lots to write and pics to put up so I will work on this over a few days....
What a crazy trip! I appreciated everyone being patient with my mechanical issues and lack of solid planning in the week prior to the event. In a nut shell...there was way too much to see in such a small time. DV is big and exploration is warranted almost on every square inch. The trips initial intent was a loop of the Pananmint range. That quickly became a tour of the western slops only and ended up not even putting a dent in that narrowed focus.
Thursday night bonus round:
-Abandoned Airforce base/ prison
This place was awesome! The entire base is there and open to exploration. You really could spend a whole day there, but we raced through the highlights in a couple hours. The base was converted to a prison before being abandoned and it very intact. There is very little spray paint and buildings remain in fairly good condition with a few exceptions. Nothing really wild was uncovered in the time we had but I think with another trip there will be cool finds here.
Friday:
-Ridecrest scouting
Headed in RIdgecrest to take a look at a few mines for scouting purposes. This all proved to be for nothing since they were all bat gated even far from town, but a bad day mine exploring is still a great day.
UE's finest...Mike and Dave
-Trona pinnacles
Right before sundown we made it to the famous Trona Pinnacles. It is the weirdest place I have ever seen. It dosnt take much imagination to feel like you are on another planet.
-Camping spot change
The camp spot proved to be incorrect. The old 4x4 trail listed on topo maps is closed and long since washed away. Not to mention the winds were howling up that canyon. So we took a chance on nearby Pleasent Canyon and it was a hit. We camped near a waterfall and were completely protected from the insane winds. I suspect we had a donkey visit as something bumped into my truck three times and woke me up in the middle of the night... Or was it the Panamint bear????
Saturday:
-Ballarat Ghost town
Pretty interesting place with alot of mine artifacts and a few origanel buildings. The town store is a strange museum of sorts with a very friendly care taker. From the few shelves, it looks like it ceased being a real store sometime in the mid 80's. I added a bottle to his collection in there to mark our visit.
-Goyer canyon/Mengle pass
The canyon is beautiful with a reminders of the mining history sprinkled here and there until you reach the Coors mine. The underground working were a disappointment but the ruins and equipment left in place make up for it. After we hit up the Manson ranch. Its still a little creepy to be there but with the main cabin in ruin it didnt give a uneasy feeling. Mengle pass has been washed out quite a bit. I was happy to be on 35's and double locked before we made a quick trip to see the Russel camp and take in the stripped butte (much more impressive in person then I guessed)
Pictures dont do the colors in this justice.
This guy was laughing at the overbuilt jeeps taking horrible lines.
Sunday:
-Spur of the moment
Woke up at the Spur of the Moment mine. This mine is not often visited and has a great tram system still in place. The underground workings are not extensive, but the hike and views along the way were breathtaking.
long unedited helmet cam test footage.
camera test
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