El Paso's Unfolding

Video by Scott Schwartz, all rights reserved. Equipment:  DJI Phantom 4.

What I love about this video(even if I do say so, myself), is that the "texture" of the mountains is shown in vivid detail. 

Notice how the salt flats at Koehn Dry Lake(ands the nearly-vanished town of Saltdale) seem to recede into the shadows of the El Paso Mountains. 

Flight over the El Paso Mountains-..

This is footage from a drone flight over the northern end of the El Paso Mountains. 

Briny Koehn Dry Lake can be seen in the distance; the nearby town of Saltdale was founded in 1914.  The town of Saltdale was a "company town" owned by the Consolidated Salt Company, which mined the salt from the lake bed. 

For the workers, living in Saltdale was a rather isolated existence, made worse by the fact that the prime salt harvesting season was the summer months!

By the late 1940's, salt production here had begun to wane- largely due to diminished rainfall during 1945.  By 1975, the Saltdale operation had ceased altogether.

Today, only a few traces of Saltdale remain. 

The vanished town of Goler: El Paso Mountains...

Drone's-eye view of the old Goler town site.  This town came into being during 1893, in the wake of prospector John Goler's claims of having found gold nuggets lying on the ground near a local spring.  

Although gold was found, it was not enough to sustain the town.  By the early twentieth century, most prospectors had moved on to the nearby Rand Mountains(which can be seen in the distance.)

Today, only some rusty pipe and a few crumbling foundations remain.  At least one old foundation can be seen in this photo, if you look closely. 

Winter in the San Bernardino Mountains...Drone Footage...

I filmed this near Running Springs, California.  Equipment:  DJI Phantom 4.

Although I love the desert, I sometimes need a little winter in my life.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

All rights reserved.  

Drone image.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

All rights reserved.

Drone image.

Mormon Country....

Captain Andrew Lytle was a member of one of the Morman Battalion companies that was coming through the Cajon Pass, on their way to San Bernardino.  The year was 1851.  Six years later, the first settlers began to populate a canyon that was later named for Lytle:  Lytle Creek.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

All rights reserved.

I took this photo, as I was wondering through the canyon, along the unpaved portion of Lytle Creek Rd.  Large hills tower over the road on both sides.  The snow covering these hills made me forget, for a few moments, that I was in Southern California.

Ruins in the El Paso Mountains...

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

All rights reserved. 

Looking rather forlorn, these ruins are located near Colorado Camp in the El Paso Mountains.  

When I gaze upon sites(and sights) like this, I wonder what went through the minds of those who lived here.  What were their dreams?  Their hopes?  

Joshua Tree National Park...

                                            Shadow study, Joshua Tree National Park.  

                                          Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.