St. George Jeepers Trail Report – April 26, 2016
Copper Mountain Mine – Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument
Our trip today was to the Copper Mountain Mine in Mojave County, Arizona. Ten vehicles departed St. George from Costco at 8:00 AM in what is about an 85-mile trip each way. Rains the previous day settled the dust and mud was minimal. It was a perfect day for a ride in the desert. Trip was led by Bud Sanders.
Our first stop was the customary pit stop at the Mt. Trumbell schoolhouse, 50 miles from the Utah line.
After departing the schoolhouse the group proceeded south down BLM 1063 to the entrance of Trail Canyon. Trail Canyon may easily be one of the most scenic accessible tertiary side canyons to the Grand Canyon on the Arizona Strip.
Entering the canyon, a series of switchbacks
Proceeding on down the canyon. More fascinating geology.
Looking back at the above steps waterfall.
Looking over the lip of a waterfall.
A plus or minus 80-foot waterfall.
As the saying goes, “Pictures just don’t do the scenery justice”.
After descending Trail Canyon we entered the main stem of Parashant Canyon, a rather broad valley. Water developments and very good condition cattle were observed.
Topo of Parashant Canyon. Trail Canyon top, center, Copper Mountain Mine lower center. Whitmore Point and Parashant Point, lower right, offer magnificent vistas.
At this point travelers enter the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Off-road vehicle access is not at all restricted.
Barrel cacti were observed in a narrow band of elevation and topography. Ocotillo was in full bloom.
The timing to see the cactus bloom was almost perfect. As the day progressed the blossoms opened fully.
A ridgeline along the trail
Arriving at the mine ruins in the lower center.
Note the landing strip, lower left, mine at arrow.
Copper Mountain Mine MRDS details
| Site name | Commodity | Location |
|
Primary: “Copper Mountain Mine” |
Primary: Copper | State: Arizona |
| Secondary: “Copper King” | Secondary: Zinc | County: Mohave |
| Secondary: Silver | District: Copper Mountain District | |
| Secondary: Lead | ||
| Tertiary: Uranium | ||
| Tertiary: Gold |
State: Arizona County: Mohave Elevation: 3,360 feet (1,024 meters) Primary Mineral: Copper Lat, Long: 36.16889, -113.33472
|
Comment type: Development |
Comment: OPERATORS INCLUDED J. WULFENSTEIN, CALVIN BARRINGTON, ARIZONA COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING COMPANY, FRANK COX (1937), ARIZONA AMERICAN COPPER, R.T. MCMASTERS (1917), STRIP COPPER INCORPORATED, COPPER KING MINING COMPANY. |
| Comment: 1913 PRODUCTION WAS ONE CARLOAD EVERY TWO MONTHS. (Assuming this meant one railroad carload of ore. It must have been high value to operate with this small output.) |
|
|
Year First Production: 1913, Year Last Active Production: 1974 |
Ruins of what appear to have been living quarters.
Lunch at the mine, 5 hours travel after leaving Costco in St. George.
Mine shaft location and associated machinery.
The shaft was very well secured. This cage was bolted to the bedrock.
International brand gas engine with Gardiner-Denver air compressor. Mining in the later years with this relatively modern machinery must have been so much easier than in the 1800’s.
Chad Burns examining the old compressor.
Remnants of a vein of copper ore.
Striations in the stone that strongly resemble tree rings.
Panorama of the mine location; shaft and machinery, upper left.
Ford delivery van artifact on the site.
Another artifact, a wheelbarrow relic that no doubt represents many hours of very hard labor.
Interesting pock-marked stones along the trail.
This dead end box canyon is not the trail out of the canyon.
Turn around from the above view position and this is the trail out! From this point it was back up through the switchbacks, back to the Mt. Trumbell Schoolhouse and home.
Submitted by Bud Sanders
