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----- Original Message -----
From: John Stewart
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 6:27 PM
Subject: Surprise Canyon as Viewed by CBD


The below is from the Center for Biological Diversity Newsletter
No. 308, June 27, 2002

Please note the meeting times and places. ("chainsawing big riparian
trees"????? - hope they are using those new 'solar-powered' chainsaws)


> KEEP OFF-ROAD VEHICLES OUT OF DEATH VALLEY RIPARIAN JEWEL SURPRISE
>CANYON: HEARINGS JULY 29-AUGUST 6
>
> Surprise Canyon is an amazing perennial stream in the Panamint
>Range of Inyo County, flowing gracefully from Death Valley National
>Park down to the BLM Surprise Canyon Area of Critical Environmental
>Concern within the California Desert Conservation Area. This desert
>stream is home to many rare and endangered species, including the
>least bells vireo and panamint alligator lizard.
>
> It is also a mecca for extreme off-roading, which is extremely
>harmful to the riparian environment and wilderness experience. Since
>spring of 2001, Surprise Canyon has been closed to off-roading -
>highly modified 4x4's winching up waterfalls, chainsawing big
>riparian trees, spilling oil and gas in to the stream, scarring the
>slickrock with black tire skid marks, etc. - as a result of a Center
>for Biological Diversity lawsuit settlement. The BLM is now
>preparing an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) to decide future
>vehicle use in Surprise Canyon.
>
> It is critical that conservationists speak at these hearings, and
>write comments in favor of permanent protection for Surprise Canyon
>by keeping damaging off-road vehicles out.
>
> Each meeting will include two sessions that will be held from 3-5
>pm and 7-9 pm at the following dates and locations:
>
> July 29 - Ridgecrest CA, Desert Empire Fairgrounds, Mesquite Hall,
>530 South Richmond Road
> July 30 - Bakersfield CA, Doubletree Hotel, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court
> July 31 - Lone Pine CA, Boulder Creek RV Resort Clubhouse, 2550
>South Highway 395
> August 5 - Pasadena CA, Sheraton Pasadena Hotel, 303 East Cordova Street
> August 6 - San Diego CA, Hilton San Diego Mission Valley,
>901Camino Del Rio South

--
John Stewart
KF6ZPL
Webmaster, Tierra del Sol 4x4: http://www.tds4x4.com
Webmaster, Jeep-L: http://www.jeep-l.net
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, http://www.4x4wire.com

The CDB are the biggest f-ing liars on the face of the earth. Surprise Canyon gets regularly washed out, and up until 1984(?) was accessible via sedan. The inhabitants were unable to rebuild the road, which was formerly an open latrine. The gate the NPS put up in 2001 was also washed out in 2001.

I guess the CDB needs to outlaw flashfloods. Chainsawing big trees, WHERE!!!!!!

They are all a bunch of liars.

See you on August 5th in Pasadena.

Panamint History (anyone)?

Who knows the names of the two California Senators who originally purchased all the claims for the Panamint Mines (up Surprise Canyon) in 1873 & 1874?

What was the discoverer of Surprise Canyon (the Frontiersman, not the seasonal Piute and Shoshone residents) famous or infamous for in regards to law enforcement?

What was the intended use of the only wheeled vehicle that was able to survive the difficult climb up Surprise Canyon in the mid-1870s (long before the "road" was established)? What was the vehicle's unintended use?

When you comment on the need to keep Surprise Canyon open to mechanized motorized travel a little history (and an expressed appreciation for living visitors contact with history) may help.

Two weeks before public meetings… a good reason to keep this thread visible.

Any history buffs chance a guess?

Happy Trails!

here is a page that has some info of the enviro work being done at surprise canyon

http://cluster4.biosci.utexas.edu/deathvalley/reports/surprise%20cyn.htm

:usa: :beer:

to answer your question



In 1873 silver chloride was discovered and the claim was named the Wonder of the World, this brought about the creation of the Panamint Mining District. Two Nevada Senators, John P. Jones and William M. Stewart, invested over $250,000 in buying up most of the original claims and formed the Surprise Valley Mill and Water Company. Both of these men had made considerable fortunes in the Comstock Lode and were known as the "Silver Senators".
The main street of Panamint City was a mile long and consisted of about 200 houses, a hotel, over two dozen saloons, a brewery, the bank of Panamint, and the office of the Panamint News. The local butcher shop's wagon also served as the town hearse. The population of Panamint City during its' peak was between 2000 and 3000.
Panamint was known as a rough and lawless place with over fifty shootings occurring during its short life of only around 3 years. Because of the constant threat of robbery, silver from the mill was cast into ingots weighing over 400 pounds so no one could carry them off.
It has been written that Panamint City was washed away in a great flash flood in 1876 carrying away over 200 of the towns inhabitants.
WRONG!!! interviews with locals who were there, and research done by Historian Richard Lingenfelter have concluded that Panamint City was washed away in 1901 by a flash flood long after it was deserted. Some of it's buildings had already been moved to Darwin after it was deserted.
Panamint City played an important part in California's history and makes for some very interesting reading, check it out.

Jones & Stewart were the Nevada Senators, with the value paid somewhere between $250,000 and $2,000,000 (with stock speculation inflation who was to admit the true value lost). It seems Senators cannot leave well enough alone regarding Surprise Canyon?

The butcher's two wheeled cart was the meat wagon (in all tasks), and first to climb the canyon (long before Nadeau was commissioned to build the road). Good fact to establish wheeled road existance before significant construction (RS2477 criteria).

The pioneer finder?

W.T Henderson. same man as who first scaled Telescope Peak, entered Surprise Canyon in April 1873. He was (in) famous due to a rumor that he was the one who removed and pickled the head of Joaquin Murietta (famous bandit).

Does the canyon itself, where the walls close in on bedrock and talis, meet the minimum standards for a riparian area, or do only the wider parts where the sand and silt deposits reside meet the criteria for riparian area status?

Thanks for the report link.

Happy Trails!

http://www.npca.org/take_action/action_alerts/ActionAlert.asp?strAction=link&lngAlertID=166