Ghost town and mine hunting.

Places in the high desert near Lancaster/Palmdale

I noticed that some folks live near here, and wanted to share a couple of pics from just down the road in East Lancaster.;

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I gotta say I'm pretty jealous of you guys. Being stuck here on the east coast sucks. We don't have stuff to explore like that out here.
 
Heres a few from the Lake Mead area.... Found some small horseshoes (looks like for donkeys, on the small side), a skeleton key, a baking power can, and part of a maple syrup box out there.








 
In Bonanza Gulch jeepin

A few of us have come out to the El Paso Mtns every Feb for 16 years.

This year we stayed at Bonanza Gulch, and IN the old miners cabin we used to try to maintain. (I hate vandals!!). Any way, it was only three of us the first night, and we stayed at the old Edith E cabin in Goler Gulch, so the others (who did not show until the next day!!) could find us and we would all convoy to Bonanza.

Ok, On the the pics of the cabins....

west end of an east bound Jeep..
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and the Edith E cabin camp...
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On to the Joni-Jack/Two Hearts Cabin and Mine...
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so what trip is worth doing with out a jeepin dog!......
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Inside the cabin has two wood stoves, and a nice double bed with bunk beds in another room, and a double kitchen area. I slept in the lower bunk, ( along with my dog Jake!), and put my gear on the top bunk so any kangaroo rats could not invade it.

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the double bed has no mattress as the rats would make short work of it, but your pads, and sleeping bags can make it quite nice.It has it's own room, and wood stove too!
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We BBQ'ed chicken and tri-tip on the smoker barbie, and ate till our bellies complained!!
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Awaking early, we made bisquits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and bean Burritos, and of course...lots of strong coffee to clear some of the revelry cob webs from the night..
As we mounted up to go to explore a canyon, I told the folks about the Indian Petroglyphs I had seen while riding here on my horse. So, we decided to go cross the canyon, and find the site. Except the way to get there is a bit deep with sand, and a part is full of "Pucker Factor"...

Yep...that's the trail.. right over a cliff, and down the waterfall.
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the site is hidden by some boulders, and there is a cave in the rocks, that is reported to have been used as a shelter by the original inhabitants of the area.
So I let the folks know that this is a protected, and is considered a Sacred site by the local tribes. .....

Petroglyph #1
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and #2
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and #3
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leaving this site, we headed down the trail along the sandy bed to the pink Tuft and cap rock of Basalt...

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ALSO.......

remember, you are only human, and drinking and driving, as well as too much speed, can turn your nice Jeep from this...

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to this....

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a helicopter flight out, and a nasty ticket from the gendarmes...not a nice end to your day.:doh:
 
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