RHH's photos with the keyword: silver

Several weeks ago we went on a hike with another couple up Poodle Dog Pass to Silver Lake, a rather grueling 15 mile round-trip hike with an elevation gain of about 2000 feet over three miles. I have no idea why the pass has the name "Poodle Dog," though someone suggested that a poodle fell to its death along the trail and thus the name. Sounds more like a gruesome joke, though. The first four miles of the trail follow an old road that is closed to traffic due to a washed out bridge and other sections of the road. The last three miles climb steeply to the pass. At the end of the road and the beginning of the trail to the pass lies the old silver-mining ghost town of Monte Cristo. This creek, part of the headwaters of the Sauk River, runs through the town. The creek and the gulch through which it runs are named for the first mining claim staked in the area, the "Independence of 1776," established in the 1870's. The town itself, which flourished for about 20 years before the gold and silver gave out, was named by the first prospectors for Dumas' count whose wealth they hoped to emulate. The town itself is now a heritage site and worth exploring by those who do not wish to hike further. The old buildings, or what is left of them are closed, however. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/poodle-dog-...

This is my last post from Monte Cristo and Poodle Dog Pass. This creek, part of the headwaters of the Sauk River, runs through the town of Monte Cristo and is named for the first mining claim staked in the area, the "Independence of 1776," established in the 1870's. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/poodle-dog-...

Monte Cristo is an old abandoned silver mining town in the North Cascades. The town, which flourished for about 20 years before the gold and silver gave out, was named by the first prospectors for Dumas' count whose wealth they hoped to emulate. The town itself is now a heritage site and worth exploring by those who do not wish to hike further. The old buildings, or what is left of them, are closed, however. We hiked through the town on our way to Poodle Dag Pass and Silver Lake in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. The town is at the end of an old four-mile road that is partly washed out. If one can get a bicycle across a washed out bridge, however, the four miles can be navigated by mountain bike and the town reached with relative ease. We hiked in and then went another four miles to Silver Lake. This is one of my wife's photos. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/poodle-dog-...

The silver-mining operation at Monte Cristo included three main mine complexes, the Mystery Mine, Justice Mine, and Comet Mine as well as many smaller mines. These, if I am not mistaken, are the ruins of the old ore processing plant, or concentrator. They lie in the woods along '76 Creek above the town and the trail to Poodle Dog Pass and Silver and Twin Lakes passes them. This is another of my wife's photos. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/poodle-dog-...

Another view of the alpine lake that was the end of a hike last summer. The hike follows an old road, partially washed out, to the old ghost town of Monte Cristo and then up a very steep and rugged trail through Poodle Dog Pass to Silver Lake, a total of about 15 miles round trip with an elevation gain of around 3500 feet. This photo was taken around the middle of August and the lake was still partly frozen. Silvertip Peak, I believe, is actually the tallest peak in the second photo. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/poodle-dog-...