Just wanted to go s'plore around. Ended up camping at Lake Pleasant. Xterra Randy was already out there so I camped with him and another guy.
In the morning I broke off and dropped into Humbug Creek.
I ended up hiking it- next to, above, and in it. Started in the slot canyon but the water was still really cold.
I went up to the old Chinese built dams. Saw a good bit of people panning for gold above them.
On the way back I hiked the flume that travels through the top of the dam, above the creek and all the way down to (and past) where I parked. Quite impressive since they had to span gulches and in a couple places cut the tunnel through the hillsides.
I looked up some info on it since it was my first time in the area.

Humbug Hydraulic complex.
About three miles up the creek is a set of two dams built by Chinese laborers in the late 1800’s, used to contain the water for a hydraulic mining operation. A tunnel at the top of the main dam was used to divert water into a 4-foot wide canal that extended down the creek some four and a half miles to the “little giant” water gun used to erode the sides of the creek into a sluice box. The water was also used for support of the mining center and a small town most of which is now under the waters of Lake Pleasant.

No reference on this info as I was only able to find it second hand. The Library of Congress had some old pics online but the only ones of this area were taken in 1986.



Near the water gauge




Sluice opening at the dam




Diversion opening at the top


Wall of the flume


One of the water tunnels (about 5ft tall)

cool, I never knew there was a town right by pleasant

cool stuff and great pics as always Mike......Thanks