For a couple of years now I've heard rumors of a doomsday "bunker" that was built by end-of-the-world preppers, or the Manson Family, or even an off-duty park ranger.  Every time I've heard the story it's been different.  I thought I might know the general area and not long ago I got a clue that had me melting my eyeballs staring at Google Earth.  I'm 97.67% sure I can get to it, so Sunday I'll load up a cooler of cold drinks, my usual backcountry gear, and two of my grandkids.  I haven't told the youngest yet that it does involve a little hiking since it's in a wilderness area, but hopefully she won't complain too much.  I really want to nail down the location because it is close to the route I've planned for my brother's big Death Valley trip in November.  The one we were supposed to do last year, but moved over to the Mojave Preserve because Hillary was cranky.  No overnight this trip, just one really long day.

I feel vaguely as if Ive heard of something like this but … maybe I’m conflating something from Emmett’s book. Or thinking of something else. Dang it. I have listened to several extremely in depth podcasts about the Manson business over the last few years.

Let us know what you find! (With proper discretion of course).

And best of luck!

(2024-09-26, 07:58 PM)Beardilocks Wrote: I feel vaguely as if Ive heard of something like this but … maybe I’m conflating something from Emmett’s book.  Or thinking of something else.  Dang it.  I have listened to several extremely in depth podcasts about the Manson business over the last few years.

Let us know what you find! (With proper discretion of course). 

And best of luck!

I don't think I read about it in Emmett's book.  I've heard of it mentioned around the campfire at some gatherings, saw it posted on a couple webpages, etc.  Not a ton of info on it.  I know it's there, I guess we will see if I know where it is.

I heard it was in the hillside immediately behind the Barker Ranch house; the same hillside that always had the two metal patio chairs sitting on top (up to and as of the last time I visited, c.2000).

(Today, 08:55 AM)DAW89446 Wrote: I heard it was in the hillside immediately behind the Barker Ranch house; the same hillside that always had the two metal patio chairs sitting on top (up to and as of the last time I visited, c.2000).

I hope not, cuz we aren't searching there.

I don't know exactly where it is, but I'm pretty sure it's just east of Willow spring in Butte valley.  Good luck, and maybe bring a dust mask if you plan on going inside.

(9 hours ago)Brice Wrote: I don't know exactly where it is, but I'm pretty sure it's just east of Willow spring in Butte valley.  Good luck, and maybe bring a dust mask if you plan on going inside.

I have some N95 masks loaded up.  East of Willow Springs is where the Germans parked their mini-van for the last time.  When I was staying at Geologist Cabin a couple years ago, using it as a base for my Peter B Kyne mine search, a guy showed up with his dog, soaking wet from the rain (that turned into snow).  They had been out retracing the Germans route.  The guy and his dog got caught with no gear so he turned back and his friends kept hiking.  Way out there in the rain.  I invited them in to warm up, but he just left a message for his friends and pushed on.  Very strange deal.  To take this further off track - When researching Peter B Kyne's mine as described in Emmett's book, I stumbled on to a weird copyright lawsuit between Emmett and some professor over the Panamint Breeze name.  The professor thought Emmett had stolen some of his ideas on the Germans fate and published them in the Breeze.  The prof tried to trademark the name to get back at Emmett or something.  The cool thing was, every issue on the Panamint Breeze up to that point was entered into evidence and scanned into several large PDF files.  A lot of great stories were in the Breeze and I got to read them all.