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 Post subject: Our Journeys To Sierra City and Sierraville California....
PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 1:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:38 am
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Location: Las Vegas, NV
I was very excited to do this expedition up to an area of Northern California I never explored before so for me it was my first time being in this region of the sierras. I am always enthralled with bringing our viewers new locations and places that they can delve into. The Sierras are vast many gems found throughout them if your willing to traverse this vast remote wilderness.

Our day would be spent up at Sierra City, Kentucky Mill, Loves Falls and Sierraville regions both are home to many scenic wonders and allot of history that is scattered throughout the town sites which also include the historic cemeteries. We also would explore the Lakes Basin area which has over 64 lakes and visit Snag Lake just to enjoy what the area has to offer.

These places are a little home away from they are quaint, people are friendly and truly if your into the outdoors then these kind of places offer that plus some. I do not always know if certain places have the paranormal but I suppose that is why we set off on another adventure to try to capture things from the beyond.

I was not sure what to expect when I visited this region as generally this area is buried under snow even in the beginning of Spring. So when I was driving through here It was a bit disturbing to see the lack of snow in the woods or on various peaks. Granted the elevations are much lower here in the range this is an area that use to suffer from avalanches and dozens of feet of snow all the way up until the great Californian drought that has stricken the region the past few years.

I learned allot of things on this trip here for example north of Reno there is this massive lake which I never even knew existed till I drove past it. With it being still dark out as the sun begin to rise a little it just glistened. There was also a bad accident early in the morning so we were stuck on the highway for quite sometime. Not sure how a truck all by itself rolls that many times unless the individual just was not paying attention or was intoxicated.

As I cut up to the west across the Californian border I begin to see many old ranches. The high desert along the state line alone is unique in itself but once you cross into Ca there is beautiful desertscapes mixed with national forest.

I would spend my day driving through the Plumas, Sierra and Tahoe National Forest. Every National Forest differs in the sierras. None of them are the same and they all hold there own little wonders. Not to mention the fact that I would cross through multiple counties to get here even though the trip is only a couple hours north of me. These counties also have an unusually high amount of Bigfoot sightings and many of the locations are rumored to be haunted.

When I reached Portola I turned into an old mining camp did not stay very long. But the camp had old miner cabins, machinery and even some odd shaped dome. I drove through it really quick to get a few photos to find out what this location is. Allot of mining and ranching has been done in this region believe it or not. Life here is very secluded most towns have one stop light while others have none. Many of the largest homes sit below mountains and are very serene.

Before you enter into Sierra City you have to take this section of road called Dead Man's Curves. Trust me if you do not keep your hand on the wheel you will find out why they call it that. You must wonder if at one time or another someone hit a tree or went off the edge which resulted in death in turn ghost stories associated with this treacherous part of the road.

I was very excited about going up into the Yuba Pass its some of the prettiest country in Northern California. As I tell Tammy I do not live out here not to see what this region has to offer. Anytime I can get out there check out the sites just means more great places I can share with our viewers such as photos, videos and other tidbits of history or even the paranormal.

When I drove on into Sierra City the town was so quiet not a soul in site while some people live here seasonally most of the town is shut down even though Spring is close by. Towns like these rely on tourism especially in the warmer months so if we can get it on our site its sure to help boost the towns economy a little so that it continues to remain preserved and alive.

By the time I drove through the end of town I had reached the Sierra City Historic Cemetery which actually is overshadowed by the Sierra Buttes which is this massive series of volcanic spires and mountain that stay snow covered late into the Spring. The Sierra Buttes are gorgeous and offer allot of great hikes. But they also were home to mines, mining camps and are surrounded by over 60 lakes. Its very easy to see them from almost anywhere throughout the town even when you decide to take the road on into town you look up and there they are.

We would start our adventure off at the local cemetery which I have to have its own section because the work we did at this location was rather extensive. In my opinion the cemetery is one of the greatest historic wonders found within the town. Perhaps because of what it represents and the people who braved this region to make a life here in the 1800's.

Sierra City Historic Cemetery

The cemetery itself sits up on a hill it kind of overlooks the entire town below. The hillside its on is actually the side of the Sierra Buttes. I was amazingly surprised that allot of bright green grass was growing within this burial ground and quite a few flowers.

The entire cemetery was in tiers some connected by stairs other sites had stone walls while other graves were just Masonic works of wonder. The masons in Sierra City really should get credit for building a town that today still stands. But this graveyard is a symbol of their very existence so for us its a very relevant location.

The one thing that stood out to me about the cemetery is the fact that many of the gravestones weathered and some were hard to read. You could tell that years of wintry weather took a toll on this place while some of the stones just were tipped over due to high winds.

In the center of the graveyard is a very tall monument which stands out even when you enter this location. There is this one statue in the cemetery that feels as if its looking at you. While the cemetery is a bit eerie as its quite woodsy here. Many purple flowers including daffodils were growing here yet it was not quite spring yet.

The epitaphs were works of art some of them were engraved beautifully not something you see anymore. Most of the people buried here worked at the mines up at the Sierra Buttes while others may have ran a small business downtown. Disasters also struck the area and people more then often would get killed in avalanches especially when some of them struck the town below wiping everything in its path.

The sides of the cemetery have wood fencing while the front of it is this giant stone wall not uncommon to see around Sierra City. Not to far from the cemetery is also a very old church you have to understand that the funerals took place at one of the two churches in town then the coffin was brought up to the top of the hill via horse wagon where it was interned into the graveyard.

You also will see a fair share of children deaths here due to illnesses that hit the younger generation in town very hard. Its amazing that today we can cure the ailments that once killed so many people who braved locations such as Sierra City. As I told Tammy it does not get anymore Sierras then being in the heart of some old mining town deep in one of the grandest mountain ranges in the country.

While I took EVP I also took some EMF readings but the meter was dead some fluctuations I have to discount as their are many power poles found throughout the town and cemetery. This makes it much harder to investigate ghost however EVP is a reliable investigative tool when doing investigations. So I do try to focus on that day or night does not matter if they are there they will speak.

One of the graves had an epitaph which says the individual was killed in the Sierra Buttes Mine while another statue was so weathered it almost felt like it was watching you. Some of the graves told you what country the individual buried here was from such as France, Ireland, Germany, England and even natives of Mexico just to name a few. Many of the pioneers that came here did so from all over the world. Just as many of the epitaphs told you how many years, months and days at most grave sites of when the person passed. I am not sure I have ever seen so many graves that were as precise as the ones found here.

The one thing for sure did not change is that when we walked around the cemetery is was early in the morning the sun just came up and it was crisp out. It felt more like fall actually it was winter with it being only in the 30's amazingly the cemetery contained tiers of blooming flowers and even insects on them. I also had seen quite a few leaves on the hillside and the trees were bare. In this region the seasons seem a bit off or perhaps fighting one another but no less this is a really great graveyard.

I could write about it or I can just show our viewers a video tour, pictures and a more in depth look into it. I prefer to show others because seeing this place will blow your minds. Its a true pioneer cemetery deep in the mountains and nearly every grave is a work of art carved by the Masons themselves.

I also found the grave of a baby of the Sorracco who owned a saloon just below the cemetery and today the name has not changed nor its function. It is just little things like that I pay attention to because the cemetery is a very relevant part of the town. These early pioneers braved the Sierra Buttes, Avalanches, Brutal Winters and made a life in the middle of the Sierra Nevada a mountain range that was rich with ore but in the heart of the dangers that came with trying to survive in such a remote area.

I would leave the cemetery behind the tiers of stone walls, steps and weathered graves for a brief moment had me feeling I was across the world. When you see moss growing on everything and wrought iron it kind of gives the place character. I never know if such cemeteries are haunted when I visit them I take readings and recordings. I find some of them the pioneers of our western past are very eager to let you know they are there! Many of the graves date back to the 1860's and I even found the graveyards first interment with patience and further research.

As I left the cemetery I would park down in town as we would visit the beautiful town of Sierra City which sits in the Yuba past. Talk about stepping into time this location with all its stone buildings, rustic homes, relics of the past and old wooden historical structures are truly what makes journeying around the town so worthwhile. This is a town full of good friendly folks as some of you know I am inked, pierced and I have my own style. People here wave hello and enjoy to converse about the town or even where we are from. Its a cozy place the cemetery was just the beginning of a day where we could really fully explore all there was to see.

Sierra City California

We parked below the cemetery at the visitors center at least a place you can find out about the history and nature within this region. If you stand above the town and look you can clearly see that The entire town resides in the Sierra National Forest. There are hiking trails surrounding the town little quite streets with smoky chimneys and its very quiet.

Its allot more older then most folks think dating back to when various native tribes settled this Yuba pass trading, hunting and gathering food. If you search long and hard enough in the rock outcrops overlooking town one can find petroglyphs left behind or even grinding rocks.

This area is very pristine allot of unique birds, butterflies, flowers and most of all its such a safe place to live people do not even lock there doors. This is quality living with wood burning, nature everywhere and good folks. Compared to some of the sites I visited this winter Sierra City welcomed us with open arms so it deserves a good review and they do rely on tourism to keep the town operable or preserved the way it is today.

Everything even in late winter was in full bloom however all sites within the town were closed for the winter that was a downside to the trip. I really wanted to do some investigations inside some of the towns historic sites but what can you do? I am doing this to promote the towns history and give you an introduction to an entirely new region the PGS team will be doing our research at and investigating.

No matter where you stand in town on the north face is the Sierra Buttes and trust me they were all covered in snow. As far as the rest of the town as well as the pass it was heavily forested, lush with green grass, blooming trees and all sorts of beautifully scented flowers.

Many large walls on main street even some of the quiet side streets stand today built by masons. Their is a creek that flows down into town of the buttes and it creates this waterfall where many relics of the past are just scattered on both sides of the creek.

The town itself is tiered much like the cemetery on both sides of the main road their is no stop lights and life here is very wholesome but that is just my opinion. When you start to see old wood homes and Victorian houses along with a few cozy rustic cabins you start to think about how living here would not be so bad.

Above the town is the old wooden community church surrounded by some old wooden miner cabins even a barn which are just symbols of this towns age. There is a totem pole downtown and even old fire bell tower. Next to that is the Masonic lodge which today appears to also be used as a real estate company.

On the other side of the road is the Yuba River which you can hear while hiking around town. One could see why they built the town here but then again being that the cliffs are so steep and mountains around it you could also understand why avalanches did a number on the towns residents dating back to the 1850's. This town almost never came to be when it became buried they just left it for years. So to walk downtown is a very unique feeling to understand the resilience of the miners and early pioneers who came here.

Downtown is very wild western with shops close to one another and even saloons. At one time or another these were businesses that may have traded to the natives or been a general store. Over the years the structures stand but some businesses change while others have stayed within the family for one generation to the next. There is the Buckhorn a stone and wood structure across from that another historic site with all sorts of artifacts just strung up on the front of it. A barrel might be at a street corner or even a rusty old wood stove someone may have cooked on. To really see the entire town you have to get on foot and just hike around check out the sites.

Further down main street I come across a new restaurant owner from San Francisco trying to do restorations and renovations. She really was kind enough to give me a run down of some of the towns history while telling me how the town entirely shuts down during the winter months even if its an early Spring.

There is a brick building downtown now a cafe and gallery. The third story to this structure is made out of wood not to far away down the road are a few old barns. Many of the house have to date back to over 100 years ago and some of them I was told are haunted but they are private residences.

Not to far away is old farm equipment, gazebo and even an old gas station. I heard they had old gas pumps did not see them but maybe then been moved to a museum or indoors. The old general store in town is a great place to get a drink or snack yes they were open which is also downtown. Most of the sites however were closed and some buildings were abandoned with cobwebs in the window.

Before I turned off someone had a scarecrow in their yard then again I seen a statue of some kind up on some hill. You really have to walk down various streets to see these sites believe me when I say it this town may not be as large as it use to be but you cant see everything in one day.

When I left Main Street I found allot of historic sites beyond the town itself but you have to search. This place is also a lovers get away people rent cabins for a weekend and there are plenty of historic ones with cozy fireplaces. I know I could smell the wood burning as fog was just covering only parts of the town that fill the pass.

We went to this little park it had swings and a shake cage. I went down the slide and even on the swings while enjoying all these beautiful old large homes. The weather was warming up nicely to so how can I not get out and try to unleash the kid? This was the first time I went into the Sierra Forest and one of the key points that stands out is this forest has never really been hit with forest fires so everything seems to be canopied.

Not to far away is the old schoolhouse and back in this area a bunch of old wood cabins with mine carts. There is also another church back here but I believed someone renovated it into a home. Everything in town has basically been restored, renovated or simply well taken care of. I have allot of love for this town its beauty and history is truly magnificent.

To be able to take my family here to explore made things allot of fun for all of us. In between I seek out the paranormal so many of the historic sites I did take EVP's at but I stopped taking EMF since the electrical poles seem to be abundant throughout the town and lower to the ground which can give off false readings.

When I went back on into downtown the sun just started to come on out and a man that went into the general store also said hi to me. The people here are friendly and well any of the friendly ghost towns I have visited who were helpful or good to our group always get good reviews. We would stop at the jeep to grab some snacks and drinks. I bring plenty of food on most of our trips so that we can eat well while hiking around.

The town is so well kept you have all sorts of trees including Asian Plumb and Pear trees growing in front of many of the homes. Allot of flowers downtown and many of the businesses downtown are original from the 1800's. The post office is much newer but then again over the years it has closed and reopened so you have to expect that. Many of the houses are a must seen surrounded by little white picket fences they really are beautiful would love to live in one myself someday because everything you want this place has. You have the cafe down the road, river, historical cozy homes and beautiful scenery. Not much you can ask for I just am not a city guy as I prefer serenity.

Before I left to head out to the Kentucky Mine and Mill which is also near downtown Sierra City I walked for about a block to check out a series of old buildings at the west end of town. I visited the old hotel, saloon and a community hotel.

There was also an abandoned building which boasted in its windows all sorts of old photographs of early residents, prominent people and some of the milestones that took place here. Its a bit odd seeing these old BW photos because most of the people in them are buried in the cemetery across the road. Also in the windows was an old lantern, washboard, kettle, gold pan and a few other artifacts preserved through the years. Despite the cobwebs all around them it just gives the town a little more character in my opinion. If I remember I also seen an old pick up and a mine cart embedded into a stone wall. This is all history and to just be in it makes me more then happy enough ghosts or no ghosts!!!

All in all I found that Sierra City is a hidden paradise tucked away in the Sierras. I read about tales how every year on the 4th of July the men would help the women reach the top of the Sierra Buttes using ropes and how their dresses would rip as they were being hoisted up. Who knows I might have to climb the Sierra Buttes I bet the views from above of the Sacramento Valley and Lassen Volcanic Park are gorgeous!

Further just outside of town is this old homestead all that is left of it is this massive chimney which is surrounded by brush and trees. There is allot of little locations like this tucked away in the national forest surrounding the town all the way from mines to old rusty equipment left behind to even old stone homesteads where miners once resided in. We would then head on off to the Kentucky Mine and Mill which is part of the towns history but also its own separate entity.

Kentucky Mine & Mill

If you start to head on east just as you leave the town there is a pull off on your left which takes you up to the Kentucky Mill and Mine. I do possibly plan on doing an investigation here eventually although for now I just wanted to visit here to give you an introduction to the mining that took place heavily surrounding Sierra City.

The Kentucky Mine has one of the only working stamp machines operable in the American west. Of course this time of year its closed down but you can walk the grounds check out old mining equipment. You can visit the mine entrance or hub, miners cabin and walk around the tall mill. Most of the mines in the area are long gone but the Kentucky has not hardly changed since it was first opened.

I would add it onto our Sierra City addition to our site but since I plan on doing a follow up investigation of the mill it deserves its own case file if that makes sense. I mean the haunting's that might transpire here may be totally different to what might take place per say at the cemetery or even downtown Sierra City.

At the mine there is a small museum it was closed but hey Ill be more then happy to donate something to the museum for a more in depth look around. I know that places like these rely heavily on funding simply because without that they would not be able to preserve everything or keep it safe enough for the public to enjoy.

We would hike up this road to the top of the hill just below the Sierra Buttes which also overshadow the mine. Once you get to the top there is a few really notable structures found here which seem to be the core of this once booming operation.

The Kentucky Portal is actually a wood structure which surrounds the mine entrance. There are ore cart tracks that go right into the mountain. I also seen machinery and other rusty tools inside of here through the iron bars. Those same tracks actually extend all the way across a bridge where the ore could be dumped into the mill for processing which starts off with the giant stamps crushing the ore into a much finer powder to extract the gold.

Not to far away is an old wooden water tank or tower rather which was also essential in mining operations. One of the ore cart tracks led into the mill the other one split off to the right dead ending at some drop off. Perhaps the non essential materials were dumped here its hard to say.

I had seen behind the mill, portal and miners cabin allot of rusty pipes. There was also some other debris its fairly obvious the mining did extend back into the hillsides of the very steep Sierra Buttes. The mining operation was quite extensive it was also built right near downtown so many of the miners who lived in Sierra City probably were employed here.

There was also a really nice wooden miners cabin very typical of its time unlike most of the stone cabins in Nevada allot of the ones found in gold country are made of wood in the high sierras. Within the cabin was a stove, bed, pots, pans, tools, desk, dresser, gold pans etc etc everything you would expect a miner to have in order to sustain himself while working long days at the mine. It was a nice cabin really only big enough for one but sometimes in the wild west this would be all you needed here.

There was also a huge piece of machinery in front of the cabin then again there is allot of relics of the past if you are willing to walk the grounds and explore a little. For awhile we sat on a bench which overlooks this mountain and the mill itself. Its a good place to maybe do some EVP work since this little area would have been active back in the day as miners dumped the ore into the mill itself.

If you go below the mill itself there is an outdoor museum of rusty artifacts all the way from gears to saw blades to a steam boiler and hydraulic cannon all part of this mining operation. Some of the other mining equipment I do not know as much about but today barrels, rusty machinery and other preserved artifacts are found on the grounds which may have been put to use at one time or another at the Kentucky Mine.

This location is really the pride of Sierra City its an important site and today a museum. It does not mean its not haunted but for me to know its one of the only sites with real working stamp crushers it gets me quite excited thinking about it. This mine and its operation boosted the towns economy back in the day. Granted there were many mills and mines in the region most of them are in very poor shape however the Kentucky looks as it did over a 100 years ago and with that in mind lets hope we can all help preserve it for years to come. We would leave the Kentucky Mine then go further down the road parking at the PCT to Loves Falls.

Loves Falls
(Pacific Crest Trail)

Just a mile or two down the road from the Kentucky Mill is an area you can park hiking either into the Lakes Basin area which goes up along the Sierra Buttes or you can head south traversing deeper into the Yuba Pass and along the Yuba River.

Although Loves Falls is a huge part of the towns history as many locals would come up here for a picnic or to get a breath of fresh air for me it was my first time backpacking in the Sierra National Forest. You must have imagined how excited I truly was to be able to hike back in here and explore.

Besides the fact that over the years I been hiking on different portions of the Pacific Crest Trail which overs some of the best scenic views on the west coast then anywhere in the country. Their is NOTHING that compares to this trail I could hike it day or night. Its beautiful back country that starts off near Mexico and goes all the way up to Canada. With that in mind it traverse allot of Bigfoot country, peaks, lakes, streams etc etc I just love it including these waterfalls.

The trail itself crosses the road that leads down into Sierra City. We would gear up with backpacks, food, drinks, brews, fruit etc and get ready for our short hike up to Loves Falls. Its kind of hard to find considering its easy to lose sight of the trail with parts of it being overgrown or having to go around a fallen log. However just following the Yuba River will get you there.

The Sierra National Forest was thick very lush compared to some of the other regions of the sierras. There were a few flowers in bloom but not to many. That is because the snow here recently melted but its well shaded. There was a little wood sign that had pointed to Milton Creek and Loves Falls as well.

I was hoping to find fresh Bigfoot tracks but honestly most of the ground back here is rock with a few softer spots found on the steep hillsides leading down into the river. The hike through the woods is quaint I actually found what was left of some possibly hydraulic mining operation that probably harnessed the river for its Placer gold.

I did some studying and there is around 50 mine sites in this region some of them are just scattered rusty remnants while others have full in tact mines you can explore. Personally I wish I found more mines but again the Sierra City region our first visits were an introduction so that you can see where will be doing some of our research this year and into next.

The rapids at the river were moving quite swiftly as we came up near the falls which are tiered and totally blasting water right over a bunch of large rocks. I helped my son get down to the bottom of the falls near this little inlet where the water was barely moving and we busted out the gold pan kit he had gotten as a present. I figured we might have some lucky finding some Placer Gold even if it was a few flakes. It was good to see my kids playing near the river I climbed out of the ravine then went over this large bridge that spans over the falls to a little hillside to have lunch.

It was pretty serene back here with the water rushing, various birds chirping and the fresh air. I did hear something in the woods not sure what it was. But something was moving around in the woods and making some sounds. Strangely enough the pamphlet I had gotten about the wildlife in the area mentioned no black bear so it had to be something else.

By this time the kids were climb up to the top and crossing the bridge they found no gold but they had fun. I was getting kind of irritated with all the ants. This area has thousands of them so when you sit down they crawl up your pant legs and down your shirt. We had our fair share of dealing with ants but we made due. I threw some rocks into the ravine drank a beer and just enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Hiking back was quiet as a matter in fact I never seen a single person back by Loves Falls. It has a history of being a very busy place with hikers, white water rafters and outdoor enthusiast. For such a nice day I thought id seen more folks out but it was just us all by our lonesome self hanging out on a bridge that overlooks the Yuba River below and this amazing series of falls that keep dropping down tier by tier.

Just to hike here was an honor it was not about the paranormal but more about what hidden gems surround Sierra City. Back in the day I am sure the pioneers and miners took a nice cool dip here I know I would if I lived here. There was no bigfoot or little green men but I was one of the lucky ones who had gotten to see the falls at their peak!

When we arrived back at the jeep I did stop at various parts of the river including an area where this creek branches off from it. Honestly there was suppose to be a mine back here but apparently someone bought the property and built a residence but I still had to check. There is allot of offbeat trails, dirt roads and places you can traverse within the pass that will take you to old mining sites all within a picturesque setting.

I also pulled off to the side of the road which had a memorial behind it were steep walls with various waterfalls coming down off the rocks. The water then would drain into this very narrow creek and dump back into a tributary of the Yuba. I guess the memorial is dedicated to the person who built this outdoor fountain and I must say I was pretty impressed as it looked like I was in The Hobbit for a brief moment in time lol.

The scenery in the pass is very beautiful still some snow could be seen on some of the peaks or at higher elevations above the river. I know there are allot of back country trails to explore you just cant do everything in one day but ill tell you what I look forward to the day I can physically hike in the Sierra National Forest and find me some Bigfoot like creatures. Afterall this region does have some very credible bigfoot sightings as the Sierra Forest blends into the Plumas National Forest both which I have had my eye out on for a long time.

Our next destination would be a place called Snag Lake just one of the many lakes found in the basin to the north of this site. So now we would be leaving Sierra City and really making our way into some of the remote parts of this area which may be great prospects for finding bigfoot tracks or so I had hoped.

Snag Lake

Honestly I had no plans to visit this lake but I was kind of left without a choice. You see when you start to head north of Sierra City there is a road that takes you into a vast expanse wilderness known as the Gold Hwy. except that its not maintained very often therefore to get to some of the lakes can be nearly impossible even in late winter to going into Spring.

When you enter the lakes basin to your left you see multiple peaks including the very snow western end of the Sierra Buttes. Its a monolithic site actually some of the peaks are so large in that area and draped with snow you sort of feel very small in the Lakes Basin.

When you stand on the highway you can see to the west valleys, hills, thick blanketed forest and lakes far off in the distance. Its truly a magnificent site so many areas to camp, fish, hike and paranormal investigate. I mean since I been doing research in Northern California the more I see the more I like and the greater our reach becomes in the region as we look into these bigfoot reports and claims.

My goal was to head up to Gold Lake and also visit the old Gold Lake Mining site which has some pretty interesting tales. But when I went so far down the road just a few miles away from Gold Lake I hit a 5' wall of snow it came up to the top of my jeep and I nearly had gotten almost stuck which always scares my family but luckily I am able to generally get out of just about any situation as long as I remain chill about it.

So when I turned around I noticed a little dirt road that went up to the shoreline of Snag Lake which is this very narrow long lake that winds through the forest within the basin. Believe it or not there is around 65 lakes surrounded Snag Lake some are down dirt roads others you have to hike to. This was accessible and another place I could just get then grab the backpacks and go.

Its not the most beautiful lake there is allot of tree stumps in the lake and the shore is full of heavy foliage which I would have to push through just to get all the way around to the other end of the lake. It did not take to far traversing into the woods before I was hiking through snow. There was even sheets of thin ice that went from the shoreline extending out into the water so it was apparent the area was still thawing out.

There is a certain sense of peace that comes with what I do and this time I was hiking alone. Tammy and the boys they hiked a little bit along the lake but I really pushed myself deep into the wilderness so I could get to the most remote parts of the lake which were untouched by humans for months due to the snowfall.

I never seen one human print and at times I had to leave the lake short to go through the brush in the woods and climb over rocks. It gets remote very fast and trust me if you wander these woods you better have a good sense of direction one wrong turn and you will get lost. Its very thick back in here with foliage but it all looks the same.

There are surprisingly coves and you cant see them from where you pull in at the lake. These coves or inlets were full of fallen trees floating on the water. You could literally walk out on them over the water if you really wanted to.

Despite my long search in the snow and any area I could find muddy banks I never found a single track whether that would be animal, human or something even unknown. I have no doubt bigfoot are seen and sighted in the region but Snag Lake appears to lack allot of things other lakes may offer to such a creature.

The ice onto the lake was cracking and thawing I could not see my family as I had gotten in a bit to deep. There are no trails just allot of rocks and trees. Eventually I would find an area of ground that was disturbed it had looked like claws maybe fingers digging into the Earth. This was fairly fresh could have been a bear maybe some Bigfoot creature was sitting down digging up roots or even bugs for protein underground. One must wonder what made it!

I met up in the woods with my son he was telling me about a hot fire burning near where we parked. So I ran back really fast to find out someone left wood and hot embers burning. The problem was the winds picked up so you had embers blowing into the forest. Even if there is some snow out in the Lake Basin most of the forest is very dry and you could still have a forest fire.

I had to try to get water on it then throw dirt and finally throw rocks to smother the fire boy was I mad. I do not understand people who just leave fires burning and sometimes the stone rings are not high enough therefore its a huge fire risk. If this area burned down then I would not have a reason to come back here so I did the good deed of putting it out.

We took some family photos at the eastern shore of the lake I was pretty excited as I had gotten to do some hiking in the Lake Basin. This is just another large quadrant of the Sierras I never have gotten to see. I can only imagine what the other 60 plus lakes look like when they are accessible.

Our day was really off to a great start we would eventually take our leave and head to Sierra Cities sister town known as Sierraville!

Sierraville California

Unlike Sierra City which focused on its gold mining the town of Sierraville is more focused on agriculture and ranching. When you roll on into town its miles of just open ranch lands surrounded by the Tahoe National Forest and many mountains. Its very picturesque something you might see out of a movie or in a painting.

I drove down many rural roads in the beginning to photograph many of the old ranches, barns and Victorian homes. Most of the ranches date back to the 1800's and many of the houses. But its very spread out so you definitely have to do allot of driving to see what all the town has to offer.

The residents of Sierraville provided lumber, crops, dairy, livestock and other food subsidence to the miners of the Comstock in neighboring Nevada. So when you drive past a cattle or horse ranch or see a field being tilled this has never changed since the town was born in the 1800's.

Some of the barns are falling down others are in really good shape. I am planning on doing a barn gallery on our website for those who like the old creepy wood barns of the pioneer days. Before I would hit the town site it was important to check out the outer parts of Sierraville because allot of these ranches have preserved the barns, farm equipment from the 1800's and other relics of the towns past.

Down one of the side streets are a bunch of old wood houses including the old IOOF and Masonic Lodge which still stands today. If you look hard enough seeing an outhouse or wagon wheel is not uncommon here. By the time we arrived here it was so warm out you could walk around with just shorts and a T-shirt it was nice.

There are throughout the town really small cabins which still stand and are pretty original. Just beyond town is all ranch land its very open. I also noticed there was a controlled burn up on a mountain side in the woods. Maybe a rancher was burning some brush or something but a plume of smoke was just rising from the west end of town.

There is a brick building downtown its called the Sierra Valley Exchange while another sign says cafe and another sign says Smithneck Farms. I did some research found out this was the oldest remaining remnants of the original town. There was a family sitting at a table having a few bites to eat and some drinks. Also surrounding this old building is an old truck, gas pump and a few other relics of the towns past its pretty sweet. This use to be a store of some kind back in the 1800's and its still today standing strong.

Across the street is the fire department there are still today some really awesome vintage fire trucks sitting out then next to that is another cafe/general store. I think its a little bit of both not sure but seen allot of homemade crafts in the windows. This cafe is very large probably a three story home where the lower level is business and the upper levels are residential. I am not even sure its open for business the upper patio had a box spring in front of the door and other doors had furniture placed in front of them. There was even a sign for Bud Light but it was not lit up.

Behind that Cafe was another saloon it was closed and the house behind it was collapsed in peril. Across the street from that is the Globe Hotel which is also original with the town in addition to the cafe and the Sierra Valley Exchange. The semi ghost town offers those a look into early ranching downtown was not very extensive and at one time much more did exist but today its dwindling down to only a few original businesses. The hotel looks like a giant mansion from the outside with a huge porch on the outside,

There is some kind of general store further down the road I just walked to it. Next to the store is a small town park which boast some relics of the past such as an old band wagon, wagon wheels, outhouse, farming machinery and an old wood stove. There was a picnic bench so I took a break here as I looked off into the distance at the woodsy mountains and the serenity of downtown Sierraville.

There were some bikers hanging out near the Globe Hotel they did not say anything to me as I was photographing some of the oldest historical homes downtown but they were giving the middle finger to others. Not sure what that was about they may have been joking with other locals they are friends with who knows but it sure did not seem like it and I just did my own thing.

It seems to be a little bustling town people walking around with Pepsi's, Ice-cream, taking a stroll, walking there dogs etc. The Sierra Valley is mighty but its also very scenic with allot of bird life, snow capped peaks, forest 360 degrees and beautiful green ranch lands. I can see why some people chose to live here once you get here you really do not want to leave.

When I arrived back at the jeep I decided to explore the town a little more in depth that is when I found the schoolhouse which is not as old as the town but it still is vintage for its time. Near the school is also the community church which also seems to be old and is well maintained.

There is also a very long road that goes west of the town this takes you down the street from the church up to the cemetery. When I took this road I found about three to four historical homes some Victorian and a few other old ranches with very old wood structures dating back to the 1800's. I am sure these ranches have some of there own strange tales of bigfoot or haunting's no doubt.

This road was real quaint we seen deer grazing in someone's front yard, dog chased our vehicle and rabbits hop all over the place. The trees were all starting to bloom and I even since this really old abandoned homestead but just did not have the time to check it out as the sun was going down. Because of this I had to make choices such as visiting the cemetery and trying to get up to Independence Lake which has been on my agenda for a few years to say the least.

Eventually we would find this dirt road that would lead us to the historic cemetery and a must see if your going to check out Sierraville to its fullest.

Sierraville Historic Cemetery

its strange the dirt road that leads to the cemetery goes through open ranch land then to the top of this hill that is heavily wooded. Here you have this cemetery in the middle of all this ranch land with what looks like an island of brush and trees. To say the least its a bit odd and maybe the early pioneers planted the trees within the cemetery so that it could remain a pleasantly shaded place for those to visit there loved ones. It was fairly obvious considering that benches are found throughout this graveyard.

Unlike the Sierra City Cemetery there are no tiers or walls most of the historic section is at the top of the hill and towards the front of the cemetery. While beyond that are the interments that dating back to the early 1900's to present. To enter the cemetery its not a big wrought iron gate but rather a spin gate its a little bit odd but okay! Just as a chain link fence covers the front of the cemetery so it kind of takes away a bit from its historical look unless you were to go into it.

From the top of the hill within the cemetery you can see downtown Sierraville a few miles away and through the trees the large cross on the community church. You can also see through one of the passes looking right into the Nevada high desert, Tahoe National Forest, peaks and various ranches from afar. There is even a creek nearby and a little hidden lake you would not see unless you were to explore the cemetery. So its a very picturesque place and equally historic!

The story with this graveyard is that almost every historic gravesite is surrounded with ornate wrought iron work while others graves are not you find more of it here then you do at the Sierra City Cemetery. I was amazed at how great the condition of the graves are here although I believe I seen a few mended stones and a broken lamp of an infants grave.

There was also a gravesite that had what looked like a skull and cross bones it may have also been the symbol for the IOOF no less with it being weathered it was creepy looking. The kids even thought wow who is buried here because its not something you see everyday.

Most of the interments here are early ranchers they were quite wealthy or lumber tycoons both which provided for the very wealthy Comstock Lode of Virginia City. The graves here have some really beautiful engravings with poems or quotes. Some had doves carved into their stones, crosses, broken chains and even two hands shaking.

I even found a couple old wooden grave markers may have been some of the first interments buried here. You really have to get out there and explore here. There is allot of graves scattered on every side of the hill and its rather woodsy just in this area where the cemetery is so its easy to miss something.

I did take EMF and EVP readings here I always do at cemeteries for any sign of ghostly activity. I wish I had greater access to this location would love to be here at night just sitting on top of the hill under the stars seeing if we could catch a glimpse of something ghostly.

Its a really great graveyard and it plays an important role in the history of Sierraville. These were the early pioneers that decided to build a ranching community here and today it still thrives. What is even more refreshing is that this cemetery is very well maintained flowers are found at many gravesites and anything that was broke appears to have been fixed whether that would be weather damage or vandalism.

Sometimes when it comes to these historic ghost town cemeteries or pioneer burial grounds I prefer to just show others. Most cemeteries are generally not haunted or the lack activity. But you cannot explore the town without seeing this place where some of its earliest pioneers braved these mountains. It was a rough life you see allot of children buried here and you know it was probably from all the epidemics that rolled into town. Life was not easy for anybody who braved the sierras but amazingly most of what was built still remains today as it was almost 150 years ago.

I did spend allot of time in the cemetery and the sun was really starting to go down. I had a couple choices which was to either to offroad up to Independence Lake, Head for home or explore this abandoned house back in the woods. I really was in the mood to find some Bigfoot evidence so right out of Sierraville I took a dirt road to try to make it up to Impendence Lake.

I am sorry I did not make the other choice of exploring the house because after about 20 miles of offroading I had to turn back. The road up to Independence was really bad some of the creeks and rivers were pouring onto the road. Other roads I took had deep snow or mud my entire jeep was covered in mud. Not once could I let off the gas or we would have been stuck in slush, mud and water which ran across the road for hundreds of feet. As I was driving there was so much mud on my windshield that I could barely see.

After almost an hour of offroading in the high sierras above Sierraville I found an area to turn around and it was not easy. The fact that I made it 20 miles in before I had to turn around meant I had to redo all the obstacles I just managed to get us through. You have to expect it thought its almost the beginning of Spring and with it being still winter you never know what to expect when you start working your way deeper into the wilderness.

I did however cross the Little Truckee River which I did hike along when I would go to Sagehen Meadows and the Stampede Reservoir. So I had plans to come back and hopefully we can make a second run at Independence Lake. There is nothing back here but jeep roads, couple old cabins and allot of wilderness. Its okay if I have to come back here when it dries up more because besides Independence I had found a few other lakes you can visit nearby so I could make a day of it as opposed to when I was here the sun was almost down.

Heading home is a beautiful drive I did manage to barely get out of the Independence Lake area. Some consider this to be the rural part of Sierraville and it truly is. Just as the Lakes Basin is the outdoor recreational area for Sierra City so both locations have there own series of lakes and hikes.

The ride into the sunset is beautiful you eventually meet up with Lake Tahoe which in the evening is one of the wonders of the world with all the snow capped peaks, blue water and pretty skies. I mean really what is there not to enjoy with the work that we do and projects?

Both semi ghost towns are an introduction to an area will be working more in depth with all the way from Sierra City, Kentucky Mill and Mine, Loves Falls, Lake Basin, Snag Lake, Sierraville and of course the Independence Lake area which provides endless amounts of offroading as well as adventures.

I look forward to returning to some of these places again and doing more exploring. There is just so much to see you cant see it all in one day. But once we get the photos, videos, evidence, EVP's, media, history etc etc up on our site people will be able to enjoy to really great pioneer towns of the wild west nestled in the Sierras. Most think because of the harsh winters there is only wilderness north of Tahoe and that is just not true. You have ranch lands, towns, historical sites, large beautiful historic homes and so much more. Everything has a tale, story or even a haunt.

I really look forward to the day I can hike and explore more in depth these towns back country. That entire day I would pass through five counties, multiple national forest and drive a few hundred miles. That is how you know you worked hard is when you can come home and physically say you gave it your all. My family was pretty exhausted and by the evening I was still the only one who kept going n going considering we visited 7 large locations and that includes two very extensive pioneer cemeteries.

When I had gotten home I had Chili cooking all day long with the slower cookers so dinner was done and I was very excited about all the great material we collected on our investigations in an area I never been to in the sierras before. I cannot wait to see what is next we will be back believe me! The wild west is not just about the desert its also about the very mountains miners worked mines at and all the hidden gems found in one of the most prominent mountain ranges that at one time was thought to be impossible to traverse.

PGS Founder
Lord Rick

PS Reports are drafts additions, renditions and content will be added on our website in the future for its final interment. I will have the Austin Nevada reports out later this week kind of skipped around!

_________________
Love is like a ghost sometimes you cannot see it but it is There


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