as related to mining and Indians. There was just that one road leading in above the Dredge although another y'd to the right at that point.
Wish I knew more for you Foy but I'm not that great with details.

 

[Foy]

Hello Foy, Yes indeed we were only a mile or two from the Loon Creek camp and past the Diamond D Ranch I think it's called. A strange place for a dude ranch! There is also incredible history around there as related to mining and Indians. There was just that one road leading in above the Dredge although another y'd to the right at that point.
Wish I knew more for you Foy but I'm not that great with details.

Thanks Dave,

I think I see what you did now. I think you did an "out and back" from the Yankee Fork Dredge. You climbed up about 8 switchbacks, went over the pass known on the maps as "Loon Creek Summit" descended one or two switchbacks and entered the Loon Creek drainage in its tributary, the West Fork of Mayfield Creek. In a few miles, you came upon the Diamond D Ranch and Mayfield Cr emptied into Loon Creek just past the ranch. Perhaps you were looking for the Tin Cup campground a couple or three miles down Loon Creek from the Ranch when the fallen tree turned you back. The FS roads end just past Tin Cup campground due to the boundary of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Seems like your pass in the picture might have been Loon Creek Summit and after crossing it the second time (after you turned back at the tree) you returned to the Dredge near Custer and Bonanza, then on back to Idaho 75 east of Stanley enroute back to Boise.

Foy

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Thanks for sharing! I have always liked your truck and camper setup, but never knew it was yours. What suspension are you running, airbags,shocks, lift? etc

 

[Whazoo]

Howdy PNY, Hey I sure like your toast there, I'll have to try to remember that one.

I have a Skyjacker 3inch lift, rear airbags and a Torklift Stableload assist for the rear leafs that engages the bottom overload leaf. Also a front E locker, heavy duty tie rods, Rancho adjustable shocks and misc small items. Nothing real extraordinary but it works for us. I also had to go with forged wheels since I cracked 4 cast wheels in the first couple of years. I also had to go with some tie rods that articulate/swivel at the bottom mount, I kept breaking those as well.

Thanks a lot for asking, and checking out the trip report!!

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Howdy PNY, Hey I sure like your toast there, I'll have to try to remember that one.

I have a Skyjacker 3inch lift, rear airbags and a Torklift Stableload assist for the rear leafs that engages the bottom overload leaf. Also a front E locker, heavy duty tie rods, Rancho adjustable shocks and misc small items. Nothing real extraordinary but it works for us. I also had to go with forged wheels since I cracked 4 cast wheels in the first couple of years. I also had to go with some tie rods that articulate/swivel at the bottom mount, I kept breaking those as well.

Thanks a lot for asking, and checking out the trip report!!

Thanks I wondered, it seems to handle the truck and camper well. I have airbags on mine, but want to add the airbag cradles to help with flex in the rear. No lift, am running 285/75r16. So 31's. My torsion bars are cranked up, i've thought about a small lift, but still tow and haul hay with it as well. These trucks are underrated, but do a good job off road. I have a detroit locker in the rear and regeared to 4:88, and am running an icon stage 2 suspension. Id like to lock the front but its not on the top of the list yet. Thanks for answering my questions. I'm running h2 wheels got a great deal on them and they bolt right up. That quote if from, one of the first overland journals i got. its a good one,