Snow, mines, and kilns

Death Valley NP, California December 2012

Day 2 of the four wheel drive took us to the west side of the park. There are a couple of ways to navigate and each of them take you over mountain passes of nearly 5000 feet. Towne Pass (below) is 4956 feet.

The first "49-ers" to enter Death Valley knew about the Donner Party and started off intending to take the southern Sierra route. A group decided to find a shortcut through the Valley, effectively lessening the journey by 500 miles. It didn't work well and they ended up burning their wagons to smoke the oxen meat and walked out. Part of the problem stemmed from the man with the only map left the group.

Lesson #1: Stay with the person who has the map.

The point where the group left the trail, near present-day Enterprise, Utah, is marked with a monument commemorating their historic mistake.

Life Goal: Never have your name on a plaque about an "historic mistake."



Our first stop was Aquereberry Point (6433 feet), overlooking Death Valley from the western side. The last half-mile was winding, steep, and vertigo inducing. The view was worth it. I managed to open my eyes a bit on the way down to snap a couple of pictures.

Aquereberry Point was named for the man who found a gold a few miles away and dug the Eureka Mine. The mine tunnels are open, except in the winter when migrating bats take residence. Some ruins of other buildings remain, including the mill (gas powered) that pulverized to rock prior to extracting the gold ore.

Further along the range, are a collection of huge charcoal kilns. The were erected in 1877 by the Modock Consolidated Mining Company to create coal from the local juniper & pinyon trees. The coal was used in the smelting process for two silver mines nearby.

Each kiln is approximately 25 feet in diameter and 30 feet high. Capable of holding 42 cords of wood, each produced 2000 bushels per week. These are considered to be the best surviving example of coal kilns in the western states.

To complete the loop back, we headed down into the Panamint Valley. This valley runs parallel to Death Valley with another high mountain range on its western side. John and I commented how daunting it must have been to early settlers to come across range after range, with dry deserts, between on their western migration.

We were given several recommendations of where to go with the Jeep. One was to make a complete loop around the park through Barker Ranch. While undoubtedly interesting, this involved a steep descent into the valley on a gravel road. When the woman said "someone might need to be a spotter," I tuned her out. I want to be neither a "spotter" nor a "spottee." That would have greatly increased our chances of needing the "911" button.

Safe and sound below sea level.