Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126607
. ~ :" ... _ .. " , •• A •• ~ .-----:-:-:-------=-::..:....---- • ,I _ • • • - ~ . • I ... , • ~ (Above) The ru ins of the old stamp mill near Anvil Springs have remained in good condition since the author discovered them nearly three years ago. (A bove right) The old stone cabin at Anvil Springs. In the backgro und are the scenic Striped Butte and Butte Valley. (Below) Carl Mengel's grave site is only 50 feet from the boundary of Death Valley National Monument. Mengel, a miner, once found ore that was assayed at $75,000 a ton . Where the h*** is Redlands Canyon? By Donald E. L. Betsworth Wha t's seldom visited, rocky as hell , h as fantastic scenery and is an excellent 50-mile bike ride? Answer: Redla n ds Canyo n, hidden in the southwest corner of Death Va lley National Monu ment, and it 's stee ped in history. Believed by many to be th e route us ed by Rodger s a nd Manl y in 1850 28 wh en th ey ex ited Death Valley seeking ai d for th e beleagured Bennett/ Arcane pa rty o f 49 'ers. T hei r descr iptio n of th e ro u te used fits Redlands Ca n yo n very well. Un fort u na tely th e ca n yo n ca n not be trav ersed it s ent ire length with wh eels. We tri ed. We've done manv rides in and arou nd th e Panam int Mountains and Vallev before, but since the ar ea is like "T homas' muffins" (fu ll of nooks an d cra n n ies), a co up le o f fri ends and I went back to seek out a num ber of ar eas not ridden or exp lored befor e. So get th e old scooter gassed up and co me with me to have a look. Usin g Ballarat, one o f m y favorite gh ost towns, as a base we se t up ca m p , talked 10 Ma an d Pa J ones, Ball arat 's sal e resid ents, a nd got read y for a co u p le o f supe r exp lora tory rides. We were hi ghl y surp rised as to th e amou nt o f new minin g ac tivity n ea rb y. fn Su rp rise Ca n yon wh ere ' th e famous a n d infam ou s Pan amint City once stood, a new mill is being buil t and severa l of th e o ld mines are being rew orked . I wa s told an ai rstrip was in o pera tio n. Knowing th e area a n d how ru gged it is we rode up to see a nd su re enough they were using th e main road , reworked and reo grad ed , as a n a irfield . I wonder if th e BLM kn ow s thi s. Story has it a pilot has cras h landed three tim es a lready. He is sti ll a live but is eithe r cra zy or damn lu ck y. T he o ld Radcliff Mine in Pl easant Can yon ha s a lso been so ld a n d th e new o wne rs have built a new road up mu ch of th e ca n yon. T he n ext morning dawned bright, clea r and co lde r th an a p awnbroker's heart , so heavi ly ja cket ed, we too k o ff h eadin g so u th to Redl ands Can yon . T he fir st 10 mil es to Gal er Wash wa sn't bad excep t for th e co ld. The su n hadn 't co me up over th e Panamints 10 warm us up . T he n ext five mil es were washboard that ratt led us prett y good : This w'as th e worst it 's