Bonanza Mine Hike

In Kennecott, about 25 of us went for a day hike to see the old Bonanza Mine. We did not know what is where we were going when we started as the trail also was the beginning of the Jumbo Mine trail, but when we got to the fork in the road we chose to go right (not many left leaning individuals in our group!)

It was a beautify sunny day (not many of those for us in Alaska yet) and we all were layered up to keep us warm so the first stop on the trail we stripped off several layers and were ready for the real hike to begin.

The hike was 4.5 miles to the mine and almost 4,000 feet in elevation gain. Some of the group turned back at about the half way mark, but many made it up to the water falls at the 3.5 mile mark. Here we had lunch, picked up pieces of copper ore and saw many old parts of the mining operations that was just left when they closed the mine (The EPA did not start until the 1970s!).

A hearty group of hikers, led by Jeffrey and Ryan Mead, climbed the last mile and a thousand feet of elevation gain to get to the actual mine entrance and even see over the ridge to the other side of the mountain before walking all the way back down to town.

Dinner that night was in the McCarthy Saloon where the most interesting thing on the menu was the “Trash Berger”, a normal hamburger that the chef made “special” depending on the mood he was in. Conor got one with chili and beans. Someone else had steak on his and Someone else pasta on his berger. Eric Siefert took the cake and had his with bacon, onion, cheese, cranberries and the bun was smeared with nutella. Eric did not think his burger would catch on.