Subject: [ParanormalNevada] Our Expedition Of Empire City NV & The Carson River Canyon.... 11/29/14
Date: 11/29/2014
From: LordOfThyNight@aol.com
To:ParanormalBuffalo@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalGhostSociety@googlegroups.com, paranormalghostsociety@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalGhostSocietyConnections@yahoogroups.com, TheParanormalGhostSociety@yahoogroups.com, SupernaturalFlorida@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalCalifornia@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalNevada@yahoogroups.com, Paranormalflorida@yahoogroups.com, sierraparanormal@yahoogroups.com, PGSPhantoms@yahoogroups.com

The first time I visited Empire was actually the cemetery which is all that remains of old town besides its mills which were used to process ore for the Comstock Lode of Virginia City Nevada. But also many lumber mills were built along the river so that way when the logs traveled via flume they would be floated onto the Carson River where they were retrieved then used to build up the local mines and towns shipped via mule eventually train within the canyon.
 
Its kind of strange because today Empire is full of shops, homes and businesses. It sort of has become a part of Carson City but its about as old as it as well being that this area became kind of a tent town. The river is very prominent which flows right through old Empire and right into this narrow canyon which I have to admit its some beautiful country as long as you know how to handle it.
 
On this trip I took both of my kids I thought this would be a good father and son bonding trip. Do not get me wrong I will ghost hunt the shit out of a location but it would also give my kids an opportunity to go out there and do some real time exploring even try out the metal detector. This was our Thanksgiving weekend expedition which I normally do everywhere a place like this to work off some of that turkey and pie lol.
 
The first location we stopped was the cemetery I only came here to take photos of it nothing more since I had already done one day time and one time night investigation. I just wanted some more photos for the website since the cemetery signifies some of the first pioneers who came to the area. The cemetery itself overlooks the Carson River, Carson City and the Empire Ranch Golf Course which is home to the Red House.
 
The Red House was where the Superintendent of the Mexican Mill lived of course since the golf course is off limits we were not able to visit the mill site but we did visit the home up close. I actually know the current owner who resides in the Red House my son worked for him and has been in the basement of the home. He said to me its a lovely Victorian era home but between the cemetery and house that is about all that remains of the original city. The mills however are today overgrown by the brush and in disrepair our goal was to find some of them so we could bring our viewers pictures of what remains.
 
After the cemetery the kids and I hiked on out on this trail which takes you along the river between that and the golf course. We did not see much but we took it for a mile in the beginning if you pay close attention you will see remnants of the old Morgan Mill. Just a few stone blocks and slabs scattered amongst some brush that is about all that remains but we found it no less. The river was flowing good I would assume that due to snow a few days prior on all the local mountain peaks that it all had melted giving the river a lift.
 
The boys and I crossed a bridge to the river there was a wooded area we went back there to do our own search of remnants of the town. I found very little remnants of an old wooden home that was collapsed, ranching equipment and a few concrete foundations. We roamed all throughout the cotton woods looking for anything we could find. There was a mill at one time back here called the Empire Mill it was gigantic now nothing remains it is a bit disheartening and who knows we could have displaced it the brush/foliage is so thick back here who knows. Besides a couple newer foundations we also found a deer antler and one can see why as this is an area where there are some woods that edge quite close to Carson City not many know about.
 
We eventually climbed our way out of the river basin got into the truck then started taking this desolate road into this gorge or rather canyon which followed the river. Where dams use to reside we found no dams parts of the river were raging and we had to figure out how to find what little remains.That is the hard part because entire walls can be overgrown with foliage or a foundation might be hidden with earth.
 
The first stop we came up on was the Brunswick Mill which sits along the river all that remains today is merely a long wall right near the bank of the river made out of native stone. There is also a bridge which is in peril trust me if you have bad balance or you do not fit the legal weight requirements you will fall into the river which is a fairly decent 12 ' to `15' drop. The kids and I of course messed around on the bridge what explorer is not going to be tempted? Not to far from that bridge we found a skull not sure what kind of animal it was but its obvious as to why the Natives hunted here because there is wildlife in this range.
 
I kind of took a chance though where the bridge was out I balanced myself on a beam and crossed it. I thought a few times id fall but I made it across only to realize that there was no way to the other side of the river it just dropped off at the end at this tall wall so I had to turn back. The bridge, mill wall and part of the old quarry behind it are all part of the mill site. The house inside the quarry gates I had assumed to be part of the mill at one time maybe the superintendent or the miners used the home as some kind of office perhaps.
 
The boys made our way back down the road we had came up to the old Merrimac Mill ruins and the Copper Canyon Smelter. The smelter was to our left while to the right near the river was the mill ruins. While my boys played inside the smelter and on top of it I was busy exploring remnants of the Merrimac Mill. I found this creepy clown doll just laying near the sage brush not something you generally come across while exploring in the back country. But then again the same goes for the vacuum cleaner I found and television lol. I did find a few piles of rocks where parts of the mill probably stood but the Merrimac seems to be just a pile of rubble.
 
I found near the river a stone basement, few foundations and scattered rusty artifacts of the past. There was not much remaining but allot of stones from collapsed walls and foundations. I did meet the boys at the smelter which was purchased and became part of the old Copper Canyon Mill which we would later visit through this narrow entrance between some rocks probably blasted out when the old Virginia & Truckee Railroad grade was built.
 
The amount of scattered remnants around the smelter was utterly ridiculous were not just talking remnants of the past but peoples garbage. Their were bullet shells all over, broken glass, garbage and even furniture. It was obvious that others had started fires inside the smelter might have even performed some rituals of some kind based on just studying the inside of it you could see people come here to party not appreciate. My son found an old bullet with his metal detector definitely not so new that was pretty cool to find.
 
The boys and I had to cross the river you see on the opposite side is a road also now I can imagine there would be an easier way to get to it except the fact that we just did not have the time to drive all the way back so I told my kids were crossing it where its most shallow and less resistant to our bodies.
 
My older son found an area he could leap rock to rock not sure how since the rock slabs were very far apart and I was not going to play Lord Frog. But we all crossed in different areas my younger son crossing around a bend in the river while I just crossed it and it went a little above my knees. Do not get me wrong the water was freezing were talking ice water so when my feet left the river both of them stung for a good 10 minutes till they warmed up no big deal.
 
We started to take this road which actually takes you up to this hidden lake. Not many know about it but it resides high up in the Pine Nut Mountains and I wanted to see it. However the road was curvy and eating into our day quickly so I told the kids lets just summit the peak, rock scramble and see if we can cut straight to it.
 
By the time we climbed these beautiful red rocks then started walking across the ridge we were standing at the bottom of this massive dam maybe 100' high not sure but it was massive. I told the kids to break and I hiked to another nearby summit that is when it became woodsy but I ran it to try to stand above the dam. I wanted shots of the lake boy was I disappointed to find that the water levels were so low I could not see anything. I could see however on that peak parts of Carson City and thought wow I am pretty up there.
 
When I stood on the peak below I could see most of the Carson River. Most of the trees were leafless wow many of them were a bright gold in color. There is enough trees growing on both sides of the river to canopy it in the summer and I bet in the warmer months its very green in the canyon much different then what others are probably use to when it comes to the pine nut mountains. But life flourishes along this river so do Black Bear, Deer and definitely mountain lions none of which I seen on the hike.
 
When I reached the kids we went straight down the steep slope directly across from the truck kind of strange that we walked almost a mile up to the bridge area to cross and here we are at ground zero again not far from the smelter where I parked.  Going straight down was about our only option as nightfall would soon set in and I had a few other places to check out before sundown. We found in the Pine Nut woods a hermits shack or tree house at least what was left of it. There was ripped canvas, opened cans, twine, chairs etc. The tree house only had a wooden foundation there was allot of scattered wood in the wash we have to assume that at one time this hermits shack had walls maybe even a roof it was an interesting find and well hidden overlooking Copper Canyon below and the river.
 
We made it back down to the river where we would cross would differ I told the boys we have to really just go for it. I crossed where the river narrowed a little so I only had maybe 12' to go while my boys crossed a 35' maybe 40' section of river. My son was like dad what are you doing he said I was like bigfoot one moment I was walking near the river next to him only a moment later I was crossing the rapids without thinking twice. This was not my first rodeo I once went over Glen Falls after an investigator saved my life or I was going over so I am thankful to be here and made sure I did not go down the river.
 
I found out that the rapids were not to strong and that the area I crossed although deeper took me seconds because it was just a small area where the water was flowing around an outcrop so I made it to the jeep then filmed the boys crossing which was pretty epic. The heart of a true adventurer does not give up it wont be the first time we cross water nor the last to hike to where we have to go.
 
The boys and I took it to the truck they were wet and cold. Me I was wetter then my first crossing the water almost reached up to my thighs but I was determined to finish the 7 miles of dirt road or left behind railroad grade to its very end. Therefore we pushed into an open area called Copper Canyon where we found a giant mill at.
 
The mill was this massive square building when you enter the front you come into a big room which splits right or left into these smaller rooms. In the smaller rooms is another doorway connected by a long corridor my son was on the other side in the pitch of darkness trying to spook me and make faces. I already expected him to pull off something like that so I just laughed it off.
 
If you check the backside of the mill there is an area with a ton of stone pillars or foundations. This is what held up the main building for the mill now no longer existent but the pillars of concrete scattered everywhere was pretty cool I even stood on top of one balancing myself.
 
We would eventually take some of the dirt roads in the canyon I could not find much but the main thing was to get back onto the road that follows the Carson River. When you leave the canyon you cross 100' of loose big rocks through this narrow pass you could tell the train came through here at one time but the tracks are now gone so it was rough till you come out and the river is to your right directly below you. There is a new set of tracks that can be found here but they dead end above the old grade and are for the Virginia City railroad trip which takes you through the Comstock all the way down to Dayton where some of the regions first mills were erected to help process the minerals mined in the Virginia Range.
 
As you continue on down the old railroad grade the canyon becomes very narrow and steep. You start to ascend above the river yes there are cliffs yes the road becomes very narrow and if you do not know what your doing  turn back just do not pull a Lord Rick please. I been offroading along cliffs for years for me its second hand nature my kids on the other hand closed there eyes and its tough having someone else have control over you. We get that allot with investigators they want to get out of the jeep or they do not want to go any further fortunately for me I felt it was doable and ill be honest with everyone if its not doable. But not everyone is an offroad enthusiast or adventurer like me it could be worst I could be riding along the edge of the Andes or Himalayan Mountains right?
 
On the other side of the road was the Santiago and the Vivian Mills no I did not find them however if I come out here in the late summer again the river should be trickling therefore ill be able to climb the steep slopes or go around the cliffs down to the river bed cross it and see what I can find. Both of those mills supposedly have remnants I did not see them then again there is allot of foliage and trees at the bottom of the canyon so I may just have to hike. I did not have the luxury of hiking at that time because it was getting dark in the canyon yet it was still early.
 
I followed the road there was a split off to the right which takes you down tot he river and to an area the river goes into a canyon. If you were to hike into the canyon there is a place called the Eureka Mill its probably more in tact then any of the other mills only because it does not sit on any main roads and its hard to get back there. Allot of the locals like have easy accessible places they can party at or deface so ill be coming back to follow the river which pulls away from the old railroad grade.
 
At this point the road gets poor were talking big dips, rocks, pot holes, loose sand and is hilly. I followed it all the way till I could go nowhere. The grade was washed out it looked like a mud slide hit the area lots of rocks, sand and earth piled high along this ravine. I could barely even turn around and without my four wheel drive id been stuck. What is really sad is you could see that on the other side of the debris pile the road continues in this narrow canyon and between the canyon you can see the city of Dayton NV where the highway runs through. We were so close only a couple miles from Dayton and I had to turn back.
 
Turning back was a bit depressing because on google maps it shows it as a road that you can take all the way from Empire to Dayton as it bends around in the river canyon through the mountains and back out to the highway. My problem was is that most of the hills at the dead end I went down so I was not sure id be able to go back up them and get back onto the railroad grade. Speaking of the grade there is a new one built in recent times where the tracks dead end. You can buy tickets in Virginia City and the train takes you back to where the river splits off into the Pine Nut Mountains. But like I said its a new grade we were on the old railroad grade from the 1800's and well parts of it are not so pleasant.
 
On my way all the way out of here I was a bit sad to have to turn around this time I had to the cliffs on the drivers side. I opened the door where a part of the grade was washed out and it was a drop off which I filmed with my cam just to show others how narrow the road is.  On a good note if I decide to come back here ill take the road that splits off near the new railroad grade down to the bottom of the river then backpack it to find the other three mills so this project is only halfway done.
 
We eventually had gotten back to where the river met the road no more cliffs or drop offs the road was good and we were back out in the new Empire City area not far from the golf course. I tried to drive along this side road to see if I could get some photos of the Mexican Mill  I did not see it but then again it could have been closer to the back side of the Red House. There was a canal behind the house I believe that this was built to redirect water to the mill based on my research and today it still exist right on the golf course.
 
I did pull up to the Red House the sun by this time was going down all I could think about was dinner. I came to realize that the mills, cemetery and house is all that remains of this great City which came close to becoming Nevada's state capitol but fell short. No less there is history but you have to really find it and sometimes even go through various extremes to get to where you have to go.
 
Id like to come back finish investigating the three mills maybe take that other road to the lake without crossing the river but ill have to map my back country roads better. This is a large canyon which hides allot. Back in the day you had tents, cabins and the mills working 24/7. Logs were being floated down the river to be cut at saw mills while ore processing took place for the Comstock Lode where the train would pull up to most of them for exportation and importation of ore or even processed minerals found in that ore.
 
Just to make further note you definitely do not want to fish here we found pockets or offshoots along the river that contained high levels of mercury. Some of those pockets had a red film on them which means the fish are contaminated. When milling was done for nearly 50 years back in here they used mercury to process the ore however that led to contamination of the river and hillsides.
 
I also noticed in some of the roads that shoot off of the canyon it appeared there were a few people living in trailers near the river. You can see clothes lines with sheets, clothes etc who knows maybe campers but not everybody is so friendly. So its another thing to keep in mind besides the grade that takes you to the top of the canyon you could roll off the edge or even get stuck especially without having a jeep.
 
It was an adventurous day I took some EMF and EVP's despite were an adventure group one of our goals is to always find out if an area contains paranormal activity. I never been back in the Pine Nut Mountain Range its an entirely a different world in itself. Its much different then many of the other ranges found in NV and well it gets secluded really quick back here. So secluded that two nights later I filmed an amazing UFO in this area so if your not finding ghosts you might be finding visitors from another world.
 
I was just happy to get home there was a crock pot of hot chili awaiting us and we were wet, cold and ready to dine. We work hard on every expedition allot of people do not give us enough credit but one day out with our group you will grow to respect the work we do. Its not just about the strange its about history, preservation and treading where angels dare not go.
Namaste,
Lord Rick
PGS Founder

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