Subject: [ParanormalGhostSociety] Our Tuscarora & National Expediton 2-18 to 2-19 Northern Nevada......
Date: 2/23/2018 1:44:04 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: ParanormalGhostSociety@yahoogroups.com
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National Nevada
Expedition 2

I was in National a couple years ago boy was it a rough trek all the snow had been melting of the Santa Rosa Mountains so there was flooding, roads out, water rushing across the road up into the canyon and I did not get very far. The furthest I made it was to these set of stone ruins at the mouth of the canyon and since then I had wanted to go explore the canyon further. Last year had to cancel because we had a record winter and this area was buried. This year its been mild so I figured why not lets give it a shot.

Of course with my luck I woke up at 6am at my motel seen it had snowed thought oh snap because if it snows in Winnemucca an inch it snows a foot up in the Santa Rose Mountains which are only about 50 miles to the north of my motel so I thought here we go again mother nature is playing tricks with us lol. I was a bit worried because weather often plays a part in these trips I do. I have no issue adventuring in snow but you cant make a road accessible if its buried or washed out.

I took the family to a place called The Griddle its a diner you can eat breakfast here my son ordered crepes and I had this wild western breakfast. It had
sourdough toast, hash browns then this scramble with sausage, peppers, bacon, onions and other yummy things. With some coffee I was just about ready to go that morning. As a matter in fact the waitress was so nice to me she put some coffee in a to go cup for me to drink because I told her I was on the road and adventuring. The Griddle has been open since 1948 and honestly its a nice place to catch some breakfast before ghost towning in the region.

We begin our trek northbound cruising along the Santa Rosa Mountains. They are so beautiful just another range in Nevada that offers great views. Yeah they got allot of snow the mountains were coated if I had come here a few days prior we probably would not see much snow but every road heading towards them was covered in snow. You have to be very careful because many of the roads dead end at ranches. There is allot of cattle out in Nevada its an open range I seen cattle in Midas and Tuscarora so I knew id see some below the mountains. No matter what its about a five mile journey to cross the expanse before you hit the mountains from the highway no matter what road you want to take to go up into this range.

Most of the roads like I say dead end but there is a few some better then others you can take to get up into the canyons found in this range in this case my only interest is National. There is a ghost town called Buckskin its 10k way the hell at the top of the range above National but in the winter the trek is impossible. Its possible near the end of summer I can make Buckskin and who knows maybe make a third trek into National since honestly despite me getting further this time I would not see to much perhaps because one of Nevada's richest gold mining towns has nearly been erased from history despite what others ay about it existing.

Last night I left the area I had to drive on this overgrown dirt road to get out because water had washed away many of the roads and I had nowhere else to go. I had no idea how roaring the creek would be in National or if I could get into the canyon this time. The roads were coated with a few inches of snow and the mountains looked less friendly above us. This was all fresh powder and that just makes things more difficult for any trek especially in a deep narrow steep canyon.

I actually made it to the mouth of the canyon where the road was washed out this time had water trickling over it. I was able to park near the creek cross it on foot and check out the stone ruins up close and personal. Some folks say its a old residence others say an assay office or general store I have no clue. But I know the ruins have a fireplace and a couple solid entrances you can walk through. But the roof is long gone and its simply a shell of rocks imploding upon itself. Its a good area to do EVP and readings but also my dogs could run around too play in the creek. There are patches of trees you could tell that at one time parts of the town resided around these ruins more then likely those structures are long gone.

After horse playing around the ruins at the mouth of the canyon I decided to drive on into it. The creek crossed the road twice I had no issues driving through it. It was flowing pretty good but not as deep or fast as last time I was here so on a good note I finally made it up into this canyon. The road veers all the way to the left up in this huge open area which looks across two expanses its just an amazing view. Eventually though once your over this hill the canyon narrows greatly and pretty soon your surrounded by snowy cliffs on every side.

The road kind of splits three different ways the way to the left follows these cliffs high above this ravine I took it a few miles ended up having to turn around after it begin to dead end. Their was also a road which led me up to a pile of rocks they looked natural maybe they were part of some miners cabin and then the main road which rides along these cliffs and goes deeper into National Canyon. These roads at one time were all part of the town and a means to get to mines and mills found here.

To our left I came across what is known as The Birthday Mine today its just a hillside scattered with a few foundations, water tank, wooden ore bin chutes and a couple piles of wood boards. You cant get to it because there is this foliage which holes and running water under it so if you cross it you might fall into the creek and wont be able to get out if you get tangled in it. I also noticed nearby new signs hanging everywhere that some mining company posted. I get so sick of all these mines taking over these ghost town sites. Since I only seen one fresh set of tracks which seemed to have came into the canyon and left it was safe to say despite the signs I was probably the only man in the Santa Rosa range for the time being so I pushed on past the signs.

I came out to this one area near the Birthday Mine the road split to the left it climbed to the top of the canyon which folks say the town site is located there and to the right which climbed to this open area with a hill that led down to the bottom of National Canyon and veered to the right. I also found this one area that had allot of brush and metal debris. So I ended up exploring the foliage for awhile and this hillside where I found a stove and remnants of maybe a mine cart.

I had driven about halfway up to the top of the canyon when I realized it was probably to steep. The thing about driving in snowy canyons is two things can happen you can spin your tires unable to climb higher which in turn can cause you to veer off the road or you can go back down that road and not be able to stop thus losing brakes going off a cliff. This area I would have to walk on foot it was snowing hard below zero low visibility. The peaks all looked foggy around me but really it was just heavy snow coming down.

I walked up to the top of the canyon almost the ravine to my right had a few wood boards even found a few small dump piles. But like the books and other people say on ghost town sites you should see some shacks, wood framed buildings, debris and remnants of the town. I seen not a thing found a road that went left and switched back high above the Birthday Mill site. But I had been gone trying to push to the top of the canyon for a half hour and decided it was time to get back to the truck.

I took another road which goes past a bunch of dump piles and wood tailings of some mines. When you get to the top of the hill there is this huge open area and another dump pile. Then this road that goes straight down its super steep but it leads to the bottom of the canyon and then veers right along the creek where all these cottonwood trees grow. My son and I walked it by foot got about half way down seen a few hills and flat areas found nothing. We found an old wooden post that was about it but we never made it to the very bottom the weather was getting bad here were talking blustering snow, below freezing temps, huge snowflakes and the road was just getting worst with time.

I made the right decision because whoever was up here turned around at every location that I turned around at too. You could tell they had a truck and they did not even go on further. All in all I drove over 6 miles of snow covered dirt roads in this canyon and I never found the ghost town of National. Sure I found the Birthday Mill, Tailings, Rusty Remnants and ruins at the mouth. But supposedly there is a town site with multiple structures which still stand god knows where they are at. Even if you study maps the only thing I found on it was the stone ruins and the Birthday Mine's ore chutes so its hard to know if National even exist anymore.

Many years ago two men driving for the National Car Company drove in this canyon they also discovered gold. They were directed to drive out here in order to help promote the automobile and most of the folks that lived up here eventually were able to drive here. For the most part some of the roads you can take a car here but with snow, ice and the heavy snowmelt which causes flooding over the roads a truck really is the way to go. But even with my truck I did not get as far as I wanted to first trip I made it to the mouth this trip I made it a few miles into the canyon.

Its a gorgeous canyon especially with all the hills, cliffs and peaks covered in snow. My first time here I had driven below the range in Paradise Valley and thought how cool it would be to actually drive in this range. So I had gotten a taste of exploring the inner workings of the Santa Rosa Mountains. But its hard to know where the actual town site is. There are areas that are wide open and flat in the canyon which could be the site of old saloons, stores, miner cabins etc. But if anything most of the town is gone.

I read a report a few years ago which talks about the town being at the top of the canyon but I seen nothing at the top then again the road continues to go over the ridge so maybe its on the other side. It was rare however for any mining town to be above the mines generally you had the town below then the mines up higher in the canyon which I found the mines. I just did not find the town site! I do not understand these people who own ghost town sites and groups boast how they found this place yet never post one single picture to prove the ghost town exist or that they were here so my guess is what I read on other sites is simply speculation and fish tails.

While my book claims along the roads you will find cabins and structures it was written a few decades ago and by the 1960's only a few wooden structures remained standing. When you look at the towns original size it was huge a few hundred mills, stores, buildings and houses. The hotel was amazing in National very classy and beautiful. But as far as I know based on exploring very little remains but a beautiful remote canyon left to explore and to imagine what was. There are parts the canyon splits off or gets wider with huge flat areas so its easy to speculate that at one time homes and other businesses may have stood here.

I was a bit disappointed though I wanted to see more you cant go by what others say online. You get allot of people who are liars, fakes and story tell. Everyone says they been here or there but nobody has videos or pictures. My only goal to visit locations like this is to document these locations with evidence of their existence for historic purposes only. Its possible the new mining operating has cleared the town site out right now its just a claim does not appear they have moved in but when they do they may just gate the road and nothing will be explorable.

I want to explore Buckskin it resides high above National my thought is that I could visit Buckskin check it out then try to make a third attempt when the canyon dries out a little to explore more of National maybe go to the very bottom of the canyon or high up into it when there is no ice, water or snow which may not be till later summer. You have to sometimes play the game when it comes to nature and sometimes it will only let you see so much before you are turned away.Its scary enough driving down snow covered narrow roads on cliffs in these canyons we are blessed to have gotten as far as we did. I probably will add National to our website next week since I was there two years ago we really need to get the place up, I mean afterall this one of the richest gold mining towns in Nevada and so very few even know it exist!

The ride out of the range went smooth but it was snowing hard. I had an 80 mile trip westward to the Eastern Mountains. This would cut into the rest of our day because it was mid afternoon already National took up a few hours of our time just trying to find the town site and instead we found a few rusty remnants and an ore bin chute which does not really tell our viewers the entire tale of how beautiful of a gold mining town this once was. Its so hard to believe its all gone!

LR

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