Hiking To The "Roughest" Ghost Town In Death Valley 

Thanks everyone for checking out the video!! I hope you watch till the very end for a special announcement/opportunity. If you're interested in participating, the mailing address is PO Box 490. Lone Pine, CA 93545. See you all soon! Have an amazing week!

I explored that region back in 67-69 when I was just a high school kid interested in mining camps and ghost towns. Now I'm going to turn 70 in July and so glad to have experienced the region of Death Valley and the Panamint Range. For those who love solitude, history and just that haunted, lonely feeling you get when exploring old haunts of the old west, go for it, you will be richly rewarded.

In the early 1980s, my father and I drove our jeep up to Panamint City to visit one of the miners my dad knew. The road was well-maintained by both the mining company and Inyo County and could easily be traversed by passenger car. Active underground hardrock silver mining was going on in Panamint City at that time but the operation looked fairly small -- maybe a dozen or less men. We spent several hours at the mine touring the operation and later ate lunch (miner's stew) prepared by one of the miners at the Hilton cabin. In the 1983, several storms and cloudbursts hit the Panamint Mountain Range hard resulting in several flash floods that washed out the road near the mouth of the canyon where the small waterfalls are making the road impassable. By that time, the spot price of Silver had receded significantly from previous highs of $50 an ounce ($350 today when adjusted for inflation) making the mine less profitable resulting in its closure. Starting in the 1990s, Panamint City was "rediscovered" by many off road enthusiasts who would winch their jeeps up the several waterfalls and then drive up Surprise Canyon into Panamint City. These off-road adventures came to a halt when the BLM closed Surprise Canyon to all motor vehicle traffic in May 2001. Today, Panamint City is one of the quintessential hikes in the Death Valley area. For most, it is too long and strenuous for a day hike -- 5 miles distance and 3700 feet elevation gain. But it's a perfect back packing destination and is best explored in the Spring and Fall when temperatures are moderate. From Ballarat drive north on Indian Ranch Road for 2 miles and then turn right onto Surprise Canyon Road which bears north east. As you ascend from the valley floor up the bajada towards Surprise Canyon 4 miles away, the road becomes becomes rough and a high clearance vehicle or 4x4 might be necessary. Park at the trailhead which is Chris Wicht Camp (an area that was once populated by a handful of residents until it burned down under reportedly suspicious circumstances in 2006) and prepare to get your feet wet as you carefully ascend the slippery waterfalls. From there it's a gradual but somewhat steep hike to Panamint City with intermittent areas of shade, open canyon and bushwacking (especially in the lower half of the hike). Once you reach Panamint City, potable drinking water (best to treat it just in case) is available year around at a faucet by the garage (red iron structure ) shown at 16:11. "The Hilton" Cabin is ok to stay in but "The Castle" in Sourdough Canyon (about 1500 feet NW of the Hilton Cabin) is the most comfortable accommodation. Both cabins have wood burning stoves for those chilly nights. You'll find other structures nearby that are suitable for shelter, but not nearly as well appointed. From Panamint City, one can explore what remains of the old 20 stamp mill with its tall square red brick smoke stack that's still standing like a sentinel, the other cabins and structures, the mining equipment, the mine itself, the tram way and the many old roads that lead to numerous mines up canyon and on the northern and southern slopes of Surprise Canyon. After exploring what the canyon has to offer, return to your camp/cabin for a evening of solitude and quiet that's only occasionally interrupted by braying sounds of the wild burros that roam the surrounding hillsides. If you do decide to go, I promise you won't regret visiting this hidden gem in the Southwestern desert. Edit: I forgot to mention that a small part of the 1967/1968 biker movie "The Glory Stompers" starring Dennis Hopper and Casey Kasem seen here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-in26d7UFILk.html from 2:05:41 to 2:08:40 was filmed in Panamint City.

The Panamint mountains (in Death Valley) is an amazing place to camp. Fields of wild flowers, little pools of water surrounded by trees to bathe in, the bats covering the sky (and disappearing) for a precise time about 5 pm every night, packs of wild burros, spectacular view of the stars.....

That is a hell of a hike, always has been since our first trek up there with the Boy Scout in 2010. I've done it 7 or 8 times now. With all of those trips except the last one with Mr Rob Tyler and his son. Seeing the Castle still in great shape is excellent as its come a long way from when we found it in 2011. Now we didn't discover it by any means but Mr Tyler definitely made it a point to make the place a haven for tired hikers and really clean the place up. So many people have put a lot of time and love into that place and it's great to see. Reading the comments with the outpouring of support for Rob and his son Brett was enough to bring a tear to my eye as I thought about the years and the miles hiking that trail with those guys, and how I miss it. I know Rob still has plans to go back up there sometime and I do as well leading a new generation of scouts there sometime in the next few months as Mr Tyler did for me. So thank you for the great video and telling a cool story of this great place.

Hi Brent I'm 97 yrs old woman who's lived all my life in Detroit when you commented on crumbling city's and towns I thought to myself I've seen Detroit in its hay day and watching it still slowly crumble business's and people leave..what's left isn't as beautiful as where you are ..but it's peaceful Love watching your videos.. thanks ♥️

My guy is just out here livin his best life, Buying old ghost towns and saving Great history. Love it man. Keep it up!!!

You have done awesome becoming an "extroverted Introvert" in your life (me too.) Great videos, look forward to more!

I am now 70 and I stayed in Panamint in the later 70's. This brought back wonderful memories. Even a spiritual hipply lady who guided people in peyote spiritual journeys. An a very old man who loved there at the creek. Thank so much to nostalgia. Steven Sacks Kumamoto Japan.

Man, that Tyler family story is hesrt breaking. Hope Rob is doing ok. The world is all too cruel.

Back in the late 1950's my dad once took us up to Panamint City, and believe or not, as an eight year old kid, I thought the old dirt road was too bad to drive on. We managed to get most of the way. That Canyon though, I don't remember it being that gouged out since we drove up it. But then, I imagine, the flash floods would have decimated the road since the canyon would have funneled the water and created a great force to carve it. Thank you, Brent, this video brought back good childhood memories. As my late father used to say, "In the end, Mother Nature, will always win." That old cabin called "the Castle" was absolutely great to see! Shows how strong the bond can be between a father and his son, doesn't it? Fantastic video, Brent! Thank you for the time and effort you put into them. Stay safe.

Because of this video, the part at the end, I finally looked at a book my grandfather owned to see what it was about. It’s just been sitting with my other old books collecting dust. He died the year after I was born, so I don’t remember meeting him, and I didn’t hear a lot about him growing up except that he was a lifetime gold miner here in Oregon. Well, the book…is about mines. Of course! Now I have to read it, and risk being struck by the same gold bug that got my granddad. 😆 After that, it’s yours.

I live in a super tiny gold mining town in Nevada. A lot of the scenery in this video and most if not all of these videos really looks very similar to the view I have nowadays. I came from Washington so it was quite a shock to move from the greenery of Washington State and a decent sized city to the middle of nowhere in a desert in Nevada. It took me around a year to really settle in and not feel so far away from home and actually feel like where I live now is home. It's extremely beautiful and peaceful. I love where I'm at now and no longer miss the state of my birth. The middle of nowhere Nevada is now home.

I love how visitors are taking care of the structures left and leaving history and newspapers. It's so awesome. 🥰

How to Brent: 1. Wave and say, “Hello there!” 2. Slap chest and say, “My name is Brent.” 3. Say that you have been living at a ghost town for ‘n’ months or ‘n’ years. 4. Drone shot 5. Something about how living in a Ghost town is good for you. 6. Hotel 7. Jeans 8. Must find a new way into union mine

I never would have found your videos if it wasn’t for Matt from off the ranch. I am now obsessed with watching all of your content. I have nothing but time recovering from cancer.

A nod to hundreds of common folks who made this town possible. Yeah you need the folks with the money to buy the materials, but it's the common folks that made life possible here. The ones that built the road and the buildings. Hats off to the working people.

The waterfalls and greenery made your hike look like you were entering a different world let alone town! Its sad that not much remains as it must have taken so much effort to get everything there. However the way mother nature claims the land back just goes to show how important it is to preserve places such as Cerro Gordo. Thank you for taking us all along. Hope you and the animals are enjoying warmer weather!

Good afternoon Brent, I'm actually from the Australian town of Ballarat. The town of Ballarat and the surrounding areas are huge with mining history. Predominantly gold mining. My son and I watch every one of your videos together, and look forward to each and every one. Keep up the great work. Kind regards Geoff and Kaleb. #aussiefans

oh my, I love how you went to ballarat. i used to go to the ballarat in australia so much. my grandparents owned a farm there. and my family came to australia due to the gold rush in ballarat! love it

This video left a lump in my throat. Just seeing the wood on the cabins. No wood can look like that unless it's 100 years old. Rob's note was special (I was waiting for you to read it to us). Thanks Brent.

I have learned more about mining towns, their history and locations from watching your channel than researching myself. You're a great teacher and a decent soul. I was moved by Mr. Tyler's tribute to his son.

I met Brent in Ballarat in the back of the General Store talking with some of the locals. Super nice guy and invited us to go see his ghost town. These were some amazing places in and near Death Valley.

That walk up the creek at 10:25 is absolutely magical. Like going through a hidden tunnel that ends up in a valley of the forgotten.

Thank you for taking us on this tour. We live in Northwest Nevada and love exploring ghost towns. Unfortunately, we can't make this kind of trek. We are both in our 60's and my husband had surgery for a broken back. But we love to see your videos. Thanks again!

I am an Aussie…took me a while to understand the town that Brent was saying was named after an Australian town. We pronounce it BAL-AGH-RAT not bawl-agh-rat. Another great update, thank you Brent.

I've had 3 hip replacements. Yes 3. So my days of hiking and exploring are over. Your adventures remind me of some of the beauty of life. I thank you.

Very cool. Thanks for taking me on your hike. Now when you hear someone complain their life is tough, take them here.

Brent, thanks for the trip up the hill to see the old cabins. I never saw them in 1963 when I drove my new Chevy Corvair up to P.C. Some where I have a picture of my car parked at the base of that smokestack.. The road then was OK for little cars. In 1972 a flood took out that road, but it was still OK for jeeps. Then in 1984 a massive flood took out everything. Now the only way to get there is hike! All that machinery must have been taken up before '72. Lots of memories! ! Thanks again.....

Brent thanks for making this video !! . The last time I was in Panamint city was in 1992 during CA4WDC Panamint Valley days with my Jeep . Driving up those 7 waterfalls , actually winching up them wasn't fun . That yellow colored mining equipment you found in the bottom of the canyon in the wash was used as a wincing anchor point at the top of the falls I remember seeing that old pickup but it's sad to see how bad the cabins in Panamint city have become . Also that metal building with the newer mining equipment was in much better condition than it is now . There used to be a Ford 2.5 ton dump truck , grader and bulldozer there also And yes that 80' tall chimney is awesome to see and it still looks good some 30 yrs later . Again thanks the trip back down memory lane , it was an awesome video you made

Its amazing how long things can last when not bothered or destroyed by humans.

Brent: you're one of the most amazing people I've ever "met" on the interwebz. You're living the dream that so many of us had as kids, and I'm so happy to be a part of it all, however tangential that part may be. Keep 'em coming, mon ami, and please know that for every hike, mine exploration or simple walks around Cerro Gordo, we, your invisible friends, walk with you!

Thank you for taking us along. For health reasons I can’t get around like you can, but feel like I can still explore through your eyes.

This was a magical trek. At time stamp 10:30 - 10:45 it looks like you were entering an enchanted forest, and fairytale creatures would appear along the way. 😍 The hike along the streams and waterfalls was stunning. The smokestack is magnificent and the signs of it starting to crumble, even though it is to be expected, the thought of it eventually collapsing, makes me sad. And to Mr. Tyler, who rebuilt the "castle", I am glad he was able to spend time building it with his son, Brett. I was able to pause the video in spots and read portions of the entries. Brings added meaning to this trek, as I see images of faces long gone...Lola, Mr, Reddy, Remy Nadu, the picture of seldom seen Slim, and his final resting place... show the people that lived in these places, and left their mark. Seeing the image of the 20 mule teams freight company, and then seeing the wild mules, walking around, living in the ruins of Ballarat, blew my mind. I usually rewatch, soaking in every bit of the history. Thank you so much for taking us to Ballarat and Panamint City. ❤️ Can't wait for your next video! Until then, take care, Brent. Happy Easter!

My father and my uncle at ages from 14 and 17 grew up in the bush. 8 kids, mother died and father worked away and could only make it back occasionally. (He walked all night to be home for Christmas one year). My Father and my Uncle lived off the land and with help from the native population. They were like billy goats when I had the privilege to climb with them when I was younger. Also a sense of direction that I would trust as much as a compass or GPS.

I love seeing your videos. My husband and I love visiting old gold mines and ghost towns and learning about their history. You do a great job of bringing their history to light.

Easily one of the most fascinating channels on RU-vid! Such incredible history and the views are just breathtaking! Thank you Brent!

That hike was amazing. Wow.

These videos have me feeling like a kid again. When we used to explore abandoned places, walk the train tracks, wondering what places looked like before we were born. I love this channel. I would still be doing this stuff but I have a lot of health and heart issues. So these videos help scratch the itch for adventure into histories.

Thank You for sharing these videos of these Beautiful abandoned places, I must say Thank You Panamint has really touched My heart .And Thank You Tyler for making that cabin so Special,definitely would Love to visit Panamint cabin some day💕

Every single video Brent makes is absolutely amazing. Full of history, natural beauty and amazing effort. There aren't many channels driven by this kind of passion and it really does make a difference.

As always, love your videos BUT I just wanted to let you know and I believe I'm not the only one, you don't only have to post videos about Cerro Gordo history, mines, or other ghost towns. You living in Cerro Gordo has so much people would be interested in as well. For me living in the boonies near Lake Mead/Grand Canyon West, there's a lot of having to do things on a whim, being creative, using old materials, etc. You have animals that definitely are a part of Cerro Gordo, as well as you. You living there and how your daily life and things you have to do ARE interesting (taking care of the animals, what do you do with them (just leave them in the pen, or take them out sometimes?), your garden beds. What ever happened with those? How did they turn out? What challenges did you have with them? I'm not saying your videos aren't great. They are and I'm a big fan. I only say this because there was that lull for a while, where you weren't posting much. Maybe it was just burnout. Maybe you didn't feel you had anything to share. But your everyday life, the challenges you face, how you attempt to overcome them, how your plan turned out if it worked or didn't work are all something I know I'd personally love to also see in your videos. I watch a lot of off-grid type of stuff and DIY videos as well and, for instance, where you live, I would imagine using an outhouse in the winter has to suck. But there's ways people off-grid have made bathrooms using a 5 gallon bucket with shavings at the bottom, then covering with more wood shavings and it supposedly doesn't smell. I actually had to do this myself last summer when it was 102-104 degrees in July and a microburst took out 25 power poles, leaving us with no electricity. No electricity, no way to pump my well or well pump from my tank to my house. So water was a huge issue because you need it to drink, to bathe, to cook, as well as flush toilets. So that came in real handy. A toilet seat fit right on it perfectly. Some of these off - grid people build a whole setup around that bucket where it's nice. See Off Grid with Doug and Stacey and their toilet videos, lol. Other good channels are Girl in the Woods and her husband's channel Bushradical and videos from 9252lifeoffgrid (until the past month when they went back on grid). Each of those channels shows the challenges and difficulties they face and how they work to overcome them. Other things could be solar ovens if power were out, or rocket stoves for cooking outside for the same reason. I myself took old refrigerators people threw out in the desert and painted them, drillled holes in the bottom and made them as raised garden beds and they work great because they're insulated, which is a good thing in hot, dry zones. Again, the DIY things are just endless to make it work here for me and you probably most definitely have that going on as well. It's still a part of Cerro Gordo -- your life living in the middle of nowhere, far away from everything Cerro Gordo. Anyway, I hope u get that we all love your videos and EVERYTHING you have to deal with there,where it's not easy to just go to the store to buy something, but rather have to DIY, improvise, and make things work. :)

The name the castle, I would say perfect fit for that place. And still looks very livable. I will say thank you rob as well. And my condolences on losing your son. The man did a great job of saving a lot of historical valued items as well as his history. Again thanks for this video this is awesome. Like I said before I would love to live up there. I like Solitude and privacy. Even at my age is 65. I can't think of a better place to spend the last years of my life then right there at the castle.

You should do a story time of any creepy encounters you’ve had in the mines

There's an episode of the "Gold Fever" show with Tom Massey, where he and one of his daughters hike up there. But he had also been there when he was younger, and remembered the days of being able to drive up the road. During the show, he runs into a old guy in Ballarat, who explains that he was working on buildings in Panamint City when the 'final' flood happened in 1983. The guy said an investor was having the facilities renovated and equipment updated, and planned to reopen workings there. The crews finished work on a payday Friday, and left to go whoop it up in the nearest town. He said when they were leaving, they could se the storm clouds on the way. The following week, the road was gone. He talks about the thousands of dollars of equipment which had to be abandoned. From what I remember, the canyon was still accessible to vehicles for people willing to winch themselves up until 2001, when the government closed it to OHV's.

As an Australian I feel it's my duty to correct your pronunciation of Ballarat. (Bell-a-rat) or (Bal -uh-rat). Doesn't make sense but neither do Australians. 😃 Love the videos and the explorations.

Good evening from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Thank you VERY much for sharing this experience with us!! Like you, we have tons of mining history in our area. It all is so fascinating. I look forward to exploring the CA mining history some day!

This is one of the best channels on RU-vid

Isn't it strange that within a couple of decades of each other, two towns, both called Ballarat, both based on gold mining, both notorious for their 'night-life'...existed in California and in Australia.

Hey Brent...would be good to know something about the wildlife (birds, mammals, reptiles etc.) that surround you in this magical place. Keep up the good work. All best from the UK.

I'm such an empath, and at some points I find it hard for me to click on your videos because I always end up with a knot in my throat, I always end up with the feels about the town and the people, ones have perished in particular.. Its crazy how we leavea bit of our selves in certain places, even far after we're gone... more amazing that after us get to experience similar things.. You're very good at capturing these things, and excellent at putting it into words for us to listen. Thank you.

This is awesome! I hiked up to Panamint last month with my 14 year old son because I was inspired by your videos of Cerro Gordo! The hike was TOUGH! Took us about ten hours going up but on 4 hours back down. We camped under the old smoke stack and hiked up to the Wyoming mine! Thanks for visiting Panamint its awesome to feel connected to your journeys, someday soon we will be coming to visit Cerro Gordo! Let me know if you need HVAC 😉

This is the biggest gift ever, taking us with you on these incredible adventures, places some of us wouldn't even know existed! I continue to be fascinated and I can't wait to see the Death Valley in person. Thank you 😃

This use to be one of the best 4wd Rock Crawling spots back in its infancy. The waterfalls were legendary obstacles.

Thanks for the video! I had the privilege of meeting Seldom Seen In 1968 just before he died. He had a nasty case of skin cancer but was amiable and it was a pleasurable experience. The road to Panamint City was good then.

Thank you for sharing this adventure! Stories like that of the father and son bring tears to my eyes, along with motivation and inspiration.

Brett I really appreciate your videos as they exude the love and joy you find in discovering and revisiting the amazing brave men that did one of the hardest jobs in the world. My dad spent most of his life as a miner. At age 14 he went to work underground in the coal mines of Cadomin Alberta to help support his family. He mined gold underground in Yellowknife Northwest Territories, copper in Brittania Beach BC and ultimately finished his career above-ground in an open pit mine in Arizona. He was the hardest working man I've ever known and took pride in every job he ever did. He also never threw anything out and found amazing ways to save and repurpose. We spent years talking about mining and we shared day trips exploring many of the abandoned mines in Arizona. He spoke with pride and sometimes sadness when he reminisced of his life as a miner. He passed away a few years ago from lung cancer but ever time I see one of your videos it reminds me of the man I admired and remember so fondly.

Hi Bret love your videos. The town in Australia is called Bal-la-rat Keep up the very informative videos Cheers from Daryle from Western Australia

From Australia, I enjoyed your trek immensely, looking forward to more episodes.

THIS is amazing, YOU are just super amazing. Please never stop, love from Amsterdam.

Something about the castle and that little note hit different. Hope the guy manages to find some peace, cannot imagine the pain of loosing a child before the parent. Life can be cruel

Thanks for filming this. This was my second backpacking trip, all during covid, and I already have fond memories. I cracked my rib when I slipped climbing up the waterfall, but the rest of the hike was still worth it. The sunset was one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.

I have only just found your channel and am busy watching the back-episodes. I was born and raised in the village of Buxworth in Derbyshire, England a few doors away from the home of Joel Clayton, who emigrated to California in the early 1800s and founded the town of Clayton California. (Buxworth was named Bugsworth when Joel lived there.) Watching your videos has brought Clayton and Mount Diablo back into my mind and I'm imagining a lot of similarities back in the day with Cerro Gordo- rightly or wrongly. I had the fortune to visit Joel's house in Clayton in the 1990s, but your videos bring its 1800s life into my imagination. Thank you for the personal memories and also for your very informative, educational and enjoyable work. I hope you manage to achieve all you wish.

I am beyond words of how well this was produced and how much I enjoyed it. Thank you sir!

Bro, that is absolutely beautiful! I used to live in that area(trona) with my wife and three young children, all girls. I've had several of those grueling hikes after riding up there on dirt bikes ATVs etc but the cinematography that you offered is outstanding because we were all exhausted exploring those places. If you love dirt biking ATV and four wheeling I suggest anywhere just outside of death valley.... In the winter.

My mom had a mustang she got from a girl who left for college in 1962 that was named Panamint, after the Mountain Range. The horse was over 20 years old when mom got him, and her sister won 2nd place in a 4-H race that summer. Pretty good considering that he was facing the wrong way when the race started! He passed away on the Michigan farm I grew up on in 1973, and was buried in the apple orchard. The Amish own the farm now and the orchard is a pasture for cows.

Facinating history, loved the video, thank you Brent. Kindest regards from the UK.

Have to give it to this guy. Gave up everything to give this shit a go, recorded it, RU-vidd it and has nearly 1.5mil subscribers. You did it man. Congrats. Here since day one.

Your little hikes back into history is so very cool. You tell the stories so well too. Thank you

I love this channel and this presenter. He’s so interested in everything and so intrepid. Thank you

Great video - again! Had driven to this place several times, when there was still a road of sorts. Stood in that large crack in the chimney! Brother did the cultural resources (archaeology) survey for the most recent mining outfit. Heard they landed a plane there! You do great work!

I just love how much you have grown to appreciate the simple things and struggle of the people working in these towns!!

What a beautiful hike, those waterfalls are stunning. I can't realistically take on these kind of physical tasks, but I'm glad you share them with us. Such fantastic sights!

Brent, I was watching this video, listening to you talk about the amazing human history left in these abandoned places you go to. They are truly amazing, although watching the portion about Rob Tyler restoring the "Castle", made me think that even though there is amazing history in these places but Rob, his son, you, and people like you means there is still plenty of room to make more history in these places. Thank you for your service.

I took my first flu shot on July 5th and on July 7th two days later I got so sick I've been dying today I'm very sick and dying the only dream I have is too visit Cera Gorda just too see it I'm an American citizen in North Texas and I'm going too die never seeing Cera Gorda. I've been too the grand canyon and Las Vegas because of my grandparents but I'm never going too get too see your town. I'm very sick today and I could only dream of my wife of 35 years and my 15 year old daughter will never see your beautiful town. Thank you brother for your beautiful videos. I don't believe I have a year left in my life. Thank you and I'm dying Waiting for your next video. Don't you realize you are American heroes doing what you do. I've been with my wife since we were 14 we are now 48 going on 35 years I know the love America means.

As a resident of modern day Ballarat Australia it’s amazing that even back in those days information was still able to travel across the globe. I’ve lived here my whole life but never knew that a hopeful prospector would name a town with the dream of striking big like many of the miners here. Love the content keep it up!

nice, waiting from Hungary and in time for a relaxed evening.

Thank you for sharing your excitement of the history of the surrounding area there! The castle and history of Rob Tyler and his son was so special. thank you.

Great content. Always enjoy your adventures

I love when you go out and explore. The quality of your videos are so clear I feel like I'm there with you. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us all.

I really love when you take us for an adventure and share the history, it must be a blast walking the wash and then in the end finding the miners village and see all the things that still exist🤠⛏

Visited Panamint City in about 1978 and again in 82 or 83. The first trip was easy in a 4 wheel drive pickup and the second time had to use the wench on our Jeep to get over water fall at White Wall canyon. We camped in the open near the great chimney and explored the mines on both north and south walls. I was most impressed by the smooth wagon road from the big oar shoot to the large mine on the south wall. It must have taken a lot of labor to build the retaining walls and fill the crevices with stone and then top with soil to make a level smooth wagon road to the mine. Also explored a mine high on the North rim which we had to climb up the hill to enter through a narrow slot. I remember there being a very deep vertical shaft in the floor of the mine which we had to cross using a timber and scaffolding high on the walls of one of the larger chambers. We did not see any active mining going on at this time but there was some heavy equipment on the way up the canyon. We did encounter a couple free spirits who were living there and gave one young lady a ride up the canyon while on a supply run which I soon regretted since she apparently had not bathed in some time. I have a few pictures in my album at the town remaining structures and mines. I was also impressed with the remains of many buildings which appeared to have been washed out in a great flood. Lots of broken pieces of champagne bottles and what looked like shell fish. On our way out of the canyon we explored some buildings on the north side of the canyon and I recall seeing a very large pelton wheel which was serviced by a metal banded and tar covered wooden water pipe coming from high out of the canyon. I have fond memories of time spent over many years with my friends back then exploring places like this, Saline Valley, Hiking into Beverage,the Race Track, Eureka Sand Dunes and many other places along the Inyo and White mountain ranges. Thanks for keeping these memories alive on your channel for future generations to enjoy and think about.

Thanks for bringing us along, such a beautiful and interesting hike!

Gorgeous hike! Thanks for taking me along again!

What a gorgeous walk up the stream! And the Hilton volunteer cabin….very well cared for. I wouldn’t mind staying there for sure! Despite the decay, very interesting place. Isn’t it amazing what is hidden in our mountains and desert? Thank you so much for sharing a place I will never in this lifetime get to. Just stunning! Even the second cabin you went into was just amazing. ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for the adventures that you have given to the people like myself who would like to be out there , but can't because of age. Keep up the good work your friend Frank

Thankyou for bringing us on this amazing tour. Love it

Brent, when I hear you breath somewhat labored, I then know that journey takes amazing physical condition. You are a stud and motivate so many. Cant wait to see you and CG again soon!!!

Arguably your best video ever! Thank you for sharing you knowledge of how these places came to be. Facinating!

Thanks for doing this and making the effort to keep a bit of history alive!

Thank you for taking the time and effort in sharing these amazing journeys. It's so appreciated that you get to take us along on these amazing adventures. i wish there was a way to balance a corporate life with the adventure life. Thanks to Covid, our work environment changed, and became more remote, however we're still tied to in person days. My dreams of working off a mifi in the back of a transit by day, and adventuring out exploring this beautiful countryside by evening and weekends will need to wait. Until then, i will keep imagining walking with you through all these adventures. thank you, sincerely.

You got my attention This should be good. Greetings from YUMA AZ and a beautiful spring afternoon.

Thank you for bringing us along on these great adventures !

That was beautiful! Thank you for taking us along.

Thanks Brent ...I like how you present these video logs and can't wait to send a couple of books for the new book vault .Cheers !

Another amazing video! Thank you for taking us along, Brent!!!

Thanks Brent. I throughly enjoyed watching your adventure. I've watched from day 1. Carnt wait for next vid.

Thanks for keeping us in your loop.

This is absolutely mesmerizing, thank you for the trek 👍👏♥️

That was a wonderful journey into the past. Thank you for sharing! 👊