Beyond the camp of Jail Canyon, there is still a lot to see as you progress further up canyon. That is what we found out as we continued hiking up towards our ultimate goal of the Burro Mine. Past the camp, an easy-to-follow trail leads through the brush upstream. There are some good spots along this stretch to pump fresh water directly from the creek. The trail emerges from the brush at a formidable sight-- the Gold Mill of Jail Canyon. This is quite an amazing structure to check out. It is definitely worth the short amount of time and effort (only about 1/5 of a mile) to visit if you are staying at the camp. After we checked out the Gold Mill, we entered the bushwhacking section of Jail Canyon. The bushwhacking section varied from easy to hard, as sometimes there was a trail we could follow on the left hillside, while at other times we would have to blaze our way directly through swampy tall grasses in the middle of the canyon. This continued for about a half of mile before we passed by a burned down cabin and turned right into a side canyon. We followed the side canyon up for a short distance and then turned off to the right onto the Burro Mine trail. The Burro Mine trail took us high above the side canyon with views overlooking upper and lower Jail Canyon. Inside the main mining tunnel, we found a bat hanging upside down sleeping. We cautiously photographed it, trying not to disturb it. Then we explored the outside of the other two mining tunnels nearby, as well as a lost section of the Burro Mine in the form of a ladder which dropped into a vertical shaft. From this point, we had hoped to somehow attain the ridge and loop back over to the Hall Canyon Cutover Trail, but we didn't know if it was possible or not. Fortunately, it was easy. We simply continued hiking on an old mining trail which is maintained by burros traveling between the two canyons. The trail led us all the way up to the ridge and then continued over to the Hall Trail. We then returned to camp at the Rowland Cabin in Hall Canyon.
Please do not enter the mining tunnels of the Burro Mine. Potential dangers inside abandoned mines include unseen vertical mine openings, deadly gases, oxygen deficiency, cave-ins, unsafe structures, unstable explosives, and other assorted risks. As the NPS recommends-- Stay Out and Stay Alive!
Past the Jail camp, a trail cuts through the brush and heads farther up canyon:
The trail is full of green brush and trees, along with flowing water:
This is the final section of easy hiking in Jail Canyon:
The trail then heads toward this hillside with a long pipe dropping down it:
This wooden structure is the ore holder for the Gold Mill:
An opening near the bottom where the ore would be unloaded:
Looking up at the wood which is still in great condition:
Above the ore holder are tracks which are still in place:
Steve standing on the ore bin with Jail Canyon in the background:
Ore carts would be wheeled over the tracks onto this wooden platform:
And then the ore would be dumped out into this ore bin for sorting:
A close-up of the rail tracks which are still in place:
Across the wash there were a couple of structures still standing:
Up ahead we could see the magnificent Gold Mill of Jail Canyon:
The Gold Mill is built up against the rocky cliffs of the hillside:
The mill structure is very complex and there is a lot to see here:
Notice the metal barrel high up in the air with pipes going to and from it:
A metal wheel with belts for turning the machinery:
An overview showing the vast wooden structure and machinery equipment in the foreground:
Steve only pretending to climb up the ladder for the picture:
Notice how tall the ladder is. It rises above the entire structure:
More wheels and equipment which are found near the base in the next two pictures:
An old metal tub which is now slowly filling up with dirt and debris:
A wheel with a metal cable that is resting on the ground:
Looking back at the Gold Mill tower before moving on in our hike:
The next six pictures show machinery we found on the ground before continuing on:
Our group heading farther up canyon past the Gold Mill. I had warned everyone that we were to expect some bushwhacking:
Some of the plants were blooming and as we pushed past them we would get covered in pollen:
Hiking between the bushes and hillside on the left side of the canyon:
Looking up canyon, we could see that it was wall to wall brush:
Eventually the trail ran out and there were cliffs on both sides. Thus, we were left with no other option but to head directly into the brush:
Animals have created a trail through the brush in some areas. But the ground was sometimes muddy and swampy:
Once again moving back to the left side to try to make things easier:
Kathy working her way around the brush as it got thicker:
Pushing our way through the tall grasses in Upper Jail Canyon:
Tobin had learned his lesson from last year in Happy Canyon. This time he brought a machete to help with bushwhacking:
Getting a self portrait in the midst of the brush:
One of the animal trails through the brush led us over to the right side of the canyon:
And we soon emerged from the brush at the end of the challenging bushwhacking section:
Two pictures showing what is left of the burned down cabin which once stood here:
We have now turned off into the side canyon at the junction. Jail Canyon continues on but apparently the brush gets too thick for it to be worthwhile. There was no such problem in the side canyon:
A short distance up the side canyon, the trail to the Burro Mine turns off:
The trail steadily climbs above the side canyon as it gains elevation:
The trail winds back toward Jail Canyon and provides this view of the upper canyon:
And this view of the middle canyon which we had just hiked through:
Stone walls let us know that we were nearing the mine area:
The main entrance to the Burro Mine (the western mining tunnel):
We found a Death Valley native living just inside the Burro Mine. It was scary for a moment but I needed a picture and got one (another angle of this bat is shown on our Wildlife Page):
This is the view of the colorful walls of the mine taken from just inside the entrance looking out:
Steve peeking into the Burro Mine:
Outside of the tunnel, we had another view into Lower Jail Canyon and Panamint Valley:
This was another one of the entrances into the Burro Mine:
A little while later, we stumbled across this wooden covering. This is a lost entrance into the Burro Mine:
Looking through the covering, we could see a ladder descending far below into a vertical shaft:
The mining/burro trail continued to wrap around the hillside back the other way, once again above the side canyon we had turned off into:
Looking down at the wash of the side canyon from along the trail:
Getting farther away from Jail Canyon as we followed the trail:
Our group hiking ahead on the trail as we tried to attain the ridge:
Looking across the side canyon, there was a very colorful hillside:
The trail began switchbacking up the hillside toward the ridge:
Once we attained the ridge, we had an epic view out to the mouth of Jail Canyon:
From the ridge, the trail wrapped around the hillside heading back toward Hall Canyon:
Finally reconnecting with the Hall Canyon Cutover Trail. To continue on with us in our journey, visit the Trip Report for Upper Hall Canyon:
