I love Cerro Gordo. I used to go up there quite a bit with my Toyota 4x4. Back then, a couple owned it and they were quite open to tours. One of my most vivid memories is the punched tin ceiling inside the main house.
As a group we'd go to Cerro Gordo on our first day and then camp at Mahogany Flat inside DVNM (it was a monument back then...aging myself here
). The second day we'd head up to Clair Camp outside of Ballarat. Back then a guy who called himself "Frenchie" held the claim (or so he said). His biggest treat was when someone would gift him a package of real toilet paper
In those days getting to Clair Camp required a pretty steep acent over a (dry) waterfall. Consequently, the return trip consisted of going back down...it was lots of fun.
Thanks for sharing the pics!