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CA Southern Death Valley

Gearwheel Arrastra

Gearwheel Arrastra

It is a bit of a hike to reach this old arrastra site and camp. Looks like it was used mainly during the 1930s Great Depression, but the tin cans suggest it was used earlier than that. We found a small mine nearby but I couldn't find any information on its history. How everything got up here is a bit of a mystery.

Cabin ruin

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Morning Glory Mine (Death Valley)

Morning Glory Mine (Death Valley)

The Morning Glory Mine is a neat little mine high up in the pinyon pines of Trail Canyon. It's not easy to reach, so it doesn't get as much visitation as other places in Death Valley. You really have to want to go there. And despite the long hike and

Confidence Mine and Dugout

Confidence Mine and Dugout

Early in 2021, I hiked out to some mines in the Upper Confidence Wash of Death Valley, but I still hadn’t been to the Confidence Mine itself. I needed to fix that. The mine is one of the oldest in Death Valley, being first worked in 1895. One story

Confidence Wash Upper Mines

Confidence Wash Upper Mines

The Confidence Wash area of southern Death Valley has always interested me. I’m not sure why. There isn’t much out there. It is a wildly desolate and forsaken stretch of desert and can only be visited in the coldest of winter months as the rest of the time