RonnieAdventure #0054 – Ibex Springs Ghost Town, San Bernardino County, California

Ibex Springs is a ghost town located in the far southeast corner of Death Valley National Park and is seldom visited by anyone. The Park Service’s Backcountry Roads Map and trail description states that in order to make the trip to Ibex Springs, your 4WD vehicle must have: “at least 15-inch heavy duty tires, good tread, 12 inches of ground clearance and a low gear transfer case, with a driver experienced with 4WD techniques. 4WD road may be rocky, with deep sand or gravel, and steep hills, and may include rock ledges, deeply eroded ruts, tight corners, and cliff-edge washouts. May require a vehicle with a short wheelbase.” Sounds like a great RonnieAdventure!

After leaving California State Route 127, the first few miles on the Ibex Springs “Road” were a combination of sand washes and a rocky, rutted trail that was passable with 2WD, at slow speeds. Then, we came to a washed out section of the road that went steeply down a dry wash and an even steeper climb up the other side. Time for 4WD!

Going down the wash was easy, but trying to get up the other side was more problematic because the ruts were so deep that it wasn't possible to keep enough wheels on the ground at the same time to get any traction. (I’ve learned from experience that 4WD works best when you keep all 4 wheels on the ground. When you get tires on alternate corners of the vehicle off of the ground at the same time, and you don’t have limited-slip differentials, you are not going anywhere, even with 4WD.) When you find yourself in this situation, you have two options – get out and fill in the ruts with rocks, or back your vehicle up the hill and then go as fast as you can up the other side to bounce over the ruts. Since I decided to do the latter, part of the family decided to get out and watch, while Kolohe decided to ride along – only to throw a Big Gulp size cup of ice water all over the inside of my vehicle while bouncing over the ruts. Just to make me feel better, she informed me that she also got soaked. (On the way home we had the same problem keeping all four wheels on the ground at the same time; but with the help of gravity, we didn’t have to drive as fast going down the hill.) 

After a few more miles we could see palm trees in the distance,  so we knew that we had almost reached our destination. Arriving at Ibex Springs we found old abandoned buildings scattered through the hills and along some of the dry washes. Ibex Springs is somewhat unique in that there are more standing structures than most ghost towns in the area. When the Park Service acquired this area they had originally planned to bulldoze the buildings and clean up the debris, but Shortfuse convinced the Park Service to allow the structures to deteriorate naturally and made arrangements for the Mojave River Valley Museum to monitor and photograph the site each year. So far, this arrangement has worked out well for everyone

 

Picture by Kolohe

Ibex Springs History: In 1881 two young miners discovered outcrops of silver and copper near what is now known as Ibex Springs and with no proven mineral deposits (other than the surface veins) they sold their mining claims to a Chicago syndicate in 1882 for $48,000 (a lot of money for that time period). In 1883 a five-stamp mill was constructed and a fifteen-inch-wide vein was opened to a depth of 80 feet, with ore assaying at $300 a ton. However, finding wood and water to operate the mill hampered ore processing. A small smelting furnace was constructed in 1884, but it only operated occasionally because of the lack of fuel and workers had a difficult time working in the intense summer heat. In 1889 all mining activity in the area ceased and Ibex Springs was abandoned.

Then, in the 1930s talc was discovered at the Moorehouse, Monarch, and Rob Roy claims a short distance away and Ibex Springs was resurrected. However, because of its asbestos content, talc fell out of favor as a baby powder and the market for talc completed vanished by the mid-1960s. (I remember when we were kids our Mother use to slap talcum powder all over us – it’s a wonder we all don’t have mesothelioma.)   

The drive back to the highway was uneventful, but as we approached civilization, we could see a long line of cars on the highway. My family quickly put on their seat belts because they were certain that we were approaching some type of police road block. I assured them that it was just road construction and there was nothing to worry about because there wasn’t a policeman within 50 mile of where we were at. Much to my surprise, when we arrived at the highway there were law enforcement agents everywhere. Of course, my family immediately accused me of being wrong, but I explained that technically I wasn't wrong - I was actually right, because I said that there wasn’t “a” policeman within 50 miles , which is singular, meaning one. As it turned out, there were 8,000 law enforcement agents participating in the annual Baker-to-Vegas 120 mile relay race. The race is billed as “the world’s most prestigious and unique law enforcement foot race…Starting in Baker, California and ending in Las Vegas, Nevada, law enforcement officers from around the globe battle it out every Spring for the chance of winning the coveted cup trophy.” (Check out their "B2V" web site for more information.) With cars lined up as far as we could see in both directions, it was like being stuck in a Los Angeles traffic jam in the middle of the Mojave Desert; so, we decided to call it a day and head for home (by way of Baker because that was the opposite way the runners were traveling).