Large Scale Central

Megaweapon Hits The Trail

Other Hobbies
#241

Royston, NV 2020

https://youtu.be/Ll2FRAONKwQ

Royston was a major turquoise mining town dating back to at least 1909, and turquoise is still being mined there today. Several buildings still stand, as well as a few other ruins. Silver was also mined here and one silver mine still has the headframe and other structures.

Music:

“Nostalgia Acoustic Dream”

by Flames Audio

https://audiojungle.net/item/nostalgia-acoustic-dream-tune/24651256

“Folk Acoustic Inspiring Guitar”

by Big Style

https://audiojungle.net/item/folk-acoustic-inspiring-guitar/24088644

Licensed through AudioJungle

#242

Makes you wonder what archaeologists will find in 100 years! Thanks as always, Ray, for sharing your adventures!

#243

Another great video, Ray. You said there are still active claims nearby, I’m assuming the bulldozed area just east? How do you know where you cango and where you aren’t welcome?

#244

Bob McCown said:

Another great video, Ray. You said there are still active claims nearby, I’m assuming the bulldozed area just east? How do you know where you can go and where you aren’t welcome?

Yeah, there’s a large bulldozed, open-pit area just to the east, and a couple smaller ones scattered around. The big one has signs prohibiting entry. I didn’t check out the smaller ones so I don’t know if they’re marked or not.

Even the mines that are not currently in operation there, the claims are still considered active, including the old silver mine.

I actually met one of the guys whose family owns most of the claims there. He’s the one who told me about the hoist house being torn up by thieves who stole the old hoist.

#245

Bronze Mine, CA 2020

https://youtu.be/4f7K4J3dDL8

The Bronze Mine is a small mining camp hidden in a mountain canyon in the Mojave desert. The mine has some interesting features, such as a tall wooden trestle and ore bin. The trail to the mine goes up a canyon with beautiful scenery all around. This was the last site I visited during my 2020 trip.

Music:

“Sunrise”

by Color Film Music

https://audiojungle.net/item/sunrise/9695490

“Warm Acoustic”

by Neoclassic

https://audiojungle.net/item/warm-acoustic/19686198

Licensed through AudioJungle

#246

Very nice Ray! The dozer looks to be an old Cat D3, and the pickup a '41 Dodge Power Wagon

#247

I finally figured out what the truck is! It’s a WWII Dodge WC54 field ambulance. The rear half behind the cab has been cut down to convert it into a homemade pickup truck. Here’s a pic of ambulance:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_WC54#/media/File:Dodge_WC54_Field_Ambulance_(1943)_(owner_Glen_Rummery)_pic4.JPG

#248

Nice Ray, looks like a M.A.S.H. ambulance, the spare tire cutout is a giveaway.

Gotta wonder what it’s history is and how it got there

Jerry

#249

The rolled rail on the top edge of the body is what threw me, not even seeing the bottom portion of the red cross on the body sides until I looked at it again today.

The truck’s history is unknown, but how it got there is simple enough. After WW2 and Korea, the government sold off a lot of military vehicles, and considering the remoteness of many of these mines, a good, reputable 4x4 is a must-have, Jeeps and Power Wagons fit that bill.

#250

Yeah, they did a nice job rolling the top edge over after cutting it down. That threw me off too. But I kept thinking that the faded red and white marks on the side looked like it could be part of a red cross symbol.

#251

How do you find all these places? Is there a website or map that lists them all? Or do you just drive around till you find one?

They’re all out in the middle of nowhere.

#252

Ken Brunt said:

How do you find all these places? Is there a website or map that lists them all? Or do you just drive around till you find one?

They’re all out in the middle of nowhere.

That’s what I’ve been wondering, too. There is MinDat, but its hard to use. https://www.mindat.org/ There’s also Western Mining History https://westernmininghistory.com/ which often has maps that you can then use to find them on Google Maps.

#253

Here’s a few sites I use:

http://www.forgottennevada.org/sites/index.html

http://silverstateghosttowns.com/oldmines.html

https://www.mytopo.com/locations/features.cfm?s=CA&c=071&type=Mine

and more

#254

Dan, I use those too. I also use Google Maps satellite view – it’s great for finding out whether anything is still standing. That’s saved me a lot of time that I used to waste going to sites that looked promising only to discover when I arrived that nothing is left.

Another great source is a series of books by Shawn Hall:

“Preserving the Glory Days: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nye County, Nevada”

“Romancing Nevada’s Past: Ghost Towns and Historic Sites of Eureka, Lander, and White Pine Counties”

“Old Heart of Nevada: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Elko County, Nevada”

These books were originally published in the 1990s but are still in print.

#255

Snow Day: A Road Trip To Julian, CA

https://youtu.be/32oS56txFp8

This video features highlights from my January 2021 road trip to Julian, CA during a winter storm. Along the way are scenes from Sunrise Highway, Mt. Laguna, and the Lake Cuyamaca area. It’s a little different from my usual videos. I wasn’t able to fly my drone, so there are no aerial shots. But there’s plenty of beautiful, snowy scenery and interesting sights. I think it’s the next best thing to being there, and I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Music:

“Road Trip” by TexasBrother

https://audiojungle.net/item/road-trip/21222988

“Guitar & Piano” by SoundArtMusic

https://audiojungle.net/item/summer-romantic-pack/23794311

“Way to the Podium” by Sounds4Media

https://audiojungle.net/item/the-way-to-the-podium/6523379

“Sunrise” by MiguelJL

https://audiojungle.net/item/sunrise/72093

#256

Great video, Ray. Absolutely beautiful landscape and Julian is a quaint little town. Thanks for sharing your adventure.

#257

Recently I made a short trip out to the desert and did a little photography…

A cliff swallow came to check out my drone:

The badlands in early morning:

Teddybear chollas:

Me and Megaweapon:

I found a large, solitary palo verde tree in full bloom in the middle of a wash:

There were a lot of birds in the palo verde. Here’s a little warbler:

And here’s a Bullock’s oriole:

A honey bee visiting a mesquite blossom:

While flying my drone over a patch of mesquite, several turkey vultures came close to investigate it:

On the way home from the desert I stopped in the mountains and got a couple shots of these chaparral whitethorn bushes. Their lavender, blue, and white blooms brightened the hillside:

Enjoy!

.

#258

Great shots!

#259

Great photography, Ray. The beauty of the desert never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for sharing.

#260

I finally finished my new video, using footage from the desert trip mentioned above plus another recent trip. I put a lot of effort into this one and I think it turned out pretty well:

https://youtu.be/Dip64YkDxwk

It’s night in the southern California desert. Gradually, the sun rises and reveals a fantastic, otherworldly landscape of incredible beauty. As the morning progresses, the desert comes to life. Colorful birds and insects such as the tarantula hawk wasp flit among the flowers of mesquite, palo verde, and other desert trees.

Music:

“Native American Dreams“

by Ramiton

Licensed by AudioJungle

https://audiojungle.net/item/native-american-dreams/19388106

“Cinematic Folk”

by ColorFilmMusic

Licensed by AudioJungle

https://audiojungle.net/item/cinematic-folk/17216427