Hemet Bell Mine Hike

[halhiker]

I did a little hike out to the Hemet Bell Mine today. The mine is in an area on the north end of Garner Valley, near Butterfly Peak. My buddy and I actually went into four mines in the area and enjoyed our hike quite a bit. The weather was very nice. Trip Report on my blog today.

http://hikeeveryday.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... -mine.html

[Florian]

That mine looks very interesting. I love exploring old tunnels like that!

-Florian

[ftafoya]

Hey Halhiker, A friend and I was out that way this last weekend to hike to the mine we live in Menifee but the we could not find the 4x4 road that the topo map show is there a different way to hike up there? Thanks Frank

[Hikin_Jim]

Pretty cool stuff, Hal. I love old mining equipment. Dunno why, but it's fascinating to try to figure out how they did things and what the equipment is for.

I guess that area isn't closed off due to the Mtn Fire?

HJ

[halhiker]

Area is not closed due to the fire as far as I know.

Directions on getting there are:

http://goo.gl/JnhKnx

Park at A
Make a left at B
Make a right at C

4WD road is closed by a locked gate so I parked on the public road and walked.

[halhiker]

I'd imagine there a plenty of rattlers up there this time of year so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

[Wildhorse]

When I went to the mines a couple of years ago, I saw a lot of plastic pipe on the ground at the first mine. It did not look very old. Except for looking newer than I would expect, I thought it must have been used in the mining operations. Otherwise, I would have thought it may have been used in the cultivation of some kind of plants. I still wonder. The cultivation theory seems unlikely because that area is visited so often by Garner Valley locals and others who hike there and walk their dogs there. On the other hand, less than ten years ago a friend encountered heavily armed thugs riding around in jeeps near there who gave him a creepy feeling that he should not stick around. That too seems strange considering the presence of the locals hiking there.

Did you see the pipe?

I think I remember that I found out the name of the first mine was Winchester. If my memory of what I read somewhere (probably a USFS report) is right, the mining stopped in that area about thirty years ago.

[The Ghost]

Be Advised.

The Forest Service has done a bunch of work/cleanup in that area. Lot of the old mining relics are gone and the mines have been closed off with iron grating.

[Florian]

The Forest Service has done a bunch of work/cleanup in that area. Lot of the old mining relics are gone and the mines have been closed off with iron grating.

Well crap. Old mines are no fun if you can't go in the tunnels.

-Florian

[trcar]

Cool, crisp apple off the tree on a desert hike, now that's treasure!