Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Palmetto Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town
Palmetto Nevada is a ghost town located just off of highway 168 about 30 miles west of Lida, in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
In 1866, three prospectors, H.W. Bunyard, Thomas Israel and T.W. McNutt worked the area north of the townsite and discovered silver deposits. The camp was named Palmetto, when the miners assumed the Joshua Trees in the area were a relative of the Palmetto Tree. A 12-stamp mill was constructed on the site, however the miners could not produce enough the keep the mill in operation. Their fortunes failed and within one year the camp was abandoned.
In 1906 a revival occurred at Palmetto, and the mines were reopened. Mare Latham of Goldfield Nevada, and Nesbitt Brothers., of Columbia, have assay outfits on the ground in the area. Miners poured into the area along with the people and businesses who serviced and profited off of the miners toils.
A tent city of over 200 tents soon formed. As soon as a tent was rolled off a wagon, it was hastily constructed. A commercial street was founded to support the stores, saloons, bakery, post office, bank and other professional services for the fledgling town.
Regardless of the surge in population, the mines around Palmetto Nevada soon declined again and so followed the town soon after. The populations of these boom towns migrated from site to site looking for opportunity and profit. The next town down the line was Blair, Nevada.
Thinking that local joshua trees were related to palm trees, the 1866 prospectors named the mining camp Palmetto. The town “died” and revived three times.
New prospecting in 1903 caused Palmetto to grow to a town of 200 tents on a platted townsite. At its peak year, 1906, the commercial street, over 1/2 mile long, contained all the necessary mining camp businesses.
Local miners drifted away in autumn, 1906. Mining, on a lease basis, has been minimal since that time. An important talc deposit lies nearby.
Nevada State Historic Marker #158
The town of Palmetto has a Post Office twice in its history. The last closure was December 31, 1906.
Palmetto did see a second resurgence in 1920. A new mill was built to support operations. Despite the best intentions, profits did not follow the venture and the location was abandoned for the last time.
Palmetto Trail Map
Resources
Oatman Arizona – Mohave County Ghost Town
Oatman Arizona is a small community with a rich history located in Black Mountains in Mohave County, Arizona. Located near Bullhead City, the town of was named for a young woman, Olive Oatman, whos family migrated west and was mascaraed by Native Americans in 1851. She was captured at the young age of fourteen, and traded to the Mohave Tribe were her face was tattooed. She was released in 1856 at Fort Yuma.
The mining community first saw activity in 1863 when a prospector, Johnny Moss, came into the Black Mountains and discovered gold. He placed several claims which he named for himself and Ms. Oatman. Mining activity continued the sputter for the next fifty years until the cost of transportation was reduced to allow a profitably venture.
In 1915, the town of Oatman was founded following the opening of the Tom Reed mine, and a rich ore deposit in the near by United Eastern Mining Company’s claim. The stage was set and the town become another gold boom town. From 1915 to 1917 the town grew and its mines produced about 10 million dollars and the population swelled to over 3,000 people.
The town continued to flourish in spite of a fire in 1921 which destroyed many of the smaller buildings. Oatmans sunset came with world war 2, when the war effort demanded a need for non-precious metals and the mining operations ceased at this location.
Today, the ghost town has a population of just over 100 citizens, who, host over 500,000 tourists each year who come to visit the town and its wandering population of burro. This towns existence at this point if no doubt to its proximity to historic Route 66 and Interstate 40 and remains a popular destination.
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Lone Pine Campground
Lone Pine Campground is a wonderful campground in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in Inyo County, California. The campground is located between Line Pine Creek and Inyo Creek just a few miles west of the city of Lone Pine. The campground is located the site of the old Rock Creek sawmill. This sawmill once operated at this location from the 1930s thru the 1950s.
Lone Pine Campground is a great place to stay. It is very scenic located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The sites are reasonably large and suitable for trailers. The Whitney Portal National Recreation Trail begins at west end of the campground. There is fishing in the nearby Lone Pine Creek and lots of outdoor activities.
The creek is of special significance to me personally. My grandfather taught me how to fish is the cool waters of the stream just about 50 feet away from our campsite. I was about five years old and remember placing my line in the waters in a nearby pool. My memory is that within 15 minutes I caught my limit of 10 fish, at that time. My dad to this day maintains that they recently stocked the stream, however I continue to maintain that this was early skill on may part.
This campground is a known bear active area, so safe food handling and trash disposal should be observed to protect yourself and the bears.
Campground Summary
| Name | Lone Pine Campground |
| Location | Lone Pine, Inyo County, California |
| Latitude, Longitude | 36.5974524,-118.1870643 |
| Elevation | 5885 feet |
| Sites | 42 |
| Amenities | Vault Toilet, Bear Boxes, Tables |
Directions
Located on Whitney Portal Road, six miles west of the town of Lone Pine, California.
Campground Map
References
Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius)
A favorite cast member of horror stories and adventure movies, the Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius) is a valuable member of the desert habitat and community. Although their relatively large size can be intimidating, they are reasonably harmless to humans, and their bite is along the lines of a bee sting. This hairy arachnid is known to live in the desert of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah and have a life span of 25 to 40 years
A member of the Arachnid Class of animals, tarantulas come equipped with eight legs, fangs and compound eyes. There body and legs are covered in short hairs and their overall size is typically between three and inches. This class of animals also include scorpions, mites and crabs. The long legs of the Desert Tarantulas equip the animal with amazing mobility over the hostile terrain of the desert southwest.
A nocturnal hunter, this spider lives on just about any animal of the correct proportion including small lizards, grasshoppers, beetles and other small insects. Like almost any other animal, the are a good food source for the tarantula hawks, lizards, snakes birds, coyotes and other small animals. The live in under ground burrows which offer protection from predator’s and heat. Their burrows are typically 6 in 8 inches in depth and are lined with silk to prevent collapse. The burrow opening will be closed in with silk when the animal is in residence.
This species of tarantula is known by may common names including Great Basin blonde, Fresno County blonde, Desert Tarantula, Salt Lake City Brown, Northern Blonde. Some more adventurous people will even keep these animals as pets.
Resources
Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Aphonopelma |
| Species: | A. iodius |
Oh! Ridge Campground
Oh! Ridge Campground is the first campground in the June Lake Loop located in the Eastern High Sierra in Mono County, California.
The campgrounds is at an elevtion of 7,600 feet. Campsites are a ridge in an open area above the shoreline of scenic June Lake. There is a day use area which has a a swimming beach located adjacent to the campground.
The outstanding lake and mountain views at this campground are a favorite spot for both families and anglers. Every campsite has a bear locker for food storage. Active bear area, bear boxes are provided and must be used (typical bear box size 48″x 30″x 36″).
June Lake serves as a wonderful place to camp and can be a great jumping off point to explore many of the Central Sierra’s attractions including Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park , Mono Lake, Lee Vining, Bodie State Historic Park, Bridgeport, Green Lakes, Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes, Crowley Lake and the Long Valley Caldera, Lundy Canyon, Virginia Lakes, Big Springs and the Upper Owens River, the Mono Craters, the Inyo Craters, and the Benton Hot Springs
Campground Summary
| Name | Oh! Ridge Campground |
| Location | June Lake Loop, Mono County, California |
| Latitude, Longitude | |
| Elevation | 7,600 feet |
| Number of Sites | 143 |
| Amenities | Bear Locker, Water, Flush Toilets |