Reward Mine
Walk Review
The Reward Mine is a special mine in that the tunnel is so big that it can be driven through. Unfortunately, Ramona is a bit too tall to get into the tunnel.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyways as while she made through the toughest part of the trail to the mine, I left her a few hundred feet short of the entrance as I didn’t want to risk damage to the undercarriage.
The Reward Mine itself was the largest mine I had been in and it was a unique experience. At least for me, it was a different type of claustrophobic feeling compared to the smaller tunnels which are more common in the Sierras. The difference is similar to a single-track trail compared to a double-track trail.
It was super dusty inside the tunnel and we hoped that the dirt was just that and not anything harmful.
While on the way down, we ran into a couple cycling the other way on with their bikepacking gear. It would have been rad to bring our bikes into this tunnel.
The way into the tunnel is sloped downhill and it meant that the way back up was all uphill.
There were numerous offshoots from the main tunnel and we made sure we knew how to get back as we explored deeper into the tunnel. I doubt anyone would, but if someone does get lost, the easiest way back would be to follow the car tire tracks as cars can only go one way in this tunnel.
What I Learned
This was the toughest off-road trail I had done in a few years and there was one section that I sweated through. On the way up, it wasn’t so bad, but on the way down, I came within half an inch of scraping my oil pan. As soon as I saw that, I quickly reversed and chose a different path through this one tough section.
I never thought about biking through a mine, but now that I saw that, I really want to try it out!
What Happened?
1 mile, 27 mins, 59 ft of ascent (I don’t think it tracked inside the mine, so not sure about elevation gain)
Cassie had never been to Manzanar, so we stopped by to learn about a darker part of U.S. history that isn’t talked about much.
We spent a long time in the visitor center before marching out on the trail to the cemetery and back. While the conditions were beautiful—with the majestic sierras clearly showing why they were named that—we also remembered how cold it was in the morning and how these barracks were constructed in such a way where wind and dust easily made their way into them.
This isn’t a happy place, but I do think it is important that we have places like this to remind us that we must be ever vigilant if we are to avoid making mistakes like this in the future.
After we made our way back to the parking lot, we cooked a delicious lunch, and headed to a mine that neither of us had been to before.
