[Cathyci]

We have a cabin about 20 miles from trinity. My son and I just learned your sisters/nieces murder yesterday when we were googling the mines history. Hoping the caretaker was sent away for a long time! It is a beautiful area but I would imagine maybe a difficult one to visit even decades later.

[penny1942]

Hi Cathyci, unfortunately the caretaker/murderer never spent a day in prison. He claimed 'temporary insanity' and got sent to a halfway house for a few months. I have always wanted to visit the area, as an homage to my sister. She did love it there. -Kristi

[salish]

[Dick B]

The last time I was at Trinity was back in the early 60s. My brother, dad and I came out thru there from Lyman Lake. As I remember there were still a lot of buildings, which I assume were for the workers. At some time I remember an old head works. I have pictures some where if I could ever find them. I think my great uncle worked a mine there which I believe was referred to as the Red Mountain mine. Was there such a mine in that area, or am I mistaken? My mom and her family grew up in Plain back in the 19-teens and 20s. My grandad was the ranger at the old Lake Wenatchee District for a time. I received a copy of an interesting article a while back that was published in the Wenatchee Daily World during that time period. It was about how my grand dad was carried by stretcher from Plain to Leavenworth by 12 guys alternating thru the task. They left early in the morning and arrived about 3 that afternoon, completely exhausted. It was in March, so most of the trek was on snow shoes. He was suffering from appendicitis and had to be put a train in Leavenworth so he could get to the hospital in Wenatchee for an operation. All turned out OK.

[Jake]

Red Mountain mine IS the Trinity mine.

[salish]

That's quite a story, and really interesting local history. Since you were there in the early 60's, do you recall that old two story log cabin that sat on the NE side of Chickamin Creek, halfway to Trinity from Plain? It was just off the main road in a meadow. As we understood it the place was sometimes referred to as the "halfway house", being about 10 miles on snowshoes or horseback it provided a place for mine travelers to stay in the winter. I heard many years ago the cabin was moved to a site in Plain and restored. We stayed in the cabin one time and got awaken all night long to a persistent porcupine who kept trying to get in. Funny memory. Cliff

[Dick B]

Our family spent a lot of time over in that country when I was a little kid. It was near the end of the depression. We spent a summer and most of a winter at a small cabin on the banks of Nason Creek about half way between Coles Corner and Lake Wenatchee. My folks referred to it as "Swens Place". A couple of summers later we stayed in a cabin at Crescent Beach on the lake. That was a great summer. We were bouncing around a lot, as dad was getting work where he could. I'm sure that sometime during that time we would have gone up the Chewawa and visited the mining camp. In the recesses of my mind I seem to recall passing an old log structure on the way. I think we attended some sort of rodeo that was held where the Chewawa road intersected the road between Plain and Lake Wenatchee. I remember my cousin entering some sort of calf riding contest. About our 60s trip out of Lyman. It was dark by the time we loaded my dad's and brother's horses and made our way back to where we were camped at a family friends place in Plain. Not only being dark, I was too tired to have noticed if there was still a structure there or not. I just looked thru some old photos my mom had of that area, hoping I might find the building you described, but no luck. I did see a photo of a range finder set up on a pile of rocks. It might have been an early lookout up on Dirty Face.

[oldwild]

Hi. We used to camp at Phelps creek campground back in the 60's and then in the 70's I hiked up to buck creek pass a couple times. The trail crossed through the Trinity mine complex to begin. It looks like the new trailhead is a long way from the Buck creek trail. Is there still access to the buck creek trail through Trinity?

[Dick B]

Regarding the old "halfway house" coming out of Trinity. I just went back thru some of my old photos that I scanned some time ago. I believe I found a picture I took of the above mentioned structure. It's a 2 story rectangular log building with a tin roof. 2 windows on the lower floor, and one on the upper that would be facing out towards the road. The picture would have been taken sometime back in the 60s. The building looks to be pretty well preserved at that time. I would post the picture but don't know how. If you email me at: landsurveyor939@hotmail.com I can send it to you. If its the same building that was moved to Plain and renovated, I would love to see a photo of it. Maybe both old and new could be posted. dickb

[Dick B]

Back in August, Salish asked about an old building down river from Trinity called the half way house. Tom has recently educated me on posting pictures, so attached is a photo I took, probably back in the 60s,

that I think might be that old building. Can anyone confirm?

[Jake]

Sure looks like it. Tall log building off to the right in a field along the road to Trinity.

[k8hb@outlook.com]

My brothers and I spent 2 summer vacations at Trinity in the 1950s. We had the best time ever but since we were so young couldn’t remember where the mine was located. We only recently figured it out. Is it still accessible? Is it possible to get permission to visit again? My grandparents were Ralph and Helene Bligh. I am Kate Bligh and currently reside in Olympia, Wa

[Jake]

I explored the mine with the owner's permission, but that was close to 30 years ago and the mine was open then. It's a nearly two mile walk underground, back in the crosscut tunnel to the main workings from the portal and we crossed one place where it had caved a little in the crosscut. Back in the working area it gets dangerous with a lot of rock fall laying on the floor of the mine and a couple feet of water on top of it. There's a sign back there at the end of the crosscut that says stay out, dangerous ground or something similar. But what ever it says it's good advice. Again I say it was with the owner's permission we were allowed in there, and I strongly urge you to get permission before entering, but please don't get pissed at the owners if they refuse you. We are very experienced in mining and mine-sites and that made the difference. They don't want you to get hurt or dead and you don't want to either.

[k8hb@outlook.com]

Thank you for your reply. We aren’t interested in the mine as much as the town itself. We stayed in one of the cabins there and would love to revisit. We are related to the Lee family, who may still own some of the land and hope to get permission to visit.

[Jake]

You can look the owners up on the Chelan County Assessors web-site and contact them for permission.