The discovery of the legendary Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859 unleashed a frenzy of silver mining that shaped the region’s destiny. The silver deposit near Virginia City surpassed even the renowned California gold rush of 1849, attracting fortune seekers from far and wide, particularly neighboring California, in search of quick riches.
With the precious silver buried deep underground, mining operations required timber to support the intricate mine shafts. However, the arid state of Nevada lacked sufficient timber reserves, prompting mining companies to turn to the nearby Sierra mountains, with the pristine basin of Lake Tahoe just beyond its peaks.
Over two decades, the relentless pursuit of silver led to the depletion of the once lush greenery of the Tahoe Basin. Countless trees were felled, transformed into sizable timber pieces, and transported to the mines, descending to depths exceeding 3,000 feet below the surface.
Transporting logs and cutting timber from Lake Tahoe to the mines presented a challenge for loggers. Situated at 6,200 feet, Virginia City faced the daunting Carson Range, a mountain range running parallel to the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.
In this race to find the most efficient route, two established options emerged, each with its advocates, while a visionary plan offered a potentially revolutionary solution.
The first route, known as the Glenbrook-Carson City route, snaked its way from Glenbrook on the shores of Lake Tahoe to Carson City, reaching 7,146 feet. Logs harvested from the Tahoe Basin were floated or towed to Glenbrook, loaded onto horse-pulled wagons, and laboriously transported over the summit to Carson City and the nearby mines in Virginia City. The second route followed the Truckee River, the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe. This waterway meandered through towns like Truckee and Reno until it reached its final destination at Pyramid Lake.
Logs were floated along the lake shore, reaching the river inlet and continuing downstream to Truckee and Reno. They were then loaded onto wagons and transported to local mills or mines about 15 miles southeast.
A third alternative emerged amid the debate, the Marlette Plan.
Advocated by Nevada mining company financiers and engineers like Adolph Sutro and William Sharon, the audacious concept proposed a 4,000-foot tunnel be drilled from Marlette to Carson Valley in the Carson Range. The construction of this tunnel promised simplified log transportation, a significant reduction in timber costs, and the ability to meet the insatiable demand of the mines.
While logs from the Marlette region were already being fed down vertical chutes into Lake Tahoe, the Marlette Plan aimed to revolutionize the process, making them obsolete.
Each route and the Marlette Plan garnered financiers, advocates, workers, and promoters. Interestingly, logging camps near Marlette Lake became hotbeds of disputes and conflicts among those vying for control of the logs and seeking to exploit different routes and chutes.
California, apprehensive about the financial consequences, opposed the plan. Fearing the destruction of Lake Tahoe, the state sought to halt the scheme.
The third governor of California, John Bigler, formed a committee to investigate the Marlette Plan. They embarked on a fact-finding mission, visiting the Marlette Lake area and witnessing firsthand the scars etched into the mountainside.
However, during their visit, an unexpected revelation unfolded.
Sheriff Bull Johnson, a native of the Great Lakes and serving as the committee’s guide, revealed that the scars were not the result of logging operations but rather the result of “bear slides.” These natural slopes facilitated the descent of bears from the heights to the lake edge.
Following Nevada statehood, the proposed 4,000-foot tunnel from Marlette Lake to Carson Valley materialized, accompanied by the establishment of a log mill and a steep, cable-powered railway ascending the daunting slopes of the Carson Range.
The tunnel collapsed on April 18, 1906, during the Great San Francisco Earthquake that sent massive shockwaves rumbling through the Carson Range. By then, the borehole was pretty much disused and abandoned.
Today, the three cables, which once played a pivotal role in moving timber from the Tahoe basin, and now provide skiers a ride up the mountain side are known as the Bear Slides and seen by locals and visitors alike as it strikes a boundary between Nevada and California.
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