Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

Good evening Don Jose, did your adventures lead you to Canada? On perhaps a treasure hunt or maybe leisure? If so when and where? While traipsing around the the bush in B.C. and here in Alberta I have located a few old mining camps. The 1 here in Alberta is clearly depression era according to the relics that I have detected and dug up. The ones in in B.C. are much older and more interesting. What might be interesting to you is the fact that the Spaniards, as you well know travelled up the west coast of B.C. as far as Alaska. This was probably in the late 1700's. At this point in history I am sure the privateers were hot on their trail and engaging them at any opportunity. My question is ,do you think they moved inland from south coast of B.C. to seek more gold as there empire dwindled? Surely they knew what they were looking for. I explored a remote mining camp some 200 miles east of the Pacific in B.C.s southern interior region. We forded a river on the valley bottom at low water time and I detected numerous artifacts that I thought were lost by Chinese miners including a railroad lock and and an ornate gold gilded suspender clip. What was really peculiar was a rock cairn approximately 3' x 3' square of perfect round river rocks of the same size in the shape of a pyramid covered with moss tucked away from the now obvious cabin, shack sites. Do you think this was of Chinese or possibly Spanish making. It is a long hike in and out and I hope that I can find it again to send you pictures. Thanking in advance to Don Jose and everyone else who reads this, oldsmith.
 

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Hola amigo Oldsmith,

I don't wish to try to speak for our mutual amigo whom is so sweet on mules, but you are 100% correct about the Spanish explorers.

A stack of stone is most likely a claim monument, as that is one of the common methods which were (and are) legal for marking mining claims. I do not have BC mining regs handy but if memory serves they are similar to Yukon, which does not have corner markers, rather the monuments are erected along the baseline of the creek/river for placer, or along the strike of the gold ore vein if lode; another monument is supposed to be put up at the spot where the first mineral discovery was made on a claim too. Don't disturb these old monuments as it is not only illegal (they are in effect, legal property markers for surveys etc) but very much against the code of the North (and west for that matter).

Besides Spanish explorers, French and British explorers, that area also had Russian explorers ranging WELL inland from the coast from the late 1700s on until Russia sold their claims in America to the USA. There are little known legends of lost Russian mines besides the Spaniards, French and English.

One of the most famous lost mines in Canadian history is the lost Lemon mine, known to be located somewhere in SW Alberta/SE BC area, quite a bit is available online and there are (if memory serves) several good books about it, here is one brief summary article about it:
The Mystery of the Lost Lemon Mine

We have not had much discussion of the lost mines and treasures of the north country here, partly because some legends get plenty of air time on TV which attracts the attention to them like the Lost Dutchman, which is not to say that some of the northern legends are any the less interesting or not worth your time to hunt for them.

Good luck and good hunting amigo, I hope you find the treasures that you seek - I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Oroblanco
 

Hola Smith, As far as mining or treasure hunting in Canada, no, but flying a Stearman aircraft in the spruce budworm Project, yes. In fact I had three 3 major accidents in just a couple of months. the last one was at Fredricksburg where I took out the international tel line to Britland, to the disgust of two elderly gals who were having their daily tea talk. I was spraying up on the Gaspe' and Bathrust areas. L:iked that country very much, since my ancestors came from there - The little EVA group.

Don Jose de La Mancha

jpgbooboo.jpg~c100.jpg
 

Hola Amigo's. Oroblanco, yes you nailed it. What threw me off was the fact that the Chinese miners were nearby and Scottish miners were there before them. The creek is named after the Scotts ( small goldrush in the 1860ish). It is a tough hike into this canyon so maybe next time I can rent a mule from Don Jose ( I promise not to beat him). The dopers also like this place as it is secluded and there is lots of water, so they can practice with there green thumbs. The reason I brought up the Spaniards at this spot is because I read an article online awhile back of a prospector back in the early 1900s telling that he found a petroglyph on a rock face depicting a huge battle with natives and armoured men on horseback. I have not seen this and like so many lost mine stories I cannot find the article. Don Jose, I am glad you survived the plane crashes. Where you testing or training pilots in Canada? We might have a connection here as the spruce trees used in the construction of these planes might have been sitka spruce logged and partially processed in my birth town in coastal B.C. Was the wood the same type used in the fabrication of mosquito plane structures? I will get back to more adventure or misadventure posts later this week. And Don Jose, a school chum of mine crashed a commercial plane maybe 40 miles from my home here and a whole book was written about it, so I have to say you must have many volumes to write. Take care my friends.
 

oldsmith said:
I will get back to more adventure or misadventure posts later this week.
Click to expand...

We are going to hold you to that amigo - and I think that MIS-adventures might have been a good title for a thread too! :thumbsup: I look forward to reading your posts.

:coffee2: :coffee2: :coffee: :coffee2:
 

Hello Rockjound my friend: Missed your response. Hydroponics has advanced greatly since I was playing with it. Since where I am, I have access to some excellent ground with full metal contact ((Arroyo bottom )) I have dropped temp Hydroponics. Just had more beautiful tomatoes than I can eat delicious with just a bit of salt right off of the plant, still sun warmed.

Keep in contact and let me know how it is going.

Don Jose de La Mancha

p.s. I used gravity flow.
 

GOOD MORNING, OLD FRIENDS. I HAVE FINALLY CAUGHT UP HERE. WE HAVE FOUND NEW FRIENDS SINCE MY LAST POST. NEW STORIES AS WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO READING MORE.

DON JOSE, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE RECORDING YOUR LIFE AND TIMES ON PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED, SOON. SO MANY STORIES HERE ARE PLANTED IN FERTILE GROUND, AND ARE WELL WRITTEN, THEY ARE A JOY TO READ AND ADD TO THE TREASURIES OF HISTORY.

I CANNOT CONDEMN ANYONE FOR NOT RECORDING THEIR TREKS AS I HAVE WORKED FEW SITES, ONE IN PARTICULAR, AND IN MY EIGHTH YEAR OF WRITING AND ONLY HAVE FIFTEEN CHAPTERS ON PAPER. IT IS EASY TO TELL THE SHORT STORIES, BUT TO PUT THEM TOGETHER IS VERY HARD. MY BOOK IS NOW WAITING FOR ME TO RETURN TO THE SITE WITH A FRIEND WHO WENT WITH ME AND BROUGHT HIS YOUNG SON WITH US. HE DID NOT HEED MY ADVICE TO ARM HIS SELF AND IT SHORTENED OUR PROGRESS, AS HE WAS ABLE TO SEE THE MARKINGS HIGH UP ON TREES AND ONE OLD POWER LINE POLE, LEFT BY THE BEARS, MANY WERE OUT OF HIS REACH. HE BECAME WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HIS YOUNG SON. I TALKED WITH HIM A FEW DAYS AGO ABOUT WHERE I WAS IN THE BOOK AND HE TOLD ME TO WAIT UNTIL HE CAN VISIT WITH ME ABOUT WHAT HE WAS FEELING THAT DAY. HE SAID THAT IT MIGHT FILL IN ANOTHER CHAPTER. I KNOW THAT WHEN WE GO BACK HE WILL BE ARMED. HE PROMISED THAT TO ME. SO PERHAPS, HE WILL MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER EASY. I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MY ADVENTURE WITH EVERYONE AS SOON AS I HAVE FINISHED THE ADVENTURE. ( AND , NO... IT IS NOT WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS. I HAVE OTHERS EDIT MY WORK IN LOWER CASE, SO I CAN JUST TELL THE STORY WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MY TYPOS.)
I SHARE PARTS OF IT FROM TIME TO TIME, TO TEST THE WATERS TO MAKE SURE IT WILL BE PRESENTABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

DON JOSE.... YOUR POSTS ARE THE HIGH WATER MARK THAT I AIM FOR, WHEN I AM AT THE KEYBOARD. PLEASE! PUBLISH YOUR LIFE AND TIMES. THE WORLD WILL REMEMBER YOU LONG AFTER YOU ARE GONE. I KNOW THAT EVERYONE HERE AGREES WITH THAT.

ENOUGH FOR NOW.
MIKEL
#/;0)~
 

As of now, since I already have my garden ready to plant, I am thinking maybe late summer or early fall before I start the greenhouse/hydroponics system. By then most of the garden will have produced and be starting to wind down. I plan to built the greenhouse directly over my garden spot, so I can continue to harvest far into winter. Then I will simply remove those plants and, by then, I should have my hydroponics system producing greens. Then I can transplant my tomato, cucumber and pepper plants directly into the hydroponics system. If all goes well, I should be harvesting fresh produce right through the worst part of winter. By the way your gravity hydroponics system is a great idea. Good Luck. rockhound
 

Tasteless in the market refers to produce in the USSA……..down south here the produce is awesome, although I plan on a garden when my new place is finished.
 

Don Jose-

I hope all is well with you and yours. First off, may I indulge you in a cup of my home-brewed delight? I was just checking in to see if there were any new reports as to the status of your Tayopa. I don't believe you've posted any new updates in a while (though I could have missed them).

If nothing new to report, how about a story?! Could be one of your own, or even one you picked up along your many travels.


As usual, all my best-
Justin

P.S. This story telling doesn't just go for The Tropical Tramp. Anyone else with a yarn, please spin it (Oro, Crow, etc.)!! Reading the posts of the adventurous sure does make the day go by a lot faster. Take care.
 

Will do my friend Jusun: but I may have to hold off for a few days until the eye problem clears up. now where is that coffee you promsed, As for you others, I second Jus' statement, I am not the only one with experiences, well interesting to others. So post away.

Don Jose de La Mancha
 

8-) Hi Amigos, a story hmmm, please pass a little of the home brewed delight
and sun warmed tangy red sweeties if you please, care for some good tasty
homemade mesquite hickory smoked fish or jerky?... (brain food, thinking)...
 

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Back in the fall of last year, two boys I know pretty well were deer hunting. The wind was blowing briskly which made the woods very noisy. They had already hunted early that morning and was walking to another section of the forest, where they had seen some signs earlier in the year. As they came up over a small ridge, they saw something lying on the ground. As they approached and got closer they could clearly see that it was a bear. It was just lying there on top of this small ridge. Assuming it was dead, no one could sneak up on a live bear, one of them walked up and kicked it. To their amazement it was very much alive, and didn't appreciate being kicked. It went after them, They had no recourse but to shoot it. Evidently, it was only lying in the sun sleeping. Good Luck. rockhound
 

Hey Oro....No way eh!!!! Don't be telling my fellow toque wearers about The Lost Lemon Mine.....I have it all hemmed up, just a matter of waiting for winter to go away...and one minor detail; my wife said I can go looking for that mine if I buy her new SUV and stop fixing her HHR....
I am guessing I will be reading about the discovery of the Lost Lemon by Oldsmith and listening to the exploits around the fire while crying in my coffee :coffee2:............
 

I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT MY RESPECT ABOUT BEARS. (IN SPITE OF MY AVATAR SHOWING ME HOLDING A YOUNG CUB.) THAT CUB IS ONE OF A PAIR THAT WAS ORPHANED BY A HUNTER. THEY WOUND UP BEING RAISED BY A LOCAL WILDLIFE RESCUE PROGRAM. THEY WERE YOUNG AND CALM, BUT IF THEY WANTED DOWN... THAT IS WHAT THEY GOT. VERY SHARP CLAWS AND QUICK TO REACT TO SUDDEN NOISE OR MOVEMENT.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO MY OLD PARTNER WAS CAMPING WITH ANOTHER PARTNER, DEEP IN THE WILDERNESS (I THINK IN COLORADO).
HE WAS AWAY FROM CAMP AND A BEAR POPPED UP IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE PULLED HIS PISTOL AND SHOT A ROCK NEAR THE BEAR TO SCARE HIM OFF. IT WORKED. THE BEAR RAN OFF, HEADED TOWARD CAMP. HIS PARTNER WAS MAKING BREAKFAST AND HEARD THE SHOT. HE GRABBED HIS RABBIT HUNTING RIFLE AND LOOKED TO FIND JIM COMING OVER THE RIDGE NEAR THE CAMP WITH ANOTHER RABBIT FOR LUNCH, OR JUST THE RABBIT RUNNING TOWARD HIM.

HE WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE BEAR CHARGING OVER THE RIDGE HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARD HIM. HE OPENED FIRE WITH THE 22 CALIBER RIFLE. JIM HEARD HIM EMPTY THE 30 ROUND CLIP AND PAUSE TO SPIN IT OVER AND EMPTY IT AGAIN. WHEN JIM CROSSED THE RIDGE HE SAW THE BEAR, FACE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF CAMP AT HIS PARTNER'S FEET AND HIS FRIEND STANDING RIGHT WHERE THE RIFLE HAD BEEN, NEXT TO THE TRUCK. JIM COULD HEAR HIM CUSSING AT HIM, (NOT THE BEAR) FROM THE TIME HE CROSSED THE RIDGE AND HE DIDN'T STOP FOR A GOOD HALF HOUR. JIM TOLD HIM "AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO EAT OTHER THAN RABBIT. IF THEY DIDN'T DIE FROM LEAD POISONING." THAT STARTED THE CUSSING ALL OVER AGAIN.

SOMETIMES ITS JUST SMART TO SAY NOTHING AT ALL. IT FITS THE OLD SAYING... "IT IS BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN TO SPEAK AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT."

HAVE A GOOD DAY TODAY. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.

MIKEL
#/;0)~
 

Hola amigos and amigas , good stories here from brave men and women, I would like to share a simple story of my wildcat adventure. Years ago when I was living in a nice mountainside acerage with my ex wife . It was a peacefull place that I built with my own hands and help when it was available. A small house with a nice view of a lake in front of it. I had to work away from home and would be gone for weeks at a time. This one time I arrived home from my job in late march, the snow was almost all gone and I was looking forward to getting back to working the land. At the time I had a big rottwieler dog, real nice dog, about 120lbs. He was outside on my porch enjoing his evening meal. I was inside the house in the kitchen when I heard the big brute start growling and barking like I've never heard him before. I immediatly went to the kitchen door to the porch to investigate. The outside light was on and my big dog was to the extreme right of me with his eyes fixated in my direction. At that very same moment a large courgar walked right by me heading in his direction, I swear it brushed my legs, I could have kicked him in the ribs if I wanted to. I yelled at the top of my lungs HEY HEY HEY and the cat , without even looking at me veered of the porch and headed for the bush at the end of my parking area long tail pointed straight to the sky. I called my dog and he came running inside the house not wanting to have anything to do with that cat. I ran and grabbed my gun and flashlight and big dog and I headed after him but he was long gone. Getting back to ex wife although not evident at the time,she turned out to be a better housekeeper than me. Hope everyone enjoyed this story and hh. Oldsmith.
 

DON JOSE, I THOUGHT THAT I WAS CAUGHT UP WITH EVENTS HERE. I MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR EYE?
DO WE ALL NEED TO PASS A HAT AND GET YOU A BRAILLE KEYBOARD? COME TO THINK ABOUT IT, MAYBE I SHOULD GET ONE FOR ME!!!

GOD BLESS YOUR HEALING.
MIKEL
#/P0)~
 

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