Tag: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California and stretching into Nevada, is a land of extremes. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States, featuring the famously scorching Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level. The park’s vast and varied landscape includes towering sand dunes, rugged mountains, and colorful badlands. Despite its harsh conditions, Death Valley is home to a surprising diversity of life, with unique plant and animal species adapted to the extreme environment. The park also boasts stunning geological features such as the salt flats, volcanic craters, and canyons, offering visitors a breathtaking glimpse into the power of nature. Starry night skies and striking sunrises and sunsets add to the park’s otherworldly beauty, making it a unique destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

French Visitor Dies in Death Valley National Park

Posted on by
The hottest place on earth, Death Valley National Park is on the order with California and Nevada
The hottest place on earth, Death Valley National Park is on the order with California and Nevada

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — A 68-year-old French visitor died Monday, Aug. 17, after he and a traveling companion became stranded on a remote road in Death Valley National Park.

Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, and his travel companion, both from France, were traveling on West Side Road when their vehicle became stuck in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. With no other vehicles in the area, the men began walking across the salt flats toward Badwater Road to seek assistance. Temperatures reached 116°F that day. After about 1.3 miles, the man was unable to continue. His companion continued toward Badwater Road, where he eventually received assistance from a passing motorist and reported the incident at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center shortly after 2 p.m.

National Park Service rangers and an Inyo County deputy began a search and rescue operation about 2:13 p.m. A California Highway Patrol helicopter joined the search and located the man later that afternoon, approximately 1.5 miles from Badwater Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Inyo County coroner will determine the cause and manner of death.

“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the visitor who died,” said Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous. Death Valley is an extraordinary place, but its heat, distances, and remoteness can be dangerous, regardless of experience. We’re grateful to everyone who took part in the search, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Planning Ahead in Death Valley

Death Valley National Park covers vast, remote terrain where cell service is limited or nonexistent, and emergency help can be hours away. The park encourages all visitors to prepare for that reality before they set out:

  • Plan your route in advance and check current road and weather conditions.
  • Tell someone your plans — where you’re going and when you expect to return.
  • Carry ample water and supplies. The park recommends at least one gallon of water per person, per day, plus extra for vehicle emergencies.
  • Match your vehicle to the road. Many backcountry roads require high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles, and conditions can change without warning.
  • Bring a way to call for help where cell service may not reach, such as a satellite communicator or emergency beacon.
  • If your vehicle becomes disabled, staying with it is often the safest choice. It provides shade and shelter, and it’s far easier for search teams to spot than a person on foot in open terrain.
  • During periods of extreme heat, visitors are encouraged to stay on paved roads and avoid hiking at lower elevations.

The National Park Service urges all visitors to arrive prepared with the knowledge, equipment, and supplies to keep themselves safe until help arrives.

-nps.gov-

https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/2026-08-21.htm

The Lost Death Valley Germans

Posted on by

A Family’s Vanishing and the Discovery That Closed a 13-Year Mystery

The hottest place on earth, Death Valley National Park is on the order with California and Nevada
The hottest place on earth, Death Valley National Park is on the order with California and Nevada

In the searing July heat of 1996, a family of four German tourists from Dresden disappeared into the remote southwestern corner of Death Valley National Park. Their fate remained unknown for more than 13 years until amateur searchers uncovered skeletal remains and personal effects that finally explained what had happened.

Egbert Rimkus, a 34-year-old architect, was traveling with his 11-year-old son Georg Weber, his girlfriend Cornelia Meyer, 27, and her 4-year-old son Max Meyer. The group arrived in the United States on July 8, 1996, flying into Seattle and then continuing to Los Angeles. There they rented a green 1996 Plymouth Voyager minivan. After time in the San Clemente area and a stay at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas, they entered Death Valley National Park on July 22.

At the Furnace Creek Visitors Center they purchased a German-language guide to the park. That night they camped in Hanaupah Canyon. The next day they visited sites including an abandoned mining camp at Warm Springs, where Cornelia signed a visitor log with the names of all four family members and noted they were “going over the pass”—likely a reference to the rugged Mengel Pass. They also stopped at the Geologist’s Cabin in Butte Valley, taking an American flag labeled “Butte Valley Stone Cabin” that was later found in their van.

The family never returned. They had booked a flight home for July 27 but did not board it. Rimkus’s ex-wife, Heike Weber, grew concerned and contacted authorities. An Interpol alert was issued.

On October 21, 1996, a park ranger on a helicopter flight searching for illegal drug labs spotted the minivan in Anvil Spring Canyon, an extremely remote area closed to vehicles. The van had three flat tires and damaged rims; tracks showed it had been driven more than two miles in that condition over rocky terrain. Inside were camping gear, a Coleman sleeping bag, tent, toys, empty water and juice containers, beer bottles, a camera with exposed film, and the American flag from the cabin. Passports, wallets, money, and airline tickets were gone, indicating the family had left on foot intending to seek help.

An extensive search involving more than 45 searchers, helicopters, and horses covered hundreds of square miles at a cost of roughly $80,000. The only significant find was a single Bud Ice beer bottle under a bush about 1.7 miles from the van, beside a cleared ledge with a seat mark suggesting someone had rested in the shade. On October 26, 1996, the official search was called off. The family was presumed dead from heat exposure and dehydration in temperatures that routinely exceeded 110–115°F (43–46°C) in July.

For 13 years the case remained open but dormant, spawning internet speculation. In 2009, Tom Mahood, a volunteer with the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit who had become interested in the case, and his search partner Les Walker conducted independent explorations. Mahood theorized that after the van became stranded, the family walked south toward the perimeter of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake—about eight miles away—expecting a well-patrolled, fenced military boundary of the kind common in Germany. Instead they encountered open desert.

On November 12, 2009, Walker and Mahood discovered scattered skeletal remains of two adults in a remote section of Goler Wash, several miles southeast of the van site. Nearby were Cornelia Meyer’s passport, bank identification, wallet, pages from a German-language journal or planner containing business cards from places the family had visited, a wine bottle, another beer bottle matching those in the van, a toothbrush, and the sole of a small shoe that may have belonged to a woman or child. The remains and items were scattered over roughly 150 meters, appearing to radiate from the base of a small cliff.

Authorities recovered additional remains in follow-up searches. DNA testing positively identified Egbert Rimkus. Cornelia Meyer was identified through the personal effects found with the remains and the overall circumstances. Smaller bones recovered near the site were believed to belong to the two boys, but decades of extreme sun and weather had degraded them too severely for definitive DNA identification. The children have never been positively identified and remain listed as missing persons with Interpol.

Investigators and the medical examiner concluded there was no evidence of crime. The family most likely became stranded when their vehicle was disabled, then attempted to walk for help and succumbed to heat stroke, dehydration, and lack of shelter in the extreme midsummer desert conditions. Average high temperatures in the area in July approach 116.5°F (46.9°C).

The discovery by Mahood and Walker brought official closure to one of Death Valley’s most enduring modern mysteries. It stands as a stark reminder of the park’s unforgiving environment, where even prepared visitors can quickly face life-threatening conditions far from help. The adult remains were identified; the precise final resting places of the two young boys remain unknown.

Schwab California

Posted on by

Schwab, also spelled Schwaub, was a short-lived gold mining camp and ghost town in Inyo County, California, situated in the Funeral Mountains on the eastern edge of Death Valley. Located approximately 12 miles north of Ryan at an elevation of 3,389 feet (1,033 m), the townsite lies in Echo Canyon within the Echo-Lee Mining District. Today, it is a largely abandoned site within or near Death Valley National Park, accessible via desert roads best traveled in winter. Little remains beyond scattered ruins, leveled tent sites, piles of rusted tin cans, broken glass, and remnants of the nearby Stray Horse (or Inyo) Mine.

Schwab, California - “In the afternoon the townsite company drinks tea,” Death Valley Chuck-Walla magazine, Vol 2. No. 1, June 1907
Schwab, California – “In the afternoon the townsite company drinks tea,” Death Valley Chuck-Walla magazine, Vol 2. No. 1, June 1907

Founding and Early Development (1905–1906)

The town originated during the intense mining boom that swept the Death Valley region following the 1904 gold strike at Rhyolite, Nevada. Prospectors fanned out in search of extensions of the rich Bullfrog District deposits, including rumored lost mines like the Breyfogle. In January 1905, Mormon prospectors Chet Leavitt and Moroni Hicks discovered a promising quartz ledge known as the Stray Horse in Echo Canyon on the west side of the Funeral Range. Initial assays were disappointing, but a richer vein higher up led them to stake over 20 claims, including the Inyo Mine. They formed the Inyo Gold Mining Company with investors from Provo, Utah.

By late 1905—around Christmas—the townsite began to take shape down Echo Canyon. It was named Schwab in honor of Charles M. Schwab, the prominent American steel magnate (not to be confused with the later financier Charles R. Schwab). Schwab had invested heavily in regional mining ventures, including the nearby Skibo Mining Company (named after his Scottish castle) and claims resembling Rhyolite’s lucrative Montgomery-Shoshone Mine. The townsite was laid out just below the Skibo mine to support workers. Construction accelerated in early 1907, with supplies—including five boxcars of tents and equipment—shipped by rail to the area. A post office opened on March 18, 1907, with Eugene P. Houtz as postmaster (it closed permanently on August 15, 1907).

At its peak, Schwab supported a modest population of around 200 people. It featured basic services: a blacksmith shop, boarding house, general store, bakery, restaurant, and at least one saloon (housed in a tent). Infrastructure included a telephone line connected to Rhyolite via the Lee and Echo camps and a daily stage line. The Echo Miners Union provided some labor organization. The nearby Stray Horse/Inyo Mine served as the economic anchor, though the town primarily functioned as a supply and housing hub for the broader Echo-Lee District.

Unique Governance: The “Women of Schwab” (1907)

One of the most distinctive aspects of Schwab was its ownership and promotion by women—an unusual occurrence in the rough-and-tumble mining camps of the American West. The townsite company was taken over by three women: Gertrude Fesler (a young stockbroker from Chicago who had moved to Rhyolite to broker mining deals), Mrs. F.W. Dunn (of San Bernardino, who received her husband’s interest), and Helen H. Black (who bought out her husband’s share). They marketed the camp with promotional materials proclaiming it “A Mining Camp Built by Ladies: One of the Most Unique Wonders of the New West.” Contemporary newspapers, such as The Bullfrog Miner (March 1907) and Death Valley Chuck-Walla (June 1907), highlighted the novelty of women running a mining town, noting details like the owners drinking afternoon tea in the main tent.

The women reportedly enforced a “respectable” moral code, driving out saloons, gambling, and prostitution. Some contemporary and later accounts (including historian Lingenfelter) suggested this “dry” policy caused most of the male population to leave, accelerating the town’s collapse. However, archaeological evidence—such as beer and wine bottles, champagne bottle caps (agraffes), and dumps near the main tent—indicates that drinking persisted to some degree. Historians now emphasize that economic and logistical factors were the primary drivers of decline, not moral reforms.

Decline and Abandonment (1907 Onward)

Schwab’s boom was brief and fragile, mirroring the fate of many Death Valley mining camps. The Financial Panic of 1907 devastated regional mining investments, including those tied to Charles M. Schwab. Ore quality proved inconsistent, and Schwab’s location was disadvantaged: it depended on the more accessible Lee Camp for shipments, assays, and transport, with no direct route for miners. Most operations in the Echo-Lee District shut down, except for Lee Camp itself (which benefited from rail access). By August 1907, the post office closed, businesses folded, and the town rapidly emptied. Supplies were hauled away, leaving behind tent bases, wooden cellars, and debris.

The Inyo Gold Mining Company continued intermittent operations at the mine into the 1920s–1940s, but the townsite itself was abandoned within a year of its founding. Some later activity occurred after 1928, but Schwab never revived as a community.

Legacy and Current Status

Today, Schwab is a classic California ghost town with minimal visible structures—primarily scattered ruins, mine tailings, and historical debris in Echo Canyon. The Stray Horse/Inyo Mine workings remain, though they are often confused with the townsite itself. Two wooden crosses mark possible graves, one labeled “A Death Valley Victim – 1907.” The site offers a glimpse into the fleeting 1905–1907 mining excitement in Death Valley and stands as a reminder of the boom-and-bust cycle driven by speculation, distant capital (like Schwab’s investments), and harsh desert conditions.

Schwab’s story highlights the role of women in Western mining towns, the broader Death Valley gold rush, and the economic vulnerabilities of early 20th-century prospecting. It remains a point of interest for hikers, historians, and visitors to Death Valley National Park, though it lacks the dramatic intact buildings of better-known sites like Bodie or Rhyolite.

The town of Schwab is situated just below the Inyo and Skibo camps at the junction of the wagon roads leading up the east arm of Echo canyon and to Death Valley on the south. In other words, Schwab is located in the north or upper branch of Echo Canyon, astride the main Echo-Lee wagon road, across a small ridge from the present Inyo ruins, and about 1-1/2 miles from those ruins. At this location, evidence of the old townsite may be found.

The remains consist of seven leveled tent sites, some with ow and crude stone retaining walls remaining. More tent sites were once present, but have been erased by high water in the adjacent wash during Death Valley’s infrequent but violent flash floods. Two of the tent sites have eroded cellars behind them, about ten feet square and five feet deep. Since an immense pile of broken 1900 to 1910-dated beer bottles is located directly behind one of these tent-cellar sites, it is safe to say that this was the tent saloon, where once twenty-nine men were counted drinking at one time. The townsite covers several hundred feet along the-shallow wash which marks the northern branch of Echo Canyon, and remains are mostly restricted to the west side of that wash On the east side, however, is another tent location, and a shallow, unmarked grave, a lonely monument to one prospector who ended his days during the brief life of Schwab. About 300 yards to the west of the townsite is a crude derrick, the remains of Schwab’s well. The well site is dry and completely filled in, but numerous five gallon cans are scattered along the trail from the well to the townsite.

Rhyolite Herald of 22 February 1907.

Town Summary

NameSchwab, California
LocationDeath Valley National Park, California
Latitude, Longitude36.505, -116.7236
Elevation3,340 feet
Population200
Post Office

Schwab Map

References

Purple Sand Verbena (Abronia angustifolia Greene)

Posted on by

Purple Sand Verbena (Abronia angustifolia Greene) is a member of the four o’clock family (Nyctaginaceae) and a distinctive annual (occasionally perennial) wildflower adapted to arid sandy environments in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Purple Sand Verbena (Abronia angustifolia Greene) Photo by James L Rathbun
Purple Sand Verbena (Abronia angustifolia Greene) Photo by James L Rathbun

Scientific Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
  • Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Order: Caryophyllales
  • Family: Nyctaginaceae (four o’clock family)
  • Genus: Abronia (sand-verbenas)
  • Species: Abronia angustifolia Greene (binomial name)

Synonyms: Abronia angustifolia var. arizonica, Abronia torreyi.

Description

Purple sand verbena is a low-growing herbaceous plant with decumbent to ascending, much-branched, elongate stems that are often reddish, glandular-pubescent, and viscid (sticky). Stems reach up to about 1 foot (30 cm) long. Leaves are opposite, with petioles 1–7 cm long and blades ovate-oblong to elliptic, measuring 1–5.5 × 0.7–3 cm; margins are entire to sinuate, often undulate, and infrequently shallowly lobed; both surfaces are viscid-pubescent. The plant forms sprawling mats or clumps suited to loose, sandy substrates. Fruits are broadly obdeltoid, scarious (dry and membranous), 5–10 × 4–8 mm, with 5 wings extending to or beyond a prominent beak and conspicuous dilations.

Blooms

Flowers appear in dense, rounded heads (inflorescences) 2 inches (≈5 cm) across, typically containing 10–30 individual flowers on peduncles longer than the subtending petioles. Each flower has a tubular perianth with a pink tube 10–20 mm long and a limb 6–8 mm in diameter ranging from bright magenta to pale pink (or infrequently pale rose). Bracts are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, papery, and glandular-pubescent. Blooms are conspicuous and ornamental, often described with shades that give the species its “purple” common name despite the primary pink-to-magenta palette. Flowering occurs from spring through fall (March–August or longer in favorable conditions). Like many Nyctaginaceae, the flowers are adapted for pollination by nocturnal insects such as moths and may open or become more fragrant in the evening.

Range and Habitat

Purple sand verbena is native to the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila). It grows at elevations of 300–1,300 m (1,000–4,300 ft) in sandy soils, desert scrub, prairies, plains, meadows, pastures, savannas, and woodland edges or openings. It prefers well-drained, dry sandy substrates and can tolerate full sun to part shade with low water requirements. Plants on gypsum flats (e.g., White Sands, New Mexico) may behave as perennials but often flower in their first season. It is not documented in Nevada or California.

This species is valued for its drought tolerance, showy flower heads, and ability to stabilize sandy soils. It is primarily propagated by seed and is suitable for ornamental use in rock gardens or native plantings in arid landscapes.

Ashford Mill Site

Posted on by

Ashford Mill Site is a historic mining ruin located in Death Valley National Park, California. It represents one of the many short-lived gold mining operations that dotted the region during the early 20th century, embodying the boom-and-bust cycles typical of desert prospecting in one of the harshest environments in North America.

Ashford Mill Ruins Sign. Photo by James L Rathbun
Ashford Mill Ruins Sign. Photo by James L Rathbun

Location and Setting

The site lies on the valley floor along Badwater Road (California State Route 178), approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of the Shoshone entrance to the park. The associated Ashford Mine (also known as the Golden Treasure Mine) is located about 5 miles (8 km) east in the Black Mountains, roughly 3,500 feet (1,067 m) higher in elevation within Ashford Canyon. The mill was strategically placed on the valley floor to process ore trucked down from the mine. Today, visitors find concrete foundations, scattered debris from machinery, and the crumbling walls of a former office building. The site includes parking, picnic tables, scenic viewpoints, and vault toilets. Nearby Shoreline Butte displays ancient wave-cut terraces from the prehistoric Lake Manly.

Discovery and Claim Acquisition (1907–1910)

In January 1907, prospector Harold J. Ashford arrived in the Death Valley region, drawn by recent gold strikes at the nearby Desert Hound Mine. He noticed that the Keys Gold Mining Company had failed to perform required assessment work on several claims in the Black Mountains. Ashford relocated (re-staked) the claims under mining law and began working them. The Keys company did not discover the issue for nearly two years. In January 1910, they sued to reclaim the property, but a judge ruled in Ashford’s favor, securing title for him and his brothers, Henry and Lewis. The Ashfords worked the mine intermittently from 1910 to 1914 but achieved only modest results.

Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun

Development and Mill Construction (1914–1915)

In November 1914, the Ashford brothers leased the mine to wealthy Los Angeles residents B.W. McCausland and his son Ross. Under their leadership, the operation expanded dramatically. They drove a 180-foot tunnel, developed approximately 2,000 feet of underground workings, and employed up to 28 men at peak. The lessees invested over $125,000 in infrastructure, including construction of a 40-ton-capacity mill on the valley floor in 1915. The mill featured a jaw crusher, a 10-foot Lane mill, a Wilfley concentrating table, and a Diester slime table. Ore was trucked five miles down the mountain for processing before shipment to a smelter. The mill became operational by late August 1915. A popular (but unverified) local legend claims that a double shipment of cement arrived during construction; rather than return the excess, the McCauslands used it to build the durable concrete foundations and office that still stand today.

Operations, Decline, and Initial Closure (1915)

Despite extracting an estimated $100,000 worth of gold ore, the operation proved unprofitable. The ore grade was too low to cover the enormous costs of extraction, processing, and transportation across the remote desert terrain. Operations ceased in September 1915, only weeks after the mill opened. The McCauslands withheld lease payments, leading the Ashfords to file a lawsuit that yielded no compensation. The mill and mine then lay idle for more than a decade.

Intermittent Later Activity (1926–1941)

Brief revivals occurred over the following years. In 1926, four men worked the mine briefly before abandoning it again. In 1935, the Ashfords leased the property to Golden Treasure Mines, Inc., which reopened the mine and shipped high-grade ore to Shoshone via the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. High trucking costs limited profitability; total production through 1938 was valued at no more than $18,000. The Ashfords briefly operated the mine themselves in 1938, shipping 38 tons of ore. Later that year they leased it to Bernard Granville and Associates of Los Angeles, who installed a short aerial tramway to consolidate ore from scattered workings. The operation employed about 10 men but produced no recorded shipments and ceased by 1941. The Ashfords retained ownership but performed no further significant work. Over its entire history (1910–1941), the mine yielded just enough gold to sustain the brothers in basic supplies and legal fees.

Legends, Myths, and Cultural Significance

Early tourists were drawn by colorful legends surrounding the mine, including a story that the Ashford brothers sold it for $50,000 to a Hungarian count, who then resold it to B.W. McCausland for $105,000. An old wooden interpretive sign at the site perpetuated this tale for decades. However, National Park Service records describe these stories as more intriguing than factual. The site nonetheless symbolizes the persistent yet often futile quest for riches in Death Valley’s extreme environment.

Abandonment and Preservation

The mill was never reopened after 1915; its wooden walls, windows, and most machinery were removed or decayed over time, leaving only the concrete foundation and debris. The nearby office building survives as crumbling concrete ruins. The Ashford Mill Site was incorporated into Death Valley National Monument (later National Park) and is preserved today as a historic resource. The mine site higher in the canyon contains collapsed shacks, bunkhouses, headframes, and tramway remnants from the 1930s–1940s era, accessible via a strenuous hike up Ashford Canyon (the old road is washed out).

Look through the Ashford Mill building. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look through the Ashford Mill building. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look through the Ashford Mill building door frames. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look through the Ashford Mill building door frames. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look up at the Ashford Mill foundations. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look up at the Ashford Mill foundations. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look down at the Ashford Mill foundations. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Look down at the Ashford Mill foundations. Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
National Park Service sign for Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park
National Park Service sign for Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park
Ashford Mill Ruins Sign. Photo by James L Rathbun
Ashford Mill Ruins Sign. Photo by James L Rathbun
Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun
Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo by James L Rathbun

Visiting the Site Today

The Ashford Mill Site remains a popular roadside stop along Badwater Road. A short walk reveals the ruins and interpretive signage (the older legend-bearing sign may still be present). It offers a poignant reminder of the human ambition and environmental challenges that defined early 20th-century mining in the American Southwest. The site is open year-round, though summer heat and flash-flood risks in the canyon require caution. No artifacts should be disturbed, as the area is protected within the national park.