The Grizzly Gulch trail to the Prince of Wales mine begins in the parking area near the Alta Guard Station in Little Cottonwood Canyon just before the road becomes Albion Basin road. There is a small trail marker for this hike called Alta - Brighton Trail and indicates mileage for Cardiff Pass (1.7 miles) and Twin Lakes Pass (2.1 miles), but there is a third option - the Prince of Wales mine (2.2 miles). The trail begins as a short steep climb that eventually connects to an old road for a more gradual up. This service road takes you first to the remains of the Emma mine which was quite the scandal back in 1873 when the rich vein ran dry. Continue on to Cardiff Pass and take the trail to the right which climbs toward the remains of the Prince of Wales mine. Eureka! (I have found it!)
The entire area is littered with historic mine relics. Mining was big business in Utah clear back in the 1860s. In fact, in 1862 President Abraham Lincoln supposedly said that "Utah will yet become the Treasure House of the nation". Just look at Bingham Canyon and all the treasure that has been pulled out of that mine (eye sore) over the years. In 1864 silver, zinc and lead deposits were discovered in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons with the most famous mining operation being the Prince of Wales group. The Prince of Wales mine ceased operation in 1880. I am very grateful that the mines have all been abandoned and that the ski industry is now the "gold mine" in the cottonwood canyons. I have so enjoyed hiking to and exploring the old mine sites in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. One more note about the Grizzly Gulch hike, it is very exposed - not very much tree cover so save this one for a cooler day. Fall is a great time!
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| Remains of the Emma mine |
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| Some kind of ore still visible on the rocks. |
Prince of Wales Mine Site
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| Boiler and hoisting equipment |
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| Heavy steel grating covers the 900 foot deep mine shaft |
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| Beautiful carved white sandstone of the Honeycomb Cliffs |
I ran across the lyrics of an old mining song from the 1800s referring to the scandal of the Emma mine and the fear of losing capital for mining operations from England.
"Let capital pass by our door!
Little Cottonwood miners to explore.
With powder and drills,
we can mine those hills.
And dig out our own precious ore!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Please! I would love to hear from readers of my blog. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated!
******Miles hiked tally
beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog
390.9
Ferguson Canyon is probably one of the most unique canyons we have in such close proximity to Salt Lake City and one that doesn't get a lot of attention. It is a very steep, narrow canyon with towering rock formations on both sides - a rock climbers paradise. The most narrow sections of Ferguson Canyon made me feel like I was hiking through a slot canyon in southern Utah. Other times I felt like I was walking through an enchanted forest following a small stream covered with moss and beautiful ferns still very green in mid November. Also there were delightful small waterfalls starting to icicle over. Our destination was a ridge overlook 1 3/4 miles up the canyon, elevation gain of 1600 feet, with impressive views of the Cottonwood Heights City and down into the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon - exploring new territory here. Did I mention this canyon is very steep in some parts, most notable on the way down, almost scary steep - use extreme caution coming down. 
