Spring Fling I - March 06

The Osborne Cabin

Mines Of The Minnietta


The Osborne Cabin
  • Location - Panamint Springs Resort & The Osborne Cabin
  • Goals - The Minnietta and Beyond
  • Date - March 17 - 22 - 2006
  • Participants - 3 including the dog and a whole slew of friends.
  • Quote Of The Trip - "Is PSR On Fire?" "Naw, That's Just David Cooking"


We had five threads on this trip. It was very well advertised. Everyone and Anyone who was Anyone showed up on Saturday night for David's now famous Spiedies. We all ate and laughed and whiled at Bill Gossett's stories including his encounter with a murderer at Claire Camp in 1980.

It was really great to put faces to all the names of people from PC's board. Truly an event to remember. And as we have done so many times before, we all went out scrambling around the countryside exploring the canyons and flats of Panamint and Death Valleys.

The weather was a mixed bag and we had all suspected and planned for it. Chris and I snagged a cabin so we wouldn't have to endure the weather in a tent. The cabin wasn't the best in the valley but it was warm and kept the rain and wind out for the most part. I really enjoyed this because it was the first time I had slept in an Adopt A Cabin. We were very comfortable.

Back up the canyon behind the cabin was an Ore Bin with a cable reaching high up into the canyon to a tram station and mine. We found an ore cart that had fallen from the cable into the canyon below as we hiked up towards the mine. The geology around this area is spectacular and very diverse. All kinds of stuff that looks glued together. Some that looks like chocolate swirl cake or pudding.

We also explored the Minnietta area. We found people in the cabin and they were nice enough to show us around. We then explored the mines and millsites in the area. Lots of stuff there.

I'd like to thank David Bricker for planning this event and for the wonderful dinner he laid out. I would also like to thank Panamint Charlie and Andy for providing us with a place to stay the first night and their wonderful hospitality. A huge thank you goes to the folks at PSR. I'd also like to thank Bill Gossett for his fantastic stories. We stood out all night in the rain to listen to him speak.



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A verticl shaft A caved adit The ore bin for this mess Looking up the chute
B-Spec ponders the wonders of gravity Woodburner in the Osborne Cabin. The kitchen Bunk room
Chris in front of an old out building More of the cabin More of the kitchen View of the cabin
Ruins of an outbuilding A short trail behind the cabin Stuff All it needs now is a garage
Looking up the canyon from the front porch Tabby says we can live here. She always says that... The ore bin below the mine The tram cable goes way up to that little black spot left of center next to the hump.
Top of the ore bin with cable It's a two chuter Looking up one of the chutes One whole wall of the mountain is covered with this swirl like rock.
Another view of the Swirl Rock as I call it. I'm told it's a kind of limestone. More of the Swirl Rock. Looking down the canyon towards the cabin Another view of the ore bin looking up canyon
This chunk is all by itself in the middle of the wash. Close up of the cabin Railings put up by the BLM Tabby guards the coolers full of precious beer
Chris taking photos of the weather. Tabby hounding Chris for table scraps. Chris doesn't want to get up. OK... Chris is up...
Dinner time at the Osborne Warm and toasty The next morning reveales that it snowed. I shoot pictures from Chris' Xterra.
another photo of the snow covered Panamints. Some sort of water collection device made from a boulder, cement and a pipe. Full of rat crap. Not very tastey looking. The end of a cable coming from high up on the mountain.
Top of an ore bin. A metal barrel dating 1902 Close up of the tag on the barrel. Notice the shape of the barrel.
On the way up the canyon we find an ore bucket that has fallen from the cable above. Seems this bucket was carrying something esle besides ore. Another view of the bucket. More of the geology in this very narrow and deep canyon.
Chris watching it rain. I scare the bejesus outta him with the flash. The front yard and parking area. David cooking "Speidies" at PSR Spring Fling. IT was a FLAMING success...
Heading out from the cabin. We went this way so many times I know every rock in the road. Mill works at the Minietta. Another view of the mill works. Mill works from a different angle.
Leaching Tanks. A nearby stope. Chris checks out the view from high up. A partially caved incline shaft.
Adit Looks kinda dangerous... An ore chute from another tunnel. An ore bin.
Another view of the ore bin. The Minietta from high up. The ore bin with the Minietta down below. A shack.
More holes. Lots of incline shafts. Here's one with a head frame. A close up. Inside the shack.
Window view. An air compressor and tank. Junk The Minietta Cabin with the Panamints in the background.
Another view of the Minietta Cabin. Another partially caved incline shaft. More stuff. Holes everywhere.
Some kind of small arrastre or crushing mill. Another view. The power plant is shown above. The shifter works. Very strange. No walls, yet it has an air freshener A hootinanny in the cabin.