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4X4 SIERRA NEVADA DEATH VALLEY CALIFORNIA TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD FOUR WHEEL DRIVE FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE EXPLORING GHOST TOWNS HISTORY RAILROAD RAILROADS INYO MONO ESMERALDA TEST MULES FUTURE AUTOMOBILES JEEP TRAILS |
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RECONNOITERING*
IN THE EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA & GREAT BASIN |
*Reconnoiter - To make a reconnaissance. — Syn.: inspect, survey, scout out.
The Great Basin and the Eastern Sierra Nevada region. Wide, open, full of opportunities to reconnoiter. Whether on foot, hoof or tires, there are trails and roadways that feed the wanderlust within one's psyche. Though this website is 4x4 focused, it includes various trails that offer the adventurer fun, history and scenic beauty – no matter their mode of transportation, if any at all. Also in this website are travelogues of the historic or interesting places that I've been to – for a day or more than a week. Through words and photos it is my endeavor to give the potential traveler enough information to plan their own escapades into the region, as well as be forewarned of any potential for problems due to trail obstacles or remoteness. Enjoy your reconnoiter through the region.
Menu to Website Below
Important Announcement:
This website is moving to north-central Nevada at the end of July. The only thing that should change is the eventual inclusion of an increasing amount of Nevada trails, which is a good thing. I still have numerous CDs full of digital photos of trails and roads in the Eastern Sierra Nevada and Death Valley regions that are not yet covered here, which still need to be fleshed out into webpages, and these will still be put up in time. This site is ever evolving, so keep checking back for updates to existing pages and the additions of new ones.
Another Important Announcement:
The House of the Sagebrush Reconnoiterer in Big Pine, California (Eastern Sierra Nevada) is FOR SALE!!
Learn More HERE
And Yet Another Important Announcement:
The 125th Anniversary of the coming of the narrow gauge to Owens Valley! Big Events Planned at Laws Railroad Museum near Bishop!
Courtesy
of Laws Railroad Museum
Website Menu
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4WD
Trails |
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CALIFORNIA |
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Updated 6/21/08! The vast alpine region of Sanger Meadow and Coyote Flat southwest of Bishop, California contain a densely packed Mother Lode of 4WD fun and adventure. This route explains a little known way in to the region. The entire route is recommended for experienced drivers with modified 4x4s, motorcycles or quads, driving in a group of two or more vehicles only! Eastern sections of this trail can generally be taken by stock SUVs and pickups to within a half mile of Glacier View but will not be able to travel the entire way to Sanger Meadows and Coyote Meadows. |
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Good things do come in small packages! Near Benton, California, Civil War era mines and dwellings are densely packed within this small range of hills. |
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The Champion Spark Plug Mine is a unique feature on the western slope of the rugged White Mountains north of Bishop, California. This 4x4 trail adventure is unique in that a foot trail is also involved and mandatory to reach the mine and associated mine camps. The Black Eagle Camp of the mining operation is still maintained and usable by visitors for camping. A truly unique 4x4 trail! |
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Coyote/Sanger Flat |
Planned for Future. This wonderful alpine country in the Sierra Nevada southwest of Bishop, California, has a lot of room for opportunities to escape the heat and crowds down in Owens Valley. Various trails run hither and yon from the main roads to alpine lakes, dense forests, open meadowlands and grand vistas. The main route accessing Coyote Meadows country is navigable by most any AWD or 4WD vehicle, although many routes are 4WD only. |
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Cucomungo Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: Just beyond the northernmost tip of Death Valley lies Cucomungo Canyon, taking the byway traveler between high desert to dense piñon forests. This is lonesome country out here, where California and Nevada merge. The trail through Cucomungo Canyon starts in California and ends in Nevada. Or vise-versa. |
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This road, northwest of Independence, California, zig-zags up the sheer face of the Sierra Nevada and offers superb views of the Owens Valley and superb views of the earth's crust. |
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Black Canyon |
Planned for Future. Though now truncated, this trail up Black Canyon – in the White Mountains – still offers some serene and scenic 4-wheeling, with a bit of history too. |
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A nice outing from the Furnace Creek complex of Death Valley National Park, Echo Canyon to the Inyo Mine is easy and scenic. At the end is a prize – the Inyo Mine, which provides a look into the earliest days of the 20th Century. |
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Updated March, 2008 with 51 New Photos! Located east of Big Pine, California, in the northwestern portion of Death Valley National Park. A nice, easy jaunt with solitude and vistas. Springtime wildflowers. This 14 miles route offers an easy daytime run out of Big Pine or while camping in Eureka Valley. |
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Updated May, 2008 with 22 New Photos! Located east of Big Pine, California, in the northwestern portion of Death Valley National Park. The Horsethief Canyon 4x4 Trail affords an easy jaunt with solitude and views. Springtime wildflowers and blooming cactus. This 16 mile saunter will take the traveler out of Eureka Valley into the Fish Lake Valley. It can be traveled singly or paired with the Gilbert Summit to Eureka Valley road or North Eureka Road for a loop trip. A small, crossover SUV friendly trail. |
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Inyo Range Traverse |
Planned for Future. Four-wheeling the Inyo Range via Harkless Flat, Papoose Flat and Badger Flat. A secondary page will describe making a loop out of it via the east side of Andrews Mountain. |
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A short yet scenic trip a short distance south of Mammoth Lakes, California. Perfect for an afternoon of fishing, a picnic or an alpine scenic treat. |
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Updated May, 2008 w/new photos! A short but sweet trail that runs between Racetrack Valley and Saline Valley in western Death Valley National Park. It has the reputation for being mean and nasty, but wow! Those gorgeous views! |
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A short but interesting little jog in the White Mountains northeast of Big Pine, California. A nice get away for picnics, piñon nuts, exploration, mines and bats. |
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Not a true 4x4 trail and only 4.0 miles long, but nevertheless has a lot to offer in the way of scenery, leisure and alternative access to the hustle and bustle of Mammoth Lakes or the recreational areas nearby. Can be used with the soon to come page on the Sherwin Creek road into Mammoth for a scenic loop trip. |
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Red Rock Canyon |
Planned for Future. Not the Red Rock Canyon of northwestern Mojave Desert fame, but a short and narrow slot that runs through Bishop tuff north of Bishop, California, and reminds one more of Death Valley's Titus Canyon. Indian rock art enhances this drive, as well as grand views of the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains. |
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This short but spectacular route virtually straddles the spine of the Sierra Nevada and is at the very western brink of the Great Basin. In fact, in several short spurts, you actually leave the Great Basin. Watch out that you don't end up in the blue, blue Pacific! |
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Another short byway that takes the traveler into Mammoth Lakes, California, this road can be used with the old state highway into Mammoth Lakes to make a scenic loop trip. |
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Running between Saline Valley and Eureka Valley in northwestern Death Valley National Park, this route is seldom used and runs through some very lonesome country. Includes information on the Saline Valley hot springs complex and campgrounds. |
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This trail climbs up onto the backbone of the Inyo Range west of Lone Pine, California, and follows the spine of the range through history and ends with a decision. Includes the Swansea Grade, ghost camp of Burgess, the technological wonder of the Saline Valley Salt Tram Summit Station, and the old hell-roaring camp of Cerro Gordo. Then comes the decision of which way to go home. But then again, there's plenty of places to stay up here a while in case you don't want to. |
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Titus Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: One of Death Valley's premier drives, the Titus Canyon road drops one down from high desert highlands to low desert through a narrow profile and a mining camp that mined investors pockets instead of ore. This route is one way, beginning in Nevada near the community of Beatty and returning to California into the floor of Death Valley. |
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Tule Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: Starting in the high desert at the northernmost tip of Death Valley, Tule Canyon immediately exits California and heads into Nevada; exiting the high desert and ending in dense piñon forests. Scattered liberally along the canyon are the remains of towns and mining camps. |
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This is a short but fun filled bronc-buster that takes you high into the Sierra Nevada to some old tungsten mines and grand views of the northern Owens Valley and southern Mono County; in the Rock Creek Canyon and Wheeler Ridge northwest of Bishop, California. |
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A high altitude traverse and straddle of the high and mighty White Mountains of eastern California, east of Bishop, California. This pathway climbs Wyman Canyon and descends steeply down Silver Canyon. At the top of the range a turn north to the end of the public access portion of the summit road along the White Mountains affords flirting with the 12,000 foot mark and tremendous views in all directions, as well as getting up close and personal with the oldest trees on earth. |
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Wyman Canyon to Crooked Creek to Cottonwood Creek to the top of the White Mountains. |
Written guides and local voices says this very remote road in the White Mountains is impassable, but that doesn't stop the Sagebrush Reconnoiterer from trying! Ride along as my Tacoma and me attempt to penetrate into a fabulous and hidden countryside. |
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NEVADA |
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Cucomungo Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: Just beyond the northernmost tip of Death Valley lies Cucomungo Canyon, taking the byway traveler between high desert to dense piñon forests. This is lonesome country out here, where California and Nevada merge. The trail through Cucomungo Canyon starts in California and ends in Nevada. Or vise-versa. |
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This region is very remote and scenic beyond description. Located in the isolated region north of Elko, Nevada and nearly on the Idaho line, the tiny hamlet of Jarbidge has electricity and telephone, but not a stitch of pavement anywhere nearby. This page takes you from Elko to Jarbidge, up to some of the remote high country around the village and into Idaho. |
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Titus Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: One of Death Valley's premier drives, the Titus Canyon road drops one down from high desert highlands to low desert through a narrow profile and a mining camp that mined investors pockets instead of ore. This route is one way, beginning in Nevada near the community of Beatty and returning to California into the floor of Death Valley. |
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Tule Canyon |
Planned for Future. California/Nevada: Starting in the high desert at the northernmost tip of Death Valley, Tule Canyon immediately exits California and heads into Nevada; exiting the high desert and ending in dense piñon forests. Scattered liberally along the canyon are the remains of towns and mining camps. |
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My
Trips: |
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CALIFORNIA |
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Two trips into the forbidden lands within the China Lake Naval Weapons Center to view the amazing petroglyphs of the ancients who walked this way during the days when sidewinders meant snakes instead of missiles. |
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Western Death Valley National Park w/Panamint Charlie Gang – May, 2008 |
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In August of 2004, I was invited by Death Valley National Park to chronicle the lethal flashflood that hit Furnace Creek area of Death Valley National Park, inflicting destruction to structures, roads, vehicles and people's lives. This page has news reports and my account and photos that I took during my one day visit to the park |
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On March 2nd, 2005, my wife and friend Graham C. take a day trip to southern Death Valley to view the tremendous wildflower display and ride the rapids of the raging Amargosa River. |
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Goler Canyon / Butte Valley / Warm Springs Canyon / Death Valley |
Escort of Cliff V. over the Panamint Range of western Death Valley National Park, from Ballarat ghost town to Furnace Creek via Goler Canyon. Includes Barker Ranch, last holdout of the notorious Charles Manson. |
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Western Death Valley National Park. A day trip to Eureka Valley sand dunes in a gentle rainstorm. |
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A three day / two night trip to the ghost of the once wild 1906 copper boomtown of Greenwater in eastern Death Valley National Park. Includes Greenwater (both Kunze and Ramsey sites), Furnace, Gold Valley and Willow Creek. |
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Western Death Valley National Park. An overnight trip to the wild and wooley 1870s hell-roaring camp of Panamint City by Alan Patera and two others in April 1997. It was my first backpacking trip in more than a decade and I was ill prepared. But it was a lot of fun and I got to see a bit of history that I always wanted to see. |
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Reilly ghost town site, in Panamint Valley west of Ballarat, was the scene of an archaeological study. Includes the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns in Wildrose Canyon, plus Mahogany Flat at the crest of the Panamint Range. |
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A January, 2005 trip home from Reno turned into a 2-day ordeal and detours due to blizzard conditions most of the entire distance. |
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California/Nevada: Author/Researcher Alan Patera and I take more than a week to explore ghost towns and mining camps in the eastern Death Valley region; then travel through a maze of historic sites and ghost towns in the southern, southeastern and central parts of Nevada. |
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California/Nevada: Three day trip with author/researchers Alan Patera and Alan Hensher into Death Valley. Sites visited are: the Inyo Mine, Schwab ghost town in California; State Line ghost town, Oriental (Old Camp), Tokop in Nevada. |
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Trip
2007: |
Page In Progress. A sketch of this trip was originally posted on an Internet forum, but has been removed. I am currently working on a full page on this trip. |
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Trip 2007: Glass Mountain Traverse / Pizona / Truman Meadows |
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Temporary Page: Coyote Flat and Coyote Ridge daytrip with my wife. A thumbnail trip report on Panamint Charlie.com that I posted about a dozen photos and trip report of my day in the area, including details and photos of an embarrassing moment where I got caught with my wheels off the ground! A full page will be built and placed here in time. |
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Trip 2007: Jumping from the Frying Pan into the Fire – Evacuation From Jarbidge, Nevada |
California/Nevada/Idaho: First, the Inyo Complex Fire nearly torched my home. A week later, the Murphy Complex Fire chased my wife, parents and I out of Jarbidge, Nevada. And in between were the Thompson, Tungsten, US93 Complex and Telegraph Hill Fires. Talk about burning rubber! |
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NEVADA |
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A
satirical essay based upon an early 1980s trip into Nye County's
interior ghost towns of Ione, Berlin, Union and Grantsville in
the middle of a heavy winter. |
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A story based upon a 1980 trip to Lake Tahoe, Nevada to photograph a wedding. Full of mishap and madcap adventure. |
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California/Nevada: A January, 2005 trip home from Reno turned into a 2-day ordeal and detours due to blizzard conditions most of the entire distance. |
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In May 2003, John Mc and I took a trip over into nearby Esmeralda County, Nevada and over Oasis Summit, in the southern Silver Peak Range; then down into Clayton Valley. On the way to Silver Peak, we detoured north into the Silver Peak Range and visited the extensive workings of the Mohawk Mine. After Visiting the Mohawk, we set our sights on the interesting little town of Silver Peak. |
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We explore the Nevada Triangle of Death Valley National Park – Bullfrog, Gold Bar, Sarcobatus Flat, Phinney Canyon, the Grapevine Range, Strozzi Ranch, the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad and the Happy Hooligan Mine. |
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California/Nevada: Author/Researcher Alan Patera and I take more than a week to explore ghost towns and mining camps in the eastern Death Valley region; then travel through a maze of historic sites and ghost towns in the southern, southeastern and central parts of Nevada. |
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California/Nevada: Three day trip with author/researchers Alan Patera and Alan Hensher into Death Valley. Sites visited are: the Inyo Mine, Schwab ghost town in California; State Line ghost town, Oriental (Old Camp), Tokop in Nevada. |
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Nevada/Oregon/Idaho: An eleven day trip wandering through the ghost towns and sagebrush of northern Nevada and southwestern Idaho. Sites visited include: Stillwater, White Cloud City, Unionville, Midas, Paradise Valley, Spring City, Buckskin, National, Rio Tinto, Patsville, Aura, Cornucopia, Tuscaurora, Dinner Station, Metropolis, Jarbidge in Nevada; along with Delamar and Silver City in Idaho. |
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My buddy Graham C. and I take a quick, 3-day Memorial Day trip through north-central Nye County ghost towns of Ione, Grantsville and Belmont. Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer, but heavy snowfall the first two days out told us winter still had central Nevada in its grip! |
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Trip 2007: Glass Mountain Traverse / Pizona / Truman Meadows |
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Trip 2007: Jumping from the Frying Pan into the Fire – Evacuation From Jarbidge, Nevada |
California/Nevada/Idaho: First, the Inyo Complex Fire nearly torched my home. A week later, the Murphy Complex Fire chased my wife, parents and I out of Jarbidge, Nevada. And in between were the Thompson, Tungsten, US93 Complex and Telegraph Hill Fires. Talk about burning rubber! |
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A trip account based upon an early 1980s trip into the Toiyabe Range of Central Nevada that resulted in my literally being washed up. Updated w/Formerly Lost Photos From the Trip! |
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Esmeralda County, Nevada. Tule Canyon, Roosevelt City, Rachfords, Senner and Gold Point ghost towns; plus Eureka Valley in northwestern Death Valley National Park. Includes contemporary newspaper articles on Tule Canyon townsites. |
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MULTI-STATE |
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Nevada/Oregon/Idaho: An eleven day trip wandering through the ghost towns and sagebrush of northern Nevada and southwestern Idaho. Sites visited include: Stillwater, White Cloud City, Unionville, Midas, Paradise Valley, Spring City, Buckskin, National, Rio Tinto, Patsville, Aura, Cornucopia, Tuscaurora, Dinner Station, Metropolis, Jarbidge in Nevada; along with Delamar and Silver City in Idaho. |
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Trip 2007: Jumping from the Frying Pan into the Fire – Evacuation From Jarbidge, Nevada |
California/Nevada/Idaho: First, the Inyo Complex Fire nearly torched my home. A week later, the Murphy Complex Fire chased my wife, parents and I out of Jarbidge, Nevada. And in between were the Thompson, Tungsten, US93 Complex and Telegraph Hill Fires. Talk about burning rubber! |
Miscellaneous
New page added 6/06/07
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Updated 6/26/2008 – My personal truck, what I've done to and with it, and how it has held up since I bought it new in '02. |
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The guy who runs this website, where he's at and what he's done. |
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Returned to the Website from Great Basin Research Updated 3/12/2008 – The eastern Sierra Nevada and Death Valley is a mecca for automobile manufacturers the world over to come and test their future models. I often see them and occasionally am successful in capturing them. |
Historical
Stuff
These
pages are carryovers from my former website,
Great Basin Research
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Updated 6/10/07 - The lynching of Joseph L. Simpson in Skidoo, California in 1908 has been documented in many books. Read about Joe's life for the years leading up to his murdering a leading Skidoo citizen and the subsequent lynching of Joe, and the aftermath that has spurred legends. |
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The '27 Brill was purchased for use on the Death Valley Railroad to bring tourists to the region. Within a few years it went into industrial use, then put out to pasture for many years at Laws Railroad Museum. Several years ago, several industrious people hatched a plan to restore the car, and since then many equally industrious people have played a part in its restoration to running condition. |
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This large series reinstated from Great Basin Research: Many pages, state by state, locality by locality. Newspaper articles from the period press and miscellaneous items culled from years of my personal historical research in county courthouses and museums. Updated periodically. The link to the left will open a separate state list page, selecting a state will open its own index page. Several localities updated May 4, 2007. New locations created and uploaded January 2008. |
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Originally published in THE ALBUM Magazine, this page is an account about one of the first settlements in eastern California. |
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This manuscript, written for THE ALBUM Magazine never published, recounts in allegorical fashion the 1911 killer avalanche at Jordan, California; which snuffed out the life of several people except one. |
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Originally published in THE ALBUM Magazine, a manuscript about the large pleasure passenger boat that once roamed the waters of Mono Lake but now rots along its emaciated shore. |
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Email your comments, questions, etcetera to this website. |
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Recent modifications to this site and individual pages over the months. |
©2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 D.A. Wright
All Rights Reserved
Last Revision:
NEW
TRIP! Western Death Valley National Park –
Hunter Mountain, Hidden Valley, The Racetrack, Lippincott Mine,
Lippincott Grade. Taken with several members of the Panamint
Charlie.com Internet forum. Off site trip account. Due to format
of the 4WDTrips.net board, I had to post this trip over four
separate postings. Scroll down through all four.