Friday, February 28, 2014

Scene from the El Paso Mountains....



My old Jeep Cherokee takes me to the most enchanting places.  This photograph was taken on Feb. 17, 2014, by Scott Schwartz.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Burro Schmidt Tunnel

After Toni Evelyn Seger died in 2004, her caretaker, David Ayers, left the site. 

Since then, there has been no one to guard against vandals, and the Bureau of Land Management has not pursued finding a replacement.

These photographs clearly illustrate the toll that neglect and vandalism have taken on the buildings.

Burro Schmidt Tunnel, today...

This is the entrance to the tunnel, today.  I took this photograph nearly two weeks ago. 

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

Burro Schmidt Tunnel-cabins.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Burro Schmidt Tunnel...

Here is a scanned copy of the article that I wrote in 2001, for the Mojave Desert News.



Tuesday, February 25, 2014

El Paso Mountains...

In the heart of the El Paso Mountains  back-country, is an area that I call "The Plateau." 

We had to drive over some very rocky terrain to get to this particular spot. 

Once parked, I launched my Parrot drone.  The little aircraft was tossed around by the 20 mph wind, but I hope that the footage gives you a feel for where we were.  Click on the link  below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kgfykkbvppxb6w0/video_20140217_140515.mp4

Monday, February 24, 2014

Parrot AR Drone over Bickel Camp...

For information about Bickel Camp, copy this link:  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=39&cad=rja&ved=0CGYQFjAIOB4&url=http%3A%2F%2Felpasomountains.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Ffour-wheeling-into-history-californias.html&ei=jSYMU5y5NsryoASijoLAAQ&usg=AFQjCNEwZK6u0a_W4fytGFtD9RW7AOiBpw&sig2=In8vnetw-j49khHlmgBkcg&bvm=bv.61725948,d.cGU

To see the footage that was shot from the drone, see this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvct7jz3ybr71yo/video_20140217_132502.mp4

Thursday, February 20, 2014

El Paso Mountains: Drone Over Bonanza Gulch..

Some aerial footage of Bonanza Gulch, taken from my Parrot AR drone.  Please click on the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ww7mkmcbguiy72d/video_20140217_125305.mp4


For more information about Bonanza Gulch, see my earlier post:  https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3377803806107825582#editor/target=post;postID=3598222406412095457;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=8;src=postname

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A drone looks at the Holly Mine, in the El Paso Mountains...

www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com

First discovered by a prospector during the early 1930's, the white pumice ash was mined through the 1950's.

I launched my Parrot AR drone for an aerial survey of the area.  See the link below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uz3luhjxvtlubzf/video_20140217_104323.mp4

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Coso Wilderness....

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

One of the places that my old Jeep Cherokee has taken me; the Coso Mountain Range.

www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

El Paso Mountains-mysterious object.....

Last Chance Canyon:  Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com


                                                               

Monday, February 10, 2014

Mojave Desert Jeep Traveler...Goler..

Well, my previous post presented the "romantic" version of Goler and his desert adventure.

Another version of Goler's story has him finding gold while searching for food and water.  In this version, food and water were his only interests, and he started a wagon and blacksmith shop upon returning to Los Angeles.

Eventually, Goler led another party in search of the lost gold, but Goler could not locate any known landmarks, and most of the group returned to Los Angeles.

A second expedition set out, but they didn't find anything either.

The spot that was thought to be where Goler initially found gold became known as Goler Gulch.   Sometime during the late 1800's a man by the name of Ramsey Cox found a gold nugget that was worth $1900.  Naturally, this find attracted scores of prospectors.  The prospectors, in turn, attracted businesses which catered to them- including houses of ill-repute.

By 1893, a small town had developed in Goler gulch.

Today, nothing remains except a few crumbling building foundations.
Goler Gulch ruins.  Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

Goler Gulch, today.  Accessible via four-wheel drive vehicle
in the El Paso Mountains.  Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Traveling through time in my Jeep Cherokee: Goler Gulch...

Goler Gulch, as surveyed by the author's Jeep Cherokee.
Photograph by Scott Schwartz
Why a man who is afraid of hostile Indians
would abandon his rifle is any one's guess.

Nonetheless, with his little map and gold nuggets,
Goler was able to convince a few backers to
finance expeditions back to the spot where he
found the gold.

Goler's first attempt to find his gold-strike was an expedition that was led by Grant P. Cuddeback.

Once the party reached the Mojave Desert, it
became apparent that Goler's map matched
scores of canyons and hills.  Plus, trying to find a rifle stuck in the ground, in the vastness of the desert was like trying to find a needle in...well, you know.  Scouring the area, the group found no trace of Goler's spring, and the angry men grumbled about hanging Goler.

With unshaken confidence in his ability to find his spring and gold nuggets, Goler was able to get another expedition together.  This group didn't find anything, either.

According to legend, Goler was spotted throughout the following years, with his burrow, as he searched for gold in the foothills of the El Paso Mountains.

www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com






Thursday, February 6, 2014

Exploration by Jeep Cherokee: California's El Paso Mountains...

www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com

Working his way from Death Valley to Los Angeles, a prospector by the name of John Goler supposedly found gold chunks lying on the ground when he stopped at a spring in what is now known as Last Chance Canyon.  The year was 1867.  According to legend, Goler marked the spot by leaving his rifle stuck in the ground on a hill.  Fearing hostile Indians, he picked up a few nuggets and headed to Los Angeles, where he hoped to obtain financing for future expeditions.  Why a man who was afraid of hostile Indians would leave his rifle behind, is not clear.  
A remnant of the old Goler town site.  Photograph by Scott Schwartz.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

My Jeep Time Machine- Bickel Camp..

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.
One of the many machines salvaged by Walt Bickel is this aircraft auxiliary power unit.

Auxiliary power units ("APU's") are small engines that are installed aboard aircraft in order to power generators.  The APU provides power for starting the main engines, and for running electric accessories on the ground.

On the day that this photograph was taken, the caretaker at Bickel Camp told me that this APU came from a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.  Bickel used it as a generator.

For more information about Bickel Camp, go to http://elpasomountains.blogspot.com/2012/01/four-wheeling-into-history-californias.html