Coso Range & DV - March 2009

[shuly]

Hey everyone...I know I have been quiet for a while. Took a trip through the Coso Mtn Range - Camping and then onto Death Valley over the weekend of March 20th - 22nd. I have been busy working (somehow still employed!) and finally finished up the color images this morning. Enjoy!


An abondoned Pumicite Mine in the Cosos
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Here you can see some of the unweathered granite embedded in the pumicite
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McCloud Flat
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Joshua Tree Near where we made camp
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View of Sunrise from the Campsite
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[shuly]

Death Valley
Lee Wonder Mine

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[shuly]

View From Hunter Mountain Road
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The Old William Lyle Hunter Cabin built around turn of the 20th Century
<img src="http://t4r.shulyphotography.com/coso&dv-mar09/img16.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <br />
Calmet Mine - They were mining for wollastonite (CaSiO3)
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Surprised to Find this old Ford in such decent shape!!!
(Near GoldBelt Spring)
<img src="http://t4r.shulyphotography.com/coso&dv-mar09/img20.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <br />

 

[shuly]

Another 4R!!! Don't know whose it was...but parked next to it anyways...at Teakettle Jct.
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Obviously Teakettle Junction
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A Day at the Races
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This is a picture of my 4R...can you find it
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Backside of the Grandstands
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South Area of Dry Lake
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Damn THIEVES!!!
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[shuly]

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Bummer the sun is setting and still have to head out Lippincott...
<img src="http://t4r.shulyphotography.com/coso&dv-mar09/img32.jpg" border="0" alt=""> <br />

We made it to the bottom just as the sun had set....now when can I get more time off work

 

[alaskaman]

Thanks very much for posting those pics and yes I was wondering.........good to know you have a job. What it is about the Joshua tree that is so remote powerful and peacefullll.....draws me there...........did you carry gas with you? what were the temps like while you were there. meet any critters? ok I'll stop............

 

[shuly]

Thanks very much for posting those pics and yes I was wondering.........good to know you have a job. What it is about the Joshua tree that is so remote powerful and peacefullll.....draws me there...........did you carry gas with you? what were the temps like while you were there. meet any critters? ok I'll stop............

The temps were great...excellent time to travel. Not too cold and not way hot. March is one of the best times to visit DV (was probably the areas where we were - elevation mid day no higher than 72). Didn't carry any gas. Planned the trip so I didn't need to. The hunter mtn loop to teakettle and out lippincott was only a couple hundred miles. So no biggie. I actually was able to make it w/o refueling (at a planned stop in panamint) back to Lone Pine for the night.

On Friday going through the Cosos...didn't see a single person, car or truck of any kind after turning onto pavement until the following day!!! FREAKING AWESOME!!! I have definately found a new place to go camping! The temp in the cosos was probably no colder than 40 at night...day time was mid 70s...great trip. Didn't really see any critters...some pack rats but not much else. Maybe on the next trip.

 

[PaulSula]

Thanks for posting those pictures. Great photography and nice 4Runner!

 

[jeremysoca]

nice

Great pictures!!!

 

[smallfry]

Nice photo's.

 

[Teqeeler]

Stunning photos. I wish we had something like that here in new england

what camera and lens are you using for those pictures?

 

[shuly]

Thanks Jeremy, Smallfry, and Teqeeler! Sorry for the late reply...I have been out of town. Just got back today.

These images were taken with a Nikon D80 w/18-55mm 3.5 DX lens. I'll tell you that they didn't come out of the camera the way they were posted on here. I always do the post processing before anyone sees them

 

[BlairB]

Great pictures!

I am very jealous of your trip, I keep wanting to do something just like it. I noticed you are in Redondo, I am just right next door in PV, if you wouldn't mind another car tagging along next time you went out let me know, I would love to join!

 

[HB 4X4]

Great pictures!

I am very jealous of your trip, I keep wanting to do something just like it. I noticed you are in Redondo, I am just right next door in PV, if you wouldn't mind another car tagging along next time you went out let me know, I would love to join!

X2 :bigok:

 

[shuly]

Sure...drop me a PM. I have been looking at the calendar. I don't know if I'll have any free time until the end of May or beginning of June...but I am sure I can come up with something. HB & Blair, you will have to let me know what kind of trip you have in mind.

I much prefer a weekend away rather than a day trip. I hate to ever be rushed and I like places where my cell phone doesn't work haha. I do want to take another trip through the Cosos again. DV would be fun, but by end of May it gets way too hot. I would also like to do a Mojave trail run at some point. That takes 3 days to do the circuit comfortably. But that would need to be done mid fall outside of the hot season and before the rainy season.

Some of my favorite places are up the 395. There are a ton of trails out that way (not sure what is being closed with the new legislation). Haven't been able to get any good maps of what they are designating wilderness yet. Anyway...I am finding that I prefer trails that are not triple black for 20 miles. The vehicle can do it...but it's exhausting!

I prefer trails with just enough challenges to keep it from being boring. After all, I do have to have a vehicle to get to/from work. I have found I also really enjoy trails that are historical or have a story to them. It makes the travel interesting imagining bringing a wagon down the same path or an old railroad going through. Of course I really like trails and places that provide great opportunities for photos.

Well anyway, I can try to plan something, drop me a PM and we can maybe plan on something small with only a few of us 3-5 vehicles and see how it goes. I would not want anyone to worry about breaking something but I would want everyone to enjoy themselves. We can talk about trail options and preferences and go from there.

 

[gmunson]

Hello, I'm Gregory Mark Munson the Grandson on Mark D. Hunter and Great Great Great, Grandson of William Lyle Hunter. I would like to first say "Very nice pictures". Secondly I would like to correct some incorrect information about William's Cabin, located on Hunter Mountain, Death Valley as being slightly inaccurate on the date it was buil. It was buil in the 1700's just after the Civil War when William Married Carrie Duvual of West Virgina. William Lyle Hunter died in 1907. So just wanted to point that out. Very nice photos though.

 

[gmunson]

William Lyle Hunter Cabin

Hello, I'm Gregory Mark Munson the Grandson on Mark D. Hunter and Great Great Great, Grandson of William Lyle Hunter. I would like to first say "Very nice pictures". Secondly I would like to correct some incorrect information about William's Cabin, located on Hunter Mountain, Death Valley as being slightly inaccurate on the date it was built. It was built in the 1700's just after the Civil War when William Married Carrie Duvual of West Virgina. William Lyle Hunter died in 1907. So just wanted to point that out. Very nice photos though.