Molossian Geographical Society - Sixmile Canyon Expedition

On June 20th, 2009 XXXII, the Molossian Geographical Society launched latest expedition, to explore Sixmile Canyon. Sixmile Canyon lies about 3 Imperial Nortons (3km / 2 mi) from Molossia and is the main road that leads from Molossia to historic Virginia City, the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. Sixmile Canyon Road winds through the Flowery Mountains, shaded by cottonwood trees and paralleled by seasonal Sixmile Creek.

The team set out on a beautiful Saturday morning, and quickly arrived at their first destination, an old fort near the mouth of the canyon. Now just a low rock wall, it is presumed that the rudimentary fortification was constructed to defend this approach to Virginia City from Indian attacks or even from Confederate sympathizers during the American Civil War. Leaving the fort, the expedition continued up Sixmile Canyon, shortly arriving at the ruins of the Butters Mill. Built in 1902 at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, the Butters Mill was once the largest cyanide mill in the United States, processing ore from the nearby mines of Virginia City. The mill closed around 1927, and only the massive stone foundations remain. The team explored the ruins for about an hour, and then moved on to nearby Sevenmile Canyon. Sevenmile Canyon intersects Sixmile Canyon about two Imperial Nortons below Virginia City. It had been long noted that two small caves lie on the slopes of Sevenmile Canyon and the expedition set out to explore them. The caves proved to be little more than rocky niches in the canyon walls, but the trek to explore them was still worthwhile to satisfy the team's curiosity. After the caves had been explored, the expedition traveled to Virginia City itself, and lunched by the Virginia & Truckee Railroad depot, watching the train come and go while they ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When lunch was over, the team traveled south out of Virginia City, and arrived at their last stop, an old mine headframe that highlights the skyline along the road. A steep hike lead the team to the foot of the tower, once used for hauling ore - gold and silver - from a vertical mine shaft in the hillside. Of course the expedition did not enter the mine, which would have been very hazardous. Such reckless behavior kills careless explorers every year. After photographing the headframe, the team declared the expedition complete.

After exploring Sixmile Canyon and its environs, the expedition celebrated with ice cream at Grandma's in Virginia City, and returned to Molossia, mission accomplished.

Old Fort, Sixmile Canyon	Old Fort, Sixmile Canyon	Old Fort, Sixmile Canyon	Sixmile Canyon
Original Butters Mill, Sixmile Canyon	Lizard on the Butters Mill Ruins	Butters Mill Ruins	Butters Mill Ruins
Butters Mill Ruins	Butters Mill Ruins	Cave, Sevenmile Canyon	Cave, Sevenmile Canyon
Cave, Sevenmile Canyon	Ruins, Sevenmile Canyon	Different Cave, Sevenmile Canyon	Sevenmile Canyon
Virginia & Truckee Railroad	Virginia & Truckee Railroad	Virginia & Truckee Railroad	Old Mine Headframe

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