Category: Art

Searles Valley Fat Ride

Searles Valley Fat Ride
or
Ed Was Here

The tv was sitting far out, 100 yards or more, from an abandoned double-wide “homestead” we visited regularly on the valley tours and had become known as The Palm Tree House . It had been shot where it sat, perhaps from the house which would have been an admirable feat if you’re into that sort of thing. Abbey may have appreciated the effort.

Mylar Balloon Count: 4

Solitude

Hike to the Russian Miner’s Cabin – Argus Range, California

The story I heard on this place is it was the home of a German (or Russian we’re not sure) fellow who was employed by The Plant in Trona to keep the water pipes from the numerous springs flowing to the plant. The hills were laced with 3 inch steel pipes that kept the plant operations running to extract mineral from the Searles Valley lake bed. At some point the plant’s water source was switched to a series of wells that were drilled north of the lake bed on the valley floor and I think they get water from Ridgecrest too via a large pipeline. Over the years people harvested the abandoned water lines and sold or re-purposed the material for home improvement projects such as fence posts.