The “May Lundy Mine” is located at 11,000 ft on the east side of Mt. Scowden near the Tioga Crest. I doubt anyone has been up there for many years. It operated from 1879 to 1885 and then off and on through the early 1900’s. May Lundy was the daughter of W. J. Lundy whom made his fortune providing lumber to the mines at Bodie. I am not sure where his lumber mill sat in Lundy Canyon.
Down the mountain from the May Lundy near Oneida Lake sat the mill site and the “Lundy Mine” at 9400 ft with equipment all over the place including ore cart rails that run into the mine, boiler, compressors, and remnants of a tramway that ran the 1600 ft up to the May Lundy. Cams and stamps from a ten stamp mill lay in ruins with timbers long since in ruin. Both mines are indicated on USGS Historic Topo’s. The massive tailings pile can probably be seen from space. The town of Lundy was once a thriving town from 1880 to 1914 on the west end of Lundy Lake, now a fishing resort. It is a long four mile round trip hike from Lundy lake to the mill site.
Thank you Mr. Lundy
It is great to see so many comments below and learn about the history. I was able to find a photo of the lower adit to confirm the USFS has blasted it to smithereens. Also the mine is for sale for a mere 280k in back taxes but dont plan on mining the thousands of ounces remaining gold because the property is land locked by the USFS and all roads closed to vehicles. Still makes for a great hike with much mining equipment and history to see.
3 Comments
I’m 70 now. I hiked to the “upper lakes” trout fishing with my dad many times. We would sleep in the cook house and use the old stove for cooking. My first trip was at 7 or 8. We watched as the mine was slowly decommissioned and the buildings burned down. My brother 72, stiil hikes up there every couple of years. The Eastern Sierra is a wonderful place but like old farts everywhere I’ll complain about the incroacment of civilization. As a child we would vist Bodie, and coffins, some for children, were still in the mortuary. I still visit Lundy Canyon and camp in some of the same sites on Mill Creek that my family stayed in 65 yrs ago.
I worked at this property in the late 70’s when Minerals Management had control. Visited all the accessible underground workings and have a set of the old mine maps which clearly show the future potential of the property – except it is not available for any future work because of its location. Too bad, as it has some very gold potential to be a producer again
Last time I was up in about 2015 the entrance at the lower site had been dynamited shut. The ore pile with the rail tracks is still there. I heard it could be bought for back taxes but the cyanide in the lake is what caught my interest. Hear there is a few million worth at the bottom of the lake but forest service fears disturbing it will poison mono lake???? Anyone for a skin dive? Or further information call 3105956948. Solar powered drill press to work the ore pile?? Jim Lundy 7/10/17