A Private Message from another user got me thinking:
A small group of us from Oregon enjoy Fordyce every other summer or so, and would like to know more about the other sites to see while out on the trail. Normally we run the trail both ways as most of our rigs are trail only, I know there is a lot of interesting places just off the trail by foot. Is there any chance you could point me in the right direction to see some of the historic places?
Now I'm much more informed about Rubicon than I am about Fordyce, so I'll need some help on this -- I'll start up a thread in the Fordyce forum like we have on Rubicon... the best stuff is often just a short hike away! The waterfall just past and to the north of Winch Hill 2 and the old mines are well worth a hike... I have buddies that swear the fishing downstream of the first water crossing is awesome, as well.

We have a thread on the Rubicon forum called: Cool Stuff on or near the Rubicon Trail and it has been a fun resource: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611550

Seems like every time I go up to the trail, I notice something new... Fordyce is great 'wheeling, but it gets even better when you talk to other users, explore, and enjoy. No one user has seen it all -- all of us see different things each trip.

I'm betting this thread will go on for a long time, if we can get people to share some of their favorite spots. Yeah, I know some of the favorites are also secrets, but maybe you can share some of the not-so-secret stuff, or just a few of your 'secret spots.'

Randii

There's good details on some of the old mines in this article:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=814405&highlight=mine
..and more in this thread: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=628127&highlight=mine

Randii

Here's an interesting story I found:

"I worked with a man named Charlie Shelton in the seventies. He spent his child hood at Fordice mining and fishing with his father. He went to war in world war two and was captured by the Germans. When he came back he went to work for PG&E. Charlie passed away about 1985 or 1986. Charlie is buried in the new Auburn cemetery. To get to the point Charlie had a map of that region that his dad made comments on. Charlie and his dad spent years mining and fishing this area. One cabin at the base of Old Man Mountain was built by them. The map is on the north side
of Old Man Mountain. If you look at the bottom of the tailings under a large quartz rock. It is in a Prince Albert tobacco tin. All parts on the map are named and labeled. This includes the name of the old miners and points of mining interest. The last time I saw the map was 1981.
I have a picture of it taken at that time."

No really a point of interest but more a method of seeing the trail. Get out and hike. I saw more stuff when I hiked the trail than all the times I've driven it. In reference to the above story there is a camp of some sort up on Old Man Mountain. It's either a trappers or a miners camp. Not sure. I'm going to try and get up there this year to check it out.

Some of the rapids on the Fordyce Creek are spectacular and you can't see them from the 4x4 trail. If the river is really running and you make it to water crossing 2 hike up stream about a quarter mile. Another one is down stream about a quarter mile from Secret Spot. The water hits a rock and shoots about 20 feet into the air.

Of course the Carlisle Mine site at about mile 7 is pretty cool.

I've heard there are caves with some writing on the walls as long as an old hotel from back when meadow was in full operation.

I have spent one full weekend at meadow lake hiking all around for countless hours a day and have only found old tin cans, reminiscence of where mines and tunnels once were, a lot of old piping, a few areas where cabins once were and a lot of great scenery.

Has anyone explored much on the other side of meadow lake? I have only been about two hundred yards past the dam.

where would old man mountain be on that map?

It's in the big left hand turn as you travel to winch hill 1. You'll see it on your left the whole time you're on the trail past the slabs before water crossing 1.

Here's something cool about the area.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/documents/big_bend/red_mountain_lookout.htm

Click on the links across the top for more on the area

I've hiked a lot of the area between Fordyce and Meadow lake and found numerous mines, what look like water wheel gears, and several old cabins. digging through the dirt at one of the cabin sites I found axes, hammers, a full cold chisel set, shoes, a coffee grinder, and many other things. Very cool stuff and worth the hike.





Anyone have pics of the Carlisle Mine site. I've always wanted to check that out but didn't know exactly where it was on the trail and what too look for.

About a 1/2 mile or so before WH1 there is a spot that almost looks like a split in the trail. The offshoot to the left heads straight towards the mine. Some pretty cool stuff up there and worth the hike

http://fourdice4x4.com/photos/albums/Sierra-Trek-2008/P1010002.sized.jpg

http://fourdice4x4.com/photos/albums/Sierra-Trek-2008/P1010003.sized.jpg

http://fourdice4x4.com/photos/albums/Sierra-Trek-2008/IMG_1531.jpg

Cool. I know where that is. I stopped there once and wondered where that went.

What's in the barrels? BP's secret stash?

:smokin:I went with my wife to visit a foster kid she used to take care of in Grass Valley and started talking to the retired parents who are taking care of her. I told them we go camping quiet often to Fordyce and Meadow, he mentioned he one of the workers digging when they hit water that day at Indian Springs.
Started telling all kinds of stories I think I need to go back and pay him a visit and record our conversation:smokin: