MYSTERIES OF THE SUMMIT MINE
By R. V. Larson
I searched through a box of old photos. Surprisingly I found what I was looking for, but not before something else caught my eye. There were old photos from thirty years ago. They caught my attention and took me back to that day in 1983 as though it had happened yesterday. Somehow I knew this story needed to be told. Why? I don't know. Perhaps there is someone out there who can benefit from this information or add something to it.
Back in those days my partners and I searched for old historic mining properties that had sufficient promise because of the increase in precious metal prices to warrant acquiring them for junior mining companies that traded on the Vancouver Canada Stock Exchange. It was a successful venture and caused us to travel to places we would have never known even existed.
As in most exploration one thing leads to another and what is planned as a simple outing turns into something far more eventful. Perhaps the subject of an endeavor turns into something less than anticipated, but what about that road we passed a ways back? Where does that go? Adventure doesn't get any better than this and trail bikes made a lot of exploration possible. The goal you set for yourself when plans are made often turns out to be but a pretense of what awaits. A lighting of the fuse, so to speak. What took you there was planned; the adventures you experience are your reward for being there.
This particular outing had taken us to the top of Palmer Mountain, Just Northeast of Loomis, Washington. The mining history of this area is exciting, the scenery remarkable. I think Mother Nature had a proclivity to hide her precious metal deposits in areas of great beauty. If you find gold or not, you leave here a richer person.
We ventured down that road we had passed a ways back. It had been many years since this road had seen any upkeep but it provided everything needed for our trail bikes, and it surely had to go somewhere. We were not disappointed. We ended up at what we would later learn was the Summit Mine. The first building we saw was what we thought to be a bunkhouse. A short distance further and we came upon the beautiful old house you see in the pictures. It was hard to believe that there had been such a magnificent home at this extremely remote mountain top location. We ventured on and soon found the mine tunnels, a three stamp mill and various other processing equipment.
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I was so impressed with the house that I took pictures from above and below. We heard water running and found a pipe that had been cut off behind the house. This water that came from a spring higher on the hill now ran under the house and a ways on down the mountain side. We have all seen what is done to abandoned houses, broken glass and junk after vandals have trashed them, but not here. There were no windows, yet there was no broken glass. All piping and plumbing fixtures were gone as well as all the doors. The one thing that remained, other than the wooden structure, was a huge fireplace that was cased in beautiful quartz rock. The view from where the front room window had been was incredible.
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I had to know more about this amazing place we had stumbled upon. This was a patented mining claim. As such it is subject to property taxes. A call to the treasurer of Okanogan County and I had a name and address of the person in California who paid those taxes. A bit more effort and I had a phone number. I placed the call and found myself on the phone with the owner of the Summit Mine, an elderly lady, the last person to live in that beautiful house.
Her story was this:
"In 1949 my husband went duck hunting at Lake Washburn. He ventured onto the frozen lake to retrieve the duck, went through the ice and drowned."
Washburn is the lake visible in the picture of me sitting on my motorcycle. She said she had family in California and went there to be with them, and that before leaving she told friends that she would never return and to take anything they wanted from the house. That is of course why there were no windows, yet no broken glass. I am not sure what I said next but I'm sure it was something about what a beautiful place it was. She agreed and said that her husband had cased the fireplace in valuable gold ore. I told her that the fireplace was still cased in the valuable gold ore. She seemed proud to tell me about the fireplace. I think it gave a dear old lady a good feeling, that after all those years, the gold cased fireplace that meant something special to her, was still there.
Why I felt a need to write this, I cannot say. Perhaps someone out there can follow up with additional information. I did hear some years later that the claim had been sold. At this point in time I can only surmise that the reason we didn't follow up on it all those years ago was because we already had more than enough on our plate; a common trait of mine.
There are some lessons here. Never assume that mining ceased those many years ago because operations were not profitable. There were so many reasons why good locations were abandoned. Back in those days they left good diggings for better diggings. It's always best to check something out for yourself when that inner voice suggests that you do so. Also: Checking out an old mining location is a win win situation. Success does not have to be judged by how much gold you bring home. The quality of a prospector's life is enhanced by being out there, whether you bring home the gold or not.
Let me leave you with this thought: Being a prospector causes you to be there. Being there creates the opportunity for adventure. The adventure carries you to a place where memories are created. The memories give you a reservoir of experiences that will stay with you for the remainder of your days. So in the quiet moments that will come to us all in our later years, you will close your eyes and let your mind do what minds do best. It will take you back time and again to what you experienced as a prospector.
You can view the location of the Summit Mine on Google Earth. Go to the north central part of the State of Washington, find the town of Loomis. Then go to the northeast until you find Washburn Lake. Now go North to N 48 50' 44" W 119 36' 30"
The Three Stamp Mill
