| DEATH VALLEY |
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It was the right time of year and conditions were perfect. A congenial group from the Horseless Carriage Club of Southern California joined the
rugged Model T's for a “hub” tour of Death Valley . Furnace Creek Ranch was our base, Sheryl Hunter and Lee Chase tour chairman. The nights,
soft as velvet and days of mid 70-degree temps and a gentle breeze were made to order. Dr. Gregg Wilkerson, geologist with the BLM, made the
trip informative and entertaining with his knowledge of the area. His family joined MTFCSC in the 60’s and Julia says he became a geologist
because while Barney did roadside restoration she would take the kids for walks and collect pretty rocks. The group met in Baker and toured into
the park stopping at the salt creek gold discovery site where Gregg told of the prospector who made the discovery. Shoshone Museum was the
next stop and then on the ranch and dinner.
Saturday was the highlight of the trip for many. A drive by the Bull Frog Mine, named so because the gold nugget that started the rush was
imbedded in a green rock that resembled a frog. Then Rhyolite and the restored "bottle house" (some feel it is ruined with the new roof and
plaster). A roadside box lunch overlooking the debris and dilapidated buildings of Leadfield was enjoyed while Gregg related the story of how the
town grew from 70 people to 1,000 in one month due to the flamboyant Charles Courtney Julian. Some say Julian was “a flamboyant hayseed
huckster with a pungent but disarming folksy style, sly fox, thin, wiry, and shrewd, with a long vulpine nose and close set eyes”. He sold 1,500,000
shares of stock at ten cents a share then became the largest shareholder who convinced other shareholders to lock their stock in the bank vault
for two years while he sold his stock “for development". He is credited for building the Titus Canyon Road from the floor of Death Valley to
Leadfield. That was the road we took next and again were very lucky. The graders had just been through there so (although some said it was the
worst road they had ever been on) it was passable. What magnificent sights as we climbed pass the Bonanza King formation folded from thrust
forces that occurred during the Mesozoic period, the climb up Red Pass then descending through canyon walls 500ft high in some places and
barely wide enough to get a car through. Shaggy barked rabbit brush and greenish creosote bushes then desert tobacco with white tubular
flowers. It is early for most flowers but there was the yellow daisy like Groundsel in bloom.
The cars made it through fine, it’s the type of roads they were built for, and however John Myers had a bit of a problem in that the rim of his
steering wheel broke away from the spokes. He had lots of advice and finally with electricians and plastic it held—sort of.
Scotty's castle with restrooms, coffee and beer revived and restored but no gas. we went on to the Ubehebe crater then back to the ranch in time
refreshments and dinner it was a long drive and because there was no gasoline at Scotty's there was a lot of swapping back and forth of gas cans
and a couple of cars ran short.
Sunday was leisurely in comparison. Walks at Badwater, the spectacular Artist Drive and Zabrinske Point then the Visitor Center and some stopped
by the Harmony Borax Works.
Some loaded up and headed for home that evening but most hung out and traveled home in the morning when traffic was light and were urged to
check out the sand dunes, stove pipe wells and wild rose canyon on the way out of the park.
We will not forget and will relive in reverie this spectacular part of our world.
By Julia Wilkerson
rugged Model T's for a “hub” tour of Death Valley . Furnace Creek Ranch was our base, Sheryl Hunter and Lee Chase tour chairman. The nights,
soft as velvet and days of mid 70-degree temps and a gentle breeze were made to order. Dr. Gregg Wilkerson, geologist with the BLM, made the
trip informative and entertaining with his knowledge of the area. His family joined MTFCSC in the 60’s and Julia says he became a geologist
because while Barney did roadside restoration she would take the kids for walks and collect pretty rocks. The group met in Baker and toured into
the park stopping at the salt creek gold discovery site where Gregg told of the prospector who made the discovery. Shoshone Museum was the
next stop and then on the ranch and dinner.
Saturday was the highlight of the trip for many. A drive by the Bull Frog Mine, named so because the gold nugget that started the rush was
imbedded in a green rock that resembled a frog. Then Rhyolite and the restored "bottle house" (some feel it is ruined with the new roof and
plaster). A roadside box lunch overlooking the debris and dilapidated buildings of Leadfield was enjoyed while Gregg related the story of how the
town grew from 70 people to 1,000 in one month due to the flamboyant Charles Courtney Julian. Some say Julian was “a flamboyant hayseed
huckster with a pungent but disarming folksy style, sly fox, thin, wiry, and shrewd, with a long vulpine nose and close set eyes”. He sold 1,500,000
shares of stock at ten cents a share then became the largest shareholder who convinced other shareholders to lock their stock in the bank vault
for two years while he sold his stock “for development". He is credited for building the Titus Canyon Road from the floor of Death Valley to
Leadfield. That was the road we took next and again were very lucky. The graders had just been through there so (although some said it was the
worst road they had ever been on) it was passable. What magnificent sights as we climbed pass the Bonanza King formation folded from thrust
forces that occurred during the Mesozoic period, the climb up Red Pass then descending through canyon walls 500ft high in some places and
barely wide enough to get a car through. Shaggy barked rabbit brush and greenish creosote bushes then desert tobacco with white tubular
flowers. It is early for most flowers but there was the yellow daisy like Groundsel in bloom.
The cars made it through fine, it’s the type of roads they were built for, and however John Myers had a bit of a problem in that the rim of his
steering wheel broke away from the spokes. He had lots of advice and finally with electricians and plastic it held—sort of.
Scotty's castle with restrooms, coffee and beer revived and restored but no gas. we went on to the Ubehebe crater then back to the ranch in time
refreshments and dinner it was a long drive and because there was no gasoline at Scotty's there was a lot of swapping back and forth of gas cans
and a couple of cars ran short.
Sunday was leisurely in comparison. Walks at Badwater, the spectacular Artist Drive and Zabrinske Point then the Visitor Center and some stopped
by the Harmony Borax Works.
Some loaded up and headed for home that evening but most hung out and traveled home in the morning when traffic was light and were urged to
check out the sand dunes, stove pipe wells and wild rose canyon on the way out of the park.
We will not forget and will relive in reverie this spectacular part of our world.
By Julia Wilkerson
