Update -- April 20, 2012: Still Open

A friend writes: Just wanted to let you know I went to anniversary mine yesterday. The road up (94a) was was fine - no closed signs. There is a worker's cabin on the bench before the drop into Lovell wash, but no sign of anyone working. The road down into the wash has been improved at the bottom, and it looks easy to drive all the way down to the wash. There was a fence across the bottom of the narrows just near the mines, but this looks to have been torn down. The path up to the mine (and to the one closer to the narrows entrance) had been graded. There was also a graded road at the bend where the was straightens out to lead to the narrows. I hiked up this, but it just leads to a bowl with some abandoned vehicles that looked to have been pushed over from the top. A few fossils on the way there though!

Update -- January 15, 2012: Reopened?

A friend writes: I hiked it yesterday. I came in from the west and south. So I do not know what the status of the traditional road access and parking area was. I can only note that when I got to where the road drops into the wash there were people hiking back up the hill and 4 cars in the bottom of the wash.

The road was no longer fenced off. I did not see the danger sign and I looked. The dust control warning sign was still there attached to the fence which was on the ground. Whether that was something the miners did or hiking vigilantes I do not know.

All the holes in the hill that I could see from the streambed seemed to have new danger signs on them. One could conclude that a site meant to have no public access would not have numerous individual danger signs. Whereas if they expected the public to access the streambed but stay out of certain areas that is how it would be signed. Then again that could just be wishful thinking.

I saw no signs of any miners or their working equipment. Granted it was a Saturday, but I would think heavy equipment would not be moved in and out over the weekend. Again one could conclude that the miners are letting people in the wash. Or, that a popular area has been inappropriately taken back for the time being by the people.

Also, for what it is worth, the road to the west up the top of the hill and the old main mine dump is now in great shape. If you have a high clearance vehicle that is now another way to access the area as that ties into the north shore road at MP13.

Just my observations.

Update -- December 25, 2011: Still Closed?

A friend writes: We hiked Anniversary Peak and Anniversary Narrows on Christmas day. Anniversary Mining LLC has removed the fencing along the top of the Wash. They have moved their primary activity above to the north-east. The road is clear into the wash. There is still a Danger sign where the road descends into the wash and another in the wash at the fence/gate as the wash turns right and enters the old mining area.

Lots of activity visible from the fence/gate and I doubt the area would be considered safe for hiking through. The miners have been working on the wash walls. Farther in where the wash straightens out and runs NE, the miners appear to have opened up a new shaft along the east side of the ridge. This is the area where the old mining timbers lined the lower part of the ridge. To the SW, obvious activity in the wash and in the small gully to the NW that joins the wash from the old mining site above. The area also appears to have been graded for access.

We are not exactly sure what is going on, but I would not want to encourage anyone to do anything unsafe or anything that might antagonize or result in a safety violation for Anniversary Mining LLC.

CLOSED! (October 2011).

The traditional route into Lovell Canyon Narrows is closed because Anniversary Mining Claims, LLC, owns a short section of the bottom of the wash, and they are working in that area. At this point, it is unclear how long the closure will remain in effect.

I've heard, but not verified, that the land owner is trying to close old mine shaft and reduce the number of hazards in the area so that his insurance rates can be reduced.

The land in question is a patented mining claim, which is to say, private property. This land is outside Lake Mead National Recreation Area and surrounded by BLM land. Thus, the Park Service has little leverage on the situation, and the BLM says they have none. The private land is within Clark County, so the county would be the entity with jurisdiction.

The road through the area is a legal county road (specifically, a formally recorded RS2477 road), so the land owner has no right to close the road. Unfortunately for hikers, there is no "road" up the wash.

 
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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© 2012 Jim Boone; Last updated 120421