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| The Stanley B Mine |
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| Mining Claim just below Mine |
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| Spring over Rock |
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| Scramble up Wash |
Stanley B Mine & Spring begins off of Kyle Canyon Road. The trailhead turnout is the first one on the right after you pass the green "Rainbow Subdivision" sign that is also on the right going uphill. It is a large turnout and a wash flows into the back of it. The trail begins by climbing up onto the embankment of the wash on the left side. There are a couple of ways to do this and we chose both! We were eight hikers strong this morning for the easy moderate hike. This hike is easy because of the short distance and it is moderate because of the climb and little bit of semi-scrambling. The scrambling is located inside this wash as we wound our way up to where the wash crosses the old mine access road. Our pace was slow and no one was in a hurry. We just wanted to enjoy the wilderness, gimpiness and all! When everyone gathered at the road, we turned to the right and started up the road/trail. I must have been asleep or something because I tried to turn left onto the next small trail too soon. After backtracking in the brush for about 20 feet, we returned to the road/trail and hiked further up the hill.
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| Gathering in the Wash |
The small trail actually turns left at the top of the first hill. We found it and began the well used shortcut.
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| Starting up the Little Trail |
Soon, the small trail junctioned with the road/trail again and we turned left. From here, the climb stays on the road/trail until the forked junction where the mining claim sign is hung high on a large tree.
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| Griffith Peak from Stanley B Trail |
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| The Old Mining Road Trail |
As we hiked up, we found the water flowing to our left at a little waterfall where old pipes crossed the brush. Then, just before we reached the forked junction, a couple of us dropped down to see a beautiful waterfall. (See the next photo.) Climbing up from the waterfall, we noticed an old rusted bed spring. Most of us took the side trip to the left fork to see the pipe spring. The water flows right down the path and you have to cross over two fallen trees. Coming back, we found a path without water but there are still the trees to contend with. Next, we climbed up the right fork ... in the water ... to view the old grated up mine and have a break. Spring water flows out from the mine.
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| Waterfall in the Brush |
There were no buzzing bees here this time. It was a very pleasant break then we started down the slippery waterway. Be very careful on the rock slab seen above in the third photo.
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| Rita climbs over Logs in Water to Pipe Spring |
No one fell today, but we were all very careful. At the forked junction, we gathered again then started back down the road/trail.
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| Gayle climbs up Water to Mine |
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| Alan steps Carefully |
The return route follows the mine access road/trail all the way down to Kyle Canyon Road. We passed other hikers on their way up. The views across Kyle Canyon of the South Loop ridge and Griffith & Harris Peaks are beautiful. We also saw the Echo Cliffs but Cathedral Rock was just beyond an intermittent ridge. We followed the same road down past the small trail junction, past the wash junction, then down until we passed under or around the old bar gate. Here, we turned left onto the paved road and hiked down the left side of the road in single file to the trailhead. We all had a fun and relaxing time in the forest this morning. Great folks!
2.5 miles; 650 feet elevation gain; 2 hours; average moving speed 1.2 mph
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| Fun Hikers! |
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| Following Old Mining Road down to Paved Road across from Rainbow |
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| Passing gate just before Paved Road |
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