Epic Cranbrook ATV Ride to the Lead Queen Mine – Mountain Trails & Hidden History!” скачать в хорошем качестве

Epic Cranbrook ATV Ride to the Lead Queen Mine – Mountain Trails & Hidden History!”

Welcome to our Ride up to the historic Lead Queen Mine Site Join the Cranbrook ATV Riders, engines rumbling, tires kicking up the crisp mountain air as we wind our way up toward Lead Queen Mountain. Disclaimer: Not associated with KRATV in Cranbrook, nor would we want to be under the current administration Today’s ride isn’t just about the scenery—though the scenery is incredible—it’s a journey back through more than a century of East Kootenay history. As we climb the trails, imagine what it was like here in July of 1900. Back then, there were no side-by-sides or gravel roads, only narrow pack trails and stubborn determination. Two prospectors, Samuel Derr and Henry Schweisguth, first staked the mineral claim we’re riding toward. A man named Tom Brown of Wilmer soon joined in, and together they set their sights on galena, a silver-rich lead ore that sparked many dreams of fortune. The site they chose was beautiful—but remote. The creek below, once called No. 3 Creek and later Frances Creek, cut deep into these mountains. In those days, getting in meant days of hauling tools, timbers, and supplies by horse and back. Getting ore out was even harder. Every ton had to be dragged down these same slopes, making transportation costly and dangerous. Early crews focused on development more than production. Cabins and bunkhouses rose among the trees. Tunnels—called adits—were driven into the mountainside: one stretched nearly 240 feet, another at the bottom of the gulch ran close to 300 feet. They built bridges, blacksmith shops, even a Half-way House to give workers shelter on the long climb. Hundreds of tons of ore were stockpiled, but low prices kept it from leaving the mountain. Around 1915, things began to change. Lead prices rose, and the arrival of the Kootenay Central Railway meant ore could finally be shipped at a profit. In 1916 and 1917, the first shipments went out—137 tons one year, 126 the next. To keep the ore moving through snowy winters, a daring aerial tramway of buckets was strung across these slopes in 1926. But mountain mining always carried risks. In 1918, a deadly avalanche claimed the life of Martin F. Powell, and slides repeatedly destroyed cabins—though local legend says the outhouse survived every time. By the late 1920s, falling ore prices and the Great Depression silenced the drills. The tunnels collapsed, trails overgrew, and the Lead Queen faded into memory. A 1965 geological survey tried to map the old workings, but some tunnels were already lost to time. Today, as we park our ATVs near the old claim, the Lead Queen has a new life. Instead of ore cars, it now welcomes riders, hikers, and photographers drawn to its high-alpine meadows, creeks, and weathered cabin remains. The mountain itself keeps the name—Lead Queen Mountain—a quiet monument to the grit of those early miners. 0:00 Road to Radium 0:36 Staging to SteamBoat 4:11 Ride up to Lead Queen 7:18 Lead Queen 9:34 Return from the Queen 11:42 Bonus Hit Single Slideshow - These Roots So as we ride the final stretch, take a moment to look around. Picture the men who once swung drills and hauled ore where we now roll on four wheels. Their hard work carved these trails, and their story gives our scenic ride a depth you can feel in the very rocks beneath your tires. Thank you—and let’s enjoy the rest of the journey to this remarkable piece of Kootenay history. Background Music Credits Written and Created by Doug Fanning Widowmakers Cry - Where the Cold Winds Moan - Some Say - These Roots #ATV #OffRoad #atvbc #Cranbrook #Kootenays #MountainTrails #LeadQueenMine #AdventureRiding #kratv