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  Welcome to Backcountry Explorers

Ibex Springs Talc Mine


Ibex Springs Ghost Town and Talc Mine

Ibex Springs Building
A Ghost of Ibex Springs
Ibex Springs from the distance
Looking North toward Ibex Springs
Talc ore shoots of the Moorehouse Mine
Talc ore shoots of the Moorehouse mine lower levels
Ghost town of Ibex Springs
Picture
Looking at Ibex Springs 1950s building
In the mid-1930's the final era of mining in south Death Valley started when a John Moorehouse filed 16 talc claims just north-west of Ibex Springs. Moorehouse managed to process 1100 tons of talc from the claims by 1941 largely from the Moorehouse Mine. Sierra Talc Company took over and leased the claims in the mid-1940s from Moorehouse and by way of extensive ore body development were able to produce 62,000 tons of ore by 1959. The mine was worked off and on through 1968 but the talc seams were largely worked out years earlier.

​Ralph Morris operated four claims in the same area called the Monarch group from 1938 thru 1945 at which time the Sierra Talc Company leased these deposits as well. These claims were largely worked out later in 1956 by the Southern California Minerals Company.
South of the Monarch a third group of claims claimed the Pleasanton group started up in 1942 and were later also worked by both The Sierra Talc Company and the Southern California Minerals Company thru 1959. By 1968 all real mining had stopped in the area.

​Of all the mines the Moorehouse is the best representation of talc mining in the area. The mine is made up of three distinct levels with the lower two being lode mining activities with adits, ore chutes, and tramways. These structures are quite unusual and make for interesting photo opportunities. The upper level was strip-mined and left as is.
At Ibex Springs area there are quite a bit of greenery and palm trees, living shacks, cookhouse and outbuildings from the 1940-1950s. All are in rather heavy decay, however, stewardship of the structures has been taken over by the Mojave River Valley Museum according to the sign on site. The old mining site is located 5.3 miles due west of CA-127 on Ibex Springs road, about two miles south of Ibex Pass. A four-wheel drive vehicle is required. As always please be good stewards of our mining heritage and take only memories.
Building foundations of early mining
Ramshackle building of Ibex Springs
Ramshackle building of Ibex Springs
Looking down at the Moorehouse Mine
Looking down at Moorehouse ore track and ore shoots
Looking south from the Moorehouse Mine access road
Looking south from the Moorehouse Mine access road
Resources:
Death Valley National Park (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)

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Copyright  ©  2015  Laymon International LLC   21143 Hawthorne Blvd. #418 Torrance, Ca 90503 
  • Home
  • Our Adventures
    • Death Valley >
      • Artist Drive, Death Valley
      • Badwater, Death Valley
      • Ballarat Ghost Town, Death Valley
      • Broken Pick mine, Death Valley
      • Charcoal Kilns, Death Valley
      • Charles Manson Hide Out Barker Ranch, Death Valley
      • Chloride Cliffs, Death Valley
      • Corona Mine, Death Valley
      • Crater Sulfur Mine, Death Valley
      • Devils Golf Course, Death Valley
      • Geologist Cabin, Death Valley
      • Harmony Borax works, Death Valley
      • Ibex Springs Talc Mine, Death Valley
      • Inyo Mine, Death Valley
      • Keane Wonder Mine, Death Valley
      • Keystone Mine, Death Valley
      • Lost Burro Mine, Death Valley
      • Marble Bath, Death Valley
      • Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley
      • Morning Glory Mine Camp, Death Valley
      • Racetrack, Death Valley
      • Rhyolite, Nevada
      • Russell Camp, Death Valley
      • Ryan, Death Valley
      • Scotty's Castle, Death Valley
      • Skidoo Ghost Town, Death Valley
      • Stella's - Mengel Cabin, Death Valley
      • Teakettle Junction, Death Valley
      • Titus Canyon, Death Valley
      • Ubehebe Crater, Death Valley
      • Warm Springs, Death Valley
      • Zabriskie Point, Death Valley
    • California Gold Country >
      • Alleghany, California
      • Big Springs, highway 49
      • Downieville, California
      • Forest City
      • Kenton Mine
      • Kentucky Mine and Museum
      • Love Falls Yuba River
      • Mountain House Henness Pass
      • Oregon Creek Covered Bridge
      • Poker Flat
      • Sierra Buttes Mine
      • Sierra City, Ca
      • Young America Mine
  • Story Blog
  • Our Company
  • Support