Prolog:  Here is the first chapter in the story of my trip to "Panamint Valley Days, 1993,"  the first time I'd ever taken a trip to the Panamint Valley area and the first time that I'd ever participated in Panamint Valley Days. Since the Internet, as we know it, was in it's infancy in 1993, this article was written, using field notes and photographs that I took when I was actually involved in these events.  Panamint Valley Days is one of the finest events sponsored by the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, with whom I am an active member of, since 1993.

Tuesday, November 9, 1993:  I left my home in Merced and headed east on CA 140 towards Yosemite National Park. I "fooled around" in Yosemite Valley for a bit, but finally decided to head east on the Big Oak Flat Road, CA 120, towards Tuloumne Meadows.  It was mandatory to stop in Tuloumne Meadows for lunch, and wander about the campgrounds.  By the way, for those of you who have never been to Tuloumne Meadows, it can only be described as the most beautiful place in the High Sierras.  

It was COLD, the temp was in the low 20's, with patches of ice and snow everywhere. The  radio said a snowstorm was coming, so I thought it might be wise not to dally too long in this beautiful place.  So, I headed east and crossed into the Inyo National Forest at Tioga Pass.  The ranger at Tioga Pass told me that they would be closing the pass at the end of his shift, as a storm was approaching; gee, I made it just in time!

Left:  Mt. Dana, the 13,000 foot plus summit obscured in clouds, is seen from Highway 120.  Right Tuloumne Meados features Lembert Dome to the left and spectacualar Mt. Dana in the background.

After crossing Tioga Pass, elevation 9,941 feet, I headed east on CA 120; at LeeVining, I turned south on U.S. 395.  At Deadman Pass, about 50 miles north of Bishop, I stopped to gather firewood.  To say the least, I had a difficult time of cramming wood into the back of my Bronco.  

I stopped at Bishop at the local Von's, to purchase ice and a few groceries that I had neglected to bring.  This was not going to be a gourmet trip, as I planned to subside on canned food, hot when possible, cold as the default.  I also stopped by the visitor center for the Inyo National Forest, to get information.  Although prior to this trip I'd done my homework, this was the first time I'd been in this area and I wanted to get the latest and greatest information.

Photo:  I'm stopped, just the sky cleared, after a 20-minute snowfall, west of Tioga Pass.  The pass was closed for the season only a couple of hours after I drove over it.  Good timing on my part!

By the time I reached Independence, it was getting late in the afternoon, approaching 1500.  At this time of year, complete darkness arrives at 1700, so by 1500 or so, you need to start thinking about where you'll set up camp. So, I parked just south of town and looked at the map of the Inyo National Forest for a good place to camp for the night.  Hmmmmm...Mazourka Canyon looked good.  And good it was.  

At the south side of Independence, I turned east on the plainly-marked Mazourka Canyon road.  The road starts out as a paved road, and after a couple of miles and the Owens River is crossed, the road degenerates to gravel. Just a hundred yards or so east of the river, I crossed a dirt trail that was once the main line of the Carson and Colorado Railroad, that operated until 1960.  Three miles or so further east, you enter the canyon and a rather interesting ore chute is located on the right side of the road.  I couldn't find the mine associated with it, I guess that Mother Nature must have filled it in.  At this point, the road turns into a Class 1 dirt road.

Just a few hundred yards east of the ore chute, a trail takes off to the right that leads to the concrete foundation that looks like it was, at one time, a large stamp mill.  I just gave it a glance, as the sky was starting to get cloudy and darkness was approaching.

After traveling east a few miles in the canyon, a sign announces that you've reached the Inyo National Forest. I went a few more miles, then, as it was almost dark, I turned west on a Class 2 trail that led towards Papoose Flat. I made my camp about a mile into this trail.  Just as I had "settled-in" for the night, the rain started.  By now, it was 1700 and quite dark.  I powered down a couple of brewskies, ate cold canned beef stew, and amused myself for the rest of the evening by making contacts on my low-power ham radio rig that I'd brought along for this sort of entertainment.  (If you're a "ham," you'll be interested to know that rig I used was a MFJ 40-meter cw rig, running 5 watts to a Hustler antenna mounted on the side of my Bronco.  I worked several stations, including a KL7!)  By the time it was beddie-bye, the rain had turned to snow.  I curled up in the back of the Bronco and went to sleep.