Comments on: Powderhouse in the Woods

By: Paul H. Meier

Paul H. Meier — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:18:03 +0000

I had the pleasure of a walking tour of the Trimountain surface plant with a retired miner about 10 years ago. We did go into the powder house back then but I don’t recall the hollow floor. A rule of thumb with explosives manufacture and storage is to build in a soft area to direct accidental detonations in a direction where it would do the least harm. In the case of powder houses near the mines the method of choice was a soft roof so they would blow UP. While the concrete roof here at Trimountain looks very substantial, note that it is thin at the peak so it would open like a clam shell if the contents detonated and the main force of the blast would be upward. Of course some would vent through the doorway, ruining the day for anyone about to enter. Trimountain is one of the better sites to explore.

By: Gordy

Gordy — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:58:53 +0000

I would venture to guess it had more to do with the big bang theory. Being hollow underneath would give some of the blast somewhere to waste itself on top of blowing the roof off and trying to blast the walls down.

By: mossmouse

mossmouse — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:24:20 +0000

We were just there this week, if you stomp on the “dirt floor” you’ll find that it’s actually metal and hollow underneath (look down at the entrance and you can see down there a little bit). Possibly more storage?

By: dcclark

dcclark — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:35:54 +0000

Adam –

I think Mike originally said it: it’s not a hike until you’ve seen a major appliance.

The concrete tunnel is off to the right of the path, not too far after it goes past the big cement rockhouse foundation at the #2. Also, if you continue straight (south-ish) instead of following the trail around the rock pile, there’s a connection to a nice big ATV/snowmobile trail — and if you keep going straight across that trail, there’s a REALLY strange area full of old houses and ruins. There are cement house foundations, fallen wood frames, and lots and lots of bits propped up, I think for paintball wars. The whole area is in a sort of valley. I have no clue why there would have been houses there, since the town of Trimountain is on the other side of the mines.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:03:54 +0000

We found the Smoke Palace last time we went up there. Trimountain is great, the view off that dirt pile rivals Brockway Mountain, no joke. If you are walking into the woods from the rock pile down the path that goes by the Palace, there are tons of smaller ruins off to the left (North, I think?). We found a nice washing machine and water heater.

But alas, your concrete tunnel we were looking for eluded us.

By: explorer

explorer — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:13:54 +0000

Exactly.. just keeping everyone one their toes…

By: Jay Balliet

Jay Balliet — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:05:03 +0000

So it’s kind of like the “gay pictures” comment Mike?

By: explorer

explorer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:02:33 +0000

I hope you all realize the use of “bear cans” was a test to see if everyone was reading the posts and not just looking at all the pretty pictures.

Herb and Gordy pass.

By: Herb from Wisconsin

Herb from Wisconsin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:00:26 +0000

I’ve heard that “dog beer” was being marketed, why not bear beer? Makes a bear good and sleepy going into hibernation…

If the roof has steel reinforcement rods in it the place might last a long time yet, Hope it does. I’d like to see it.

By: Gordy Schmitt

Gordy Schmitt — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:11:03 +0000

Nice little building though. Although I think that metal strap probably held some kind of cover over that vent hole. Looks to new to be from that way past era.