Three Days In Joshua Tree: Part II: Ryan Ranch...

Our next stop was a visit to the crumbling remains of the Ryan Ranch homestead.  Jepp and Tom Ryan settled here in 1896, due to the sites proximity to an active spring.  The two men pumped water from this spring to the Lost Horse Mine, which was three and a half miles away.

At one point, more than sixty people lived and worked at this ranch, raising cattle, and working the Lost Horse Mine.

Today, only the shells of a couple of adobe structures still stand, and some rusty machinery sits forlornly in the desert sand.

The hike to the old site is fairly easy- and is only about a mile round trip to and from the parking area.

One of the adobe buildings.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

All rights reserved.

Another view of the same building; I wonder if the people who lived and worked here had time and energy to appreciate the view.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

Close-up of the brick-work.  The bricks were made from Lost Horse Mine tailings, and are said to contain gold.  The layer of stucco was applied by archaeologists in the early part of the 21st century, in an attempt to preserve the structure.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All Rights reserved.

An old engine; perhaps used to run pumping machinery, slowly rusting away.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

The desert sand is slowly reclaiming this windmill blade assembly.  For some reason, this image strikes me as being particularly poignant.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.