As we wrap up our exploration of the Champion Mine, a few last things to take a look at. One of them is this old concrete trestle, which runs behind the No. 4 Hoist building. The once held the Copper Range Main line, and extends a good distance to the north, bridging the gully that the No. 4 surface plant sits inside. It is no longer used, and even the snowmobile trail that runs along most of the Copper Range’s old route bypasses it. Now it just sits and rots.

An interesting part of the trestle is these wood cribs that seem to be holding the road bed up. I wonder if the bridge was failing, and instead of building a new one they simply added these to help stabilize it. On either side are the concrete columns that are suppose to support the bridge, so I don’t know.

These concrete stalactites are become a common occurrence on our explorations. I believe the process is the same as for limestone. As water seeps through cracks and holes in the concrete it carries with it dissolved particles. The water drips off but the minerals remain, creating these small stalactites. Over time these greatly reduce the stability of the concrete as it dissolves, resulting in the trestle eventually falling down. Because of this I wonder if the poor-rock structures might actually out live the concrete ones?

Sitting outside the trestle is the footings from a second trestle. This one was made of steel and carried cars carrying coal over to the nearby boiler house. The boiler house can no longer be found, but these footings remain.

The only other reminders of the old boiler house are these. At first we didn’t know what they were, but later we discovered more of then at the C Shaft, with steam pipes still attached. These lead up a slight hill behind the new hoist building. I think they once carried steam pipes to the hoist building from the boiler.

Sitting next to the hoist building is this structure. Not as much a structure as a collection of concrete pillars, this most likely held the turning sheaves for the hoist cable. The new hoist ran its skip ropes down along the ground instead of up along pulley stands. In doing so the rope took a tight turn to the north from the hoist building in order to avoid running into the old hoist building. I think these structures held the sheaves that worked to turn the ropes back towards the shaft house beyond.

As odd find near these turning sheaves is this electrical box. I’m not sure why they would need electricity for the sheaves, so perhaps this structure was something else entirely. I’m not sure, but I’ll provide a larger look below.