Echoes of the Vanished: Freeman's Stage Station.

By

Scott Schwartz

A pipe fed water from the springs at Coytoe Holes (about 1/4 mile away) to the house/inn that Freeman and his wife built.  A barn, a corral, and a garden rounded things out, and the Raymonds installed a locked cover over the spring at Coyote Holes.  Customers were charged twenty five cents per drink (although the exact definition of "drink" in this case, is not clear) for their horses and their cattle.  Humans could drink for free.

It didn't take long for "Freeman's Station" to become a popular stop for those who were passing through the area.  

February 25, 1874, however, saw the arrival of one "guest" who quickly overstayed his welcome.

More to follow.

My dear readers,

I will resume posting again on Monday.  

I also plan to be out on the trail this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

-Scott

Freeman's Stage Station: Echoes of the Vanished, continued.

What made Freeman S. Raymond pick "Coyote Holes" as the site for his stage-coach station?

Coyote Holes was once the site of a spring (the water is now underground), where Native Americans would occasionally camp.  When Freeman arrived in 1873, two major roads intersected at the spot.  One of them ran from the Kern River area, and the other linked the Owens Valley, and the Panamint, Darwin, and Cerro Gordo mining areas with the city of Los Angeles.

A former stage-coach driver himself, Freeman thought that a stage station at this intersection would be ideal for serving the needs of travelers and freight-carriers.

More to follow.

Freeman's Stage Station: Echoes of the Vanished..

By

Scott Schwartz

A native of Boston, young Freeman S. Raymond joined thousands of others in a trek westward during the California gold rush of 1849. 

Located near the intersection of Routes 14 and 178, the site of "Freeman's Station" was known as "Coyote Holes" when Raymond arrived here in 1873.  

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

The author's Jeep parked near the site of Freeman's Stage Station.  The site is approximately 100 yards past the cottonwood trees in the photograph.

To be continued..

Stage Coach Stop, Mojave Desert...

By 

Scott Schwartz

What you are seeing in this photograph is all that remains of Freeman's Stage Station.   An article will follow, in the near future.

Since I usually take a break from Friday to Monday, I will see you all on November 25, 2013.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

The Old Spanish Trail and a Jeep Cherokee...

The "Old Spanish Trail"  was once a trade-route which connected Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California.  The trail's heyday was the period between 1836 and 1848, when the trail served as a "highway" for pack trains and freight wagons, as well as for soldiers during the Mexican-American War.  By the early 1850's, use of the trail ended almost completely.  During winter, snow made the trail nearly impassable.  In the summer, travelers had to contend with deadly heat.  The development of alternate routes, which passed through more temperate climes, was a major factor in the demise of the Old Spanish Trail.

Today, remains of the trail exist only in segments, some of which are now paved highways.  The segment of the trail shown in the photograph, is located near Fort Irwin, in California's Mojave Desert.  Note the wagon ruts that are still visible!

Parking my Jeep, I'd hiked to the top of the hill; behind me was the boundary of the Fort Irwin.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

GPS: Rely on it exclusively, at your peril...

Many times, my GPS unit has indicated that I was right near a trail, while I've been in the desert.  A look outside my Cherokee's window confirmed that the "trail" referred to on the GPS display was completely over grown.  A look at my paper map revealed several alternate trails that would get me to my destination.

As a result of situations like the one which caused the demise of little Carlos Sanchez, GPS map database makers have been working with park rangers in order to correct these deficiencies.

While GPS is a good navigation tool, it should be but one tool in an arsenal of several.  I always carry paper maps and a compass when I travel off-road.

GPS: Rely upon it at your own risk...

Before he died, six-year-old Carlos Sanchez told his mother that he was able to see his deceased grandfather.  Little Carlos succumbed to the intense heat found in Death Valley, during the summer time.  By the time a park ranger found the Jeep Cherokee (stuck in the sand), Carlos was dead (his body was still in the vehicle's front seat), and his mother, Alica Sanchez, had been drinking urine-hers-in order to stay alive.

How did this happen?  The woman simply followed the instructions given to her by her GPS unit- although it is not known if the unit directed her to that particular spot, or if it guided her to a general area, where she may have spotted a vague trail.  Nonetheless, Ms. Sanchez wound up on a road that had been closed for some time, and one that was impassable.

What is known, is that Ms. Sanchez was relying on her GPS unit alone, and that she did not have any paper maps of the area with her.

To be continued....

Four Wheel Drive and the Bonanza Trail....

Although mining activity in Bonanza Gulch dates back to the nineteenth century, this post office was probably built during the 1930's, as per the sign.  Photo by Scott Schwartz

Bonanza Gulch is a fascinating area, and old miner's dugouts are sprinkled throughout the area.  Legend has it that Chinese miners were entombed in some of the old mines, in deliberately "engineered" cave-ins.  See my earlier posts about the El Paso Mountains.

Trail maps that cover the El Paso Mountains are available through an organization that is known as the :Friends of Jawbone (www.jawbone.org/‎).  

Four Wheel Drive and the Bonanza Trail....

All sorts of treasures await those who explore the Bonanza Trail!  Photo by Scott Schwartz

Old mining area- Mojave Desert- Bonanza Trail...

Mining activity in Bonanza Gulch dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, and the Bonanza trail snakes through this historic area.  The cabin in the photograph below was built out of packing crates, during the 1950's, by a prospector who made his home here.

The packing crates are supposed to have come from a Sears store in Los Angeles; as you can see in this photograph, the cabin is "maintained" by volunteers under the area's "Adopt-A-Cabin" program.

Both photos by Scott Schwartz

Drones In The Desert....

Besides using it to shoot aerial footage of my desert trips, I plan to use my Parrot "Quadricopter" drone as a sort of scout.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell if the trail ahead is passable (or at least passable in relation to the capabilities of my vehicle) without walking ahead.  I don't like surprises.  Instead of walking, I'd like to send my drone.

Generating its own WiFi signal, the little aircraft can be controlled from my cellular "smart" phone to a maximum distance of one hundred, fifty feet.  Whether this is far enough to be useful in this endeavor remains to be seen.

I will keep you all posted.

Afton Canyon...

Here's a photo that I took, during a recent trip to Afton Canyon..

                                          Photo by Scott Schwartz.

The Bonanza Trail, Four Wheel Drive, Photography, and Air Conditioning..

Taking photographs through your open car window is a terrible thing.  Because you are in a fixed position, it is more difficult to compose great images (referring to photographs as "images" is the mark of a true professional, by the way).  After all, how can you move in closer, back a way, or shoot from different angles if you are too lazy to get out of your Jeep.  Besides all of this, the whole purpose of driving off-road is to actually invest yourself in the back country.  Look at that old ruin up close.  Take in the majesty of Black Mountain (in the El Paso's) without the SUV's window frame limiting your view.

During the warmer months, I drive off-road with my Jeep's air conditioning engaged.  Accordingly, I become susceptible to a phenomenon that I refer to as "air conditioning lethargy".  If you see something that interests you, force yourself to stop your vehicle, exit same, and explore a little on foot!  It's tough- I battle this problem all of the time, when I'm on the trail.

I'll be back on Monday with more...have a great weekend and be safe out there on the trail!

The Bonanza Trail and Four Wheel Drive, continued...

By 

Scott Schwartz

Speaking of enjoying the sights (and "sites"), you should feel relaxed enough to get out of your vehicle from time to time in order to take photographs.  By "relaxed", I mean that you shouldn't be rushing, because you're running out of time.  See my previous post.  

The freedom to record images is paramount when driving off-road, and the El Paso Mountains offer scores of inspiring photographic scenes.  

See my earlier posts, which describe the Bonanza Trail and the El Paso Mountiains in detail, and which include photographs that I've taken.  

I do take photographs of the same areas during different times of the day and of the year, on different trips.  I use the camera that is built into my "smart-phone" for simple documentation and for snap-shots.  For my more artistic work, I use a Nikon digital SLR.  This, of course, requires more time, as- well, I guess I'm getting into the "how-to" aspects of photography at this point.  

To be continued...

The Bonanza Trail and Four Wheel Drive, Continued..

By 

Scott Schwartz

Your off-road driving should be stress-free.  If you feel that you have to drive fast and carelessly in order to complete a trail run, you are missing the point of traveling off-road in the first place.  

If you find that you don't have enough time to drive along the whole trail, then turn around and head out.  I have done this many times, and I've discovered sights that I missed on the way in.  Plan to come back on another day and perhaps begin from the other end.  

The Bonanza Trail and Four Wheel Drive, Continued...

By

Scott Schwartz

Certainly, it is possible to damage your vehicle when driving off-road.  Potential hazards abound on most off-road trails.  Most of these hazards take the form of large rocks, unforeseen ruts and ditches, and loose sand.

However, if you take some basic precautions, you should be able to enjoy many years of incident-free off-road driving.  I have.

Here are some basic precautions.

 
Drive slowly!  It is very easy to become complacent while driving on a long, smooth stretch of trail.  The temptation to accelerate to highway-like speeds is great, indeed. The problem is that, by driving fast, you may come across a rut, a trench, or a washed-out section of trail - very suddenly.   This can result in very expensive damage to your vehicle, and possibly to your body.

Leave the rushing to the off-road racers; those folks are professional drivers, who are operating specially-built or modified vehicles.  They are not out to sight-see!

To be continued...