Mengel Pass and Goler Wash to Ballarat

Today's run would take us into Warm Springs Canyon, over Mengel Pass, to Barker Ranch, through Goler Wash and beyond to the ghost town of Ballarat. This particular run is one that off-road enthusiasts put high on their lists.

The first stop of the day was at the site of the Warm Springs mine camp. The Paiutes were the first to camp here followed years later by prospectors. Of the women who searched for minerals, Louise Grantham was, by far, the most successful. In 1931 she and another person staked many claims in Warm Springs Canyon. The more comfortable living to be had here was mostly due to Louise and her feminine wish for comfort. Tamarisk trees were imported and planted. Warm spring waters fed the swimming pool. By the 1970s the camp was loaded with mobile homes used by the talc miners.

Someone has a cute sense of humor?

Our lunch stop was planned for the Geology Cabin with a view of Striped Butte. What a beautiful setting! The flag flying is a sign that a ranger or hikers are in residence. This day it was hikers from WA, one of whom came to visit with us. The young gentleman, with his family, is a frequent visitor. He said it was the first time they had seen so many vehicles visit at one time. He had to come and chat and learn what we were all about.

Driving up Mengel Pass was a test of the vehicles. Those better equipped had no problems at all; slow and easy won the game. A few lesser equipped vehicles worked a bit harder but, in the end, we all made it through unscathed. Goler Wash was to be the real challenge. We had been advised that if there was any serious trouble scaling Mengal Pass, turn back and do NOT attempt Goler Wash.

A few more of the interesting areas navigated.....

A stop was made at the Barker Ranch of Charles Manson notoriety. Not one of us had any good feelings about the place and I did not feel the desire to take photos.

During the course of the day an unusually high number of vehicles had failures of one kind or another. Upon arriving at Goler Wash, one of the high points of the day, we were running late and were short on daylight. There was no time for photo op stops. Suffice it to say that it was spectacular and we hope to go back in March, when the days are longer. And surprisingly, the wash had apparently been cleared of difficulties. We all sailed through as we wondered around which curve we would encounter difficulty.

Our final stop of the day was at Ballarat, another mining ghost town.

We still had over 2 hours of driving before arriving back home. It had been a delightful day with one hundred miles logged off road.

Dry Lake to Horse Thief Spring to Emigrant Pass

What a nice day - from beginning to end. It began on the dry lakebed southwest of Pahrump.

Eight Jeeps and fourteen people lined up and ready to go......

Miners' graves, some marked and many not. Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

California Barrel is the red cactus.

Not terribly pretty in its winter form, the Desert Trumpet is one of my favorite desert plants, Also known as Indian Pipeweed, the dried stems were used by the native Americans as tobacco pipes. This hillside looks landscaped. It's loaded with Cholla, California Barrels, Barrels, Hedgehogs, Creosote and more.

Sharing the roadway with Longhorns

A closer look. They seem to be as curious about us.

The house at Horse Thief Spring

More structures below the main house.

Cattle were rounded up and corraled here until trucked out.

Heading for the Old Spanish Trail and Emigrant Pass

A faint trail where the donkeys carried their loads can be seen from here atop Emigrant Pass. Our ancestors endured unimaginable hardships.

Steep with a Jeep but in a covered wagon or on foot? A full moon rose over the mountains to close our day......

Amargosa Hotel and Opera House

Although the railroad came through much earlier, until 1923 Death Valley Junction remained a tent city. Pacific Coast Borax Co. in that year built the town as a railway junction to house workers. A U-shaped Mexican Colonial building became the hotel, office complex and recreation hall. The town prospered through the 1940s after which it fell into decline.

In 1967, due to a flat tire while touring, New York ballerina, Rockette, Broadway chorus lines dancer and mime Marta Becket discovered the deserted building and fell in love with it and the quiet desert. She returned shortly thereafter and was able to arrange to rent the building and eventually to purchase it.

In this dusty remote town she performed to small and, at times, to non-existent audiences. She became inspired to paint an audience on the bare walls and painted folk from the Spanish Renaissance period in gilded balconies. The king and queen sit on the back wall opposite the stage. The galleries are filled with courtiers and commoners, lovers and drunkards, priests and nuns. "Right next to the nuns I have the 'ladies of the night'. They are based on ladies who lived in a bordello 7 miles away. The madam heard we were opening a theatre here, so she brought her girls here every month to my performances. For culture."The painting took four years. Upon completion of the walls Marta went on to paint the ceiling which took her another two years. Her artwork also graces many of the hotel rooms.

Murals in the Jezebel Room were painted with the "ladies of the night" from Ash Meadows Ranch in mind.

Red Skelton attended a performance while traveling in the area and became a friend to Marta and a regular visitor to the hotel and opera house. He asked that she paint a room with circus performers. Although he died a short time later, she honored his request in this room.

Trapeze artists on the ceiling.

For nearly 42 years she has performed to audiences from around the world. Due to an injury two years ago Marta gave up the dancing she so loved and now, at the age of 84, in costume, performs what she calls "The Sitting Down Show". She captivates audiences that fill the 128-seat theatre one night a week for seven months of the year. The opera house and hotel walls and her dedication to dance are an inspiration.

A group of us from the refuge attended a performance two years ago and fell in love with her and the institution she had created. Last night a "mixer" was held at the hotel and I couldn't miss the opportunity to see it all again.

Death Valley Junction now has a population of 4, all of whom reside at the Amargosa Hotel and Opera House. Soon we will get a photo of the entire building during daylight to post here.

More mining history.......

We returned to the Gunsight Mine for further exploration..... These walls zigzagged up the hillside where there was a well-worn path made by the mules carrying the ore down. In later days a tramway was built, as evidenced by the diagonal line and the tramhouse lower down. We are only part way up and the view goes on "forever".

Track still remains in the Noonday mine where ore cars hauled the lead/silver ore........out first to the bunkers.......

then around to and across the trestle.......

and through the neighboring mountain where there were also mines. Ore taken out the other side was transported on the gravity-operated cableway that we saw last weekend. What a labor intensive effort this was. In the early 1900s the ore was then moved 6-1/2 miles by railroad to the mill.

There are wonderful 360-views from here atop Mt. Schader. While the desert is known for windy conditions, the rocks holding down the antennae and solar equipment attest to the seriousness of the wind at this elevation. We had a lovely light breeze to enjoy the views around.

The Johnnie mine, viewed from Mt. Schader, was named for Shoshone Indian "Ash Meadows Johnnie" and opened in 1890 with the advent of the gold rush into the area. The mine opened and closed intermittently for various reasons. In 1942, after producing $! million in gold, it was closed as unnecessary industry to the war effort. Now privately owned there may be some renewed interest on a smaller scale.

Bellagio Conservatory 1/2/09

The Bellagio Conservatory was one of our destinations in Las Vegas to begin 2009. This is one of the last days of the "holiday" show. It is magnificent. There are 140 (no, not a misprint) expert horticulturists on staff to design, build and maintain these productions. The five displays a year are Holiday, Chinese New Year, Spring, Summer and Fall.

The six reindeer are pecan topiaries.

I love the walk-through wreath and the jets sending water over the heads of those walking.

The bodies of the snowmen are carnations but their accessories are dyed dried seeds - amazing detail!

Thousands of poinsettias, miniature Christmas trees, amaryllis in varying stages of bloom and cyclamen were just breathtaking.

In our experience backgrounds for hotel front desks don't get much nicer than this.

I may have been the only person photographing the floor. The mosaic baskets were fabulous! I'm imagining a quilt......

Tonka Toys 12/28/08

After spending 32 years in buildings and labs without windows, Vic is happiest now when outdoors. With a history of operating all types of farm equipment as a teen coupled with being a self-proclaimed "motor head", he is sooo-o happy operating the Tonka Toys here on the refuge. This Cat excavator was the newest toy delivered right after we left last spring. With an air-conditioned cab and stereo Vic is the happiest of boys.