Great 32 hour vacation with repeat fun from the past, and an adventure “on the list” from way past. Saturday the 13th I headed up to Canaan, NH, to join son David and grandson, Alex, at the Canaan Motor Club track for kart racing that they have been doing for six years. I have joined them on several occasions as they have participated and matured in this sport.

The daily events run pretty much the same: practice runs, time trials, and the actual races by class based upon engines and other specifications. Here grandson and son are making final adjustments prior to a practice run.

At speeds exceeding 70 MPH, it is difficult to capture your grandson flashing by. Alex is in 124 second from the right.

My son “the physicist” changing a tire on a go-kart rim. They go through at least one set of tires a race day.

there are so many factors to “even the playing field” with any competitive racing. Each class has weight limits, and if you come off the track and weigh less than allowed you become disqualified. David and Alex have discussions about how much fuel should be “on board” depending upon the number of laps. Here is the weighing station as all karts are finished.

see the “carriage” David is pushing? Below how the kart is loaded to be moved back to their “race pit.”

The race events are well planned and timed, but Saturday’s schedule had Alex done before 3 pm. David said, “what should we do?” Well, Dad is usually in-tune with what is going on and said, “let’s go to Ruggles Mine” a few miles away in Grafton. Opened in about 1803, closed in 1962 it then became a little known tourist attraction. It was “on the list” for Cathy and me, but we never made it. The attraction then closed in 2016, but recently I learned it had been purchased, and reopened in June 18 of this year. Without argument, that became the plan for an adventure – not even “oh, that’s a grandpa thing” from Alex. To the right is one of the old attraction brochures from the 70s.

Below is the RUGGLES MINE museum on the left and entrance. The new owner offers camping – with no utilities or hook-ups. There has never been electricity on the property other than propane fired generators. The new owner told me he plans on installing a solar array this coming year.

SOME FASCINATING history I found and will share — “Ruggles Mine is part of a 235-acre parcel atop Isinglass Mountain in Grafton. It sits on a massive deposit of an igneous rock known as pegmatite that includes a variety of minerals, most notably mica, which is valuable because it can be cut so thin that it acts as a heat-resistant translucent shield.

Boston businessman Sam Ruggles began mining mica in commercial amounts in 1803, making it the oldest such mine in the country, and it was a working mine for a century and a half. In 1961, Geraldine and Arvid Wahlstrom purchased Ruggles Mine for $20,000 and transformed it into a tourist attraction. They let rockhounds chip at the walls to collect their own samples, including amethyst, feldspar, quartz, garnet and uraninite. 

Efforts to have the state buy the mine and operate it as a park fell through and the family sold the mine in 2019 to two men from New York City. Those owners never managed to open the mine, however, and they sold it in 2023 to two men with mining experience.”

Below the “museum” with the new owner on the left. Behind him the “rules and regulations.” Entrance fee pricey at $30 (children free), but since you may prospect and take whatever rocks you wish – have at it. You may bring in a five gallon pail and tools, but they have tools for rent for $1 each, and small souvenir buckets for $2. When I chatted with the new owner later he said free admission for children was to encourage families to come explore and prospect. I told him I was thrilled and pleased to see so many young families enjoying the experience and digging away.

The adventure begins—

We had no idea what to expect—

WOW

It gets better entering the openings — remember you can “click” on images in my galleries to see larger size images. AND Please Do So.

Well worth “the price of admission” — David and Alex were selecting rock specimens for Mari. We chatted with others who showed us what their UV lights were revealing, including Uranium.

below are close-ups of the wall to the left of the tunnel seen above. Situated on Isinglass Mountain, the mine was the first location of a mica mine in the US. I also had a “mica mine” which I discovered on my grandmother’s property while my Dad was clearing land for a pond – yes maybe 70 years ago. Mica was also known as Isinglass — remember in OKLAHOMA – The Surrey With the Fringe on Top – “…With isinglass curtains you can roll right down In case there’s a change in the weather…” HELP there is an Isinglass River in Strafford County, NH, but I am not totally satisfied with the naming of this mountain – so far all I have found is “…In New Hampshire, Isinglass Mountain is named for the pegmatite mines below the peak (the famous Ruggles Mine) which contains a lot of mica, otherwise known as Isinglass.” — so, your turn – HELP

Below this wall of rock was fine mica sand. It later occurred to me the patterns you see below (and then the pile of mica sand below) comes from years of attack with rock hammers by visitors.

below some serious rock hounds

beginning to walk back out.

and, the owner came down the path in a golf cart to check on folks, and reminding all that it was soon time to pack up your rocks and leave. Chatting with him I asked if I could ride out with him on the path leading around the mine and trailings piles. Glad I did for additional views (not to mention my walking and balance hiccups).

and, the view from the parking lot – yes New Hampshire.

Open only a month, on July 16 our TV station WMUR ran a piece on the news program CHRONICLE about the mine’s reopening. Click the aerial image below to see that report – but then come back.

Saturday night David made a great meal, and it was very comfortable sleeping on a cot in his tent. Sunday racing continued, and I was impressed with the work David and Alex did and their discussions on the performance of the kart, and the tweaking and changes they made between runs. I had fun.

RAY RECOMMENDS — plan a visit to small Grafton, NH (population 1385) and follow the remote roads (no real signage but GPS routes you without showing roads on the screen to the mine). Dirt, some pavement, narrow, more dirt – TOO MUCH FUN — enjoy, luv, RAY