[pct-l] Alien space probe or ???

[enyapjr at adelphia.net (enyapjr@adelphia.net)]

Interesting!  Yes, they are indeed blasting holes....
 
 Ilja asked "But how did they drill the holes 70 years ago?" - If it was
 done by hand, then it was either 'single-hand' (one person) or
 'double-hand' (two persons) drilling or 'jacking'...  'single-hand' was
 usually only done in 'soft-rock' environs, though may have been used if
 drilling at a crack or joint, or if not drilling too deep - probably
 always 'double-hand' in solid 'hard-rock' (such as the Sierra) and going
 deeper than 12 inches.  As for "70 years ago", it may have been
 accomplished utilizing smaller, portable drilling machines or equipment
 that first came about in the late 19th century (remember that the Forest
 Service had a relatively few 'wilderness' or 'primitive' areas, the
 National Parks only had 'backcountry', and the Wilderness Act and it's
 protections wasn't passed until 1964... so it may have been fully
 'legal' to use such power equipment in what is now a wilderness area at
 that time!).
 
 Some western mining towns still have hand drilling contests annually -
 Carson City, NV, has a 'single jack' contest during Nevada Day
 celebrations in the fall (end of October) - see
 http://www.nevadaday.com/festivities/drillingcontest.htm - FYI, if
 interested in actually seeing it done.
 
 Happy trails! 
 
 Ps: Love your website (http://www.abovecalifornia.com) and pics, Mark
 (& Matt, too)!