A Journey Through Time- The Bonanza Trail..

“Bury me in the soft desert sand; for I’ll be there ever more…” – Walt Bickel

Running through the heart of southern California’s El Paso Mountain range – an area rich in mining history -  the Bonanza trail takes the off-road explorer on a journey through time; to an era when men braved the searing heat (and sometimes each other) in order to pursue their dreams of wealth.  The Bureau of Land Management, which administers the area, has placed signs and markers at many of the prominent sites.  Plus, the trail affords views of stunning scenery from vantage points that are accessible by stock SUV’s (four wheel drive with low-range is a must, though).

We begin our adventure by heading north on Route 395 past Kramer Junction.   Roughly 33 miles north of Kramer Junction, we turn left onto Garlock Road, a two-lane paved road which is, itself named for a ghost town.  But that is another story.  The trail can also be accessed via the 14 freeway, which is easier for those coming directly from the Los Angeles area.  Since the author lives in the San Bernardino area, we are coming in through the back way.

Another 3.8 miles brings us to the turn off for Goler Gulch, which begins as a graded dirt road.  The road is hard to spot from the highway, but there are a couple of signs that are slightly set back from the highway.  One of them says “Goler Heights”.  Stay on the dirt road and avoid the private community that appears on the driver’s left side.   A short distance past the trailer park, the road descends into Goler Gulch.  At this point, we’re about a mile off the highway and the trail becomes very sandy. Four wheel drive should be engaged.   The surrounding hills are full of remnants of the mining activity that once took place here. Old mine entrances and rotted wood – presumably from old head frames are scattered throughout Goler Gulch.  However, the main attractions here are the two cabins, both of which are easily accessible.  One of them is in rather dilapidated condition, and sits next to an old corral and a rusted windmill.  One look at this place, and we can tell that no one has kept livestock here for quite a long time.  The other cabin is newer, and is in pretty good shape.  Known as “The Edith E.”, this cabin was built during the 1930’s by some miners who were working the “Edith E.” mine.  Still in decent shape after all these years, the Edith E. cabin is maintained by a volunteer group calling itself “The Friends of the Edith E. Cabin”. Visitors can sleep in the cabin for up to two nights, per BLM regulations, free of charge.

The story of Goler Gulch is a mixture of verifiable history and some intriguing local lore. 

The year was 1867.  Blacksmith/wagon maker John Goler was en route to Los Angeles from Death Valley.  Stopping for a drink in the El Paso Mountains, Goler noticed some gold nuggets lying on the ground near the spring he was drinking from.  Although he figured that there was probably more gold in the area, Goler feared the local Indians and didn’t want to hang around.  Intending to come back another time, Goler supposedly stuck his rifle in the ground so that he could find the spot again.  Why a man who was afraid of hostile Indians would choose to abandon his rifle is anyone’s guess.

At any rate, Goler made it back to Los Angeles, where he met up with another prospector  - Grant Cuddeback.  The two made several return trips to the El Paso’s in search of the spring, but were never able to find it. Nor were they able to find Goler’s rifle.  The pair eventually found gold elsewhere in the Mojave Desert, but Goler never gave up on finding his “lost” gold.  He set off once again - alone this time – and faded into the mists of history. 

Ironically, gold was eventually found in the area by others, and by 1893 several hundred people were living in and around Goler Gulch.  The little town sported several saloons and a school! Unfortunately, Goler Gulch’s heyday was short-lived, and today, little remains of the town. 

If we continue about a half a mile past the Edith E. cabin, we actually come to the old Goler town site.  The area is still pretty sandy, and there are some large rocks partially hidden in the sand.  Still, our stock Jeep Cherokee 4x4 will get us through, as long as we’re careful. 

On our left we see some old concrete foundations and mounds of gravel.  These are all that remain of Goler. A small sign marks the school site.   Maybe a tenth of a mile further is a turn off, on our left, leading into the hills.  To proceed straight would take us into the Goler Narrows – a route best left to those who are not overly concerned with damaging their vehicles.  At this point, we are approximately 1.6 miles from where we turned in from Garlock Road, and all mileage notations will be made in terms of how far we’ve traveled since turning off the highway. 

Making our turn, we begin our journey into the interior of the El Paso’s.  Soon, we begin to climb a moderate grade; the author generally prefers to keep his Cherokee in “4 LO” when climbing most hills for long periods in order to avoid straining the drive train   The extra traction and better vehicle control doesn’t hurt, either.

As we climb, we may wonder how we are going to keep from making a wrong turn and winding up at a dead end and having to back track.  At 2.1miles, we notice a turnoff to the right, which would appear to take us even further into the back country we yearn to explore.  However, a battered sign on our right warns that “this is not a thru (sic) road”.  We continue roughly 20 feet to a rusted drum which is sitting on our left.  The drum is adjacent to a turn-off on our right. As we make the turn, we are still climbing. At 2.5 miles we can look down and see the “retirement community” that we passed on the way into Goler Gulch.  The terrain becomes pretty rocky here – so we proceed slowly. 

At 3.6 miles, we pull off the trail and get out of our Jeep.  The panorama is quite breathtaking.

Another two tenths of a mile (we’re now at 3.8 miles total) finds us dropping down into the heart of the El Paso’s.  As we descend, we can see trails branching off in all directions.  We are tempted to take off across the vast flat plain, to the mountains that wait about four miles distant.  But, we’ll save that for another day.  Staying the course, we come to a marker indicating that we have arrived at trail EP-11. If we turn left here, we will be treated to a very scenic trip back to Garlock Road.  We decide to keep moving further into the El Paso’s, so we turn left. 

EP-11 is deceptively level and smooth.  We are tempted to shift back into 2WD and crank our speed up.   Caution is the watchword, though.  Experience has taught us that ruts and rough patches can come up suddenly.  And one does, at 5.2 miles.  This is more of a small ditch than a large rut, and it runs right across the trail. There is another trail marker at this spot, this one indicating trail EP-11/15.   In order to make our left turn onto EP-11/15, we must cross this ditch very carefully.  Now, we are entering one of the Mojave Desert’s most fascinating back country trails.  In order to stay on the Bonanza Trail, we bear right at another EP-15 marker (6.1 miles).  Before proceeding, we stop once again to gaze at the scene before us.  Ahead, the trail goes through a pass, with steep hills on either side.  It gives us the impression that anyone proceeding further will be swallowed up, leaving civilization behind for good.  This is just an illusion, though, as almost all of the trails in the El Paso’s lead to a highway. 

Rolling along, we make sure we stay on EP-15; as we come to 6.6 miles, we notice that the earth becomes reddish in color.  We begin to notice the tall green vegetation that passes slowly by the windows of our Cherokee.  Surely, this means that there is water nearby.  Here is where we have to descend a steep, rocky downgrade.

Low – range is an absolute necessity here; with our Cherokee’s stock “crawl ratio” we still have to tap our brakes periodically in order to keep our speed in check.  Once we reach the bottom, we appear to no longer be following a trail, but driving along a stream bed.  In truth, the trail is a stream bed at times, usually during the winter months.  At those times, water courses over the rocks that make up the trail here.  No doubt, this is a result of melting snow at higher elevations.   

Although the terrain here is level, we must proceed very slowly over the rocks.  We go only short distance further before encountering another stream that trickles across the trail during the wet season.  This spot is a favorite of modern-day prospectors, who try their luck panning for gold here.  

We move past the stream and climb a steep, but short hill.  We climb this hill carefully, as it is composed of loose dirt and rocks.  At the top, we turn left immediately.

The trail passes high above valleys and dry washes on our right side.  Many of these places conceal the ruins of mining operations.  Where men once toiled and machines chugged, there is now silence. 

The 7.3 mile mark brings us adjacent to mysterious Black Mountain, on our right side.  Even seen from a few miles away, Black Mountain seems to loom over us.  Black Mountain is actually hard to miss, since it is the dominant formation in the area.  Composed largely of volcanic rock, Black Mountain was supposed to have been sacred to the Indians.  Legend has it that various tribes would meet at Black Mountain’s summit for peace ceremonies and other rituals.  During the area’s mining heyday, there were whispers of strange lights that could be seen emanating from the top of Black Mountain.  Legends aside, there is ample evidence of Native American presence on Black Mountain, in the form of rock drawings and stone circles. 

Black Mountain is accessible only on foot, and reaching the top involves a hike of roughly six miles round trip – depending upon where one parks.  Since the mountain sits in the middle of a designated Wilderness area, vehicles are not permitted. 

As if drawn to Black Mountain, we continue along EP-15 getting closer to the mountain by the minute. At 8.5 miles, markers denoting the Black Mountain Wilderness area are to the right of the trail.  To the left are the remains of Colorado Camp.   

Gold, copper, and other minerals have been found in the reddish hills near Colorado camp.  The site has been “owned” by various parties since the late 1800’s.  However, the most notorious person to be connected with Colorado Camp was probably C.E. French, who obtained the rights to the claim sometime during the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.  Portrayed by some writers as a con artist, French is alleged to have convinced newcomers to work his mine below ground – with little to show for their efforts.  Meanwhile French worked above ground keeping the larger nuggets for himself!    

French’s reputation aside; no one seems to have made a fortune here. Ruins in the form of an old chimney and a crumbling foundation are all remain of Colorado Camp.  

As we leave Colorado Camp behind, two different landscapes present themselves to us.  On our left are towering rocky hills.  Their velvety surfaces are blemished by the occasional mine shaft and dirt trail.  To our right is a large flat plateau.  Although the plateau looks soft and grassy, there are many large rocks hidden in the tall grass. 

12.2 miles finds us looking at a sign pointing us up hill to “Burro” Schmidt’s Tunnel. The tunnel was carved out of 2000 feet of solid rock by William “Burro” Schmidt.  But this too, is an excursion better left for another day.  We proceed down the hill; the trail is pretty smooth, but sandy at times.  So, we keep our Cherokee in 4WD, but shift in to high range as we descend into an area known as Last Chance Canyon. 

The life of a desert prospector is a tough one. Blistering summer heat, cold winters, scarcity of water, and the task of earning a living here all take their toll.  Yet, at least one man actually flourished here.  Walter Bickel, who first started poking around the El Paso’s during the 1930’s, built a cabin in Last Chance Canyon in 1934.  A machinist by trade, Bickel owned a Los Angeles   shop that succumbed to the Depression.  He then worked a series of odd jobs, while spending his weekends in Last Chance Canyon.  1942 found Bickel in the U.S. Army, where he earned a medal for designing a tool that enabled soldiers to rapidly change hot machine gun barrels during combat.  Discharged in 1946, Bickel moved back into his cabin, and lived there full-time for the next 40 years. Working his mine until dark, eating meals which incorporated herbs that he grew himself, maintaining his machinery, studying the desert sky through his telescope, and regaling visitors with tales of desert lore, old Walt had quite a life.

Bickel finally had to leave his camp, after suffering a stroke in 1987.  Some say that the BLM’s attempt at the time to evict “squatters” from public lands may have contributed to his ill health.  Although no longer able to stay at the site full time, Bickel lived to see his camp saved from demolition. Friends and other interested parties met with BLM officials, who agreed to leave the site intact and allow a “caretaker” to live there. When Bickel died in 1996, his son in law, Larry O’Neill, moved on site and lived there until he too, was forced to move away due to poor health. 

Bickel Camp is now preserved under the auspices of the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest.  The current caretaker is happy to show visitors around.  Bickel’s cabin and much of his equipment is still here.  A visit to Bickel Camp gives us a glimpse of a life that few dare to live.

Remaining on the Bonanza Trail as we leave Bickel Camp requires us to bear right and hug the hills.  As we curve to the North, we enter Upper Bonanza Gulch, an area extremely rich in mining history.  Several cabins still remain in the area; a couple of them have been adopted by off-road groups and are habitable for overnight stays.  The cabins themselves were built throughout the twentieth century.  One, known as “Sears Cabin” is built entirely of packing crates, obtained from a Los Angeles Sears retail store in 1959.  Inside, evidence of recent visitors abounds, in the form of worn out furniture, canned goods, and old magazines neatly stacked next to a chair.  The place could almost be called “cozy”.  

Leaving Sears cabin, we drive along the sandy wash that is EP15 here.  Evidence of digging going back to the 1800’s is still visible in form of the stone dugouts and tailings that pepper the hills around Bonanza Gulch. 

According to one local historian, the dugouts were originally occupied by white miners, who left the sites after all the gold was wrung out of the mines. Or so they thought.  The dug outs were subsequently occupied by Chinese miners, who, allegedly due to their smaller stature, were able dig smaller tunnels and extract gold using unique short-handled shovels.  Of course, word spread that the Chinese were finding gold in the areas that were supposedly played out, and in areas not easily accessible by the white men.  There were whispered rumors that the tunnels being worked by the Chinese were sealed with the help of explosives – while the Chinese were still inside them.  No one could satisfactorily explain the virtual disappearance of the Chinese from Bonanza Gulch.  That is, until fairly recently. Supposedly, modern prospectors excavating some of the tunnels discovered human bones….and short-handled shovels. 

15.9 miles finds us arriving at what used to be the Bonanza Gulch post office.  Built during the 1930’s, the little building still stands as a mute vestige of the area’s last mining hey day. 

Sadly, our trip down the dusty old Bonanza Trail is almost over.  An eerie silence descends upon Bonanza Gulch as we take a last look around. 

We meander along EP-15, climbing a rocky hill as we leave Bonanza Gulch and its ghosts behind.  At this point, it is roughly six miles (21.9 total) to the 14 Freeway if we choose to stay on EP-15.  It is tempting to take some side trips on our way out.  There are other sites that we have yet to explore.  But, the lives we left back in “civilization” call to us.

We opt for the freeway, already looking forward to our next trip through time.

Author's note:: The purpose of this article is to describe one of the many trips that I have taken.  Trail conditions change periodically.  Sometimes they get worse, and sometimes they improve.  Sometimes, trails are closed by the agency that administers them.   

The area described in this article is very unforgiving toward those who enter it unprepared.  If you don't know what I mean by that, then you have no business going there.  

The other Superfortress....

Boeing B-50:  The Second Superfortress

By

Scott Schwartz

     Believe it or not, two Boeing airplanes carried the famed Superfortress name.  Most of us are familiar with the B-29, which saw extensive use against Japanese cities during World War Two, as well as service during the Korean War.

     Less well-known, however, is the Boeing B-50.  One reason for this might be that the B-50 looks almost exactly like the B-29.  The external differences between the two are subtle. 

     Here are two ways to tell the planes apart.  First, look at the vertical stabilizer.  The B-50’s vertical tail is 6ft taller than that of the B-29.  Stare at the B-50’s tail long enough, and you will see that the vertical fin looks bigger than the one found on a “regular” B-29.  Next, look at the engine nacelles.  You will note that the “chin” scoop (for the oil coolers) on each engine is located below and toward the rear of each engine.  Whereas the B-29’s engine nacelles present a flat appearance when viewed head-on, the B-50’s engines seem to stick straight out from the leading edges of the wings.  This is because the B-50 was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-4360, 28 cylinder engines. On the other hand, the B-29 had four Wright R-3350 18 cylinder, two row engines.  On the B-50, each engine consisted of four rows of 7 cylinders.  Because they were longer, the B-50’s engines protrude further from the wings.  

     Now that we can tell the difference between the two, let’s talk about why the B-50 even exists.  The B-50 actually began life as the B-29D.  The B-29D, itself, was an outgrowth of an experimental airplane – the XB-44, which was a B-29A that had been fitted with the R-4360 engines for test purposes. The experiment led to an order for two hundred of the airplanes, which were designated as B-29D’s.  This was in 1945.  When the war ended, the order was cut back severely.  There seemed to be no point in buying an airplane which appeared to be an improved version of an older model that was already considered obsolete. 

     The Air Force, concerned about the problems with the B-36 strategic bomber program, needed an aircraft that was capable of carrying the atomic bomb – at least until the B-36 was past its teething troubles. 

     In a clever move, Air Force leaders argued that the numerous modifications incorporated into the B-29D, in fact, made it an entirely new airplane!  Accordingly, the B-29D was re-designated as the B-50 Superfortress, thus allowing the plane to slip past the bean counters and into production.  The B-50 made its first flight in 1947.

     The Air Force may have stretched the truth, but only slightly.  The B-50 shared only a 25 percent parts commonality with the B-29.  The majority of the changes were internal. The wings and fuselage, although similar in appearance to those of the B-29, were constructed differently and used a stronger type of aluminum.   Other changes included a steer able nose wheel, larger flaps, an improved wing de-icer system, and a faster landing – gear retraction system. 

     Its 28 cylinder engines gave the B-50 a top-speed of just under 400mph, and a service ceiling of 37,000 feet.  A crew of 11 manned the airplane and it should be noted that the gun system was basically the same remotely controlled system as the one found in the B-29.

     A few B-50’s were modified to be able to receive in flight refueling.  One of these, “Lucky Lady II”, made the first flight around the world and was able to remain airborne for 94 hours in order to complete the trip.  This flight took place in 1949.  Ironically, this B-50 was refueled en route by KB-29 tankers!

     370 B-50’s were built, and they served the now-defunct Strategic Air Command until 1954.  By then, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and Convair B-36 were in service. The B-52 entered service during the following year. 

     After it was supplanted as a strategic bomber by other types, the B-50 continued to serve in a variety of roles.  Eleven were converted into TB-50 navigation trainers.  Some became KB-50 tankers, and 37 became WB-50 weather reconnaissance aircraft.  The last WB-50 in operational service was ferried to the Air Force Museum in 1968!  The KB-50 and WB-50 models were also equipped with two General Electric J-47 auxiliary turbojet engines.  The jet engines were hung in pods under each wing.

     Although the WB-50 flew well into the late 1960’s, another B-29 cousin, the KC-97 tanker saw service with Air National units until 1979.  Although the KC-97 used the same wings, engines, and empennage as the B-50, the C-97 prototype was originally fitted with B-29 wings and engines. 

 

     Cynics may sneer at the “white lie” told by the Air Force in order to procure the B-50.  But the B-50 was conceived during a time when the threat of global nuclear war loomed large.  Thankfully, the airplane’s effectiveness as a nuclear bomber was never put to the test.

     

Boeing B-50 Superfortress at the Castle Air Museum in Merced, CA.
Photo by Scott Schwartz

      

    

Good Year F2G "Super Corsair".

High Performance Dead End:  The F2G “Super Corsair”

By

Scott Schwartz

     Diving one’s perfectly good airplane into an enemy ship may seem alien to our way of thinking. Nevertheless, the Japanese Kamikaze airplane and pilot was a frighteningly effective weapon.  Nearly three thousand Kamikaze attacks were launched during World War Two.  As a result of these attacks, thirty four American ships were sunk, and 368 were damaged.  In addition, almost 5,000 sailors were killed in Kamikaze raids.

By the end of the war, American ships had been equipped with numerous, quick-firing anti-aircraft guns that forced attackers to fly through a “wall of lead”.  The guns, combined with aerial interception, made Kamikaze and conventional attacks very difficult.  In spite of these defenses, 14 percent of attacking Kamikaze airplanes were able to reach their targets.  In addition, almost 8.5% of the ships that were hit by them actually sank.  Had the Japanese employed the Kamikazes earlier in the war, when American ships had relatively skimpy anti-aircraft defenses, the results would have been devastating. The outcome of the war may have even been altered.

It is no surprise then, that the U.S. Navy needed an aircraft that could take off and climb quickly in order to intercept Kamikaze attacks.  The F6F Hellcat, and the F4U Corsair were superb fighters.  Heavily armed, able to absorb a lot of damage, and fast, these two airplanes were the mainstays of the U.S. Navy’s fighter force from late 1943 onward.  The problem was that most Kamikaze attacks occurred at low altitudes, and with very little warning.  Neither the standard Corsair, nor the Hellcat, which were both equipped with the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 18 cylinder engine, could climb fast enough to intercept the Kamikaze’s.  The Navy wanted a nimble airplane that could intercept them before they reached the fleet. 

Accordingly, the Goodyear Airplane Co. (the aircraft manufacturing arm of the Goodyear Tire Co.), which had already been building “standard” Corsairs known as FG-1’s (Vought Corsairs were designated “F4U-1”), modified an FG-1 to accept the massive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 28 cylinder engine  in early 1944. This engine produced 3,000 horsepower, compared to the 2,200 horsepower put out by the R-2800.    

Other modifications included a “bubble” canopy and increased fuel capacity.  The new airplane was designated as the “F2G-1” and boasted a climb rate of 7000 feet per minute!  The Navy ordered 418 F2G-1’s for use by the Marine Corps as land – based interceptors.  An additional 10 aircraft, designated as F2G-2’s, were ordered for operation from aircraft carriers.

Ironically, the increase in horsepower did not translate into a major increase in top speed.  The F2G had a top speed of 431mph, which was only about 15 mph faster than the F4U/FG-1 Corsair.  In addition, flight testing revealed that the torque produced by the huge engine made lateral control difficult at low speeds, where the vertical stabilizer was not very effective.  This problem, combined with the F2G’s unimpressive top-speed, and the impending end of hostilities, caused cancellation of the production contract.  As a result, only five F2G-1’s and five F2G-2’s were built. 

Ironically, the F2G found its niche in the civilian world for a few years.  A former Navy pilot by the name of Cook Cleland purchased four surplus F2G’s and flew them in the Cleveland National Air Races, which were held between 1947 and 1949.  The “Super Corsairs” were more than a match for the P-51’s and P-63’s that dominated the air racing circuit at the time.

However, a situation that is eerily similar to the one facing many airports today arose.  Urban development began to surround the race course. This and a couple of crashes sealed the fate of the Cleveland races.

After the Cleveland races ended, little use could be found for the F2G’s. After all, they were not the most practical ex-military aircraft to own and maintain. Due to the airplane’s limited production run, parts were scarce, and maintaining the R-4360 engine was challenging to say the least.  For example; like most aircraft engines, each of the R-4360’s 28 cylinders required two spark plugs.  That’s 56 spark plugs to change!

As a result, no one was beating a path to Cook Cleland’s doorstep in order to acquire the Super Corsairs.  He wound up donating two of them for use as firefighting training aids.  Both were burned in the process. One of the Super Corsairs crashed, and another was abandoned and eventually became part of a private collection.  The last of the Cleland F2G’s – “Race 57”, passed through several owners over the years without being restored.  This airplane wound up in the hands of the Lone Star Flight Museum, who, in 1990, sold the airplane to a couple of people who intended to cut it up for parts.  They wanted to use the parts for the restoration of an FG-1 that had once been used as a wind machine!

The war bird world is a small one indeed. North Dakota aircraft restorer Bob Odegaard managed to obtain what was left of “Race 57”.  By the time he got his hands on it, the airplane was missing most of its parts forward of the firewall.

Odegaard painstakingly restored the aircraft to flying condition.  He located a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engine, and had a new cockpit canopy made from scratch.  All in all, over 12,000 man-hours were invested in the project, and by 1999, “Race 57” was flying again.    

Today, “Race 57” can be seen at air shows, and is one of only three F2G's in existence.  

Although the F2G was not successful as a military aircraft, it was not the end of the Corsair line.  The last two versions of the Corsair were the F4U-7, and the AU-1.  The AU-1 was designed as a low-altitude ground attack airplane.  Both of these airplanes remained in production until 1952, giving the Corsair the distinction of being the last American piston engine fighter ever produced. 

Goodyear F2G Corsair specifications:

Top speed:  431 mph at 16,400 feet.

Range 1,955 miles- with external fuel tanks.

Service ceiling:  38,800 feet.

Armament:  Four .50 cal. machine guns.  The aircraft could also carry 8 rockets under its wings 1,600 lbs of bombs.

Engine:  1 Pratt & Whitney R-4360, 28 Cylinder (four rows of seven cylinders) radial air-cooled engine.

Restored Goodyear F2G - "Race 57" at one of the "Planes of Fame " airshows.
At the time that this photograph was taken, the aircraft was owned by Bob Odegarrd.
Photo by Scott Schwartz

Walt Bickel and Bickel Camp

See the photos that I posted with one of my earlier posts..

His Home Evermore

By

Scott Schwartz

“Lay me down in the soft sand, for I’ll be there evermore….”  These words are part of a song that was written by Walter Bickel, who lived in the Mojave Desert for over fifty years.  Bickel was a prospector who made his home in Last Chance Canyon, which is located in California’s El Paso Mountain range.  

The canyon is a sandy area that is surrounded by walls composed of both sedimentary and volcanic rock.  Summertime temperatures can top 100 degrees and winters can be freezing.  Yet, the area’s ruggedness is matched by its beauty.  At mid-morning, sunlight bathes the rocks in a warm, orange glow.  On clear nights, one can see the spiral arm of the Milky Way.      

Bickel, a Kansas native, was born in 1905.  At an early age, it was apparent that he was mechanically inclined.  For example, he built a race car from the parts of several junked vehicles while still a teenager.  The young Walt Bickel also built a rudimentary ducted fan aircraft engine. Although the engine apparently never found its way into an airplane, it produced enough thrust to blow out the wall in his father’s barn! 

Perhaps intrigued by the exciting opportunities out West, Bickel moved to California in 1923, initially finding employment with a pipe company.  Over the next several years, he worked in demolitions, becoming an explosives expert in the process.      

Bickel visited Last Chance Canyon for the first time in 1927, while en route to Nevada.  He apparently thought the area was worth a second look, because he returned in 1933 at the invitation of a Mojave man who had a mine in Last Chance Canyon.  Figuring that there was plenty of gold to be had, Bickel filed his own claim in 1934 and built a small cabin. The cozy little cabin stands to this day.

Although he dreamed of desert gold, Bickel had to find a way to feed his wife and children.  1934 found the country in the middle of the Great Depression. At the time, Bickel owned a machine shop in Los Angeles, but this business, like many others, succumbed to the country’s economic woes.  Bickel then worked a series of temporary jobs and commuted to Last Chance Canyon on weekends.  He managed to make his living in this fashion, until he joined the Army in 1942.

Walt Bickel was never sent into combat, but he received a medal for inventing a tool that enabled soldiers to rapidly change hot machine gun barrels during combat.  Discharged due to a back injury, Bickel returned to Last Chance Canyon in 1946. 

Now living in the canyon full time, Bickel spent each day working his mine until dark.  He would then have dinner, which usually included local herbs that he picked himself.  During the evening, Bickel would sit by the fire and play his harmonica.  He also passed the time by looking at the stars through his telescope.   

Walt Bickel built a life in Last Chance Canyon without many of the creature comforts we take for granted today. He did not have an air-conditioned sport utility vehicle and lived roughly 30 miles from the nearest grocery store.  When a piece of equipment broke down, Bickel could not simply drive into town to buy the part he needed.  Accordingly, he never discarded broken equipment.  Broken, worn out machinery provided Bickel with a huge inventory of spare parts.  His work shed contains components from dozens of small engines, which powered his dry wash sifting machines.  In addition, many a stranded motorist benefited from Bickel’s stock of spare parts.  Bickel’s resourcefulness also paid off when it came to life’s necessities.  He collected water from the infrequent rains and stored it in wine jugs for later use.  A water tank placed on a hilltop provided him with gravity fed, solar heated water for his shower stall. 

Besides practical assistance, Bickel treated visitors to his home-cooked meals and stories of desert lore.   He taught many city people how to pan for gold – and in so doing, provided a whole generation with a glimpse of a bygone era. 

The late 1980’s found the long arm of government bureaucracy reaching into Last Chance Canyon.  As part of a plan to keep “squatters” from living in cabins on public land, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) banned prospectors from living on small-scale claim sites.  The problem though, was that many “small scale” miners had been living on the land for decades and felt that they needed to live there in order to protect their equipment.  Nevertheless, the BLM chose September 2, 1987 to conduct an inspection of Bickel’s camp in order to determine whether his operation was large enough to warrant his living on the site.  Sadly, Bickel suffered a stroke, only hours before the inspection was to take place.  The stroke, in combination with advancing Parkinson’s disease necessitated Bickel’s moving to a nursing home.  The possibility of losing his home probably contributed to his declining health.  On top of all this, the BLM determined that Bickel’s operation was too small to justify caretaker residency.  This meant the possible demolition of the cabin, as well as the removal of most of Bickel’s equipment.  A cultural treasure would have been lost forever.

As a result of the BLM’s decision, Bickel’s friends and other interested parties mobilized and met with BLM officials in March of 1989.   As a result of the meeting, the BLM agreed to consider leaving the site as it was,  open it to public visitors (as a museum), and permit a “curator” to live on the premises. 

Walt Bickel lived to see his camp saved.  He died in 1996, leaving his son in law, Larry O’Neil as caretaker of the site.  O’Neil was also Bickel’s partner and spent many an hour explaining the intricacies of mining and desert life to visitors.  This writer was one of them. 

O’Neil has since moved off the site due to failing health and another caretaker is living there full time.  Bickel Camp is considered to be a museum exhibit and visitors can view the site, which is pretty much the way Bickel left it. 

It’s been said that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.  Walt Bickel’s work shed full of small engine parts and tools is more than a treasure.  They are artifacts which tell the story of one man’s ingenuity and self reliance.    

Do You Want To Take Better Photographs While On The Trail?

By Sand N Sky

Have you ever gotten home from an off-road trip, only to be disappointed with the photos that you took?  They may have looked good in your camera’s LCD screen, but upon viewing them on your home computer, the photos just don’t hold up.  Perhaps you didn’t capture the rich colors that prompted you to take the photographs in first place.  Or, perhaps, the images are slightly out of focus, too dark, too light, or some combination thereof.

Here are some suggestions that should help.

1.       Use a tripod.  You might have the steadiest hands in the world, but the truth is that it is impossible to completely eliminate movement when hand-holding your camera.  Generally, landscape photos require the use of slower shutter speeds (which are automatically selected by many “point and shoot” cameras), and many out- of- focus photos are the result of inadvertent movement of the camera when the shutter is triggered.

2.       If using a tripod, use a remote shutter release cord.  Pressing your camera’s shutter-release button with your finger can cause slight camera movement, even when the camera is on a tripod. 

If you don’t have a remote shutter release cord, set your camera’s self-timer (most modern cameras have this feature) to trip the shutter.  That snow-covered mountain is unlikely to move in the few seconds that it will elapse before the timer triggers the shutter.  The goal is to eliminate physical contact between you and the camera’s shutter-release button.    

3.       Timing is everything.  It is best to shoot your landscape photos in the early morning, an hour or so after sunrise, or in the late afternoon, roughly an hour before sunset.   During those times, the sun is lower in the sky, which makes the lighting softer and the colors richer.  High noon is probably the worst time to shoot landscape photos, because the sun is high in the sky.  Consequently, the lighting tends to be harsh, and colors get washed out. 

4.       If your camera’s shutter speed and aperture controls can be set manually, learn how to do this.  When you activate the shutter-release mechanism (either by pressing the button, using a remote shutter release cord, or by using the self-timer), the shutter opens for a specific time (usually in fractions of a second) and then closes.  The longer it stays open, the longer the film or digital sensors are exposed to the light coming through the aperture.  The length of time that the shutter remains open before closing again is known as “shutter speed”.    On many cameras, shutter speed can be selected manually.  The longer the shutter remains open, the more care will be necessary in order to avoid camera movement. 

The aperture the opening in the camera’s lens that controls the amount of light reaching the image recording medium (film or digital sensors).  The wider the aperture is open, the more light will be allowed in.  Accordingly, a wider aperture requires a faster shutter speed in order to avoid over-exposing the image (IE: making it “too bright”).  Conversely, a smaller aperture opening will require more time for the light to be gathered.  Therefore, a slower shutter speed (IE: a longer exposure) is needed with a smaller aperture opening.  On a camera whose aperture can be set manually, the aperture setting s are known as “f-stops”.  F-stops are typically expressed in the form of numbers which can be found on the camera lens and in many cases, on the camera’s LCD screen.  These numbers might range from F4.5 to F22.  Here’s where it gets confusing.  The smaller the number, the wider the aperture.  So, F4.5 is a much wider opening than F22. 

Why does any of this matter?  Because sharpness is almost everything when it comes to landscape photos.  And, the smaller the aperture (IE: the larger the “f” number), the greater the distance at which things will stay in focus.  This concept is known as “depth of field”. This is why most serious landscape photographers use very small aperture openings- they want the folds and creases on that distant mountain to remain in focus.  For example, I typically set my aperture at f.16 or smaller (IE:  a larger “f” number) for landscape work. 

How do you know how to match the shutter speed to the f-stop?   If you camera has an “Aperture Priority” setting, you can simply set the aperture, and the camera’s built-in metering system will automatically select the correct shutter speed.  Remember; a smaller aperture setting (IE: a higher “f” number) will result in the camera selecting slower shutter speed, which will make

If your camera’s aperture and shutter speed can be set manually (on some film cameras, this is the only option), there should be an indicator of some sort – usually in the viewfinder, that will tell you if your photo will be over- exposed (too bright), under-exposed (too dark), or if it will be properly exposed.  Setting the aperture and then changing the shutter speed (or vice-versa) until the indicator tells you that the image should be properly exposed is the simplest method of determining the proper exposure.

A fully automatic camera doesn’t give you as many options.  However, the odds are high that such a camera will have a “Landscape” setting, or something similar-which will automatically give you an aperture –shutter speed combination that will yield reasonable depth of field. 

5.        Stay focused!  If your camera is not equipped with an automatic focusing (IE: “auto-focus”) system, don’t forget to focus your camera manually. 

6.       Maintain your composure!   No, I’m not telling you to remain calm while taking your photos- although calmness helps!  Rather, I’m suggesting that you take the time to compose your photographs carefully.  In other words, pay attention to what’s actually going to wind up in the frame.  Did you want that trash can in the corner of the photo? Is the front of someone’s Jeep protruding into the frame? Take an extra couple of seconds to really see what is in your viewfinder.  If you want that trash can in the photo, that’s fine.  But don’t allow anything that’s unwanted to wind up in your photograph.

I hope that these suggestions help; naturally, this article is not meant to be a comprehensive photography course or “how-to” book.  If anyone has any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail message.

See you all on the trail!

Mojave Skyline Trail provides great views of Barstow and the surrounding desert..

but, there's evidence that unsavory people from the nearby city of Barstow drive along this trail too.

I suppose that I am bit naive, because I don't imagine that the kind of people who drive 4x4 vehicles as being the same kind of people who deface public property.  And, four wheel drive with low-range transfer case gearing is necessary to negotiate this trail.  

The trail itself is a testament to the work performed by local volunteers, who spent many hours building the "Jeep" trail and the hiking trail that runs along side it.

The trail head is only a few miles outside of Barstow, and it is only an hour's drive from my home in the Rancho Cucamonga, CA area.

All photos by Scott Schwartz.

The defunct drive-in movie theater near the base of the trail.

The city of Barstow, as seen from the Mojave Skyline Trail.

Vandalized, graffiti-covered picnic table.  Note the supports for the missing awning.

The author's Jeep Cherokee parked on the trail; four wheel drive with  low range gearing is recommended.  

The Mojave River, as seen from the Mojave Skyline Trail.  

Out of the Sun: My Airplane Was Jumped By A Gaggle of ....

....yellow jackets!   That's right.  And no, I'm not a fighter pilot.  I'm a private pilot, who was taking off from French Valley Airport, after having lunch at the French Valley Cafe.

It was Saturday, June 2, 20012.  For those who believe in such things, the poor service that I'd received at the restaurant that day may have been an omen.  Well, probably not.

At any rate, my rented Cessna 182 was just reaching rotation speed (the speed at which the nose is raised for take off) when it (and I) seemed to pass through a sudden snow storm.  Given that this was Southern California in June, that seemed unlikely.

In reality, a swarm of yellow jackets had decided to take off from runway 36.  I was using runway 18.

Although momentarily startled, I managed to concentrate on flying the airplane.  The big Continental engine was running smoothly.  The engine instruments were giving normal indications.  Most importantly, I could still see through the windshield, as the propeller had done a good job of mincing up my "attackers".

Did I mention that, luckily, none of the creatures wound up inside the cabin?

The flight back to my home airport in the Riverside area was uneventful.

Once the airplane was refueled and tied down, I had the unenviable task of cleaning the insect body fragments from the leading edges of the wings, the struts, and from the windshield.

Isn't flying fun?