The man is asking fair questions...he (nor I) are 'not' saying it isn't going to happen...we just want more info...you know , like a 'smart' investor is 'supposed' to do...belittling him for doing his DD (like he is supposed to do) serves no common interests...period.
To the question about the roads & access , this is from their website:
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Location, Access, Physiography, and Climate
The Ruby Mine is located in southwestern Sierra County, in the northern part of the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Northern California. It lies approximately 25 air miles northeast of Grass Valley/Nevada City and is serviced by paved roads. Highway 49 passes through Downieville in the northern part of the area. The Pliocene Ridge road crosses the central part of the area and eventually merges with the Henness Pass road. There are paved spur roads to the town of Alleghany and the village of Forest City. The remaining few miles to the various mine sites are accessed by high quality, well maintained gravel roads.
The property is situated in the Sierra Nevada physiographic province and lies along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, at elevations varying from 2,500 feet in the canyons to more than 6,000 feet on the ridge crests. Regional physiographic conditions generally consist of gently to moderately rolling terrain, and steep sided plateaus with deeply incised streams and rivers.
The annual temperature varies between 10 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual precipitation varies between 50 and 70 inches, which falls principally as snow during the months of January, February and March.
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O.K.---there we have (a part of) the answer. "the remaing few miles of gravel roads"..."50 to 70"...falls principally as snow".
I've personally spent a great deal of time in the Sierra's & Sierra foothills...not only as a skier but as a builder as well. I'll have to take (minor) issue with the snow duration timelines they outlined...'December 1st thru as long as April'...it even snowed into June last year. The primary roads are always the 1st ones plowed & depending on the weather & snow depth , the secondary roads can stay un-attended for days or weeks sometimes. Blizzards in the Sierras can sometimes be intense [Donner Party] & that's a fact.
The "gravel roads" they mention could (in my mind) be 'an issue'. I can't say for sure but having watched many a snowplough in action , I can say that they typically 'drag' their blade on the 'pavement' as a means to get the job done. Ploughing the snow from a concealed "gravel" surface (without chewing-up the gravel)seems a near impossibility in rough back-country to me. I'd like to see that. Having oprated a blade or two in my time , I'd think they'd have to use a laser to accomplish this feat...the same as a modern grading excavator does. To the best of my knowledge , these plough operators rely strictly on pre-positioned horizontal (not vertical) guidemarkers , marking-out the road edges only. They 'drag' their blades between the markers until cleared.
Again...I'm not saying I'm planning on selling anytime soon...I can even wait for seasonal yearly stoppages , knowing they'll get that shiney-stuff sooner or later. I'm also 'not' saying they don't have a winter plan...I'd just like to know what that plan is , given these potential obstacles.
If asking this question pisses somebody off...too bad...these are 'fair questions' & worthy of 'fair replies'.
GL2us all
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