Happy Thanksgiving....

to all of my readers and followers!!

Here's to having plenty of left-over turkey to eat while out on the trail!

Mojave Desert Dreams: Lockhart, CA.

Another view of the old warehouse in Lockhart, CA.

Broken Desert Dreams: The Ruins Of Lockhart, CA.

Abandoned warehouse.

Lockhart, CA.

Mojave Desert: The forgotten town of Lockhart.....

Abandoned warehouse in Lockhart.

....was the result of a post-World War Two attempt to bring agriculture to not-so-fertile land.

By 1953, there were enough turkey and alfalfa farms to warrant the creation of a post office here.

Decent water, which was originally thought to exist close to the surface, was deeper underground than expected.  Drilling for, and pumping the deep water caused the water table to descend further.  This, the heat, and the poor quality of the soil drove most of the inhabitants away from Lockhart.

Indeed, the Lockhart post office closed in 1957.

Today, the few remaining residents get their mail in the nearby town of Hinkley.

The El Paso Mountains: Other treasures....

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.
All rights reserved. 

One of the major tunnels of the Holly Mine is shown in this photograph.

The Holly Mine produced industrial-quality pumice from 1939 to 1945, and then from 1946 through the 1950's.

The pumice is actually hardened ash from a volcanic eruption that occurred approximately six million years ago.

Mojave Desert: Bonanza Gulch...

Here is the exterior of "Sears Cabin."

Mojave Desert: Old Cabin....

This is the interior of "Sears Cabin."  One of the many cabins that are still standing in the El Paso Mountains, this one was built by a prospector during the 1950's.  He is supposed to have used old packing crates from a Los Angeles Sears store in the cabin's construction.

The Mojave Desert isn't always hot...

...which is why one should always carry winter clothing, blankets, and a thermos full of hot coffee (or tea, if you prefer) when traveling through the desert during winter months.

In the photograph, the author's Jeep Cherokee is seen on an excursion through Sage Canyon.

Mojave Desert: Mining camp life...

Walt Bickel's Kitchen.

Bickel Camp.

El Paso Mountains.

Mojave Desert: Machine Graveyard: Bickel Camp...

Fordson tractor at Bickel Camp.  Note the bulldozer in the background.

Mojave Desert: Machine Reliquary At Bickel Camp...

Here is another view of the old bulldozer.  Note the heavy steel tracks and the remnants of insulation on the steering wheel.

Mojave Desert: The Silent Machines of Bickel Camp...

Once, this little bulldozer chugged along, helping Walt Bickel build a life for himself here in Last Chance Canyon.

Its treads are long frozen; it's engine is silent.