The Gunmetal Mine is on the east flank of the Pilot Mountains. The area is a maze of 4WD trails, bulldozed paths, and mining prospects. At the mine’s camp there stands a fairly large wooden building that was most likely a bunkhouse. A room at one end has collapsed. Nearby are the remains of a few small cabins, reduced to rubble, as well as some small concrete foundations for machinery. Off in a gully there is the battered, rusty hulk of a small bus plus some other junk.

At least one cabin still stands among the junipers on the hill above the bunkhouse, however I neglected to get any close photos of it.

Back up in the hills somewhere there is a very large and impressive triple ore bin, with wooden ore trestles leading to it at two different levels. Due to having maps which lacked sufficient detail, I wasted many hours here trying to find this, without success. After I returned from my trip I looked it up online and saw that I had come very close to it several times but just missed it. Next time I’ll know precisely where to find it.

Posted September 2014.

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