Please remember you can click on a photo to see a larger version & highlighted text is linked to additional information.
Please click here for Part One
The Widow Maker
Deb had her copy of Stan Paher’s Nevada Ghost Towns & Desert Atlas. This led us to the ghost town of Delamar. A ghost town with a foreboding nickname - The Widow Maker.
Prior to climbing the pass and dropping into Delamar, we visited the tiny cemetery below the townsite of Helene.
Over the pass on the rough road, we descended into the high basin that holds the remains of Delamar. The town was known for its grand, substantial buildings of stone. It is also known for the many miners who died from silicosis brought on by breathing the fine dust produced during the milling process of the gold embedded in quartzite. The many deaths gave the town the nickname, “The Widow Maker.” Huge piles of ground quartzite remain below the mill ruins.
We were warned by our friend, The Sagebrush Reconnoiterer, who had visited here, that the wind still stirs up dust. Do not visit here when the wind blows. We found a spot among the ruins where we could level our campers and make camp. The night sky was vast and glorious. The milky way, planets, constellations, and falling stars were spectacular entertainment. Morning came with us up at dawn. The Lady had our mugs of Peets Coffee ready as first light from the sun hit the ridges above us.
We wandered among the old stone walls.
For the day’s adventure, Deb & Steve oped to visit the ruins of the vast mill. The Lady, no surprise, wanted to go high. We kept in contact with Deb & Steve using our radios.
We looked back as we climbed.
The mill ruins were across the valley to the northwest.
To the southwest was Delamar Valley and its playa, once an emergency landing site during the X-15 rocket plane test flights.
To the north was the mountain above Delamar, riddled with mines. The main Delamar Mine is the blasted-out hole.
We left the old road and climbed a ridge. This conglomerate covered a hillside.
Circling around to the north we passed by the remains of the water system.
A point on the ridge gave us a nice overview of the area.
We passed above our camp. Here’s a telephoto view.
In the draw above our camp was the Monkey Wrench mine and mill. The most impressive remaining building stands here. We dropped down to look it and the site over.
The rubberlegs joined us.
We started our climb up to the Delamar Mine.
We reached the gaping hole in the earth.
The vein of quartzite is visible.
Deb discovered there was cell service up here.
She searched for information on medical facilities nearby. Overnight she had discovered a tick bite with the tick still embedded. It is never fun to wake up in the night in your bed with a tick. After valiant nighttime surgical attempts by Steve, the head of the tick remained and Deb, wisely, wanted it looked at. It was decided we’d leave in the morning for the clinic in Caliente.
We still enjoyed our descent back to our humble camp.
Leichtlin's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus leichtlinii)
Back at the Monkey Wrench mine.
Driving to Caliente the next morning, we stopped at the Delamar Cemetery down on the valley floor.
Beavertail and Grizzly Bear Prickly Pear cactus growing together.
The rubberlegs went into Caliente to tend to the tick bite. The Lady and I went to Kershaw-Ryan State Park to secure campsites for night for all of us. The day had turned hot, not by summer standards at all, and it was delightful to be at this oasis in the desert with cold-water springs. The developments here are well tended.
Waiting for word from our friends, we climbed the trails to the top of the ridge and took in the views.
In the distance is Rainbow Canyon, the Union Pacific train route into Southern California.
With a dose of antibiotics and reassurance the tick bite posed little risk, Deb and Steve joined us in the evening at the campground. The coming night was very nice.
First light the next morning was dramatic.
The USGS 7.5 topo map indicated there was a pictograph site about 3.5 miles from our location. That put us into search mode.
After crossing under the tracks, we found a water diversion tunnel put in by the railroad years ago.
This was our route.
On the canyon walls beyond, we found the pictographs.
DStretch
From the canyon bottom we could see Etna Cave above, upper center of the photo.
We had to, I bet you already knew that, we had to climb up to the two openings.
We searched the cliff face for rock art.
We found mortars in the floor at the rear of one cave.
Rainbow Canyon is a very busy corridor for trains.
While writing this, I discovered Jim Boone has this site on his website - Rainbow Canyon Archaeological Site #1
It turned out the tick played a unique role in shaping our next adventure. The day before, while waiting for her appointment at the medical clinic, Deb visited the county library and donated a copy of her book - The Man Who Beat Death Valley, quite a nice gesture and very appropriate as the Death Valley 49ers traveled through this area prior to reaching Death Valley. Because of this Deb and Steve met all the city officials, including the mayor, and received a personal tour of the restored downtown train depot.
Deb and Steve also gave them a positive critique on Lincoln County’s Rock Art brochure - kudos where kudos were well deserved - and how we all were enjoying our visit. This got the mayor talking that included something like this, “Well they left out the one out by……….”
Deb and Steve were only able to get a general area. We were on the hunt!
Our search took us to a shallow canyon in the juniper, pinyon, and ponderosa.
We hoped we were in the right place and our hunches were correct. Around one corner and we had our answer.
And even more exciting for us were petroglyphs of the Fremont Style with the distinctive triangular shaped anthropomorphs. We’ve come upon Fremont Style pictographs in Great Basin National Park to the north.
A highlight was an alcove with petroglyphs and pictographs.
DStretch applied.
This was an outstanding find for us!
There was storied rock hidden away back in shaded clefts.
And panels on the canyon walls.
Later in the day and up canyon we came upon a large earthen dam. We climbed to the top expecting a reservoir on the upstream side. Nope.
It looked like the dam was well built. Too bad there’s no water out here to fill it. The world is changing. Signs are all around us.
On the top of the dam my three companions discovered there was cell service.
My goodness, texts and emails needed to be checked. “I need to get ‘caught up’,” I heard several times. The one thing I learned is that a sudden dose of connectivity makes you have to pee.
Next up, on the trail of the Death Valley 49ers. Our adventure continues in the upcoming Part Three.
No comments:
Post a Comment