Starbuck's Exploring

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Central Idaho

Central Idaho, including the Sawtooths and the Frank Church Wilderness

12 posts

Deadwood Mine Camp

Deadwood Mine Camp

The Deadwood Mine, located in the Deadwood mining district of Valley County, Idaho, was a significant lead-zinc producer in the early 20th century. We made a brief stop here in 2020 on our way to some other mine camps in the area. The mine's history can be traced

Oro Cache Mine

Oro Cache Mine

The Oro Cache Mine was a small gold producer in the Beaverhead Mountains near Salmon. It is at the head of Freeman Creek, and was the largest mine in the tiny Carmen Creek Mining District. The mine was supposedly discovered in 1897, and was developed rapidly. It operated intermittently until

Sunnyside Mill

Sunnyside Mill

Deep in the forests of central Idaho and almost entirely surrounded by the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is the Sunnyside Mine. Once a large mine, it has been completely reclaimed. It does have some mill ruins left. Discovered by the Caswell brothers in 1899, they sold the mine

Sulphur Dog Mine

Sulphur Dog Mine

Not it's real name, we read about an old mine deep in the forests of Idaho with the remains of a 10-stamp mill and, more interestingly, a "portable" smelter. Smelters are rare, and it's even rarer to find one deep in the backcountry. And

Hermes Mine

Hermes Mine

Deep in the woods of Idaho, cinnabar was discovered at the headwaters of Sugar Creek (later renamed Cinnabar Creek) by Pringle Smith in 1902. Actual mining didn’t start until the early 1920s; even then, it was limited to only a few flasks of mercury. The mine was worked in

Livingston Mill

Livingston Mill

We got a tour of this mining camp in central Idaho from the caretaker who lives on-site. He was very generous with his time and was happy to show us around. I asked him why the name “Trump” was painted on the mill buildings, and he said: “You never know.

Hunting Grounds Mill

Hunting Grounds Mill

Lost in the woods of central Idaho, we found a Chilean-style roller mill still full of ore waiting to be processed. The mill is a C.C. Lane slow-speed roller mill and was installed at the mill site around 1930. It once had a steam engine to go along with