Gumlog 2 - Homesteads and a Mill

On my earlier exploration here, just after Christmas, I had kept an eye out for remains of the John Hyatt grist mill. I was only aware of this mill from an old photo, and hadn't been able to find any additional information about it. I assumed that the water-powered mill would be alongside the main creek. When I'd originally walked down into the area, I had crossed an odd "trough" cut into the mountain side. I later recalled an old mill site along Coopers Creek, where the operators had diverted water from two creeks uphill of the mill, and funneled it down to the mill via a pair of flumes cut into the hill side. Revisiting the Gumlog site today, to examine what I was now convinced was the mill's water flume, I followed it as it almost imperceptibly gained elevation, looking for the source. Sure enough, it came to a creek, where a small dam (much diminished now) had been built to raise the water level. Following the flume in the other direction, it eventually ended at a steep slope just above a building site that I had come across on my first exploration. So that building was undoubtedly either the mill or an associated structure. Unfortunately, little else remains at the site, as far as evidence of the mill. I also did some further exploring in the general area, visiting another homesite which I didn't have time to look for on my earlier visit.

A small dam on this tributary created a pool to raise the water level. The already small dam has obviously been much degraded over the past century.

The upper end (beginning) of the flume-way. When the water behind the dam was high enough, it would begin to flow down the flume. I highlighted the flume's path, since it is difficult to see in a photo.

A section of the flume. It was originally about 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep, but after over a century of leaf-fall, other detritus, and vegetation, it is difficult to see in photos.

Another section of the flume. These photos were taken at the few areas not obscured by trees and other vegetation.

Looking back on another section of flume. It runs about a third of a mile, in and out of small coves and ridges, following the contour of the hill slope, losing just enough elevation to keep the water flowing.

To the untrained eye, in these photos, the flume might appear to be just a path, but seeing it in person, there is no doubt what it is...

The flume ends behind and upslope from these timbers of an old building. I found and photographed what's left of this old building on my earlier exploration. This must have been either the mill building or an associated structure.

John Hyatt flour mill, date unknown. This was quite an elaborate set-up, with an elevated raceway about 20 ft. tall, and a waterwheel almost the same diameter. It almost looks like ice hanging down from the structure. The height of the elevated raceway would have been just right to tie into the end of the flume that I followed. I later learned that this mill exploded, killing some employees, sometime around 1930. I hope to get a copy of a newspaper article on the explosion, as well as another photo.
Leaving the mill site, I headed up another creek branch to look for the other potential home site.

January, and ephemeral pools are already filled with frog eggs.

Another batch of frog eggs

As I climbed, the creek split into many small branches These cascades were just one of many similar water features...

I came across several rock stacks placed on top of larger boulders.

I eventually reached an area with several rough terrace walls.

Nearby was a collapsed chimney (TO20). From the other side, I thought at first that this was just another rock pile, but then saw the telltale squared off shape at the base.

I found an old tricycle half buried in the ground and pulled it out and cleaned it up a bit...

Nearby was an old bicycle frame, which I also freed from the ground.

A Rollfast brand (which I had never heard of...)

I come across hundreds of uprooted trees, but thought that this one had an interesting shape. All the soil has washed off over the years, but it is still very solid. The shape is similar to a hemlock. I was so intrigued by the roots that I didn't even look at the rest of the tree.

This healed-over stump was encircled by new sprouts. But what struck my eye was the igloo shape of the stump.

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