Lion City and Hecla Mines - A Montana Ghost Town - near Melrose, Montana MT

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Lion City and Hecla Mines - A Montana Ghost Town - near Melrose, Montana MT
Join us for a 15 mile journey starting at Melrose, traveling west through Glendale and working our way up Trapper Creek drainage to Lion City and Hecla Mines located 9,000 feet above sea-level.
The road was a bit rough in some places and excellent in others. A high clearance vehicle or an ATV is recommended. No cars, motorhomes or tow trailers should attempt this road.
This was my first visit to Lion City. A few years ago I captured the ghost town of Glendale (with the smelter chimney stack) • Glendale - A Montana G... and the charcoal kilns (in the next drainage) • Historic Canyon Creek ... with my first drone.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day! The weather was grand but we had some wind (the drone could care less)! We had six cameras taking stills and video. I could have made this video over two hours long but then again, who would want to watch it? My goal was to produce a 7 minute video but I could only compress it down to 14 minutes to tell my story.
The Hecla Mines on Lion Mountain are amazing. You can see adits (openings to horizontal mines) to 20 miles of underground tunnels. Miners had to climb stairs to enter these openings in order to go to work extracting ore that contained silver, lead and copper. The ore was transported to the stamp mill four miles away by overhead cable cars and then transported to Glendale for smelting. All the trees you see have grown since the 1890’s since all timber was stripped from the hills to feed the smelters blast furnaces.
Silver mining came to a virtual standstill with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893. Sporadic mining occurred until 1922.
This sequence was captured with a GoPro Hero5 Session (front view), Mobius action cam (inside view), DJI Phantom 3 Advanced (aerial views), Canon Vixia HFS100 (cabin views), Panasonic camera (mine views) and a Samsung Galaxy 5 (miscellaneous views). Editing was completed with Adobe Premier.
Many thanks to Peter, my friend from Austria and his dog Emily for the entertainment and most of the still images used in this production.
Music used: "Aretes", "Gnarled Situation", "Gymnopedie No. 1"and "Virtutes Instrumenti" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Опубликовано:

20 сен 2018

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Комментарии : 57

@frankdawe5156 4 года назад

I love the images of old abandoned buildings. They always make me think "If these walls could only speak, what stories they would tell!"

@davidegg22 4 года назад

Frank, I think the same as I capture these images. Why this, why that? How did they live and play? What kids were running under foot? Too many stories lost to time. At least we have these images of the past. Thanks for watching and commenting. Dave.

@bryanhersman4037 3 года назад

My grandparent's grandparents were married in Lion City. She was the daughter of the hotel in Glendale and he drove the stage up to Lion City. It is amazing to me he drove a horse drawn wagon up and down that road every day.

@davidegg22 3 года назад

What a great comment, putting real-life back into these scenes. I think people were a bit more stout back then. It sounds like they provided a good foundation for your generation. I have been on this road twice and marvel not only the road builders but to those who needed to use it! Thanks for commenting and sharing part of your family history. You probably have many stories to tell. Thanks again. Dave.

@bryanhersman4037 3 года назад

@@davidegg22 We tried to drive up there one late June about 7 years back. About a mile away from the town we hit what was left of an avalanche/snowdrift and didn't want to risk getting stuck in 2'-3' of that wet concrete like snow. I still need to try again. We did find my relative's little sister's grave in Glendale cemetary. When she died about 1 year old it just devastated them and they sold the hotel and moved to Missoula, maybe around 1884? I'm in Missoula as well.

@veronicamorgan8103 5 лет назад

Hello from Arkansas! What a beautiful and amazing video! You live in such a beautiful state, no matter where you go. As I was watching the video, I was thinking wow I would love to be riding my horse through the area's you were driving. The old homestead towards the end of your video was so beautiful the way you captured the surroundings along with the music. It sure gave me a warm feeling in my heart for sure. I have to give this video a 10 thumbs up!

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Veronica, good day to you! Thanks for the comment and the kind words. You are very generous! Yes, each state has its pretty areas; beauty in the eye of the beholder. Some people see baron hills with old buildings not realizing what it took to build these areas up and the hardships that families endured, especially in the winter. Men worked the mines to provide a meager living and the riches were retained by out of state corporations. What is left is Mother Nature reclaiming what was rightfully hers to start with! Thanks again for viewing and commenting. Take care. Dave.

@kevinbuda7087 3 года назад

Wow...the structure at 10 min in with the dove tail joinery. The compressed wall was a wonder...you pan really well and your editing is first rate. Pbs worthy . Usually I don't like to know the drive but this convinced me I'm not prepared. Also,it's hot and thirsty country so drink water regular. Good stuff.

@davidegg22 3 года назад

Thank you very much for watching and commenting. As you can see, I love to explore, capture and share my experiences. These videos also help me remember where I have been and what fun I had poking around sites where others have lived and worked. Thanks again for viewing and especially for your comments. Dave.

@JasonAscheman-qm4dr Год назад

That is where my family is from and still liver there. Love it there. The kilns are great.

@davidegg22 Год назад

Definitely, an awesome area to explore. I plan on going back this summer. Dave.

@davemoore7488 5 лет назад

Incredible!!

@raulitoalvarez 3 года назад

Y’all drove by tree 🌲X structures nice 👍🏽 video ✌🏽1

@davidegg22 3 года назад

Thank you! Dave.

@user-jy5ff3zo3u 3 года назад

Amazing!

@davidegg22 3 года назад

Thanks! Dave.

@KellyRicketts 3 года назад

Nice! Enjoyed it

@davidegg22 3 года назад

Awesome, thank you! Dave.

@wyocoloexperience7025 5 лет назад

What a beautiful place. I love old ghost towns like this. I'm glad you went into the cabin. I was wondering what the inside looked like. lol

@kristopherfisk3917 5 лет назад

Hey guys, I go up there quite often and have been in the adits that you flew the drone up to-in one of them there's a permanent ice sheet in the tunnel that's really awesome. I've got great samples of malachite, azurite, and galena from in there. There are some great veins of it! It's a pretty easy climb when you use the old cables that hang down the cliff. Have you ever taken your UTV to the top of the mountain? Looking at Google Maps, there's a two track that goes up the S side, over the top/back of Sheriff Mountain. I've wanted to walk it; need to plan an overnighter since the last 8 miles of road is so rough getting out to the site. There's a spot by the old mill that you showed where the gophers have dug up an old dump site, and I've found some great bone buttons and marbles. It's a really great place.

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Kristopher, many thanks for commenting. Last year I traveled 2.5 hours each way to explore this area for a few hours. This year I will return since I purchased a pickup camper allowing me to stay on-site a few days at a time while I explore. "4x4 ROUTES OF SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA - BOOK 2" by Willie and Jeanne Worthy, page 190 Top of Lion Mountain Route states: "driving the ridge line has a pucker factor of 4". I may need to think hard about going all the way to the top! LOL! Maybe our paths will cross one day. One could only hope. Thanks again for your interesting comments. I cant wait to return! Dave in Missoula.

@musgroveandthepumi1604 4 года назад

Great video. Well edited and scored.

@davidegg22 4 года назад

Many thanks for viewing and for your comment. I really appreciate your feedback. Dave.

@rockymountainroughridersofMT. 5 лет назад

Excellent video Dave, it certainly was a beautiful day to go explore Hecla, it's been a few years since I was over there and had plans to go this season, might have to wait until next year. We usually start our ride on the Quartz Vipond trail head which is just a bit to the North closer to the Wise River supper club. It makes for about a 75 mile day on the machines. We've run into Bears and Bighorns on the Hecla ride in past years, pretty cool !!!!!

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Thanks for the comment. What a great area to explore! I captured video of Glendale and the charcoal kilns a few years ago but this was my first excursion to Lion City and Hecla. I was only on-site for five hours; hardly enough time to explore let alone shoot video from different angles. I guess I need a camper in order to spend a few days there without driving back to Missoula each night. Ok, maybe a motel-room for a couple of nights would let me explore more. I need to read-up on the Quartz Vipond trail in my Worthy 4x4 routes of Southwestern Montana. Many thanks for the info! Dave.

@rockymountainroughridersofMT. 5 лет назад

Lot's of old photos and info on the internet about Hecla and Glendale, I could spend hours researching and looking into the past, on my computer during the Winter months lol. There is a really good website dedicated just to Glendale. It's hard to imagine how many structures and buildings that once stood are now gone, many without a trace. I like finding old photos of the buildings and seeing if I can spot any remaining buildings that still stand today, in the old photos.

@gonagain 3 года назад

Hard living up there.

@indyme2 5 лет назад

I always enjoy your amazing videos, David. Life must have been tough there. Looks like lots of broken dreams. What is the predominate rock there?

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Jerry, thanks for your kind words! Yes, all these old mining towns do have many story's to tell; of hard work and hardships, of family life and school children, of investors and their riches. I am no geologist, but I believe the mountain is mostly granite. Then again, I take all rocks for granite (sorry Jerry)! Thanks again for your comment! Hope your fall is going well. Dave.

@leannmendoza3854 2 года назад

Sadly the biggest cabin in Heckla has tumbled over onto it's side...one too many hard winters...and the smaller one it leaning quite precariously...I guess we'll see what this winter has done to it once we get back up there this year! Truly one of my favorite places to spend my time!

@davidegg22 2 года назад

Oh no! I guess Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming. It has been a few years, but I would like to go back this summer. Thanks for viewing and sharing your findings. Dave.

@davidegg22 2 года назад

@@leannmendoza3854 Nice! What a great place to spend quality time. Maybe I will see you up there sometime this summer. Do take care. Dave in Missoula.

@davidegg22 2 года назад

@@leannmendoza3854 I just located your claim. It looks like it is just west of the cabin (schoolhouse?) and the livery stable. Will you be spending time up there this summer? Dave.

@davidegg22 2 года назад

@@leannmendoza3854 Nice! I was just looking to see what area your claim was so that I could look for y'all when I return. There is a lot of interesting history in this area. Dave.

@dogmando22000 Год назад

I might be mistaken, but isn't there a small set of buildings (tiny) cabins located right below the ridge by a mine shaft. It was a really brutal spot to live. Some of the entrances were lined with flattened embossed flour tins. It's worth the hike to see the effort they made.

@davidegg22 Год назад

Interesting! I plan on going back this summer to do more exploring so I will look for the cabins. I know that a trail exists to the top of Lion Mountain that I might take this year. Thanks for the info, for watching and commenting. Dave in Missoula.

@wirebrush 11 месяцев назад

Did you make it back up there? I've spent a few days exploring around up there. The road up to the top of the mountain isn't really all that bad. It passes by an old structure near the top that houses what I believe was an Arrastra mill. Be careful as you get up to it as there is a shaft angling down at a very steep angle between it and the trail. Also just below the trail at the top is the remains of the old steam powered winch that pulled the ore buckets up the mountain on those cable you drove over.

@Rockhounding-with-Bigfoot 5 лет назад

11:00 - its cool to look out the same exact window area, through the same exact framing of the same old building /mine, that our fathers fathers (possibly fathers) looked out of!

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

If these walls could only talk! Thanks for viewing! Dave.

@Rockhounding-with-Bigfoot 5 лет назад

What is all the white rock, example around 2:58 ? Limestone, rhylite...?

@jimhornstein7741 5 лет назад

fascinating Dave your going to start charging us for your time in editing. what is the ratio of video to production time up to now? 25/1? one time I figured how many hours I had spent producing one pint of salsa from the garden, it came to nine hours/pint. :) there must be more than economic factors to why we do what we do. jim

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Too funny Jim! Actually, I had only 25 hours in this 1/4 hour production! (Does that make it a 100/1)? Labor of love (or love to edit)? Too many pictures and video scenes from 6 cameras took most of the time. In either case, I am glad you enjoyed this little production. BTW, your salsa was wonderful! Take care. Dave.

@carolhenderson1156 2 года назад

My great-grandmother was born in Lyon City Montana in 1881, records indicate that her father worked for the railroad as a freighter. Would you possibly know if this is the same town? The spelling is different than what is shown on the records. By 1882 they were living in the Yakima Valley of Washington. We are in the process of some trip planning from western Pennsylvania for late September 2023. Do you believe this area to still be accessible? Thank you and regards.

@davidegg22 2 года назад

Carol, this may be the same town. Names were not cast in stone back then and spellings could be different. That happened a lot since handwritten words had a tendency to change. You should be OK visiting late September but be aware that the road past Glendale will require a high-clearance vehicle. Good luck on your quest for the roots to your family. A hardy bunch they were! Thanks for watching and asking. Dave.

@carolhenderson1156 2 года назад

@@davidegg22 Thank you!

@Rockhounding-with-Bigfoot 5 лет назад

Do you have a secret in how you have such stable footage from a moving vehicle? Is it just a good camera? I have the NX300, Samsung, notorious for shaky film. I would have had to use a drone to shoot this footage for example.

@davidegg22 5 лет назад

Thanks for asking. I actually used a GoPro Hero5 Session (with digital stabilization turned on) fastened to the front of my SxS. I shot the aerial drone footage at 60FPS but slowed it down to 30FPS in post production. This helped smoothen out the aerial shots. I used warp stabilizer in Adobe Pro for the tripod shots of the building. These are just a few techniques I use to enhance my viewers experience. Thanks again for watching and asking. I appreciate it. Dave.

@kristopherfisk3917 5 лет назад

Dave, I live in Missoula as well. We should get together!

@kennethnegron8765 2 года назад

Wow that's beautiful, it would of been nice to ride a horse

@davidegg22 2 года назад

Many thanks for viewing and commenting. Yes, this area would be awesome on horses. Dave.

@themandan9400 3 года назад

This is incredible. Can I have it?

@davidegg22 3 года назад

Too funny. You can't "have it" but can certainly visit it! Dave.

@themandan9400 3 года назад

@@davidegg22 Thanks Dav

@bobbya1407 5 лет назад

why the gay music?

@yourhuckleberry3733 Год назад

I live in Butte and ride 4 wheelers up to Hecla mine every summer, I love the area! I bought a metal detector and planning on taking it with me this next summer!

@davidegg22 Год назад

Sounds great! You live in the center of an area that I enjoy exploring, old mining camps. My mission this summer is to explore the top of Lion Mountain and the area around Quartz Hill. I have been on a few Camp-n-Rides starting at Delmoe lake. You have so many areas to ride. Maybe our paths will cross. Thanks for viewing and commenting. Good luck detecting this summer. Dave in Missoula.

@yourhuckleberry3733 Год назад

@@davidegg22 yeah I found some areas up Quartz Hill that has lots of Quartz, want to do some metal detecting there!