Get The Lead Out! LbNA #11088
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Add Location| Owner: | Martini Man  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 18, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Dodgeville |
| County: | Iowa |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Blue Mounds Kids 2 |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Oct 8, 2011 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFaFFFFFFFFaU |
| Last edited: | Sep 18, 2004 |
December 2007 Update: We added a second logbook today so there should be ample room to log in for the future. We left the first logbook for the next finder's viewing pleasure. Also paragraph seven has a small but important change as an important landmark has been removed. Argghhh!
Time: 30 minutes
Terrain: Easy to moderate (some hiking involved)
I’ve been a miner almost all my life. Guess you could say it’s in the blood. Granddaddy was from Wales as was my poppa and they both worked the lead mines in Cornwall. Pop later came over here to the US and mined for coal in Pennsylvania. So you could say I was born to the trade.
Jobs are scarce and the money is tight where I come from and I heard tell there was a chance to not only find work, but own the mine yourself in a state to the West called Wisconsin. So I packed up my kit, told the boss to shove off, and headed out here. A friend of mine told me about a large packet of land in the western half named after some governor. Sounded dodgy, but, hey, if there’s ore to be found and money to be made then I’m for it. The state government folk run this place and charge a small bit to get in. But they have real nice maps of the area. A miner can always use a good map.
I arrive at this staging area for all sorts of folk called Cox Hollow Beach. There’s a concessionaire there when the weather permits. Heard tell in cold times, they shut down. Folks just ain’t that tough anymore. Anyways my friend heard tell there was virgin territory for a claim across the lake here, so I look for a way to go and…..there…that signpost says Lakeview Trail over there. So that must be the way.
I walk past this big old dike. Must be used to dam up the river and create this lake. On my right is a big old ladder set in the ground. The boy who built that has big legs!!! So I get past the water on to some macadam road and goes up a rise. Whoops! The trail splits up. My view of the lake doesn’t seem so good anymore. What’s this? Ahhh, a trail named after a tree. I recall my bud says that was part of the way. Always trust something named after a tree. Good for mine supports.
My, but this trail winds along! I go and I go and finally cross this stone covered culvert. Looks like metalwork in there. Must get wet here in spring. Better remember my galoshes then. I trudge on passing some big topless tree on my left and soon a large boulder on my right. What’s this rock got in it? Ah…nothing interesting for a miner.
WHOA! Now there’s a big rock formation on my left. That bears looking into! But, drat looks like it’s been claimed. Even has a mine built right into it. Folks seem to be always checking that out. Oh well, looked exciting and was worth the peek.
Holy moly, up and up I go. Good thing for these roots being here. Normally they make me stumble, but I can get some purchase for the climb this-a-way. I walks along, circling a kettle (that’s a gee-o-loj-ikal phrase my pal says – show off). The trail’s leveled off some, so my breath is coming back to me. Pretty soon I can see a sign up ahead. (Well, I use'ta see a sign, but some yahoo took it away. Can't they ever leave things alone?) Hmmm, looks like the trail takes a bend to the left. Wait!!! This is the spot my old partner said was important. Let me remember…..oh yeah, 84 paces down this way.
Now let’s see. It was 100 degrees from the spot once I am done pacing. I should be seeing a faint trail between two conifers (another fancy-pants word from that fellow – good friend, but he likes them five dollar words). Good thing he told me about them trees, it would be tough finding that trail in the winter. Now fifty paces more at that bearing. Stop, and ….what was that again? Ohhhh, yes. Sight along 165 degrees and take thirty more paces to that big fellow lying on the ground. My buddy was right! Inside this big guy is a great spot for a camp. I can hunker down here for as long as I want, stake my mining claim and GET THE LEAD OUT!
I hoped you enjoyed visiting my little hidey-hole. It ain’t much, but it’s home to me. If you’d like to know how to get back to your Conestoga, you can go back the way you came or continue following that tree name trail for a nice long stroll back to Cox Hollow.
Enjoy your stay. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a yen to place your own claim.
Time: 30 minutes
Terrain: Easy to moderate (some hiking involved)
I’ve been a miner almost all my life. Guess you could say it’s in the blood. Granddaddy was from Wales as was my poppa and they both worked the lead mines in Cornwall. Pop later came over here to the US and mined for coal in Pennsylvania. So you could say I was born to the trade.
Jobs are scarce and the money is tight where I come from and I heard tell there was a chance to not only find work, but own the mine yourself in a state to the West called Wisconsin. So I packed up my kit, told the boss to shove off, and headed out here. A friend of mine told me about a large packet of land in the western half named after some governor. Sounded dodgy, but, hey, if there’s ore to be found and money to be made then I’m for it. The state government folk run this place and charge a small bit to get in. But they have real nice maps of the area. A miner can always use a good map.
I arrive at this staging area for all sorts of folk called Cox Hollow Beach. There’s a concessionaire there when the weather permits. Heard tell in cold times, they shut down. Folks just ain’t that tough anymore. Anyways my friend heard tell there was virgin territory for a claim across the lake here, so I look for a way to go and…..there…that signpost says Lakeview Trail over there. So that must be the way.
I walk past this big old dike. Must be used to dam up the river and create this lake. On my right is a big old ladder set in the ground. The boy who built that has big legs!!! So I get past the water on to some macadam road and goes up a rise. Whoops! The trail splits up. My view of the lake doesn’t seem so good anymore. What’s this? Ahhh, a trail named after a tree. I recall my bud says that was part of the way. Always trust something named after a tree. Good for mine supports.
My, but this trail winds along! I go and I go and finally cross this stone covered culvert. Looks like metalwork in there. Must get wet here in spring. Better remember my galoshes then. I trudge on passing some big topless tree on my left and soon a large boulder on my right. What’s this rock got in it? Ah…nothing interesting for a miner.
WHOA! Now there’s a big rock formation on my left. That bears looking into! But, drat looks like it’s been claimed. Even has a mine built right into it. Folks seem to be always checking that out. Oh well, looked exciting and was worth the peek.
Holy moly, up and up I go. Good thing for these roots being here. Normally they make me stumble, but I can get some purchase for the climb this-a-way. I walks along, circling a kettle (that’s a gee-o-loj-ikal phrase my pal says – show off). The trail’s leveled off some, so my breath is coming back to me. Pretty soon I can see a sign up ahead. (Well, I use'ta see a sign, but some yahoo took it away. Can't they ever leave things alone?) Hmmm, looks like the trail takes a bend to the left. Wait!!! This is the spot my old partner said was important. Let me remember…..oh yeah, 84 paces down this way.
Now let’s see. It was 100 degrees from the spot once I am done pacing. I should be seeing a faint trail between two conifers (another fancy-pants word from that fellow – good friend, but he likes them five dollar words). Good thing he told me about them trees, it would be tough finding that trail in the winter. Now fifty paces more at that bearing. Stop, and ….what was that again? Ohhhh, yes. Sight along 165 degrees and take thirty more paces to that big fellow lying on the ground. My buddy was right! Inside this big guy is a great spot for a camp. I can hunker down here for as long as I want, stake my mining claim and GET THE LEAD OUT!
I hoped you enjoyed visiting my little hidey-hole. It ain’t much, but it’s home to me. If you’d like to know how to get back to your Conestoga, you can go back the way you came or continue following that tree name trail for a nice long stroll back to Cox Hollow.
Enjoy your stay. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a yen to place your own claim.