[Author's note: The mine described herein is the Lower Micho Mine on the satellite photo. When I wrote this I was unaware of the Upper Micho Mine and the Old Tree; these are the subjects of another piece below.]
My fondness of maps led me to buy a Whitefish Quadrangle Topographic Map upon moving to Whitefish three years ago. The mine is on the map, located about two miles east of Big Mountain ski resort, at 5600 feet MSL, and near the west bank of a tributary of Second Creek (from which the City of Whitefish draws water).
The mine was found in two sources: The informative history, Stumptown to Ski Town, the Story of Whitefish, Schafer & Engelter, 2003. The second, a report by the Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology (MBMG Report #462 of July 2002).
The Michaud brothers prospected the Whitefish area in the early 20th century, and "Micho" is thought to be a corruption of their French name. Mr. Gurney Moss, former editor of the Whitefish Pilot, wrote in 1964:
"The prospecting by the Micho brothers had been known for some time and produced little excitement, when rumor said there were rich deposits of gold, copper, and silver; one report said assays ... had showed values of $630 per ton in gold ... some free gold nuggets were reported to have been found ... the natives took to the hills in a hurry and located claims in all directions. Unfortunately the dreams of quick wealth faded with the morning, and the Micho Mine became a legend. Until some 25 Years ago [circa 1939] the old shaft with the tailings of rock and earth was easily visible from downtown, and it was a favorite luncheon stop for Boy Scouts on a Saturday hike, but the second growth of timber has hidden the mine from distant view, and likely few 1964 Boy Scouts know that there ever was such a place."
Agents from the Bureau of Mines, checking for mineral leaching, inspected the mine a decade ago and wrote, "The Micho was visited in September 2000 and is located along a southward flowing tributary of Haskill Creek [incorrect - it's Second Creek]. The mine was developed in about 1943 and consists of one adit [entrance portal] and two small pits. The adit was partially caved, and had a small 2' by 6' opening, which extended back into the hillside for about 20 feet. It was dry with no sign of discharge. The mine is located along a non-maintained section of the Micho Pack Trail."
Learning of the mine was easy; getting there was another matter. Old editions of the Whitefish quadrangle show a trail labeled "Micho Pack Trail"; it begins below Haskill Basin, runs north past the Micho Mine, then winds east through the Whitefish Range, ending near South Fork Canyon Creek. This was obviously the path to the Micho Mine and other early claims, but it's not on the current map. On my rambles near the site I could find no remaining trace of a trail.
The mine can best be reached from the south, as it originally was by the lost trail. The current map shows a logging road terminating about a mile south of the mine, on the east side of the creek. But this road is gone or incorrectly located.
The problem was solved by the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company, which maintains an accurate map of local logging roads. (I obtained a copy from a friend but have heard that maps are available at the company office).
The Stoltze map shows a bridge over the Second Creek tributary, a half mile south of the mine, and here, in late June 2009, I parked my bike and began climbing. It's a tough half mile, with an 800 foot vertical rise. The terrain is rough, but the hardest part is bushwhacking through underbrush and saplings. There's no sign of a trail anywhere. Less than halfway to the mine, in heavy vegetation, I stumbled upon a loop of rusted, wire rope, probably from mining or logging. A few rotted stumps on the lower slope showed old logging, but none were seen in near the claim.
The adit sits at the north end of a man-made ravine, about twelve feet across, five feet deep, and seventy feet long. This declivity, probably associated with the tailings, is the only visible sign of the mine. The adit is overgrown by grass (see photo) and cannot be seen from any distance. There was no sign of human activity, and I might have been one of a few, or perhaps the only person, to have visited since the MBMG survey nine years ago.
The 3 by 4 foot entrance slopes slightly downward, opening into an irregular chamber of 25 feet diameter with almost enough headroom to stand. Having hiked alone and knowing neither the mine's condition nor what might be sleeping within, I made my inspection from the entrance with a flashlight. The chamber was perfectly dry, and, if the mine was originally shored, the supporting timbers are gone.
The Micho Mine was exploratory, and it's unclear what the Michauds hoped to find -- probably anything of value. Gold, silver, and copper were mentioned, but apparently nothing was found.
In fact mining was a bust in the Whitefish area. Wrote Schafer, "Mining was a field in which there was almost constant publicity, repeated sales of stock, intermittent selling of supplies and digging of tunnels. But Micho, Java, North Fork -- they all petered out, and stockholders lost their shirts, their savings, or their spare cash."
There's the question of the mine's age. The MBMG report states it was developed about 1943, but this is unlikely. The Michaud brothers were prospecting prior to 1910, and Mr. Moss's comments also suggest a much earlier date.
Regardless of its age, the mine is there, awaiting a visit from anyone willing to make the climb. It's clearly marked on the current quadrangle map, and for GPS users its coordinates are 48˚29'13.2"N, 114˚19'03.3"W.
Happy Hiking!
Ned Mayo
20 July 2009
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