Chasing Ghosts (Part 3 of 3)

Our daughter Ashley has always shared our interest in ghost towns, so when we mentioned the idea of stopping at Garnet on the way home from Glacier, she jumped at the opportunity. We regretfully said goodbye to the park and started our very scenic drive back in the general direction of I-90. We found the signs directing us to Garnet, which was a good thing since it wasn't very clear on either the map or the gps. The road turned to gravel within a couple miles of leaving the highway, but it wasn't too bad. Before long, we were in the parking lot. We quickly gobbled down snacks, then hit the trail. Soon we were standing on the ridge overlooking the 1890's mining town.  

We made our way down the hill, snagged an interpretive map, and began exploring. Due to inconspicuous preservation, the place retains the feel of a ghost town, yet it is safe to go into some of the buildings. We could, in fact, go all the way to the third floor of the hotel. (Some of the cabins are even available for rent!) After completing our tour of the town, we went back across the parking lot to the Sierra Mine Loop Trail. One has to admire the hard work that those men did - mostly by hand. 

While Coloma is not as well-preserved as Garnet, there were parts
of at least twenty buildings still standing. 

We had enough daylight left to back-track to another nearby ghost town - Coloma. This one is not preserved, so the buildings are in various stages of decay. Needless to say, we did not go into any of these buildings. However, without the preservation and marketing, Coloma is not as often visited as Garnet. Therefore, we had the place all to ourselves. It was peaceful and quiet in the late afternoon sun, and even without the artifacts and interpretive signs, it wasn't hard to imagine life in days gone by. 

Eventually, Dan pointed out the time, so we reluctantly got back in the truck to return to the 21rst century. The gravel road leading away from the the ghost towns had me concerned for a while, but there were frequent signs assuring us (ok, me) that we could indeed get back to the interstate. It was late when we finally got home, but it was worth it. I am already wondering when we can do it again!