MNP: West of the Ivanpah Mountains photos

carAs we crest the Mescal Range and look below at the western slopes of the Ivanpah Mountains, we know that we've made a good choice for a weekend of exploring. We can already see the warm, honey toned Aztec Sandstone formations off to our right that contain California's only dinosaur trackways. Further down the valley, nestled among colorful hills and surrounded by lush stands of Joshua trees, are several historic mines and camps. Names like the Standard Mine, Roger's Camp, Riley's Camp, the Copper King Mine and the Evening Star Mine all await with their interesting histories, artifacts and beautiful blue-green copper ore. This once bustling area now sleeps peacefully under the warm sun, as do a few of the old miners in their small, isolated cemetery. Obviously, there's a lot to see and do here so we'd better put the Desert Canary back in gear and get going! If you, too, are up for an adventure and have a few minutes to spare, all you need to do is click on the photo link below to join us in this virtual version of our ramblings!

 

Photos Day 1 - Part 1

Photos Day 1 - Part 2

Photos Day 2