4x4 Trails:
Mollie Gibson Canyon
(White Mountains, Inyo County, California)

 Though this route is short and not particularly challenging, Mollie Gibson Canyon offers a quick get away from the Owens Valley for a picnic lunch, pine nuts in season, solitude any time and a small fragment of history for mining buffs.

A minor canyon draining the eastern slope of the White Mountain into Payson Canyon, Mollie Gibson Canyon is found just north of Westgard Pass. A trail runs along the bottom of the canyon through wash gravels, sagebrush and around piñon pines, requires a sharp eye to follow. Though not a particularly bad road, I’d recommend truck based SUVs in here only. Car based all wheel drive vehicles will likely have clearance issues in places.

The Mollie Gibson Mine, though marked on the map and the canyon named after it, wasn’t an important contributor to the ore reserves of Inyo County. In fact, there isn’t even a trail or road to the largest mine from the camp of whomever it was that hoped to strike it rich here. A lot of work went into creating an adit about 75 feet long, with a drift midway back, evidenced by the fact that the tailings pile of the mine is quite substantial. However, no road nor trail is found running between the mine and the remains of the mine camp, about a quarter mile away by scrambling cross country and on a road that runs a short distance from the camp to two smaller adits midway across the canyon to the Mollie Gibson tunnel, the shallow nature of these prospects are evidenced by the relatively puny mine tailings in comparison to that of the Mollie Gibson.

Though I don’t recommend exploring mines, the main Mollie Gibson mine appears solid and safe. The floor of the adit is clean and safe to walk without tripping. In the back of the adit are found holes drilled for dynamite, but never packed and shot. It is obvious that the mine’s operator simply gave up and walked away.

In wintertime, bats hibernate within the mine adit, be careful about where you place your hands for balance if you are exploring within the adit. Other wildlife no doubt use the mine adit for shelter in summertime. An angled drift midway in, however, is partially caved in and full of rubble.

Though not marked on the topographic map, a dim road runs from the mine camp and eastward up to the top of the low ridge, where a number of prospect holes and shafts are found. All are associated with the Mollie Gibson.

Below are three maps to identify the location Mollie Gibson Canyon and mines. Open on any thumbnail to open the full size image.

THE TRAIL

The trail up the canyon to the mine camp is 3.1 miles long and begins 15.15 miles from the junction of US395 and CA168 east, found at the northern end of Big Pine, California. If marking your mileage from the sign at Westgard Pass, it is 1.1 miles to the mouth of Mollie Gibson Canyon. The trail up Mollie Gibson Canyon begins at an elevation of about 6,880 feet and tops out at the Mollie Gibson Mine camp at about 8,050 feet.

Though not particularly challenging (unless recently altered by a flashflood), the route is dim and sometimes disappears momentarily. There are several places within the canyon where the route bypasses washed out older lengths of the trail. The canyon is narrow and rocky for the first mile, then broadens up a bit. Due to the tall and thick sagebrush, larger vehicles will get a good dose of “desert pinstriping,” as did my Toyota Tacoma. There is not much in the way of bedrock throughout the trail’s length, although there are large stones within the packed gravels of the trail.

At 1.4 miles, you will come to a wye in the canyon and it appears that trails run both branches. Stay right.

At 2.3 miles, you will note a prospect on the canyon wall.

At 2.4 miles you will suddenly drop into the a deeper channel within the canyon bottom and be presented with a T-intersection. Turn left, up canyon.

At 2.6 miles, the road suddenly turns 90° to the right and appears to go into another canyon. It appears that the trail we’ve been following continues ahead, but I’ve not explored its length, it doesn’t show on the topographic map and thus I cannot comment on what it offers.

At 3.0 miles, the trail comes to another junction. The main trail trends left and continues up the main canyon – the trail continues another 2.15 miles as per the topo map, but I’ve not taken it and have no idea of its destination nor condition. The trail to the Mollie Gibson continues straight ahead. Continue ahead a few yards and the road will enter into a narrow slot and instantly deteriorate. You will see a steep hillclimb to your right, which cuts off a switchback straight ahead and a roadway can be seen angling across the hillside to the right.

Take the sharp hillclimb to the right. The original road straight ahead is deeply eroded into a V-notch deep enough to swallow small trucks, full of large rocks and all vehicles will soon get themselves into a jamb that will require a winch and a lot of muscle power to extract oneself out of. The switchback out of the canyon bottom is a seven or eight foot vertical wall out the demolished roadway. The hillclimb to your right is less than 100 feet long, firm and poses no problem.

Once back on the main road at the top of the hillclimb, continue about 850 feet to the point where you gain the top of a saddle and the road splits in three directions. Park here. This is the old mining camp of the Mollie Gibson mines.

Photos below of the trail up (and back down) Mollie Gibson Canyon. Click on any thumbnail to open a full size photo.

THE MOLLIE GIBSON MINES AND MINE CAMP

The camp of the Mollie Gibson is totally demolished, but there is some interesting tidbits among the debris. A fairly substantial can dump gives mute evidence that considerable time was spent here by one or more people. Locations of the wooden camp structures are found by rotting, scattered lumber.

My friend Graham C. found a small, nearly child sized hobnailed boot. I found two 5-gallon cans altered in a way I’ve never seen before – cut open on one face of the can, the metal rolled back and over the sides neatly, as if this modification was to make a bread pan.

A roadway to the right takes one out to a prospect with a fairly good size flat topped tailing pile, which makes a great campsite and has a superb view of Cedar Flat (Westgard Pass) and the Sierra Nevada beyond. You can also spot the large, white tailings of the Mollie Gibson about 650 feet to the south across the canyon.

To reach the Mollie Gibson, you can either walk or drive about 350 feet to the end of the road, which ends at two small adits. To reach the Mollie Gibson, simply sight the large tailings and contour your way around the canyon to a point above the mine and drop down.

If you wish to explore further, take the road running due left (east) from the saddle and take the dim road to the top of the ridge. I followed this route one half mile before the route started to drop down the face of the range and I stopped here. Dim tracks of ATVs probed further, likely local deer and bird hunters. On top of the ridge are several shafts (open, so be careful) and a great view.

The Mollie Gibson didn’t offer much in wealth to its workers, but it is valuable for its solitude, views and a nice spot to get away for an afternoon or a night or two. You’ll likely not have company. Due to the thick piñon forests, harvesting pine nuts in season is a pleasant – if sticky – pastime.

To return to the highway, simply retrace your route 3.1 miles back to the pavement of CA168.

©2006 D.A. Wright
All Rights Reserved

Page Revised: 08/14/2006