Empire Mine in Snow
The recent series of winter storms have dropped some considerable amounts of snow on Grass Valley, and one of the best local places to go and walk in the snow has to be the Empire Mine State Historic Park.
I arrived at the Penn Gate parking lot at about 9.30am and although it was empty (unusually so because by this time normally the parking lot is full and there are a good number of horse trailers in the trailer area) I was not the first person to enter the park that day. Ski tracks and footprints led from the parking lot along the Hardrock trail through the six or so inches of fresh powder.
I followed the Hardrock trail first past the Pennsylvania mine buildings and then past the WYOD mine before doubling back in a loop and climbing through the WYOD mine spoil heap joining the trail leading back past the mule corral and the back of the Pennsylvania mine buildings.
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- Snow on the Wyod Mine Spoil heap
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- Snow at the Empire Mine Penn Gate Entrance
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- Snow at the Penn Gate Parking Lot
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- Hardrock trail in snow
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- Snow on the trees in the Empire Mine State Historic Park
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- Pennsylvania Mine Buildings in Snow
The Empire Mine State Park is an amazing recreational resource right here in Grass Valley, and the trails never lose their appeal, especially when weather events such as snow storms change the whole experience. Only a few days ago the weather was unseasonably warm, the trails were dry and people were walking them in shorts and t shirts!
Tags: empire mine, penn gate, snow