But Johnson, much to Scotty's surprise, wanted to see the mine and it was not long before Johnson realized that the mine was a hoax.Īlbert Johnson enjoyed his gold seeking travels with Scotty so much, that he ended up building the above agnificent mansion in the middle of no where in Death Valley. And many wealthy men ended up investing in his fictitious gold mine supposedly located in Death Valley.Īlbert Johnson ended up in the end being Scotty's best investor. Scotty never amounted to much as a prospector, but he was great at mining gold out of other peoples pockets. Scotty was a colorful character, and was known for his knack for telling tall tales. The structures were built in the 1920's when the Mojave was better known for its ramshackle miners dwellings. Scotty's Castle as shown in the image to the right above is a wonderful place to visit if you have the time to drive to its remote location. It is also a fun drive, and when my kids were young, I used to let them Late afternoon is a great time to drive the canyon because the low angle of lighting will bring out the beautiful colors of the area. Nevertheless, the Mule Team Canyon contains at least 26 different borate minerals. The canyon was most likely never used by the mule team, but the hills contain millions of tons of ore.īut mining never took off here, because of its remote location. In the photo you can see our truck navigating through "Twenty Mule Team Canyon." A road was put in place in this mudstone badlands area in the late 1920's. You will find that each year Devils Golf Course is a place of constant change. Beneath the uppermost salt crust are alternating layers of old lakebed sediments and salt that continue down at least 1500 feet. The salt flat sprawl out over hundreds of acres of flatland near "Bad Water" which is the lowest point in the Walking across a landscape like this is a realĪnkle buster. But here in Death Valley, saline groundwater continually seeps to the surface, and evaporates to form incredible deposits of salt crystals. Well named, because it would certainly be a golfers nightmare to play on. To the right, Above, is a photo of Devils Golf Course. After walking about 2 miles from the parking lot, the terrain turns much more difficult, and most people stop there. The narrows as seen to the left stretch out for about a half a mile before the canyon opens up into an airy amphitheater. The rock has since been polished smooth by water into intricate and beautiful patterns. The term breccia means fragments in Italian and refers to pieces of rock held together in a natural cement. Mosaic Canyon derives its name from the polished rock breccias that curve through its narrows. The smooth rock provides little slides and interesting climbing challenges for the young ones (not to say that us older folks won't get plenty of enjoyment out of the little slides and stepping stones) Hiking the canyon is great fun, and during the late afternoon, the lighting is quite spectacular in the canyon. At the end you will come to a parking area just below the opening of the marble canyon.Īs you can see in the photo to the left, above, the narrow passageways have beautiful marbelised rock, polished smooth and quite variable in color. Just west of the village is a dirt road the extends about 2.5 miles leading to the foothills of the Tucki Mountain. To the left, Above, you see a photo of the lower end of Mosaic Canyon located on the west side of Death Valley close to Stovepipe Wells. Narrow, and surrounded pretty, multi-colored, layered rocks. Many popular trails in Death Valley National Park follow side canyons, often quite We hope that you will find that this series on Death Valley in Timberline Trails will be a good guide to introduce you to both the harshness and beauty of Death Valley. Most water from the few passing clouds evaporates before it even hits the ground. And with only 1/2 inch of average rainfall this only adds to the harshness. No place in the western hemisphere comes close to this type of heat. Eight months out of the year Death Valley records triple digit The subtle colors and unique lighting of the landscape turns out to be a place of solitude and beauty for all those who take the time out to explore this most beautiful and unique National Park.ĭeath Valley still has it's harsh side, however. When folks hear the name "Death Valley" they conjure up the thought that who would want to visit a place with a name like that? But the fact of the matter is, that everyone I have had the pleasure to introduce this most amazing landscape to was simply delighted with the place after a few days of exploration.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |