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Around every bend in the road or over the crest of a hill there are always
new and exciting things to see near Lightning Ridge.

The Spanish have visited and worked their mines in this area for a very long time.
The mine seen here is said to be very old and of Spanish origin.
I tend to agree with that judgment.

If you look inside please be careful because it appears to be dangerous,
with large boulders hanging from the ceiling. This Spanish mine is at:
40° 31.132' N. 110° 54.463' W. elevation 9644 feet
(Sorry for the glare off the snow in the photo).

Yes, that small hole is the way in...
These pictures were taken in July but there is still snow in shaded places like this.

Our friend Adam carefully slipped inside but he's braver than I.

This is a picture he took while inside the mine.
(Thanks Adam for the picture and for your courage).

On the walk up the hill to the Spanish mine you may notice two modern mines.
The one above we call "Blue tarp mine #2" and the one below is called the "Blue tarp mine".

They get their names from the blue tarps which used to cover the entrances.
The owners have since replaced them with black ones.
The blue tarp mine is at: 40° 31.157' N. 110° 54.538' W. elevation 9258 feet.

The number 2 mine is about halfway between the Blue tarp and the Spanish mine.

Look closely and you'll see a rock monument which we didn't take time to hike to.
Note: this picture was taken at a long distance.

Lightning Ridge got it's name from the weather activity at this location.
This monument was erected in remembrance of Jess Bigler who was
struck by lightning at this location on September 6, 1917.
His monument is at: 40° 30.718' N. 110° 53.515' W. elevation 9838 feet.
(It's actually difficult to see until you get really close. Look on the east side of the road.)

As you go out exploring be careful and remember to "smell the roses" or flowers along the way.
With record amounts of rainfall during 2009 in some locations of Utah it's beautiful.

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(Pictures taken July 16-17, 2009)

(Page created July 22, 2009)