Story and Photos by:
Jack Raudy (530) 305-9742 or
jraudy@foothill.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLFAX, CA (Oct. 23, 2007) – Big trees, smaller trees, even old trees planted in the 1800s by Cornish miners, were all displaying a kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples that provided a breathtaking array of nature’s paintbrush for the 30 participants on the recent historical off-highway adventure in mining districts of Nevada County.

The guests arrived at the staging area in historic Colfax from Redding, Truckee, Sacramento and other areas throughout northern California to participate in the high Sierra Nevada trek, hosted by Women Out Wheeling, a member club of the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs.

Meeting the guests in the early morning hours were Shirley Bramham, club president; Claudia Smith, one of the event organizers; and Jim Bramham, trail boss and narrator for the trip

After a light breakfast in the parking lot behind the Colfax Railroad Station, Jim Bramham briefed the drivers and explained to all of the guests what they could expect during their one-day tour. Bramham began by telling them that Colfax was the site of the junction of the transcontinental railroad and the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.

The contingent departed Colfax and stayed on the pavement heading toward Grass Valley. The group turned off the pavement onto backcountry roads named You Bet and then onto Red Dog until they reached the site of what was formerly the town of Red Dog and the You Bet hydraulic mine.

"Hydraulic mining was a variation on ground water sluicing where the water delivered to the site would be shot through a nozzle (Monitor) at high pressure onto the face of the cliff," Bramham said. "This could wash away tons of boulders, gravel, dirt and ounces of gold." He explained that an 8-inch Monitor could throw 185,000 cubic feet of water in an hour with a velocity of 150 feet per second. As he continued his narration, the guests peered out over the barren canyon where water washed down entire hillsides.

From the You Bet Mine, the group stopped briefly at Greenhorn Creek, former site of hydraulic mining operations. At Greenhorn Creek, many of the participants took the opportunity to engage in four-wheel drive, low range and climb the steep hillsides left by the mining operations.

Bramham continued to follow the 1800s trade route between Colfax and the Washington Mining District until the party reached Highway 20…the link between Interstate 80 and Nevada City. There is a paved road leading from highway down the canyon to the town of Washington; however, he chose the Alpha Trail, once used by the early miners working on the Alpha-Omega diggins.

Su De Corte, co-owner of the Washington Hotel, was anxiously waiting for the four-wheelers. De Corte and her staff laid out the red carpet with a choice of tasty chicken or ribs, while dining on the outdoor patio overlooking the rushing Yuba River. After lunch, De Corte shared many interesting stories about the early days in her quaint town.

She told her guests that Washington today is the last remaining village of the many towns that flourished in the Washington Mining District. She said that Washington was the highest point on the South Yuba River at which gold had been discovered with more than 1,000 miners in the local area during that period. De Corte said Washington’s population today is 166.

De Corte proudly told her guests that Grover Cleveland and Wyatt Earp once stayed at the hotel and she invited her guests to tour the old hotel including Room #9, where Wyatt Earp and his wife stayed for one night.

After lunch, Bramham led the group over the Gaston Grade Road and onto the Spanish Mine Road and continued by crossing Poorman’s Creek. With everyone safely in four-wheel drive, the four-wheelers continued until they reached Graniteville Road on the ridge between the south and middle forks of the Yuba Rivers.

They then dropped down into North Bloomfield and the Malakoff Diggins State Park with roadside examples of hydraulic mining, a mining museum and the restored mining town of North Bloomfield.

Bramham explained to his guests that the 3,000-acre Malkoff Diggins State Park

includes the largest and richest hydraulic gold mines in the world. He said the mining process was devastating to the environment, clogging rivers and poisoning farmland. The 1884 Sawyer Decision essentially ended the process and North Bloomfield slowly began to die.

Dave Patterson and his wife, Barbara, from Truckee, were guests on the trip and had a special time. "We both agree that the narration provided over Citizens Band (CB) radio by our trail boss, Jim Bramham, was probably the best aspect of the adventure," said Dave Patterson. "His knowledgeable commentary and expert navigation really gave life to the area’s gold mining history."

Shirley Bramham said that proceeds from the off-road trip would be used to help fund Easter baskets, stuffed bunnies, and teen treat boxes for needy children in the greater Sacramento area.

For more information on the 2008 Women Out Wheeling off-road adventure, contact Claudia or Chuck Smith at (530) 620-0914 or email chuckandclaudia@wildblue.net .

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