Street Photography

Exploring Foggy Backroads

Published on -- by Nina AraicaLeave a comment

Originally we were planning on taking our family portraits today but we had to divert our photoshoot plans due to rain. I’m not too disappointed though, because I absolutely love the rain and we decided not to let it spoil our day and rainy skies provide the utmost amazing backdrop for picture taking. So the husband and I instead decided to take a rainy day adventure and try to finally infiltrate [at least the first perimeter fence of] an abandoned glass factory. In addition to the factory (because we highly doubted we were going to get inside), we decided to find other rural abandonment on our travels today.

So off we went! Headed toward the “country” in search of an abandoned glass factory (that we’ve had our eye on for over a year), abandoned barns, miscellaneous rurex, rain puddle reflections, fog and anything else we could find! We didn’t realize it until we were almost home, but we had driven a little over 200+ miles lol. We had so much fun, driving around with no game plan – just seeing what we could discover!

There are 2 chain link fences surrounding the remnants of the glass factory. The first handful of times we scouted this place there weren’t any visible holes in the outer fence or any signs of a way in. Being that this factory is surrounded by other [open/functioning] businesses, we didn’t want to just hop it, in plain site of everyone. It looks like the kind of place where if you circle the block too many times, someone will notice and most likely call the authorities. So we left, to return later to do more investigation. This last time we drove around 2x and finally spotted a hole! WOOHOO!! Good thing it wasn’t directly in front of the business across the street because there were cars parked outside and lights on – YIKES! So we decided to at least get in past the first fence and take some exterior shots of the building. We snapped several shots and plan to return once we find a sure, safe way in.

After the glass factory we headed out in search of any abandoned rurex we would find. We just picked a few exits, a road or two, a left here, right there…..and ended up on the most amazing backroad I have ever been on! Since it had been lightly raining off and on all morning, the higher we went up this windy road, the thicker the fog got! It was awesome 🙂 We pulled over a few times to photograph a some creepy looking trees, the road, and other misc stuff. I seem to not be able to stop taking pics of my husband and this scenery provided quite a dramatic backdrop for some amazing pics.

Here are a few of my favorites photos from our adventure,

Gold & Silver Processing Mill

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The abandoned Mill was built in 1922 to process local gold and silver ore, using a cyanide solution and specific process which incorporated (a separation technique for removing gold from a cyanide solution). The Mill operated for only 4 years, closing in 1926 and processing $7.5 million worth of silver and gold. Over its short life, the Mill was owned by two different corporate entities and at the time, was considered the largest, most modern and sophisticated mill of its type in the U.S.

The Mill was shut down due to metallurgical problems and the dropping price of silver. When the Mill closed, all of the equipment, consisting of metal and wood materials, were scrapped and salvaged. During the salvaging process, little care was taken in the removal of equipment and other materials. Concrete structural components were cut and broken as required to facilitate the removal process, resulting in a great deal of damage. Large holes and voids were left in the concrete, reinforcing steel was cut, and concrete structural members were broken. Today only the deteriorated concrete skeletons of the structures remain. The existing buildings consist of decaying/crumbling concrete, exposed reinforcing steel and large holes in the cement floors.

In 1996 a fatality occurred inside one of the structures when an individual attempted to maneuver up a set of stairs with an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). In response, the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) officially closed the interior of the buildings to public entry on January 21, 1997. Since 1998, the BLM has repeatedly fenced, gated, and posted closure signs at the mill site and scarified access roads for public safety, however this site is still visited almost daily by locals with complete ease of access.

The “Greenhouse”

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Went on a little 6hr urbex adventure yesterday. One of the first places we explored was a place I affectionately call “The Greenhouse”. I’m sure you can tell why, from the pics below 🙂 In its Hay Day, this building that now sits in shambles, was once a bustling Heat Treating Company.

Now the factory floor which I’m sure was full of activity, is now covered with assorted foliage and home to a few homeless people who are very protective of their shelter. On our way in, we chatted with a transient who resides in this building. He wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to disturb his wife who was sleeping inside of their make shift home, in the back corner. We promised to be respectful and entered with his blessing 🙂