2015 - Trip Report Ryan Camp Trip

Leaders: Emmett & Ruth Harder

May 19 & 20, 2015

by Steve Jarvis

This trip was amazing! Touring the camp was like entering a time capsule. Over the years since it became a ghost camp, very little vandalism or destruction had taken place due to constant protection by various caretakers. Most of the original Pacific Coast Borax Company buildings and much of the contents is still there, giving us the feeling that we were walking back in time. We didn’t know what to expect before we got there, but thanks to the efforts of Emmett and Ruth Harder, our guide Scott Smith and his anthropologist wife, Dr. Jessica Smith, our visit was truly memorable. Scott is doing a meticulous job of restoring the buildings and points of interest while Dr. Jessica is doing a detailed site survey and the historical research. Together they are working to get Ryan Camp recognized as a National Historic Site. I have no doubt they will be successful.