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| Beveridge Ghost Town Inyo Mtns, CA | |
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| | Beveridge Ghost Town Inyo Mtns, CA | | | |
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Beveridge Ghost Town Inyo Mtns, CA
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| Backpack | 18.00 Miles |
6,000 AEG |
| | Backpack | 18.00 Miles | 3 Days 4 Hrs | | |
| 6,000 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | When I have a hike or destination that I find a little intimidating but I really want to do, I say to myself, remember, just put one foot in front of the other. It's just walking, be prepared and see how far you can and want to go. I have wanted to go to this old mining town, in the Inyo Mountains, for a pretty long time.
Michel Digonnet in his book " Hiking Western Death Valley National Park Panamint, Saline and Eureka Valleys" stated that this was the toughest hike in his book. It's a tough hike, but I think some of that was predicated on the off trail he did. It is steep, indeed as he states in 3.1 miles you are going to get about 3500 feet of gain. It is on an approximately 140 year old burro trail, and like any old lady, is showing her age in certain places. He states the distance is similar to the grind in Yosemite to Half Dome in less than half the distance and some not even on a trail, or maintained trail. This trail has had probably minimal attention in it's years. To me it is a magnificent hike into the Inyo mountains, especially starting from the low fan of the wonderful Saline Valley. The views are wonderful, the history intriquing, the destination special, and the walking just challenging enough in my opinion.
Housekeeping, which I normally don't do. Most of this hike is on BLM land. The start is the base of the Snow Flake mine road. The road is not drivable by anything but maybe a very determined dirt biker. And even then not all the way due to some washouts. This will add about 2 miles and several hundred feet elevation to the already steep trip. The start of the trail is not marked except by a small cairn and it's proximity to some wilderness markers. This is the rare case where I would recommend do not disturb the cairns. Most are small and you really have to look for them, and in places the trail is faint or under a landslide or covered in vegetation. Good wilderness cairns. Getting off trail in some areas would be not good for someone not in good shape or able to tolerate very steep loose and rocky terrain safely ( ie. some people could get hurt or have real problems here).
I didn't take a map or GPS or anything. If you study before hand it's a steep series of prows and ridges between Beveridge and Keynote canyons then a side ravine to the mining town of Beveridge and an intersection with the Lonesome miner trail system. Do not get off the trail. If you go here you'll see why.
I had a tight weather window for this one. I started walking, with 4 days of food and 2 days of water on my back. The mining road to Snow Flake seemed endless, but the views started getting nice very quickly, of Saline Valley. I mounted the old trail with sunny skies and no wind, but nice cool temps. Perfect. The ascent of the Great White Wall as it is know went quickly and steadily, a little scrambling but I had no problem keeping to the trail. In places very clear, in places very faded and keeps your attention on the decomposed gravelly rock. If you want to eat or check your GPS, stop. A fall here won't kill you but won't be pleasant either.
I topped out and at the saddle checked out the small mines. Someone has stored a couple of bottles of water inside.
My two favorite areas of the trail are the ridgeline part as you go along here on top. The views into Beveridge and Keynote canyons are great. The trail dives off toward Keynote and unfortunately you loose some of your gain and have to slog it back up to another small saddle. Now up another hill and toward a towering ridgeline. I felt like I was running out of gas and camped on a wide spot on the trail just as it was going to turn to traverse high above Beveridge canyon. The evening views were stunning a sweeping wide view of just about all of Saline valley, the hot springs looking like a tiny spot, I could see a long ways up toward Steel Pass also. Some jets came screaming by, I was above them.
Very cold night, I was cowboy camping, had my sil tarp strung out over me. Next day my least favorite part of the trail, glad I had stopped. Very steep sidehilling, loose, darting up and down to avoid boulders, across a large rock slide, and somewhat challenging to stay on. At the place where Digonnet did his off trail, I turned to the well cairned start of the high trail. Great views, and an amazing well preserved piece of trail descending over a thousand feet into a side ravine of the old mining town, just opposite one the large producing tunnels, tram lines still in place.
The trail takes you by the tram terminals, only one still standing, one was pulled down and the other in shambles. Here it intersects with the LMT, but my goal was Beveridge. The canyon had running water, and lots of cottonwoods which had seen better days. Flattened off areas of old tent camps complete with bed springs and a table is your camp area if you intend to stay here. Frenchy's cabin is about a mile upcanyon, and in great condition.
Lasky's five stamp mill is here, crushers, sorters, multiple cabins of varying vintages down in the vegetation. The outhouse erected over a small drop off, accessed by walking a single board. Downcanyon huge old wooden cyanide vats, all kinds of mundane mining remains, old stone buildings down in the canyon, probably much older than at the mill site. A couple of waterfalls and the mine area itself.
I wish I had had another day. I know there was a lot I did not see. Clouds were moving in rapidly. I stayed the night, then up and out the next day. The trail is challenging enough I did not want to have to deal with it in bad weather.
I was surprised my legs and feet felt fine. I thought about camping at the mine in the saddle but it was too early. So down the Great White Wall. I did not have far to the car now but I was tired and for some reason a wash out in the mining road had freaked me out; of course it was not that bad. I also wanted to check out the Snow Flake mine more.
I ended up camping in a mine tunnel, not my usual as it is normally a creature feature, but I lucked out. No bees, snakes ( that I saw) minimal packratedness, good air, and some bats way back in the adit, they did not bother me. I did hang most everything. The initial wave of the storm came in as I was setting up. Wind howled and rain pattered and I sat smug in my tunnel on my thermarest reading and eating my rehydrated Lasagna.
In the night when the storm calmed, the bats left, fluttering above me. When it got bad, in they came. Then out again. Then right before dawn a prolonged fluttering as they returned to bed down for the day, hopefully they had successful hunting.
I started out the next day in rain gear but didn't need it. It was interesting seeing dust kick up in Saline Valley and all the mountain tops around me shrouded in clouds. From what I could see behind me the Inyo's seemed pretty clear.
Soon mist and clouds started drifting in. I got to the Toyota, and reorganized, started the drive out. South Pass, which is normally pretty mellow unless snowed in, was clouded in. That and the rain and wind and rocks on the road made for an exciting about hour drive with visibility of about 10-20 feet at times.
Would I do this trip again---- I would. I think there are more old trails and lots more things to see, whether via this trail or more of the Lonesome miner trail. What other place can you go in California adjacent to a major national park and never see another person for days? I hope people go here. It's hard enough and remote enough I can't see it getting overrun ever, but a boot print on that old trail is another step to keeping it in existence. This was a wonderful backpacking trip, I highly, highly recommend it.
Here are a couple of videos I used with the research, there is not an overabundance of information out there on this area.
[ youtube video ]
[ youtube video ]
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