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Dames & Moore, 1999 - USDA Forest Service

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The campground is used by backpackers and visitors to the area. An abandoned road and bridge crossing,<br />

which likely provided access to the mill area and Honeymoon Heights, exists to the southeast of the<br />

campground. Based on field observations, it appears that waste rock may have been used as road ballast<br />

during the road construction. No distressed vegetation was observed in the area. A monitoring well<br />

(HBKG-2) was observed adjacent to the road.<br />

4.1.2.8 Honeymoon Heights<br />

Referring to Figure 4.1-3, the Honeymoon Heights area is situated to the south and west of the mill building<br />

and tailings piles. The area consists of six mine portals, starting from the lower levels and progressing<br />

upward, at the 1 100, 1000, 800,700,550, and 300 levels. These mine portals were apparently not used after<br />

the main access and ventilator tunnels were established at the 1500 level in 1937 by Howe Sound Company.<br />

Mine rock piles are associated with all of the mine portals. The Honeymoon Heights mine workings were<br />

apparently not utilized for fill-scale ore removal and transport, but, primarily for exploratory purposes. The<br />

total quantity of waste rock at the portals of these workings appears to be significantly less than for either<br />

the west or eait waste rock piles near the abandoned mill facility.<br />

An abandoned road generally connects the rock piles in the Honeymoon Heights area with the road that runs<br />

to the 1500-level main mine portal; the road is maintained as a hiking trail by Holden Village. A system of<br />

mostly abandoned trails, apparently utilized by the miners, exists throughout the area to access the different<br />

mine portals.<br />

An abandoned mining camp is situated near the 1 100-level portal; several decomposed wood buildings and<br />

stone foundations remain in the area. Isolated remnants of the mining operations dating back to the late<br />

1800s and early 1900s in the areas of the mine openings, including metal tracks for ore cars, cables<br />

associated with a pre-existing tram system which connected the 1100 level to a location near the existing<br />

ballfield area, a water storage tank, and other miscellaneous items were observed. Several other shallow<br />

mine workings are present southwest of the abandoned Honeymoon Heights village and are documented to<br />

not be associated with Howe Sound Company; the workings were established by a former associate of J.H.<br />

Holden by the hame of Patterson; the workings are not connected to the Holden Mine underground network<br />

(Adams, 1981). Several exploratory adits exist along the strike of the ore body exposed at the surface; all of<br />

these workings are shallow, exploratory in nature, and are not connected to the underground mine system.<br />

4.1.3 Site Subsurface Features I<br />

4.1.3.1 Underground Mine Workings<br />

Due to safety concerns, the underground mine was not physically accessed during the RI. However, an<br />

assessment of the mine maps generated during and after the mine operation was conducted. The dates of the<br />

mine maps ranged from as early as 1908 to 1957, at the time of closure.<br />

The maps indicated a total of 14 primary mine levels, and approximately the same number of secondary<br />

levels. Referling to Figure 4.1-5b, two cross-sections have been developed through the underground mine;<br />

cross-section H-H' is parallel to the strike of the ore body, and cross-section I-I' is perpendicular to the strike<br />

of the ore body. Figure 4.1-5c displays Section H-H' and shows the extent and condition of the underground<br />

mined openings; or "stapes," as well as the geology described in Section 4.2.3.2. Figure 4.1-5d displays<br />

G:\WPDATA\OOJ\REPORTSWOLDEN-2UUCl-O.DOC<br />

17693-005-019Uuly 19.<strong>1999</strong>,4:51 PM;DRAFT FWAL RI REPORT<br />

'

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