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Still Searching the Sibola Mountains
by Debi Smith
When people mention the "Sibolas" they are actually talking about a vast, almost U-shaped range of peaks that include the Sibola, Huckleberry, Rhine Craig and Mt. Sweeney area. Found 80 km south and west of Houston, this snow-capped horseshoe blends together to form one large melting pot for prospectors and outdoor explorers, alike.
Plenty of peaks to explore
Beautifully breath-taking ...and life-taking if you let the words, "there's gold in them th'ar hills!" get too far under your skin. Since the first placer claim made by an A.G. Goodwill in 1913 many have tried, but failed to extract their fortune in the gold, silver, copper and lead deposits that are there. In 1916, after a report by a government mineralogist claimed that the area was highly promising, a small "gold rush" happened, but the hand-cut pack trails proved too difficult for most and claims were soon abandoned or let to lapse.
New ATV-accessible bridges (thanks to the Houston and Burns Lake Snowmobile Clubs)
Years passed with the odd notable claim of silver, galena and zinc but it wasn't until 1951 that a camp on Mt. Sweeney employing 30 men yielded 46,823 ounces of silver and close to a million ounces of zinc and lead. With that as inspiration, the search widened and today's Huckleberry Mine operates 24 hours a day, seated on reserves estimated at 90.3 million tonnes of copper, molybdenum and silver.

But the fun was in finding it. And everyone knows there's more to be found!

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