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| Inyo mtns canyon and mines/Death Valley, CA | |
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| | Inyo mtns canyon and mines/Death Valley, CA | | | |
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Inyo mtns canyon and mines/Death Valley, CA
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| no partners | | Inyo Mtn Wilderness--Canyons and Mines
1. Hunter Canyon--- after the retreat from the LMT the next day I decided to go up Hunter Canyon a ways. Brian was feeling better and decided to come along. We slept in then took off, a use trail helps you at the canyon mouth avoid the vegetation and water. Most of the canyons on the eastern side of the Inyo's have running water. Weird to see so much green and worry about getting your feet wet in Saline Valley!
Waterfalls are also a theme here, most passable with low 5's scrambling. The first waterfall we passed on hard diorite rock almost step like in the climbing. The next fall had an aluminum extension ladder placed to the side which got you half way up and then you climbed on the fern covered travertine step like in the water. All the waterfalls were festooned with ferns and monkey flower greenery, and some sort of vine. The ladder had some age, it was coated with minerals and it's two ends buried in the greenery. It was very stable. To keep out of the thick willow, mesquite etc in the watercourse it was necessary to negotiate endless scree slopes. More smaller waterfalls with bypasses. We stopped in a lush area with some sizable trees short of some taller waterfalls ahead as Brian was feeling tired. We went back, the downclimbing a bit more exciting than the climb up. Tall wonderful rough walls and the "gunsight" views out of the canyon testified to the elevation gain we saw.
2. We moved camp down to the Trio Mill Site--formerly a private claim, now apparently BLM with a neat cabin maintained by the "Friends of Bev cabin". This is in the mouth of Beveridge canyon and is a historic mining site handling the milling for several mines in the area.
This was a great car camp site and we used a fire ring in the cabin yard, burning some dried Tamarisk that had been cut down. Makes for nice slow burning wood, nice smell, and good coals. Lots of mining debris and some neat reading in the log book from some folks who used to live there and work the claim. There is a swing set and the remains of two tricycles among the debris, several early washing machines and axles and engines galore for the vehicle buffs. Evening entertainment by the guys and gals in jets out from China Lake, swooping by the full moon and challenging my telephoto abilities.
Up Beveridge canyon the next day. Research noted three main waterfalls--" Fern, Ladder and Ultimate" the last being impassable without climbing gear. There are several waterfalls before you reach these, easily passed, one on an exposed but easy route taking you above a 30-40 foot waterfall on a rocky narrow ridge. Mid canyon was dry, but as things got narrow with soaring white marble walls we heard the water.
It opened again to the huge green area of Fern falls. It was like a huge apron of solid green. The climb is in a crack with good but wet holds. There was a suspect poly rope here, Brian used it to belay me but it is not tied off well and is at an angle. I would not trust it to take a full weighted fall. The canyon narrowed again, and avoiding the vegetation was not an option. You will get wet at Ladder falls. You have to wade a pool to get to the bottom of the short about 12 foot fall. There was a poly rope here too in the water. Two parts of an old ladder, sans rungs still stand to the side. You climb up more or less in the waterfall on the travertine. Ultimate fall is around the corner, we saw some pink webbing and two ropes about 50 feet up on the side. The waterfall slides down the side and water weeps around an overhanging chokestone at the top. At the bottom of the rope was a pile of old webbing and rope, some cut , some sun rotted. We carried out what we could. I preach to the choir but canyoneering folk, cavers, hikers need to clean up after themselves. Coming back I slipped in Ladder falls and wetted myself down, only my camera pack escaped. So weird to be concerned about being wet and cold in this desert!
We considered trying to reach Beveridge by the Snowflake trail, but the road was washed out and the weather window was closing. We decided to see whatever mines and canyons we could from Saline Valley.
3.To the Mines--- we drove out on our way to Willow Camp to talk to the caretaker. No one was home. It is a very nice place. We drove up a recently graded road to a mine high up on the side of the mid slope of the Inyos. The talc mine had some old and new workings, big short tunnels. We drove back down to car camp near an old road cut up to a mine that was also formerly on a private claim. The next morning we walked up the degrading road, to the foot of a burro trail going up and up. The usual, the best workings are highest on the slope. Old motors, pipe work, some Via Ferrate using tram cables. Adits revealed old newspaper titles, shells of explosives boxes, bits of old clothing cast aside. Talc is like a soapstone, and has some different translucent colors. The mines in this area apparently had high grade talc. I like to look at the old wood work and rusting motors and think of all the effort it took to bring this material to these places.
We were here longer than we thought due to climbing up and up and the views were incredible. Once again to the car we packed up and headed down a canyon or two to Pat Keyes Canyon.
4. Pat Keyes canyon is very short for the non tech climber. We went there because from the Saline Valley road we noted a vertical looking canyon with a new looking amazing smooth sandy tongue emerging and running long on the alluvial fan. The water made it all the way out to the main road, near where you turn off to the hot springs. This section of road looked particularly torn up with water course changes from what I remember. The road up the fan to the canyon is apparently gone, we took a road that headed up the the neighboring Badwater spring on the fan, then free lancers drove out to just below the mouth of Pat Keyes. Here we looked in amazement at the canyon mouth and bottom. I wish I had followed it out more onto the fan. The tiny rivulet flowed in between massive mud slurry type walls that seemed recently sloughed in a mini geologic event; adding to the alluvial fan. Mud coated everything, but a new scape mark with different coloration was about 20 feet from the bottom of the canyon. You can only scramble up like 40 feet till you come to a 40 foot vertical rock walled fall; no vegetation whatsoever in this canyon section. It seemed like an incredible event had happened here, something in tiny diorama that showcased what water and mud can do.
5. Weather changing, clouds, wind, drama on the salt pan, streamers of sand rising to the clouds. I wanted to go out the North Pass, never having been out that way, and check out some areas on our way out. And I wanted to get over this higher pass before it snowed substantially. We drove out at the top of the pretty pass in rocky walls with twisted pinyon pines, there was some light snow on slopes above the pass, coming down Opal canyon on the other side it was getting late and we turned off and drove down Marble canyon a short distance to camp. Interesting area, although not very scenic with scrub covered rounded slopes. This area was subject of a gold rush involving placer mining in the early 1900's. Many shafts in the area about 75 feet deep or so to get to the bedrock where the gold would be. Driving out we noted some park service guys who appeared to be preparing to cover some of the shafts. We hiked a little down Marble canyon to a very neat cabin ( gas powered refrigerator!!) which was not occupied and had a serious bulkheaded shaft near it.
6. The Drive--Out the North Pass ( also signed "road closed" but seemed to have plenty of traffic on it) to great views of the Sierras dusted with snow. We drove down 395 and reentered back by Panamint Springs. We drove the Big Four mine road which goes toward the Panamint dunes. We camped near the end of the rough road with great views of the distant dunes and looking up at the South Pass where only days earlier we had looked down on this area. The evening we checked out the neat Big Four mine workings, a zinc, lead and silver mine site. Some very pretty crystal rock in the back of a couple of adits.
7. The Drive 2--- I just had to go by Ibex, my favorite place out here ever. I could live there. The sand, the color of the hills, the openess, yet the intricate creases in the hills. We drove thru the main park and out the Armagosa road with great clouds and light. Camped past the dunes and walked around to yet another mining area on an old road that got you away from the sand yet lined with great rocks pushed off by a long ago grader of some sort. Excellent sunrise and sunset.
Well, things did not turn out as planned but still an excellent trip and just whetted my appetite for the interesting Inyo mtns and Saline Valley. |
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