Panamint City revisited 2014 (1 Viewer)

[65swb45]

I got to do an amazing three day backpack trip into the Panamints last week. Haven't been there in 20 years. I was part of a TLCA Thanksgiving run [back when the Thanksgiving run was MUCH BIGGER than Rubithon] in 1991 that winched up the waterfalls and drove in to Panamint City.

The road in the lower half of the canyon is completely overgrown with vegetation. Even if you wanted to winch up now, it wouldn't be possible. I did find several of the old pilon holes that were drilled for the winch anchors in the granite.

One haggard pic from Day 3 on the descent.

 

[65swb45]

One of many anecdotes from this trip.

I ended up borrowing a couple of pieces of Randy's mountaineering gear. Lightweight and compact, they were a big help on keeping precious backpack space available for other items.

When we got in to Panamint City on Friday, we were the only ones there. On Saturday we hiked up and over Panamint Pass on the way to Hungry Bill's on the Death Valley side. When we returned to camp, almost 20 more people had hiked in!

We walked down into their encampment because that's where the water source was. I saw a young woman that looked slightly familiar. I asked her if she had been in Saline Valley back in January. She brightened right up and said that yes, she had been there with Randy Worth and the Trail Crew. What a small world.

 

[65swb45]

The smokestack from the smelter still stands, but for how long, I'm not sure. The western face of the concrete base is crumbling.

 

[mazder]

Good times Mark. I hiked the Falls two years ago but I didn't make it all the way out. One of these days I plan on leaving a few days before Panamint valley days and hike all the way to Panamint City.

 

[65swb45]

Good times Mark. I hiked the Falls two years ago but I didn't make it all the way out. One of these days I plan on leaving a few days before Panamint valley days and hike all the way to Panamint City.

Be prepared for COLD weather at that time of year. I went up for PV Days in 1992 IIRC, and it was 17 degrees at night in Panamint City!

 

[Otis]

I got to do an amazing three day backpack trip into the Panamints last week. Haven't been there in 20 years. I was part of a TLCA Thanksgiving run [back when the Thanksgiving run was MUCH BIGGER than Rubithon] in 1991 that winched up the waterfalls and drove in to Panamint City.

Mark,

I was on that run also but did not make it up the waterfalls because of not having a winch... I found a few photos of the run but unfortunately none of your truck. I posted them here: http://socallandcruisers.com/photo/Older Club Runs/1991 TLCA Thanksgiving Run - Panamint/index.html

Chris

 

[65swb45]

Ha! That's me in the coat with my back to the camera! I was the navigator for the guy in the truck in this photo, Ken Hastings. I'll have to check out your link. Thanks Chris.

It was so cold...

When Paul Enos (Elvira) from the Southern Nevada Land Cruisers flopped his mini on the last waterfall going up, everything in his flatbed fell out. his ice chest opened up, and we discovered that the extra case of beer he was carrying in the bed was COLDER than the beer in the ice chest!

We all had several extra pairs of socks because we had been warned about the winching. Ken couldn't find has last pair when we got to the city, and had to spend the night in wet socks. On the way down the next day, i happened to spot them at the edge of the water. What I picked up looked like socks, but they had been transformed into a block of ice!

 

[FJ45Dude]

What a great set of pictures! Thanks for posting and this is an area I know little about, but want to know more.