2024-01-19, 03:51 PM
Yyyeeaaahhhh, did that drive up Arrastre in 2021 and it's definitely only for folks that air down and don't mind bumpy roads (hello, it's me?). It was kind of worth it, but nothing I would revisit or ever point anyone towards.
Also took a look for Robber's Roost that trip and don't think I found what was marked on my map, but did find another cool old camping / mining spot. There's a spot near Geologist's and I think near your favorite spot that I've always camped at. Starting to get discovered/overrun a bit. I think this area suffers from the Instagram phenomenon of big group runs through Goler, visit Geologist's, etc.
Russell Camp is a great spread. According to Digonnet, "Butte Valley's most visible resident was Asa Merton Russell, also known as Panamint Russ. Russell first came to Butte Valley in 1925 with a friend, Ernest Huhn, and explored the area for precious and base metals. ... In 1929, intent on spending more time in Butte Valley, Russell came back and started developing the camp, now named after him, at the spring south of Greater View Spring. The following year, after finding gold on Manly Peak, he built a stone cabin at Anvil Spring, a sturdy structure now referred to as the Geologist's Cabin. Somehow he ended up not using it as his main camp: over the next few years he made Russell Camp his local home, perhaps because of its greater seclusion." There's more to the story on page 452 of The Bible, according to Digonnet.
Gorgeous photos & hike. Never had the chance to make it up that high with three people waiting back at camp. The big cave & fern growth are especially fascinating.
One other random note / query ... the DVNP road status page shows green for a backcountry road from Butte Valley and down through Woods Canyon to the edge of the Park. Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, isn't that just a wash and old hiking trail (that I think Manly and his group used to escape from DV?) that dumps out into a big mining operation? I doubt the Park would accidentally mark a wash / old trail as open 4wd backcountry, but I'm just super confused now. I thought the only way into Butte Valley from Panamint was Goler / Mengel.
Also took a look for Robber's Roost that trip and don't think I found what was marked on my map, but did find another cool old camping / mining spot. There's a spot near Geologist's and I think near your favorite spot that I've always camped at. Starting to get discovered/overrun a bit. I think this area suffers from the Instagram phenomenon of big group runs through Goler, visit Geologist's, etc.
Russell Camp is a great spread. According to Digonnet, "Butte Valley's most visible resident was Asa Merton Russell, also known as Panamint Russ. Russell first came to Butte Valley in 1925 with a friend, Ernest Huhn, and explored the area for precious and base metals. ... In 1929, intent on spending more time in Butte Valley, Russell came back and started developing the camp, now named after him, at the spring south of Greater View Spring. The following year, after finding gold on Manly Peak, he built a stone cabin at Anvil Spring, a sturdy structure now referred to as the Geologist's Cabin. Somehow he ended up not using it as his main camp: over the next few years he made Russell Camp his local home, perhaps because of its greater seclusion." There's more to the story on page 452 of The Bible, according to Digonnet.
Gorgeous photos & hike. Never had the chance to make it up that high with three people waiting back at camp. The big cave & fern growth are especially fascinating.
One other random note / query ... the DVNP road status page shows green for a backcountry road from Butte Valley and down through Woods Canyon to the edge of the Park. Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, isn't that just a wash and old hiking trail (that I think Manly and his group used to escape from DV?) that dumps out into a big mining operation? I doubt the Park would accidentally mark a wash / old trail as open 4wd backcountry, but I'm just super confused now. I thought the only way into Butte Valley from Panamint was Goler / Mengel.