Millerett mine

East of town the Everett Lake Rd. takes you up to the site of most of the mines that occured near Gowganda in the early years. There were several mines in the area and one of them was the Millerett mine. From 1910 to 1912 the mine was the main producer which produced over 500,000 ounces of silver. This picture is all the remains of the site. The other is tailings from the mines of long ago.

The wasp nest is attached to the soffit of the house, it has a grand entrance way. I'm going to let it grow to see what will happen.

Town day today, ptuii

When I got home there was a call from the Ontera manager that looks after the tower, she said they were busy testing the network. Meaning the dishes on the towers that send the signal back and forth to Gowganda. This is part of the larger network, the testing in town will begin when this is all finished. They don't want to start it all up and find out problems with it. When all this is done they will test within Gowganda and from there Ontera installers will be setting up individual houses in town that want the hispeed. Still no final date for that but it can't be that far away.

Another rather unique flower today called Perennial Cornflower, Mountain Cornflower, Bachelor's Button, Montane Knapweed. I had tried to identify it but couldn't but sent an email to Andy Fyon of Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflower at http://www.ontariowildflower.com/ who agreed to take a look at the pictures and picked it off right away. You have to check out his site it is great and full of information on flowers and the sites they prefer.

Originally from Europe it has found its way here and is even classified as a weed in the Ontario Weed ID Book.

More tower installations

Went up about 10:00AM just before they hoisted the 8 foot dish up to the top. Had to be done carefully as they were working around the guy wires to get it up there. They make it look so simple. Two dishes installed both to point at Shining Tree's new tower.

While waiting around some shots of Bunchberry and Labrador Tea in bloom. This hot spell has to end.

Another tower Update

This was the day for tower testing according to the manager I had talked to 3 weeks ago. She said that it would be about the 22nd but don't write that in stone.

Went up late in the afternoon and sure enough the Ontera tech had just left according to the workers that were installing the last two dishes. You could have knocked me down with a feather. He will be back again tomorrow. The two remaining dishes will be pointed at Shining Tree but will have no effect on what happens here. The tech I talked to said the system looks pretty well good to go. We may have lift off in June yet.

Lots of lupines coming up now, the lilacs are just about finished and the iris are just starting.

Reeve-Dobie

Just north of the Bartlett mine was the Reeve-Dobie mine (named after the 2 lakes on either side of the find) . It operated intermittently since 1908 and was closed down in the fall of 1920. High grade ore was found to occur in open cuts. Later a mill was erected to process small veinlets containing native silver.

This mine has now been decommisioned meaning capped and vented, with all structures now taken down.

These pictures are courtesy of Paul Trudel and were photographed around 1996.

Gowganda is 100 years old

Actually it is a little older but the townsite of Gowganda was laid out 100 years ago. In its early beginnings there was a rush of prospectors searching for silver deposits. Some of them found claims that were very rich in silver. Mines sprung up all around the Gowganda townsite and some lasted for many years. Today only more exploration is being done and there are now no active mines in the immediate area.

Paul Trudel and I ATV'ed down the Mann Ridge Road which is famous for for it's namesake years ago as a prosperous mine. Further south on the west side of Gowganda Lake near it's southern boundry was the Bartlett mine. Records show that production began in the year 1909 when two tons of ore were shipped from this mine. It was the first recorded shipment of ore from a mine in the area

This started the Gowganda silver mining and from 1910 to 1925 several mines produced over 8,420,509 fine ounce of silver, this is exclusive of other shipments that were not recorded.

Our trip was to find what was left of the Bartlett Mine. Most of the area has all been recently cut for timber but we found the site beside a small pond. The tailings pile stands out the most as it is a large esker shaped pile of broken rock. At one end are large concrete structures that held up the headframe, and the shaft which has several pipes sticking out of it, these were to supply air pressure for their drills and possibly water. It was hard to get an overall picture of the site as it was so grown over with old growth,

After leaving the mine site we ventured up to a high viewpoint that overlooks Hangingstone Lake and Frying Pan Lake.

Tower check

Haven't been up to the tower in a long while, not to much new. Another cable on the old tower has been decomissioned. All the new cables are in the control shed now including the internet radios. I have been told that there may be a start on testing this month. This I was told is not written in stone, but one can hope.

While at the tower I took a panorama shot from the west towards the towers. On the ground a few Fringed polygala or Gay wings.

More pics from Gorman and Lett Lake

While waiting for the beaver to show up I took a some pics from where I was seated. Pinkish blueberry blossoms and last years winterberry in the lichen.

On the way home some lunch on a small point on Lett Lake

Back to the heronry

Last June 1st I visited a heronry on Gorman Lk there were 2 active nests, 2 weeks later the eggs were destroyed and the herons gone. I suspect ravens were the culprit.

I went in today to find the nests abandoned, no activity in the nest or visible debris under the nests to even say there was a start. Will have to wait until next year now.

Paddled down to the south end of the lake and found a fresh beaverhouse and the sounds of young inside. I parked opposite the house and waited for some action. The only action was with the blackflies. Good thing I bought my bug jacket along. After two and half hours the missus I think walks out of the bush beside the house, she must have been in feeding. She stopped and nipped off a small spruce and ate it all. Didn't expect that. Then into the water right past me and dove into the water and into the house. Well worth the wait for that show.

ATV trip continued

Another stop on this trip was up to the Roadhouse fire tower, it is now used by Fiset logging as a radio repeater for it's bush work. The road into the tower had been fixed up since I was there last and was good going. The view from the bottom of the tower is spectacular to the north, west and south east. The picture is taken towards the south east.

Below the tower over the cliff is the top cupola from the old fire tower days, after going down and exploring some of the pieces I found a name on it dated 1941 F. Pearcy an old fire tower keeper. Other towermen have there names on this piece too. A real piece of history of times long ago spent in a lonely firetower keeping watch of 100's of miles of forest.

The fungus is one I have no name for yet but is one I don't remember seeing before.

ATV ride today

Paul Trudel and I made the trip from the Crane Lake Rd. to the Roadhouse Rd by way of the new logging roads. On our way we stopped at the trail to Canyon Lake and rode in part way. Had some trees to cut and quite a few boulders to miss, finally we walked in the last 50 meters.

Great time for a pic looking down the lake and some of Moccasin flower or Stemless Ladyslipper. There is more to this story, stay tuned in.

Fishing in the boat, finally

Had the boat ready in the garage for some time now. Launched it this AM to test the motor, all OK. Decided to try a little fishing this afternoon.

Tried several spots with no luck and went down to the south end of the lake to the falls, with all the melt and runoff they were still roaring along. Lots of water coming in from Hangingstone Lake.

Started back up the lake and tried a couple more spots, at one I lost over a half dozen minnows to bites but just could get one to hang on. I've fished at this spot other years and the same thing happens but in another couple of weeks or so you can't miss catching fish. All in all a great day of fishing.