Ross Cove & Ivylog Crk

Sheldon and I spent a day exploring sections of Ivylog Mountain and Creek area looking for remains of old homesites, as well as an old mine. We hoped to come across some chimneys, but all the ones we found were long-collapsed piles of stone. I haven't found a record of the old mine in any of the many reports that I have. Judging by all the quartz rock in the works and waste piles, they were probably looking for gold. The area is between the edges of two different gold belts, so I doubt the prospectors had much luck.

Before we got started, we checked a location near Chestnut Flats. The old maps show a homesite down across the road, but nothing is there. This is either the remains of an old wall or a collapsed chimney.

Nearby was a springhead.

A pile of rocks here may be the remains of a small springhouse.

We started our explorations at Ross Gap. The old map shows an old homesite part-way down the cove, but all we found there was this rock pile.

Rock pile from the opposite side. It may be all that remains of a collapsed chimney (UN51).

Further down the cove, a small springhead...

Approaching the mine prospect, which Sheldon had come across several months earlier.

View down into the mine pit / shaft.

An excavation seemed to lead from the pit into the hillside.

Sheldon at the rim of the pit for scale.

I climbed into the pit to see how far the excavation went.

View into the excavation

Unfortunately it was only 4-5 feet deep. This was the view to the left.

And this was the view to the right.

Leaving the mine prospect, we continued down to the main creek level. We hunted for the locations of several more homesites that showed on the old maps, with no luck. This overhanging boulder was alongside the old road.

Further along, we finally found evidence of another of the house sites on the map. Another collapsed chimney, with the rocks scattered about.

UN52 - Stacked rocks from the chimney

Looking at the ends of these two rocks in the upper right corner, they seemed to fit / match. I think they were originally one long fireplace lintel stone, now broken in two.

Sheldon knew of a rock shelter further up the creek. As we cut off the old road, we passed some interesting outcrops.

Just below that outcrop, some rocks had been arranged in the shape of what looked like an old still fireplace.

We climbed down to this rock shelter, which sits above the creek.

Photo from Sheldon, as I was messing with my camera.

Sheldon under the rock overhang

A mini waterfall along the creek.