2014 Trip Report - Rendezvous - Chloride City
Rendezvous Trip to Chloride City etc.
Saturday, April 5
Leaders- Mignon Slentz and Bob Jacoby.
Participants were-the Monsens, Jim Watson, The Bergers, the Hellers, the Austins, The Dicks, Mike and Ron, Fredric Raab, the Gilsters, Ted Kahil, the Jaussauds, Debbie and Steve, and Ellen Miller, Mary Hughes and Bob Jacoby rode with me. There were about 13 vehicles lined up ready to head out to Beatty, NV. We connected with 95 and continued on to Beatty to gas up. Apparently there was some concern that I was driving too fast. I do that! We did a quick walk / drive through of Rhyolite since most of the DEers had visited before. My favorite is the Bottle House. The close by cemetery was next. The grave of Panniment Annie is located there. Marion and Neal John’s group was there at the same time so there was some confusion of who went where. We proceeded SW on 374/ Daylight Pass Rd for about 15 miles before we turned off on a dirt road that would lead us to Monarch Canyon.
Some climbed up to a small ledge containing 7 sleeping circles, a grinding stone, mano and a scattering of rusty cans. Glenn Shaw found this place some time ago while camping there. A very short distance away was the parking for the hike down to the Indian mine. There is a steep old mining road that leads to the bottom of the canyon, through some cane, water, and finally to the mill site. The wooden chute has partially collapsed and there is only one stamp for crushing ore. Some hiked up a path to the mine and found tracks and a windless still intact. This small gold mine was worked on and off for about 5 years between 1905 and 1910 though only one shipment of ore ever left the canyon.
After lunch we continued on, bypassing a hike to Keane Springs which was the only reliable source of water for the area, on towards Chloride City. Chloride City is one of Death Valleys earliest towns with silver-lead deposits discovered in 1873. The site took off with a second boom in 1905 with the discovery of gold in nearby Bullfrog. Today there are numerous adits, dumps, a grave, several collapsed buildings, 3 stamp mills, closed off mines and a tin shack. Some of us explored a miner’s dugout while the rest drove to the top of the hill for a look at the outstanding views. We headed back toward 95 and on to Jack Longstreets and “Happy Hour”. Some faster than others I might add. Thank you to all the Desert Explorers who spent the day with us.
by Mignon
