Bishop, California, just might be the ultimate base camp. Situated between the Sierra Nevada range to the west and the White Mountains to the east, Bishop’s locale on the floor of the Owens Valley allows the town to largely escape winter’s snows, thus providing a year-round exploration epicenter.
Still the only incorporated community in Inyo County, Bishop has been a “real” city since 1903. Gas, groceries, lodging, a police force, and a hospital are all available within city limits. Explore the rugged backcountry by day, and return to civilization after dark.
Late last November, over Thanksgiving weekend, we did just that. Time was limited, as it always seems to be. What do you do when time’s limited? You go with a guide, or at least a guidebook. We had two books along for the ride, and Roger Mitchell’s Inyo-Mono SUV Trails took the helm on our first day. Mitchell’s book highlights 40 backcountry adventures in this pristine land that ply trails ranging from unpaved to unruly, but nothing on the order of the Hammer Trails in Johnson Valley.
Of all the offerings in Mitchell’s book, adventure No. 16 called our name the loudest. What automotive enthusiast wouldn’t be a bit intrigued by “The Champion Spark Plug Mine”?
Officially called the Black Eagle Mine during its operating years between 1920 and 1945, the mine produced a rare aluminum silicate mineral called andalusite. Why does andalusite matter? It can be made into a ceramic that’s an ideal spark plug insulator. Eventually, a synthetic ceramic was developed that made andalusite unnecessary, but for 25 years, Champion Spark Plugs had a direct connection to a remote mine high up in the White Mountains.
Getting to the trail starts...
Getting to the trail starts at the intersection of Highway 6 and White Mountain Ranch Road.
Our guidebook was printed...
Our guidebook was printed in 2003, and things have changed on the ground since then. The instructions say to turn left at this concrete block structure, but there’s a closed gate to greet you these days.
To link up to the correct...
To link up to the correct trail, continue on up White Mountain Ranch Road (which becomes unpaved at the concrete block structure) until you come to a fork in the road marked by an old rock-lined aqueduct crossing the road at the same point.
Take the hard left turn h...
Take the hard left turn here.
You’ll follow the beaten path...
You’ll follow the beaten path for a short distance, and then you’ll see the old route coming in from the left. It’s fading away with disuse. Stay on the beaten path, which makes a hard right turn here, and you’ll be on the correct path. The guidebook’s directions are current from this point on.
The Champion Spark Plug Mine...
The Champion Spark Plug Mine is in Jeffrey Canyon, and the road gets a little steeper as you transition from the alluvial fan at the mouth into the narrower reaches above.
The main road brings you to...
The main road brings you to the lower trailhead in short order. This makes for an easier drive, but a longer hike. We wanted a tougher drive and a shorter hike, so we went for the upper trailhead.
This now-toppled loading bin...
This now-toppled loading bin was where the mules dumped their ore. It sits just below the lower trailhead. From this point, the ore was trucked down the canyon to a rail siding three miles away. After a series of transfers the ore ended up at Champion’s manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan.
Backtracking slightly from...
Backtracking slightly from the lower trailhead, it’s easy to pick up the route to the upper trailhead.