Ghosts of industry

The Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley, once the richest gold mining site in California (1850-1956), is also home to some very cool hiking trails. They provide a nice escape from some of the Valley heat, and along the way you may stumble across the remains of a number of smaller mines, some of which, like the Orleans […]

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Hints from history

It’s a little discouraging at this point in the year to see Folsom Lake’s level has dropped so low; but on the positive side, low water makes it much easier to explore the remnants of settlement that once existed along the banks of the American River. I’ve seen most of these ruins around Beek’s Bight before, but visiting the foundations […]

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