1880 Gold Smelter and Flue Traditional Cache
1880 Gold Smelter and Flue
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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History at it's best.
You can drive here with 2 wheel drive. There is a good area to park, then a downhill hike of about 1/8th mile to the smelter.
There is a trail to the west that leads to the smelter. If you don't find the trail just follow your GPS, you will find it and know when you have. There is no mistaking it. If you don't go on the trail chances are you will also discover some thorns.
Legend has it that the Spaniards worked this smelter during the Mission days. More likely this is a Gold Mining operations smelter dating from between 1870 to 1880.
I have seen a photograph of it taken in 1926 and it looks the same now as back then.
A Forest Service study of the smelter ruins reveals that it was used to smelt Mercury from Cinnabar deposits in the surrounding hills. Mercury is used by gold miners in the recovery of fine gold in a process known as algamation. We located several Cinnabar mines with in a mile of the smelter.
This smelter consists of a large stacked rock formation which acted as a furnace for melting gold from ore. Above the smelter there is a several hundred foot long flue made of stacked rocks originally cemented with an adobe mortar which caused a draft to be drawn stoking the fire in the furnace.
Across the wash is the remains of a large stone cabin with several rooms in which the miners lived.
In the area with in a mile or so several arasta's can be located which were used to crush the ore from nearby gold mines.
You will want long pants and good shoes. There are plenty of sharp thorny bushes in the area.
The Cache is across the wash and behind the stone cabin. The best view of the smelter is from the stone cabin.
There was a Desert Magazine article written (Jan. 1968 issue) about this smelter. Also you will find mention of it in the book "The San Bernardinos" written by John W. Robinson. I highly recommend this book.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jbbqra "Cvengr'f Purfg" Pnpur va n qrnq gerr arne gur fgbar pnova.