Death Valley – April 2023 – Part Three

 

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Please click here for Part Two

 

The Treasure Hunt

 

We found a perfect campsite for the night. We were up the next morning for first light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered in the dawn light with our mugs of real coffee. What a delight! The Lady was mesmerized by the blooming “belly flowers” across the bajada. “Belly flowers” are small flowers you need to get down on your belly to see. Beavertail and cholla were also beginning to flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, full sunlight washed over the landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To continue the story, let me take you back to our first day in Death Valley National Park. We were outside the Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station – before the dogfight – and we received a message on our InReach device from our friend, The Sagebrush Reconnoiterer. He receives our “camped here for the night” messages and responded with a comment about our stay the previous night at Benton Hot Springs –

“Hot water sounds nice for sore muscles.”

I replied, “Yeahs all around, but just found LeMoigne Canyon Road is closed. What to do?”

Sagebrush is a historian and author. For a time, he had one of the first backcountry road guides on the Internet for the Eastern Sierra and Great Basin. Having lived in both Mono and Inyo counties, he has a vast knowledge of the area. Almost immediately I received this response, “36° xx’xx.xx”N 117°xx’xx.xx”W – Old xxxxx I remember seeing in an old publication years ago? Some mines & cabins. GE shows nice DV views.”

It is wonderful having the Sagebrush Reconnoiterer as a friend!

“Want to go on a treasure hunt?” I asked the Lady. You know her answer.

We put together a route, broke camp, and drove to a starting point for our search, a place to begin the treasure hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

Heavy cables lined the old road. Later we found out why.

 

 

 

 

 

Along the way we found an old mining claim monument. The 4x4 wood post had tumbled over years ago. In the rocks the Lady found the traditional Prince Albert tobacco tin that old-time prospectors used to hold mining claim documents.

 

 

 

 

 

Papers were inside but the lid was completely rusted. I did not want to damage the tobacco tin with an attempt to open it. We carefully placed it back in its hiding place.

 

Down in the broad canyon we came to a more contemporary mining camp.

 

 

 

 

 

A furnace and refrigerator help date this place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue 1960 Rambler Six Deluxe 4 door sedan also helps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We commented that the outhouse looked like it had a bustle.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few other views around the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed down canyon until we were stopped by its precipitous drop.

 

 

 

 

 

We backtracked and found a faint roadway leading along the ridge.

 

 

 

 

 

It led to a cable tower with a long cable across the canyon to a mine clinging to the cliff face. The Lady seized the high ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The anchors for the cable tower were impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up slope, inconspicuously placed was a plaque.

 

 

 

 

 

The beginnings of the Garibaldi Mine date to the same period as the rush to Panamint City, the mid 1870’s. Here is detailed information complied by Death Valley National Park – Garibaldi Mine.

 

We continued down the very steep roadcut.

 

 

 

 

 

Lying far below in a near vertical gully were the remains of an ancient dozer that may have built the roads here.

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing down, we came upon the ruins of stacked stone buildings perhaps from the mid 1870’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The treasure hunt continued. Julie’s see mores were put to work and we continued down, down, down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped again during the descent. The Lady put her see mores up to her eyes. “I think I see it!” she exclaimed. “We need to keep going down!”

 

With our prize in sight, we climbed down to the wagon, perched, almost impossibly, on the mountainside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It dates to around 1920 and is remarkably intact, a real treasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was more. In the canyon below lay the remains of a large truck.

 

 

 

 

 

You bet we made a few jokes about how the flip flop boys must have taken the truck on “a run.”

 

We took a round about route down to reach the truck. We accessed the canyon below and then hiked up to it. First, we came upon more ancient stacked stone structures.

 

 

 

 

 

And then moved up to the truck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best stone structure was across the canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

On the climb back to the cable tower, we found one of the ore containers on the mountainside.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a panorama from above the cable tower. The views of Death Valley below were, indeed, spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

It had been another extraordinary day in Death Valley. Thanks, Sagebrush Reconnoiterer for sending us on the treasure hunt! What’s next?

 

It was time to end the trip and turn back north, toward home. The wind was calm in Panamint Valley. It was no longer a swirling caldron of dust. Spending the night in the valley was peaceful, quiet, and a delight.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, we were up the next morning before dawn, ready to wander with our mugs of coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We dropped back down onto the playa in search of blooming Hairy Desert Sunflowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember the Lady’s knack for catching cancellations at Benton? Yup, our last night of the trip was spent treating “shovel elbow” and other ailments. All are now cured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great adventure this was. Thanks to all who helped make the adventures unfold.