Just west of the abandoned K&P rail line near Clyde Forks, is an abandoned mine which remains in remarkably good condition. Getting there is fairly easy but involves a bit of GPS work to find the precise location in the bush. The terrain is swampy and muddy and full of wildlife. We encountered a wolf chasing a deer 10 feet away from us.
The old K&P rail line provides access to the logging trails in the area. Some logging trails are marked “No Trespassing”. We walked through the bush from the K&P rail line only to realize there might be a vehicle access further down the K&P line. If you do find a way to access the logging trails, we recommend a 4X4. The mine is hard to spot due to the overgrown brush in addition to trees hiding the entrance. The mine is listed as abandoned by the ministry of Ontario, never-the-less there might still be an active claim on the site. Inside the mine we found large spiders and hibernating bats. If you do visit do not disturb the wildlife and keep the site clean. At the back of the mine we noticed dirt on the ground, only to realize that it was a pile of decomposing animal carcasses, bones and all. We noticed the odd bear footprint in the soil, so there may be a possibility that a bear could be using this mine as a shelter to hibernate. I am glad we did not encounter a bear; the wolf was enough of a scare. If you do visit please prepare and take precautions as help is far away. For more information review the potential risks section below. The following mine details were written and provided by Frankenbuffer at Dual Sport Diary Blog Spot. "The tunnel extends straight in about 50 feet, bends slightly left and then proceeds about another 70'. At the bend a drift extends to the left about 15'. Twenty feet past the bend, a second drift extends left about 10 feet. The records (as shown in the pic below, taken from a petrographic study of the site [1]) indicate that grab samples of the barite were taken on the left wall near the tunnel entrance, near the end of the first drift, and near the end of the adit. The barite vein is apparently fairly obvious in these locations, although I was not equipped to identify it during my visit." Historical Information: 1918-1919: Barite vein was stripped, some test pitting. One ton barite, sent to U.S. Work by T.B. Caldwell. 1957-1960: Lanark Silver Mines Ltd., performed magnetic and S.P. surveys, soil sampling and 773 feet of d.d. in 4 holes. (Tweed files 2, 3, 4). 1964-1968: Regional soil and stream geochemical surveys, 30 d.d. holes totalling 3921 feet, surface stripping and a short adit (98 feet) with 2 small cross-cuts. Work by West Branch Explorations Ltd. 1969-1970: Geochem surveys, at least 24 d.d. holes for 5,347 feet, geol. survey and some metallurgical testing by Carndesson Mines Ltd. (Tweed file 9) 1984: Todd Sanders staked out the property in January and in May and June, Lacana Mining Corporation carried out sampling of the main occurrence. In September Homestake Mineral Development Company visited the property and carried out limited sampling. 1986: T. Sanders carried out line-cutting and a VLF-EM survey. 1987: Assaying and a petrographic study of the tetrahedrite-barite zone was carried out. Abandoned Mine Id : 06930 Official Name : CLYDE FORKS Alias Names : CLYDE FORKS; CALDWELL, T.B.; PHARAOH, HARRY; CARNDESSON, M.L. Site Class Type : C Status : ABANDONED District : TWEED Jurisdiction : MINING ACT Mine Features : ADIT; TRENCH Operational Access Description : TRAIL Closure Reason : EXPLORATORY WORKINGS - UNDERGROUND Historical details written and provided by oma.on.ca & mindat.org. Location ID #CM0021
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