Last Minute Horrible Weather Field Trip

So, just a few minutes after writing on Facebook about how it was a great day to stay inside, my friend Matt calls and wants to head out and find a mine complex in the Walker Basin area.  So off I drive in the pouring rain, and on the way we pick up a third insane rockhound. 
   It didn't take us long to get thoroughly soaked, exploring hillsides, woods, and properties for sale.  Our directions were useless, as they were so old the area had changed quite a bit, and we later learned the GPS coordinates were wrong too.  The mine complex we were looking for was discovered in the early 1860's, and produced about 100,000 ounces of gold. 
   On a couple of hairy roads with cliffs on one side the mud was so thick steering was impossible, and I wa sglad for the couple of times we slammed into the embankment instead of flying off the cliff!  Finally we spied a large tailings pile, but the bigger of the two mines was fenced and clearly marked.  We drove around  looking for someone to talk to, and found the second, smaller mine.  Luckily access was open, so we explored inside for awhile, then collected small quartz crysals and druzy plates off the tailings pile.  We made it home just before dark, and we'll have to work on getting access to the larger mine.