We were camped at the Kelso Dunes, and we just wanted a nice afternoon diversion. We spotted an old mining site on our maps, with a back-country road (read that as “potentially scummy jeep track”) leading away from the old historic railroad depot.

Kelso Depot is a great old building, at one time almost bulldozed after the railroad didn’t need it anymore. But, providentially, some citizens saved it for the future Park Service. Now it’s the Preserve headquarters, and rightfully so.

Not too far away – – – a typical, sun-blasted desert sign. Do I still have to stop?

Down the tracks from the Depot, rows and rows of tamarisk trees, all dutifully irrigated with precious desert water. Why? We chatted up a railroad lineman, and he told us: drifting sand. The tracks are built across the “feeding grounds” for the Dunes area, to keep the RR tracks from being inundated with the beige grainy stuff. Periodically, the railroad maintenance crews have to bulldoze the sand drifts away – – – to make room for the next windy season. The winds blow strongly from all directions, so the trees are lined up on both sides of the tracks for many miles.

Comparatively neat for a desert junkyard, the railroad maintenance folks have a whole bunch of discards (or “awaiting use” items?) piled up a block away from the Depot.

The road to the Rex Mine is a typical desert track – lots of stretches of 20mph smooth-but-bouncy, punctuated by pucker-factor washouts, cuts, rock gardens, and other entertainments.

In the Mine’s foothills, the desert’s beauty sprouts up with the mountains and barrel cacti. This is harsh country, but serenely gorgeous in all its starkness.

Enroute to the Mine, one area had an old asphalt pavement remnant. Must have been 70 years old or more, all washed out and sanded over. Some markers were there, so I went around them (and the big washout gouge). Karin got out to take pictures of the tight squeeze. Accidentally knocked over one of the hazard markers – – –

Just as my rear axle crossed the point of the washout, the poor old asphalt had enough and gave out. Turns out there was NOTHING underneath it, and Ralph plunged through it like it was a pizza crust. I found myself (not for the first time) with a windshield full of blue sky. We stopped and took some more pix.

Funny thing is, this wasn’t even a “stuck”. We just locked up the front hubs and drove out, and didn’t even spin the wheels. Ralph has a locking transfer case and a locking rear axle, and it all truly works quite well.

Arriving at the mine, we hiked up the hill a ways for a situational shot. Look carefully, and you can see Kelso Depot at the far upper left; first mine tailings at the lower left; dirt-roof shack at center; and Ralph (parked) at middle right.

Farther up the hill, the main mine shaft burrows down into the larger deposits. Copper, gold, silver, tungsten, and tin were all found in various quantities.

The main mine shaft (behind this picture) feeds the processing machinery. Ralph is down below in the distance.

Side view of the rails and chutes. Main shaft outside picture, to the right.

Sitting at the mine-shaft end of the ore-car rails, looking out towards Kelso Depot (left).

Once again, we marvel at the huge amount of work – really hard, back-breaking work – necessary to pursue a desert mining effort. The people that did this worked in heat, cold, and loneliness. Their junk piles are full of the empty tin cans that held the only food they ate for weeks or months at a time. We wonder whether they appreciated the beauty around them, or were just lost in their day-to-day hardships.

Leaving the Mine, we found a shortcut back to our camp at the foot of Kelso Dunes (see previous post). The day was once again waning, and we had just enough time for another pleasant evening walk among the dunes.

Curious? more info at:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_Dunes
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_Depot
• http://www.nps.gov/moja/learn/historyculture/kelso-depot.htm
• http://www.desertusa.com/mnp/mnp_kelso.html
• http://digital-desert.com/mojave-preserve/