There is an Internet Forum I enjoy being a member of called
A year ago they held their first "Fall Haul" and now they were going to do it again. The forum owner, Charlie, decided to have T-shirts this year and I wound up printing them for him. Nothing left to do but deliver them!!
I left Fort Bragg, CA. October 19th.
After ten hours of driving I camped beside a very nice Joshua Tree five miles east of Mojave,
enjoyed an evening fire, then called it a night.
In the morning I zipped up to Trona and entered Panamint Valley. I headed straight for Panamint Springs Resort where the "Fall Haul" gathering would be and looked up "B-Spec" to drop off the shirts. I had it in my mind to hike up to Panamint City and I didn't want folks waiting for shirts if I didn't make it back!!
I drove back down the valley to the turn-off to Ballarat, checked in with Rocky at the Ballarat Store, then headed north on Indian Ranch road to the turn off for Surprise Canyon. Where the road entered the mouth of the canyon I set up camp.
I spent a couple of days day hiking up and down the road to get used to the weather, the altitude and my backpack.
Finally, only one more evening. Time to contemplate the road to Panamint City.
The morning of the 23rd I drove up to the trailhead where Chris Wicht camp burned ten days earlier.
The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation according to some BLM .folks I met along the way.
I parked across from the burnt area and locked up.
It was time to hit the road.
I had been to Panamint City in August of 1981. In the autumn of 1984 a flash flood washed out this area of Surprise Canyon down to bedrock and there has been these falls ever since. I knew this section could only be gotten through by carefully climbing up the falls. Because of that I brought extra shoes and socks.
What I didn't know was ..., this would be the easy part! In time I discovered there are three long stretches of overgrown brush to deal with after climbing the falls!
My old Kelty backpack kept snagging on branches. Now and then it was easier to walk in the stream until I reached an area so overgrown I became convinced I had made a mistake and there had to be an easier way. This happened repeatedly!
But there was no easier way. It is a continuous struggle. Where previous hikers had gone through the brush there were broken branches which were reassuring in that they indicate I might be on the path but they were also sharp sticks that scratched and cut my arms!
Near Limekiln Springs I came across this recently deceased burro.
By the time I cleared Brewery Gulch I felt nearly deceased myself! Checking my map I discovered I had hiked two and a half miles in four hours! In Fort Bragg I had no trouble walking 3.3 miles per hour!!
Four hours of crashing and bashing through the brush!! I was whipped! It was noon and I still had three miles of "up" to hike in the heat of the afternoon! Plus, my water supply was half consumed! I was ready to call it a day. Give up. Quit! I decided I am too old for this shit!
Four hours of crashing and bashing through the brush!! I was whipped! It was noon and I still had three miles of "up" to hike in the heat of the afternoon! Plus, my water supply was half consumed! I was ready to call it a day. Give up. Quit! I decided I am too old for this shit!
But the thought of four hours of fighting back down through that brush was a thought I simply could not face.
I was beat, hot and bothered but after a rest of fifteen minutes I suddenly realized I had all afternoon and some evening to finish the remaining three miles. What's the rush? Take it easy!
Onward!!
In places there were remnants of the old Surprise Canyon road but most of it is loose rock or washed out and non-existent all together!
The last mile I was reduced to counting fifty paces, stopping to let my breathing and heart rate settle down, then fifty more paces.
During one rest stop, panting like an old dog, I glanced up and noticed a burro quietly watching me!
During one rest stop, panting like an old dog, I glanced up and noticed a burro quietly watching me!
Stone foundations start appearing. Juniper trees. Pinyon Pines!
I have hiked from 2,600 feet up to 6,400! No wonder this sea-level guy is breathing hard!
I have hiked from 2,600 feet up to 6,400! No wonder this sea-level guy is breathing hard!
And then the most uplifting sight of all, the old Smelter Stack of Panamint City!!
I say to myself,
"By God Blab, ya made it!!"
And there is the "Hilton"! A complete house left from the 1982~1984 mining attempt.
Eureka! It's mine! All mine!
In the evening I used my tin can stove to cook my evening meal of potatoes, cornmeal mush and lentils.
Amazingly good!
For dessert I had an Oreo Cookie!
***
In the Hilton is a photograph of how the mill looked in the 1870's. The photo on the right is from pretty much the same view.
Wikipedia says:
"Founded in 1873-74, the town grew to (a population of 2,000) include many mills, saloons, stores, a red light district, a cemetery—all built along the uppermost end of the Surprise Canyon. Panamint City was regarded as a "bad and wicked" town, with Death Valley at one end of town and the Panamint Range at the other end. Due to the constant hijacking of the ore wagon, the miners soon cast the silver into large ingots (400 pound balls) that were too big and heavy to be stolen.
On July 24, 1876 a flash flood roared down the canyon and washed (out) nearly the entire town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The original mill operated two years. Ironically the mill built in 1982 came to an end after two years of operation when a flash flood took out the canyon again.
In the morning I hiked up Water Canyon looking for the cabin I saw in 1981 that had the weird caretaker. I didn't see that cabin but I did come across the remains of Thompson's Camp.
Hiking back down I had a great view of the Smelter Stack with the "Hilton" roof in the lower right corner.
I poked around a bit in some of the local mines.
And explored the 1982~84 mining equipment that was abandoned when the canyon washed out.
Here's a close look at the Smelter Stack. The southeast corner in the left photo and the falling apart northwest corner in the right.
It's going to be a damn shame when it finally falls over.
Another fine evening dinner using my tin can stove. I also brewed my morning tea followed by oatmeal on this simple little stove. All it takes is a handful of little sticks and debris from around the fire ring in front of the Hilton. I kept extra sticks in the bent up pot next to the concrete block to add if I need more heat.. Ray Jardine's book about lightweight backpacking gave me the idea for this stove.
***
In the morning I hiked up Sourdough Canyon and found the caretaker's cabin now referred to as "The Castle".
Left photo 2006. Right photo 1981. At least the steps are the same.
Here is a 1981 photo of the caretaker who Rocky called "Stickhead" because the guy was making costumes out of fabric, leather, wire and sticks.
Some of the abandoned equipment near "The Castle".
Behind the "Hilton", on the other side of the wash, is "The Overflow Cabin". Iris growing in the foreground.
In the evening I noticed Chipmunks climbing flower stocks to eat the seeds.
Speaking of critters. Every evening, as I fell asleep in the cabin, I would hear the packrat bumping and knocking around. I discovered his stash of winter food when I opened the oven door. Or maybe I'm wrong and this is the stash of mice. It is hard to believe a packrat could get in there through the oven vent.
October 26th, I start heading down Surprise Canyon at 6:15AM.
It takes two hours to make it half way down.
And then, back into the brush.
I took a little side trip to visit Limekilm Springs where there was a moss and fern grotto with water streaming down through it.
Finally I am at the top of the falls. When I get down them I turned for one last look.
I can't believe it. This old fart actually made it!
Assessing the damage. Note the missing watch from the watch band!
***
Driving back to Ballarat and across the flat to the highway I get inspected. Ah yes, civilization!
I arrived at Panamint Springs Resort, set up camp and carved my pumpkin for "Spiedie Night".
David Bricker is the barbeque master. He cooked up a huge batch of Spiedies; pork tenderloin and cubed chicken marinated in the Spiedie Sauce Bricker brought with him from New York!!
Everyone helped out with the potluck and it was an excellent dinner.
Here's about one third of the group. (You ever try to round up desert rats for a group photo?)
And, the resident Roadrunner.
Since most of the folks are into four wheeling to places my Vanagon could never get to I was able to snag a ride with "Freq" in his Toyota Four Runner and follow LarryW and his dog Tabby to various mines and cabins. The cabin in the left photo is the Minnetta.
Old workings!
The next day we went up Goler Wash to the Barker Ranch and
then over Mengel Pass to
Stripped Butte. The road continues to Butte Valley but we were running out of daylight and had to give it up.
They dropped me off at my Vanagon in Ballarat and I drove as far as Mojave for the night.
At 6:10AM, October 31st I headed for home. Past the windmill farm at Tehachapi and seven hours later the burning rice fields near Williams, CA. I was home by 4:10PM.
A wonderful trip 
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