Fall Haul - Part I

Fall Haul
Part I
Cave Springs and Mineral Ridge, Nevada

A Stone Cabin Along The Way

Location - East of Fishlake, Nevada
Goal - Mineral Ridge in the Silver Peak Range
Date - October 2006
Vehicles - 78 Blazer K5
Participants - 1 Human and 1 Dog
Duration - All Day

Fall. A term I use quite frequently in the sport of skydiving. But it's also the name of one of the four seasons. No not the band. That time of year when goblins go gobling and people dress up for Halloween. But it's also the time of Harvest. It's a time of colors and changing weather. The leaves are turning yellow or red and the days are getting shorter. Winter is just around the corner and with all that in mind it's also time for one other thing. The "Fall Haul" at Panamint Springs Resort.

Fall Haul is catching on in Panamint Valley. Hosted by Panamint Springs Resort and put on by volunteers from Panamintcharlie.Com, this gathering of desert rats is becoming a tradition to be reckoned with. Many people from all walks of life and from all parts of the continent came from as far away as 3000 miles to attend. David Bricker hosted the cook-out on Saturday night and featured his famous (now infamous) Spiedies and again almost succeded in burning the place down. Food was brought by almost everyone and there was plenty left over for a second feast the following night.

We had our share of famous people show up for the event but EVERYONE was a star. Bill Gossett was there with his friends from Desert Explorers which included Emmett Harder, author of 'These Canyons are Full of Ghosts'. A great bunch of desert rats. And of course everyone from Panamintcharlie.Com was there. There were even some people from outside our group who just sort of jumped in and allowed us to lead them astray from thier previously planned days. I think we are taking over the world, one member at a time.

I had gotten an early start due to a couple of jobs that fell through in Bishop so I decided to take a side route through Nevada to visit a place I had been meaning to go to for a long time. The Silver Peak Mountain Range is just east of Fishlake Hot Tub which is as far as I have ever been on that road. Mineral Ridge Mine has maintained the road for years. The hot tub area was full of people having a motorcycle event so off I went right past them and on my way up the canyon. I've no map for this place but the road is like a freeway so I wasn't worried. The canyon was really scenic as was the valley at the top. There was a cabin and corral with it's own spring too. The day was short and I went as far as I could before running out of daylight. It was a good way to start the Fall Haul. Afterwards I left for PSR.

Thanks to Jamie of DzrtGrls Dot Com for some horticulture help.

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I park in front of the Cave Springs Cabin.	Instead of two front windows this place has two green rocks.	The inside of the cabin.	According to Al Frederick, this cabin was deserted in the 1920s and then used by Dyer Ranch as a line cabin.

There are some cholla plants growing out of the roof.	Loading bay for the corral.	Catch basin at the spring which comes out of a rock behind the cabin.	Water seeping out of the rock.

View from the spring site.	More of the chollas growing out of the cabin roof.	Another view of the area. Roger Mitchell I'm not. But you get the idea.	The water runs into this tub via pipeline from the spring.

The pipeline.	Another tub is fed from the overflow.	It seems these holes were dug or blasted out of the rock before the corral existed.	A closer look.

More of the holes.	The solid rock hill was peppered with adits.	Tabby stands on rock chips.	Another hole.

Two different types of fence here.	Three types of fencing if you include the spiral pipe.	Tabby enjoys a cool drink of water.	Where in the world is Panamintcharlie.Com?

I believe this to be an air vent into the house so the heating stove works right. Either that or the mail box.	The inside of the vent turns 90 degrees into the wall. Could be a doggie door too I suppose. For a very small dog.	Ruins of a small furnace outside.	The green rock is plentifull here in this great photo of the Beast.

This dirt road is better than the paved ones where I live. I take care not to create washboard by driving slow.	Turn off for the mine. Maybe another time.	Looking down the eastern side of the Silver Peak Range into Clayton Valley.	Panning to the right. The town of Silver Peak is out there somewhere.

This valley is amazingly green and forested. Like a different world.	Clayton Valley Dunes from Coyote Summit.	A small lake or a mirage? Another trip will take us down there in the near future.	A closer look reveals it is no mirage. It rained recently. I hear a brine bearing dry lake exists.

Seems that at the end of every road there is a shot up car.	Maybe that's just the way they used to mark the ends of roads.	The other side looks no better.	As we head out for PSR we take a last look at the Silver Peak Range. There is much more to see and I will be back soon.

Fall Haul Part II