Reader-supported field notes from backcountry explorations of the Western United States

Starbuck's Exploring

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CA Yosemite and Central Sierra

CA Yosemite and Central Sierra

California's Central Sierra Nevada Mountains, including Yosemite National Park. Generally north of Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and the San Joaquin River. And south of Highway US 50.

20 posts

Hess Mine

Hess Mine

Not far from the Tioga Pass entrance station to Yosemite National Park lie the remains of the Hess Mine, one of the more accessible 1940s-era tungsten mines in the High Sierra. Three widely-separated claims comprised the mine: the main claim at the north end of Steelhead Lake; a small middle

Ward Stamp Mill

Ward Stamp Mill

Up in the high country of the Eastern Sierra and south of Bridgeport, is the old site of Ward. Never a big mine or camp but it makes an interesting place to visit in that a stamp mill still remains there. It's also a bit of a challenge to get

Antelope Cottonwood Mill

Antelope Cottonwood Mill

We found this small modern mill that seems often overlooked on Chidago Loop Road in the Benton Hills north of Bishop. The equipment is a mixture of new and old. It is nice to see so much of it still here. Hopefully, it remains that way. I couldn't find much

Telegraph City

Telegraph City

I had been wanting to check out this area for a while and one day we were able to meet up with a few exploring buddies and go out there. Telegraph City got its namesake from the telegraph lines running from Stockton to Sonora. It was established in 1860s as

Golden Crown Mine

Golden Crown Mine

The Golden Crown mine is up at 10,640 ft along the Sierra crest in Yosemite National Park. The hike to get up there is a nice 3.7 mile and 950 ft hike to the mine, which is right at Mono Pass. The views of Mono Lake from this

Bennettville Ghost Camp

Bennettville Ghost Camp

Bennettville (once called Tioga) was a small mine camp that had that typical ghost town story of boom and bust of a big strike that never panned out. Part of the Tioga Mining District, Bennettville was built to support one mine, the Great Sierra, and its famed Sheepherder lode. They

Par Value Mill

Par Value Mill

Late autumn of 2017 found us tracking down a very unusual stamp mill high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The mill was a unique hammer design called a Pratt Ideal Stamp Mill. Very few of these mills were ever put into use and even fewer (if any!) still