Cerro Gordo
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On Monday, November 17, I drove up to the ghost town of Cerro Gordo at the crest of the Inyo Mountains with friends. We had breakfast at the Alabama Hills Cafe. We met a local man who shared stories of hunting and exploring remote roads in the area. A woman approached our table saying that she had heard us talking about the Saline Valley. She had come out of the valley two days earlier. She is collectig information about how the hot springs are used to assist the National Park Service develop a management plan for the valley.
We drove to the town of Keeler on the edge of Owens Dry Lake, and turned up the dirt road leading to Cerro Gordo. When we arrived at the ghost town, Robert, the local caretaker, drove out on his quad and greeted us. He treated us to a tour of the town, opening up all the buildings and the museum, which houses a collection of artifacts from the heyday of the mining industry.
Our desitnation for the day was Palm Spring Camp in the Saline Valley. We headed down the back side of the Inyo Mountains to discover that a flash flood had obliterated the old road. We were soundly thrashed by six miles of steep mountain wash filled with cobbles and boulders. We finally got into the Saline Valley as the shadow of the Inyo Mountains advanced across the valley floor.
360-degree panorama of the Inyo Mountains and Owens Valley after climbing 2,200 feet above the valley floor.
Cerro Gordo Road 360-degree Panorama, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 13.5 inches by 108 inches.
Little planet view of the panorama.
Looking across the Owens Valley at the Sierra Nevada.
Owens Valley From Cerro Gordo Road, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States is visible to the left of center in this view.
Mount Whitney From The Inyo Mountains, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Cerro Gordo Road.
Ore chute for loading ore into trucks.
Cerro Gordo Road
Cerro Gordo Road
Much of the surface of Owens Lake has been flooded to mitigate the wind blown particulate material pollution from the lakebed.
Driving my 4Runner up the Cerro Gordo Road.
360-degree panorama of the upper reaches of the Cerro Gordo Road at an elevation of 8,000 feet.
Cerro Gordo Road 360-degree Panorama, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 13.5 inches by 108 inches.
Little planet view of the upper reaches of the Cerro Gordo Road.
Owens Lake and the Sierra Nevada.
Owens Lake and Sierra Nevada Panorama, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 8 inches by 24 inches.
Panorama of the ghost town of Cerro Gordo at an elevation of 8,200 feet in the Inyo Mountains.
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town Panorama, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16.25 inches by 108 inches.
Robert in the museum.
The previous owner of Cerro Gordo built a movie theater.
The stone foundation was built by Wally Wilson for his pack mule business. Wilson ran the twenty-mule teams that took Boorax from Deth Valley to Los Angeles. Then he was hired to transport ore and supplies for Cerro Gordo.
This building houses the Cerro Gordo Museum.
This old house is currently occupied.
The assay office stands next to the tailings heaps.
Landcruiser and 4Runner in the ghost town.
Robert Desmaris is the caretaker of Cerro Gordo. He led us on a tour of the ghost town, opening the buildings for us to go inside.
Sign for Wally Wilson Pack Trains in the museum.
The museum houses a collection of artifacts from the days of the mingin industry.
Cerro Gordo Museum
Cerro Gordo Museum
Assay Office
Cerro Gotdo Assay Office, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Cerro Gordo Museum
View out the window of the Assay Office
Assay Office
Assay Office
Cerro Gordo
Old House
Cerro Gordo Museum
Ore cart full of slag from the mine.
The American Hotel was established in 1971.
American Hotel, Cerro Gordo , November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
The American Hotel
American Hotel Office
American Hotel Powder Boxes
American Hotel Bar
American Hotel Bar
National Wood Burning Stove in the American Hotel Bar.
American Hotel Bar
American Hotel Kitchen
Wood burning stove in the American Hotel Kitchen.
Maytag washing machine in the American Hotel Kitchen.
Movie theater.
Looking back into the Owens Valley.
Panorama of Cerro Gordo Pass.
Cerro Gordo Pass Panorama, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 72 inches.
Mine entrance in Cerro Gordo Pass.
Cerro Gordo Road leads down to the White Mountain Talc Road.
The Saline Valley, Eureka-Saline Corridor, Steele Pass and Eureka Valley can be seen in the distance.
Saline Valley From Cerro Gordo Pass, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Our destination is Palm Spring in the Saline Valley, just out of view behind the Inyo Mountains on the left.
We discovered that the road down the back side of the Inyo Mountains was washed out by a flash flood. The was is full of cobbles and boulders.
Descending to the White Mountain Talc Road.
Descending to the White Mountain Talc Road
Descending to the White Mountain Talc Road
Descending to the White Mountain Talc Road
White Mountain Talc Road
White Mountain Talc Road
Saline Valley And Waucoba Peak, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Lee Flat is home to a Joshua Tree forest.
Lee Flat, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Lee Flat
360-degree panorama of the Panamint Valley.
Little planet view of the panorama of the Panamint Valley.
Panorama of the Saline Valley.
Saline Valley
Saline Valley Sunset, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Saline Valley
Saline Valley Byway Sunset, November 17, 2014. You can purchase prints of this photo as large as 16 inches by 24 inches.
Mojave Desert, California displays.
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