Sunday's ride was Black Diamond Mines outside of Antioch, CA. This area was mined for coal during the last half of the 1800's. Very little remains of the small mining town sites but there are several mine shafts and a cemetery remaining. The mine shafts are closed though it is possible to take a guided tour through some areas. I've been told that people went exploring and/or partying over the years and there were some deaths before the openings were sealed off to the general public.
I specifically wanted to see the cemetery so we started off from the visitors center and rode up to the Rose Hill cemetery. Most of the graves date from the 1870's and most are for people under 40. There are even some children and infants. I walk around and think about the kinds of lives these people led up here. One grave is for a husband and wife who lived into their late 60's . must have been tough people! What's really sad is that many of the grave markers are missing or defaced. There is actually a history of people coming up here and stealing them.
Strolling around time is over, we fly back downhill and hook up with the Black Diamond trail. We figure we can ride that for a while and then loop back. At the first intersection there is a "no bikes" sign. We stop and argue about where we are on the map. It seems I've lost some credibility since the incident last week. We can press on to a dead end and come back the same way, or just go back now and find a loop somewhere else. The canyon ahead looks intriguing, so we press on. As we get further back and up the views just get better and we haven't seen anyone since shortly after leaving the cemetery. Its just beautiful and quiet back here. The only problem is that every time we stop we are eaten alive by gnats . at least we are not tempted to take too many rest breaks. We are still hike - a - biking sections but we are stronger every week. Next week we will check out another little piece of the bay area, stay tuned!
Sunday's ride was Black Diamond Mines outside of Antioch,
as in the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?
Quoted message said:
CA. This area was mined for coal during the last half of the 1800's. Very little remains of the small mining town sites but there are several mine shafts and a cemetery remaining. The mine shafts are closed though it is possible to take a guided tour through some areas. I've been told that people went exploring and/or partying over the years and there were some deaths before the openings were sealed off to the general public.
I specifically wanted to see the cemetery so we started off from the visitors center and rode up to the Rose Hill cemetery. Most of the graves date from the 1870's and most are for people under 40. There are even some children and infants. I walk around and think about the kinds of lives these people led up here. One grave is for a husband and wife who lived into their late 60's . must have been tough people! What's really sad is that many of the grave markers are missing or defaced. There is actually a history of people coming up here and stealing them.
Strolling around time is over, we fly back downhill and hook up with the Black Diamond trail. We figure we can ride that for a while and then loop back. At the first intersection there is a "no bikes" sign. We stop and argue about where we are on the map. It seems I've lost some credibility since the incident last week. We can press on to a dead end and come back the same way, or just go back now and find a loop somewhere else. The canyon ahead looks intriguing, so we press on. As we get further back and up the views just get better and we haven't seen anyone since shortly after leaving the cemetery. Its just beautiful and quiet back here. The only problem is that every time we stop we are eaten alive by gnats . at least we are not tempted to take too many rest breaks. We are still hike - a - biking sections but we are stronger every week. Next week we will check out another little piece of the bay area, stay tuned!
Great RR, Bill(vicariously living through other's RR's)Wheeler The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world. :-]
Sunday's ride was Black Diamond Mines outside of Antioch,
as in the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?
Quoted message said:
CA. This area was mined for coal during the last half of the 1800's. Very little remains of the small mining town sites but there are several mine shafts and a cemetery remaining. The mine shafts are closed though it is possible to take a guided tour through some areas. I've been told that people went exploring and/or partying over the years and there were some deaths before the openings were sealed off to the general public.
I specifically wanted to see the cemetery so we started off from the visitors center and rode up to the Rose Hill cemetery. Most of the graves date from the 1870's and most are for people under 40. There are even some children and infants. I walk around and think about the kinds of lives these people led up here. One grave is for a husband and wife who lived into their late 60's . must have been tough people! What's really sad is that many of the grave markers are missing or defaced. There is actually a history of people coming up here and stealing them.
Strolling around time is over, we fly back downhill and hook up with the Black Diamond trail. We figure we can ride that for a while and then loop back. At the first intersection there is a "no bikes" sign. We stop and argue about where we are on the map. It seems I've lost some credibility since the incident last week. We can press on to a dead end and come back the same way, or just go back now and find a loop somewhere else. The canyon ahead looks intriguing, so we press on. As we get further back and up the views just get better and we haven't seen anyone since shortly after leaving the cemetery. Its just beautiful and quiet back here. The only problem is that every time we stop we are eaten alive by gnats . at least we are not tempted to take too many rest breaks. We are still hike - a - biking sections but we are stronger every week. Next week we will check out another little piece of the bay area, stay tuned!
Great RR, Bill(vicariously living through other's RR's)Wheeler The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world. :-]
"Cinder Girl" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
CG,
There are some trails here in Central Maryland where you are tooling through the woods and pass or spot an old foundation over grown with trees. There is one area where the trail actually seems to follow the old driveway for about a mile uphill until you get to a pretty old homestead with a portion of barn still standing. It is easily 100 years old and maybe older. I always think about the people and what they did. I wish I new the history.
Probably not as exciting as western mining towns but still interesting.
"Martees" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Cinder Girl" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
CG,
There are some trails here in Central Maryland where you are tooling through the woods and pass or spot an old foundation over grown with
trees.
Quoted message said:
There is one area where the trail actually seems to follow the old
driveway
Quoted message said:
for about a mile uphill until you get to a pretty old homestead with a portion of barn still standing. It is easily 100 years old and maybe
older.
Quoted message said:
I always think about the people and what they did. I wish I new the
history.
Quoted message said:
Probably not as exciting as western mining towns but still interesting.
Cool RR CG.
Marty
Thats really cool! I love seeing that stuff.
Those mining towns were pretty wild. Westie posted a report about a town with a population of 5000 and 50 taverns! I once visited another old mining town here in California called Bodie. Most of the town is still standing although you can only go inside a few select buildings. I don't know how many taverns they had but it seemed like there was one on every block. The guide told me that during the mining days they had a murder every night.
Bill Wheeler <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Cinder Girl said:
Sunday's ride was Black Diamond Mines outside of Antioch,
as in the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?
"Count three, not two...."
JD
Three shall be the number...
Peace, Bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world. :-]
