14K GOLD MARKINGS

OldManTravels trying to dry everything I could next to the fire, while cooking up a meal. We camped on the only snow free ground we found (almost level) next to the frozen over Cougar Lake. It had been a real improvised scramble to climb the steep rock slopes up to this lake.

Cougar Lake: N47 36 5 W121 31 44 @ 4,124

'So here is the background to the photos you will see in this set:

I ran a trap line as a high school student. After walking my trapline many miles before and after school I bought a Honda Trail 55, which opened up lots of opportunities for me in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Areas I had walked, I could now ride to and then park the trail bike and hike farther into the mountains. I LOVED exploring historic and scenic places back then, same as I do now as a retiree.

To reach the Lennox Creek area, I would ride my Honda Trail 55 up to Snoqualmie (you know Twin Peaks country below Mt. Si). Then a long dirt road would take me up the North Fork of the Snoqualmie River. I took many side trips up to lakes and peaks along the way but the Lennox Creek area was always my favorite.

Turning up the Lennox Creek canyon there was (and of course, still is) a sheer cliff above the left bank of the creek. I would watch mountain goat and use binoculars to explore the adits from the old mining days, across the creek.

While in high school I honestly met an old miner with a Gabby Hayes hat, donkey, Santa Claus white beard, and mining supplies neatly lashed to the back of the burro. We talked.

I was told of the mining cabin up Bear Creek and some of the best placer mining for gold up Cougar Creek. I couldn't wait to start hiking and exploring the area. I did so over many years following my high school days.

The mining cabin up Bear Creek had a sign on the door inviting anybody who wanted to use the cabin, to do so, but please leave all belongings there and leave the cabin as found. Simple, fair, and that advice was followed for many years.

The only photos I found of that cabin are in this set and were taken when there was plenty of snow. I can picture the interior of the cabin as if it were yesterday.

We climbed to the top of Bare Mountain as I had done on my own, the first time I visited the area.

The other mining area was harder to find. The first time I tried to hike up Cougar Creek (with Cougar Lake or Goat Lake on my mind), I found no trail on the right bank but plenty of devil's club; downsloped alder; downed timber; big boulders and all other obstacles you could imagine. Then I found the miner's trail on the north side of Cougar Creek (left bank).

I remember the magis of hiking on my own and finding the old cabin with window glass in place and looking good. Since it didn't have an invite note on the door, I never went into it.

A cleverly designed cache shed was leaning but standing near the cabin. It had cedar rail shelves, which I was told was where a placer miner would store his dynamite boxes to keep the "powder dry".

I still have one of the old wooden dynamite box sides (mortis and tendon joints) from the scrap pile around the cabin.

Black lettering on the wooden boxes is barely legible:

ICC-14
High Explosives
Dangerous
Pacific Powder Co.
Tenino, Wash.

Later I took my wife up to show her the cabins and I also took a backpacking (bushwhacking) trip up from the cabin to Cougar Lake. The lake was frozen over and we had a real adventure getting up the cliffs to the lake.

So some of the photos in this set are of Bear Creek and Bear Mountain the others are from Cougar Creek . Both creeks are tributaries of the lovely pool basin Lennox Creek.

There was lots of mining equipment (big and heavy) up the Bear Creek canyon back then. Most is probably still there.

The photos were taken with an inexpensive film camera but I hope those of you interested in the area can overlook the photo qualities and enjoy the trip back in time to an area with a rich history.

OldManTravels.

Most photos in this set were taken in the mid-1970s.

I hiked down to take a photo of the top of the waterfalls below Cougar Lake. See photo of that waterfalls in this same set of photos.

Cougar Lake: N47 36 5 W121 31 44 @ 4,124'
So here is the background to the photos you will see in this set:

I ran a trap line as a high school student. After walking my trapline many miles before and after school I bought a Honda Trail 55, which opened up lots of opportunities for me in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Areas I had walked, I could now ride to and then park the trail bike and hike farther into the mountains. I LOVED exploring historic and scenic places back then, same as I do now as a retiree.

To reach the Lennox Creek area, I would ride my Honda Trail 55 up to Snoqualmie (you know Twin Peaks country below Mt. Si). Then a long dirt road would take me up the North Fork of the Snoqualmie River. I took many side trips up to lakes and peaks along the way but the Lennox Creek area was always my favorite.

Turning up the Lennox Creek canyon there was (and of course, still is) a sheer cliff above the left bank of the creek. I would watch mountain goat and use binoculars to explore the adits from the old mining days, across the creek.

While in high school I honestly met an old miner with a Gabby Hayes hat, donkey, Santa Claus white beard, and mining supplies neatly lashed to the back of the burro. We talked.

I was told of the mining cabin up Bear Creek and some of the best placer mining for gold up Cougar Creek. I couldn't wait to start hiking and exploring the area. I did so over many years following my high school days.

The mining cabin up Bear Creek had a sign on the door inviting anybody who wanted to use the cabin, to do so, but please leave all belongings there and leave the cabin as found. Simple, fair, and that advice was followed for many years.

The only photos I found of that cabin are in this set and were taken when there was plenty of snow. I can picture the interior of the cabin as if it were yesterday.

We climbed to the top of Bare Mountain as I had done on my own, the first time I visited the area.

The other mining area was harder to find. The first time I tried to hike up Cougar Creek (with Cougar Lake or Goat Lake on my mind), I found no trail on the right bank but plenty of devil's club; downsloped alder; downed timber; big boulders and all other obstacles you could imagine. Then I found the miner's trail on the north side of Cougar Creek (left bank).

I remember the magis of hiking on my own and finding the old cabin with window glass in place and looking good. Since it didn't have an invite note on the door, I never went into it.

A cleverly designed cache shed was leaning but standing near the cabin. It had cedar rail shelves, which I was told was where a placer miner would store his dynamite boxes to keep the "powder dry".

I still have one of the old wooden dynamite box sides (mortis and tendon joints) from the scrap pile around the cabin.

Black lettering on the wooden boxes is barely legible:

ICC-14
High Explosives
Dangerous
Pacific Powder Co.
Tenino, Wash.

Later I took my wife up to show her the cabins and I also took a backpacking (bushwhacking) trip up from the cabin to Cougar Lake. The lake was frozen over and we had a real adventure getting up the cliffs to the lake.

So some of the photos in this set are of Bear Creek and Bear Mountain the others are from Cougar Creek . Both creeks are tributaries of the lovely pool basin Lennox Creek.

There was lots of mining equipment (big and heavy) up the Bear Creek canyon back then. Most is probably still there.

The photos were taken with an inexpensive film camera but I hope those of you interested in the area can overlook the photo qualities and enjoy the trip back in time to an area with a rich history.

OldManTravels.

Most photos in this set were taken in the mid-1970s.