Murderous Mesquite Canyon...

 At the beginning of the nineteenth century, prospectors followed an Indian foot-trail into the deep canyon here, in search of gold.  Although a few of these hardy souls found gold, none got rich, and many headed deeper into the El Paso Mountain Range in search of their fortunes.  

By the mid 1800's, the trail was being used by mule trains, hauling gold out, and bringing supplies in.

A large group  of Mesquite trees once grew at the entrance to the canyon (near present-day Red Rock-Randsburg Rd.), Mesquite Canyon, and a stream ran through the canyon as well.  Today, there is nary a tree nor a drop of water in sight.  

At least, that's how it was during my visit here about three weeks ago.

I'd been camping with friends in Red Rock Canyon since Friday - and I was on my way home this sunny Sunday morning.

The previous day, my friends and I had gone separate ways- they to the El Paso Mountains, and me to the Trona Pinnacles, before meeting back at the campsite on Saturday night.

But, I couldn't go home without at least a perfunctory stop in the El Paso Mountains.  

I became intrigued with the El Paso Mountains and its rich history of being populated by outlaws, prospectors and Native Americans.

Indeed, during the 1800's, it was very common for prospectors to be relieved of their gold at gunpoint, in Mesquite Canyon.

Generally, in those days, what happened in the desert, stayed in the desert.  But, a couple of incidents did reach the ears of the outside world.

The body of a murdered mining company owner was found at the area known as Mesquite Springs- which is right at the entrance to the canyon, off Red Rock-Randsburg Road.  The year was 1864, and the man had had a shipment of gold with him.  

A short time later, two miners were chased off their claims at the top of Mesquite Canyon.  Forty tons of gold were stolen.

Well into the late twentieth century, travel through this area was still dangerous, with "off-the-grid" types chasing visitors away at gunpoint from time to time.

Now, though, Mesquite Canyon is the domain of off-roaders and explorers like me.  

I can't remember the last time I entered the El Paso's through Mesquite Canyon, but, since I was alone, I was going to consider this to be a scouting trip, and not drive too far into the canyon.

I would use my drone to reconnoiter, and then return at a later date with some companions.

After a mile or so, I pulled off into a clearing.

Leaning against my Subaru Forester's rear bumper, I wondered what the old-time prospectors would think about the horseless vehicles zipping up and down the canyon road.  

This video is just an "overview" of the area: 

                   An old mine in the canyon wall: 

Close-up view of the entrance to the mine:

Mesquite Canyon Road seems to disappear into the El Paso Mountains:

Looking toward Red Rock Randsburg Road, the area known as Mesquite Springs can be seen near the road:

Best Viewed From A Distance: The Trona Pinnacles...

 It was a Friday afternoon at about 3 PM, during the middle of a cold, dry winter in southern California.  My Subaru Forester was packed with my camping gear, camera equipment, and my DJI Air 3 drone when I hit the 15 Freeway north bound.  My destination was the Ricardo Campground in Red Rock Canyon State Park.  Some friends and I would be camping there for two nights.  

Although I hit the usual Friday afternoon traffic on the 15 Freeway, I arrived in camp at 5:40 PM.  After clearing space in my vehicle's cargo area, I inflated my air mattress and made my "bed".  

I joined my friends for dinner around the campfire, and we made our plans for the next day.  Their plan was to explore the El Paso Mountains.  Having spent many years exploring the El Paso's, I planned to go my own way, and pay a visit to the Trona Pinnacles.

After a relatively comfortable sleep, despite the temperatures in the high 30's overnight, at the Forester Inn, I awoke at 6 AM.  My buddy Joe was already brewing coffee in a percolator that he'd brought along.  A short time later, the others arose, and we consumed a breakfast of pancakes (sans syrup - no one thought to bring any) and ham patties, we all made our preparations to depart for the day.

I left the campsite at around 9:30 AM, looking forward to my visit to the Pinnacles.  In my 35-plus years of exploring the Mojave Desert, I'd only been to the Pinnacles once, many years ago.

The route to the Pinnacles from Red Rock Canyon takes one through the large oasis that is the city of Ridgecrest.  Continuing past Ridgecrest, along Highway 178, I approached the outskirts of Trona. It was mandatory that I stop to look at those desert icons that are known as the "Fish Head Rocks."

                                                   The Fish Head Rocks.

Also referred to as the "Whale Head Rocks" the exact origin of this rock art is not clear, but it is generally thought to have been created during the 1930's.  Over the years, the mouths have been re-painted by Boy Scouts and various desert preservation group.  By the way, the Fish Head Rocks are located in an area that is known as Poison Canyon.

With a population of just under 2000 people Trona sits on the edge of Searles Lake - which, of course, is a dry lake in Searles Valley.  The main industry in the town is soda ash processing (soda ash is a main ingredient in cleaning products).  But, a tour of Trona was not on my agenda.

The entrance to the Pinnacles area- officially known as the "Trona Pinnacles National Landmark" as proclaimed by the sign, is a graded dirt road off Highway 178 that takes you another 5 miles to the Pinnacles themselves.  

Your author at the entrance.  The rock formations in the distance are the Pinnacles.

So, what, exactly, ARE the Trona Pinnacles?  They are tufa (essentially limestone) which formed underwater (when the dry lake wasn't, you know, dry)  when ground water that was full of calcium combined with the alkaline-rich lake water to form these calcium-carbonite spires.  The pinnacles formed at different times - they're not all the same age- between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago.  Like many of the ghost towns in the desert, they are slowly crumbling, and will eventually vanish.

A loose network of trails winds around and through the Pinnacles.  The trails that form a perimeter around the Pinnacles are just dirt roads, and offer numerous places to stop and take photos.  On the other hand, the trails that wind their way through the formations are best traversed with a high ground-clearance vehicle, preferably with all-wheel or four wheel drive.

Un-gated railroad crossing along the road to the Pinnacles. 

Notice how the tracks protrude from the dirt.  Higher than normal ground clearance helps, here.

The following images were taken while stopped at various points along the "perimeter" trail:

And from the "interior" trails:

Notice the rocky debris around the "crumbling" formation.

The "base" of a Pinnacle.

Short clip taken along the the interior trail. You can see why 

higher ground clearance and AWD or 4WD is helpful here.

Drone's-eye view of the Pinnacles.

                                               I shot this from outside the Landmark, as drone flight within 

                                              is illegal.  This was my last stop of the day.

After stopping to shoot some quick drone footage, I headed back toward the campsite.  It was getting close to dinner time, and my canned corned-beef hash was waiting for me.

Well, the hash is still waiting, because I was tasked with picking up extra firewood in Ridgecrest.  The thought of trying to cook in the dark, in the cold weather held little appeal, so I had dinner at Denny's.

The next morning, I snuck into the El Paso's on the way home, but that is another story...