Starbuck's Exploring

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Yankee Fork Gold Dredge

Yankee Fork Gold Dredge

Few gold dredges are left surviving in the lower 48 states, and even fewer are intact. This is one of the few. When I first heard about it, I had to see it. I was not disappointed. The Snake River Mining Company (a subsidiary of the Silas Mason Co.) contracted

Lee Hilton Cabin

Lee Hilton Cabin

Also known as Macey’s Cabin and the Nelson Cabin, it was built for the Cerrussite Mine, which it sits next to. It is a cozy little spot we’ve been visiting since 1999. J. F. Wasson staked a claim on the site on February 25, 1954. The cabin probably

Belden Arrastra and Mikiska Petroglyphs

Belden Arrastra and Mikiska Petroglyphs

I had looked for this arrastra some time ago but instead found another mining camp. That ended up being a good trip, even without finding my elusive target. Still, it wasn’t an arrastra. So, some time passed (actually, a few years), and it sort of dropped off my radar,

Alice Hunt Pictograph Shelter

Alice Hunt Pictograph Shelter

A few years ago, a few friends and I went out to search for some rock art sites in a canyon in Death Valley. It was still pretty early in the season, so it wasn’t hot yet. We were hunting for some petroglyph and pictograph sites in the canyon.

Mine near the Endowment Mine

Mine near the Endowment Mine

Back in 2014, we returned to Nevada to do some mine exploring. We found a couple of new sites and made some discoveries at some old favorites. This was a new discovery near the Endowment Mine. I haven’t come across any history on this place, but it is clear

White Mountains Wickiup

White Mountains Wickiup

I had known about a wickiup, a traditional Native American dwelling high in the White Mountains of California, for a while. I thought it would be an interesting find, so I decided to go on a hike to see if I could track it down. The information I had didn’

MV Mill

MV Mill

I found this hidden mill in 2013. It is unusual in that a Pelton wheel powered it. Water was funneled into a ditch and then a pipe and poured over the waterwheel, which drove the equipment inside. A water-powered mill is a rare sight in the land of little rain.