We all meet at the Backcountry Office as planned and soon we're on the way to Grandview Point.  After a few pre-hike preparations, we have our picture taken at the trailhead and start down.

	The group at the trailhead 4-1-2006 @ 7:50

     There is quite a bit of snow left over from recent storms.  We quickly reach the section of the trail that collapsed last year, causing the Grandview to be closed for about six months.  The Park Service went to great lengths to reconstruct the trail using methods similar to the original construction.  All the rebuilt sections use cedar logs instead of rock walls.  Fortunately, the trail is not slick or icy.

Reconstructed trail 4-1-2006 @ 8:04	Snow covered trail 4-1-2006 @ 8:07

     You can see Horseshoe Mesa from the very start of the hike.  Once below the snowy sections, I outdistance the others and make very good time down this excellent trail.  Many sections are paved with stones like the upper Hermit Trail.  In about two hours, I am approaching the mesa.

Horseshoe Mesa 4-1-2006 @ 8:10	Stone paved section of trail 4-1-2006 @ 9:11	Horseshoe Mesa 4-1-2006 @ 10:01

     Just before reaching the mesa, you come to the Last Chance Mine and an interesting stone marker with numbers on it.  I wonder if this stone marker was how miners established their claim.

Last Chance Mine 4-1-2006 @ 10:11	Stone marker 4-1-2006 @ 10:18	Horseshoe Mesa sign 4-1-2006 @ 10:21

     Peter Berry mined copper from the Last Chance Mine a hundred years ago and hauled it to the rim with mules.  There are still plenty of the green and blue, copper laden rocks laying around the mesa.

Copper laden rock 4-1-2006 @ 10:35	Copper laden rock 4-1-2006 @ 10:35

     Art and Tom arrive in a while, followed a little later by Marsha.  I go back up the trail just above the side trail that goes down to Page Springs, also called Miner's Spring, to look at some of the mining equipment there.  The machine in the center picture below appears to be a mule driven, cable winding device.  The trail down to the springs is steep, but seems to be in good condition.

Page Springs sign 4-1-2006@ 11:43	Mining equipment 4-1-2006 @ 11:45	Trail down to Page Springs 4-1-2006 @ 11:45

     The Cook's cabin is the only building remaining on the mesa.  The walls and chimney are pretty much intact and the large cooking pot is still inside the fireplace.   Click here to see two pictures of original buildings at Horseshoe Mesa taken around 1905.

	Click either picture to view additional pictures of the Cook's cabin.
Cook's cabin 4-1-2006 @ 11:52		Cook's cabin 4-1-2006 @ 11:52

     Art, Tom, and I decide to explore Cave of the Domes while Marsha looks around the mesa.  It is less than a mile over to the cave and requires only mild scrambling down to the entrance.  We strap on our headlights and crouch down to crawl through the small opening.  Once inside, we find it very dusty, quite dry, and hot.  I think this means this is a "dead" cave as most I have been in are damp and cool.  Our eyes never really adjust to the darkness and none of us enjoy the dust.  Someone has provided dust masks, reels of string, a spiral paper notebook, and pen for signing in.  I place my name on the ledger and we look around some.  Some people explore for hours in here, but we did not want to have to unroll the string to insure we could find our way back out.  As with most caves, there are numerous stalagmites and stalactites.

Art and Tom at entrance 4-1-2006 @ 12:45	Cave entrance 4-1-2006 @ 12:46	Tablet, pen and string 4-1-2006 @ 12:52

Stalagmites 4-1-2006 @ 12:54	Stalactites 4-1-2006 @ 12:55	Stalactites 4-1-2006 @ 12:58

     We head back to camp and relax a while.  I discover I left my peanut butter and jelly back at the car.  Well, I guess it's going to be bread and water lunches for me this trip.  I also left my rain pants and pack cover.  Maybe I'll get lucky and it won't rain any. 

Richard's tent 4-1-2006 @ 1:49	Art's new lightweight tent 4-1-2006 @ 1:49	Marsha' tent 4-1-2006 @ 1:50

     Remnants of the mining days are laying around everywhere.

Mining remnants 4-1-2006 @ 2:06	Mining remnants 4-1-2006 @ 2:06

     We talk some and have dinner.  Tom's business wants to keep in contact with him on this hike, so he pulls out a satellite phone and he and Art call home.  This is really neat.  It is cloudy, cold, and windy, and we wait to see if there will be a good sunset.  The sunset was a dud, so we all go to bed.  Knowing that Tom snores, I brought my ear plugs to combat the noise.

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