Vintage Pics

[boneaddict]

I'm not sure, they are still coming up for me and I haven't disabled them.  Try right clicking and view photos or whtever the solution is.

[LOVEMYLABXS]

Bone i don't get them either but it has something to do with my puter here at work and photobucket being blocked

Oh well this first one is my dad in April of 51 right before I was born with a couple of coon/hog dawgs in Texas



This one late 50s maybe early 60 in FL. uncle jim all the boys and dad

[boneaddict]

Here are two more shots.  Idabooner needs to come on here and clear this up for me a bit.  This was my grandfathers and Great Uncle Chucks, the famous Kikendall brothers, prospecting cabin.  It was perched on the mountain over looking Slate Creek I believe, in between two slide chutes.  It was aptly named the eagles nest.  I was fortunate enough to get to see the cabin before a slide took it down a few years back.  What was unique about it was that it had a spring inside the cabin, and always had fresh water.  When I was there the tin cup they used was still there. I brought it home and is now one of my most treasured heirlooms.  Here is where I really need Idabooners help.  I think that is my Uncle Chuck pictured in front of the cabin, but not sure.  It might be my Grandpa.  The other picture is of my grandfather, and possibly my Dad and his younger brother.  I'm not really sure.
ENJOY!

[boneaddict]

[billythekidrock]

Those are priceless...do you know about what year they were taken?

[Idabooner]

Boneaddict, you have a good memory, and proof of some mountain man blood cruising your veins. The top picture had to be taken before the mid 30's, because they were dog teaming freight to the big mines from the mid 30's. That's your Grandfather (my Dad) standing on the corner over a sort of open air basement shop where they processed the ore grindings from their homemade raster. The raster was  cement poured into the bed rock forming a bowl about 3 feet across, 1 foot deep, they put the high grade ore into it with a little water running into the bowl from the creek, they would drag, roll a big rock around grinding the ore, the gold would stay in the bowl while the ground up rock would wash over the sides. Then they would take the rich mud grindings from the bottom of the raster to their shop where they used cyanide to separate the gold, and mercury to absorb all the fine gold dust, then using a raw potato, they would cut a plug out and hollow the spud, put the gold rich mercury into it, plug it and bake the potato for the right amount of time, this caused the mercury to separate evaporating  into the top side of the potato and the gold would be in the bottom side of the spud. Don't try this at home. They done this on a windy day so they could avoid the very dangerous fumes.
Notice the trail, it's about 2 air miles long, a long ways in that country, there was at least 2 nearly straight down slide guts they crossed, they jammed logs into the bed rock then filled the top with small rocks to make a trail across, very scary for me. About 100 yards from the cabin was a small creek that had enough cyanide leach from the diggings above to be dangerous to drink, the first pack horse in drank there and died, from there they would take one pack animal at a time to the cabin because there was only room to turn one animal around, the creek was the only place wide enough to pass two mules. The big spring coming up inside the cabin not only provided good water but also helped heat the cabin in cold weather, that's why they had the big puddle inside, cold water is warmer than - 30*. I remember a gas lantern with big bear tooth marks in it, a bear had got in and tore things up in the cabin, they thought by the puncture marks and other sign that it was a fair sized grizzly. A couple other interesting things, the big canyon in the middle is Slate Creek, there is a road in the bottom, and from the road looking up to the cabin it's so far away you could just barely see the cabin with your naked eye. The top of the hill on the far left is close to Katie Pass, one of the passes Dad and uncle Chuck took the dog teams over hauling freight to the Azurite mine. (Another story)

The second picture. That's your Grandfather and Uncle Floyd (my youngest brother), the small boy is a neighbor Harvey Cottner, who died from the affects of agent orange a few years after the Vietnam war. By the looks of the boys I'd guess the picture taken about 1957, by me.  Notice they are standing in the yard directly in front of the door. That's about the balance point that keeps the "eagles nest" from tipping off the mountain, the shop is under the left. If you remember the ground is steeper than it looks in the pictures. The spring drained out the other side. The only board floor was the part hanging out, the rest was dirt. Imagine building this, with the biggest tools being a cross cut saw and an ax, then getting supplies there, first building a trail, what an ordeal, all for the hopes of getting grub for another year. AH for the good old days.

[boneaddict]

THANK YOU! for filling in the details.  I remember the hike in there thinking 
It doesn't get much steeper than that. I can remember that poisionous creek as well.  It seems to me the moss or algae in it was a different color. I also seem to remember some huge iron pipes that were used for another operation in there and you telling me how they brought those in by mule.  It would basically kill the mule the load was so heavy.  Incredible country and Incredible men that "tamed" it.

[Ray]

Very interesting photos and story behind them. Now where exactly is Slate Creek at?

Thanks for sharing.

[boneaddict]

Head up the Methow from Winthrop to Mazama, then to lost River, then towards  dead horse point, harts pass and slate peak.  Which I think is one of the highest spots in the state you can drive.  There is a lookout up there with an INCREDIBLE view of surrounding country and Pasayten.  The pacific Crest trailhead might be there, but it is an access into some unbelievable country.  Then you dive off the hill into the creek below.  If you ever want to take a sight seeing tour, there you go.  There are places like Last Chance, and Chancellor and other fun stuff.  The area is full of prospecting history.  Great place to catch a bear in play, an occasional goat or Dandy buck or see some incredible rock and flower arrangements. Gods handiwork at its finest.

[WDFW-SUX]

That's some seriously bad ass county for making a go of it great pics.

[boneaddict]

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[Jackjr]

those are some sweet pics

[MuleySniper]

Those are pretty cool..
The one with the guy and the boat captain hat crack me up.
MS

[Alchase]

Those pics are going to be great in your book Bone.

[Alchase]

They made them tough back then..... that is a long way up to that area.