Quicksilver Mine Ride
We knew we were getting close when the signs by the river warned of contaminated fish.
After a brutal uphill grunt, we found miles of wonderful trails, and the entrance to the New Almaden mercury mines – 100 miles of tunnels in total. The mining began in 1845 when Mexican Cavalry Captain Castillero discovered that the red rock used by the local Ohlone Indians to paint their faces and the walls of the Santa Clara Mission was cinnabar, an ore of mercury and sulfur. They needed mercury to process silver in the Mexican silver mines. This mercury mine produced more fortune than any Californian gold mine in history… despite the “gold rush” marketing. To separate gold or silver from crushed ore, they used mercury. Comments
rocketmavericks says:Go up Hicks Road on the other side of the
ridge to Guadalupe Mines Road. Its a great
climb up the winding road, but you will wind
through a whole bunch of old mines and
tunnels before you get to the Guadalupe
Reservoir. You can ride all the way up to Mt
Uminum, part of the Nike Missile radar system
that use to be perched atop Mt Loma Prieta.
There is another Nike site up there too! They
took the antenna and radar system down I
think before you moved to the area. You can
ride all the way down summit road which turns
into skyline, and take that back to Alpine
road and back to your house. A big ride, but
you will really get to see the area. I you
turn left off summit before teh old store,
that is Soquel Road, and you can take that to
downtown Capitola.
rocketmavericks says:Just saw the photo. Now that picture brings
back memories. How far did you go in? Lots of
asbestos in the rock, so if you go exploring,
bring a mask. We use to go just to pick up
old blasting caps for the 4th of July. There
and the old Kaiser cement plant quarry were
the best places as a kid in the valley to get
your hands on explosives, if you couldn't
make them yourself.
drona
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Finding location...
rocketmavericks says:
More important than the usage of the mercury in the early gold mining of placer deposits, was the strategic importance of the mercury to the civil war. Explosives state of the art munitions at that time were dependent upon fulmanated mercury, and this mine and the guadalope depost the ridge over from where you are, a currently still active mine, were vital supplies to the north to beat the south.
I use to run around these mines as a kid, but this one looks like a tourist mock-up, as it is in way too good a shape. Those are fresh timbers with preservative.
Those that want to know more can read some of the historical information found here: www.jstor.org/pss/25160617
Did you find any strawberries while you were there? Not the fruit, but the mercury type? They litter the creek.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )