Death Valley

Full Version: Ryan Camp Train To Widow Mine 1939 - 2019
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I mixed some vintage 1939 home movie footage with my 2019 exploration of the narrow gauge track south from Ryan Camp to The Widow Mine for historical context showing how eighty years of exposure has taken its toll. I recommend taking a day to park your car along Dante's View Road beyond the boundary of The Ryan Camp, scramble east up the slope to the train track bed and follow it south to the Widow Mine and back to the Ryan Camp boundary marker. The history and the views are memorable and the train bridge trellis tops off the tour. 
Nicely done. Good perspective of then and now.
Very nice video and I concur, that is a really nice hike. There is an old road that goes VERY steeply uphill from the far side of the wash as you drive toward Dante's - we went up that, then over to Ryan, back, over to the Widow, and then back down the ridge to the car. The trestle is very cool and, at least then, the old switch between the tunnel and the route around the side actually worked. I wanted to try the tunnel, but it is closed. That's a great hike and, being a RR grade, not a lot of elevation gain. I concur with your assessment - highly recommended!