Last Saturday I hiked 7 miles with about 1400 ft elevation gain with my meetup group at Almaden-Quicksilver county park. We were treated to a nice winter day, cool and sunny.
Ruins of an ore elevator and elevated mine railway.
The Almaden quicksilver mine in New Almaden, Ca, was important for mining mercury used in gold extraction during the gold rush. It’s named after Almaden, Spain. There are lots of the old buildings left along with trails with great views.
I don’t know what that interesting plant with red berries is. Plantsnap says it’s “acer leipoense” which is an endangered species in Sichuan, China, so that doesn’t sound right.
One of the mine entrances. It looks dark and claustrophobia-inducing inside. I have a lot of respect for miners!
Really nice view of Mt Umunhum and the Santa Cruz Mountains
Great Spot For a break.
My friend Annie, a mushroom lover and good photographer, took this. Plantsnap says it’s “gilled mushrooms”
I caught a cold the day after Christmas which lingered for a while. I’d been exercising fairly lightly for about 30 minutes a day. This was my first long outing of the year, and I loved it.
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Published by BionicOldGuy
I am a Mechanical Engineer born in 1953, Ph. D, Stanford, 1980. I have been active in the mechanical CAE field for decades. I also have a lifelong interest in outdoor activities and fitness. I have had both hips replaced and a heart valve replacement due to a genetic condition. This blog chronicles my adventures in staying active despite these bumps in the road.
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7 thoughts on “Checking Out The Scenery and Mining History on a Nice Day”
I really like your pictures Rich, they make me feel as if I’m hiking too… I have to say – I love mushrooms, but I don’t think those look edible – yuck! Hope you had a great time!
BionicOldGuy 
This looks like it was a beautiful hike. Love the mushroom photo.
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I really like your pictures Rich, they make me feel as if I’m hiking too… I have to say – I love mushrooms, but I don’t think those look edible – yuck! Hope you had a great time!
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not sure they’re edible either. I’m glad I didn’t try 🙂
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I think it’s smart to be cautious Rich. 🙂
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