Copper King Adit December, 2009

Holiday hangover had set in, and a few of us were looking for something easy to hike to during the time off from work. Jimbo was wondering what the Sunset Mine road looked like now that the road had been improved, so we agreed to meet up there the next morning. In addition, we would take a short bushwhack nearby to the Copper King Adit, part of the Sunset Mine group.

The Trout Creek road was newly maintained - need clearance

It turned out to be a pretty passable day, with some sun showing early. No Jimbo on the road below Trout Creek, where the washout is. We turned up the Trout Creek road and started up. The road has been improved for some nefarious purpose, which we were to find out later.

The cutoff road was a target practice area

There are some big-ass drainage dips which require some clearance. But the road is generally in the best shape that we've ever seen it in. We ran into Jimbo and Big Red half-way up, and both continued up until we came to the old logging road that cuts off left from the main road at about 1320 feet in elevation. We parked here and started up in the cold air.

Someone had piled some boxes and junk for target practice right at the intersection of the old logging road. And left it there... A little further showed us what the excavator had been up to recently - this road is not to be driven any longer. At least not by the casual driver.

We were on the old roadbed, where to go up?

The old logging road gains some elevation, turns a corner, and in a few minutes gives some views back down towards Trout Creek and the hills above. The sun started to hit us, and combined with the exercise we warmed up quickly. After one short stop, we hit our cutoff point near the sharp curve on the road at about 1600'. Off into the brush we went, soon following the obvious remains of an old flat roadbed.

The way wasn't too bad, and only lasted for a few hundred yards at the most. We traversed on the roadbed, and soon it opened up a little, and we stopped to try to figure out when to go up to the Copper King adit. If you see a large talus slope to the left you are basically there. If you continue on the roadbed in some wet slop that pours into your boots, you've gone too far.

We all managed to stagger up the loose waste rock pile

We all climbed up the talus blocks separately, into the sunshine. It soon became evident that there was a large mine dump on the hillside directly above us. A lonely old wheelbarrow body lay on the hillside where it was discarded, and now is rusting away. A push of a few feet more put us on top of the waste rock pile.

It was time to rest, and we did so. Dagwood showed up for a delicious brunch. Others had to do with some less spectacular food items. It was a beautiful day at this point, with the sun warming us nicely. About 10 feet behind us in the brush was an ugly, dark, uninviting little hole. No one seemed very interested - except Jimbo, who was preparing immediately to dive down into it and play hobbit.

We had heard it was wet inside. We watched Jimbo squeeze down into the small muddy hole feet-first, and slowly disappear from sight. After some brief yelling back and forth, he let us know that the water level inside was way too deep for hiking boots, and too cold to wade on a winter day. After a few minutes he squeezed back out. This mine would have to wait for a warmer day and hip waders.

Wondering whether the hole was big enough...

...and then getting to the point of no return...

...but he made it, and looks out to tell us he's OK

After the brief adit exploration, we climbed up the hillside above to the rock cliffs to look around, and found some small artifacts near the adit.

The Trout Creek road is now blocked up by the old log bridge

A mineral sample was found. Back at the dump, the sun from the short winter day was already starting to go down over the ridge to the south. We started back down, sliding down the unstable rock pile to the bottom.

The traverse back to the old road, and road down to the trucks went quickly. We then drove up to the Sunset mine area to see what was going on there. It was a little colder here, and a tiny amount of snow covered the ground.

We walked up the road to the old log bridge, and noticed what else the evil excavator had been up to in the area. In addition to the road being fixed up nice, the main road was now blocked by some huge boulders so all vehicles stop here now. Hopefully the road remains un-gated to this point in the future. After a while we started back on the rough roll back to Index and home.

References:

• Discovering Washington's Historic Mines - Oso Publishing. Sunset Mine information.
• NWUE Sunset Mine Report - good info and pictures of the Sunset Mine area including Copper King.