Re: Saline Valley Salt Tram Question


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Posted by Randy P on August 13, 2004 at 22:22:59:

In Reply to: Saline Valley Salt Tram Question posted by Salt Tram Runner on August 12, 2004 at 10:39:20:

Heres a OCR of a scan of an old daisy cyn hike report:
SU OF WILDL.AND ROUTE AND TRIP INFORMATION
Bureau of Land Management - Ridgecrest Resource Area
INYO MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS - DAISY CANYON
Route: DAISY CANYON TRAIL - Salt Train Trail down east side of Inyo Mountains
Trips: September 24-28, 1992 - Steve Smith, Debra Smith, Doug Kari, Tom Budlong, Wendell Moyer, Morgan Irby and Gerry Goss
May 5-7, 1986 - Bruce Albert and Steve Smith
Trip Requirements: Carry water since their is only one small unreliable spring at 5,700’. Trail is difficult to find/follow in several areas, particularly where it descends into the canyon for .5 mile below the drive tation at 5,700’ and climbs back out up a scree slope at 5,000
Daisy Canyon was descended by starting from the Inyo Crest where the historic salt tram crosses the crest at 8,700’. On the first day, we were able to follow the tram’s access trail down along the cramline until 6,600’.
Ac this point at one of the wooden tram towers, there was no obvious trail and we downclimbed 700’ into the canyon bottom. Crossing the canyon, we picked up the trail on the north side where it climbed up about 200’ . The trail then contoured downward along the northside of the canyon to a point above a large drive station. The trail dropped 400’ directly down to the drive station at 5,700’ where we camped for the night.
This drive station provides an excellent camping site where our group camped on its level wooden decking. With its tapered east and west ends and sitting high above the surrounding desert terrain, it gave the impression of being on a ship at sea. There is a spring 200 yards above the drive station where we located a small seep and it may be possible to sometimes slowly collect water. This was the only water we saw in the entire canyon and it can not be depended upon. There is an obvious trail leaving the drive station on the northside which contours around to a large tram tower to the east. This trail only leads to the tram tower where it deadends. During our 1986 trip, we downclimbed 1,000’ from the tram tower to the canyon bottom - a difficult task on the steep and loose canyon side.
On the second day of our 1992 trip, we left the drive station by following the canyon bottom. The trail was not visible down canyon due to vegetation and by being washed away by waterf lows.
irrznediacely below the drive station, there is a waterfall and :here is a trail section up on the north wall of the canyon which musE be used to bypass the waterfall. Brush in the canyon is moderately dense and slow ,going. At 5,000’, there is a 500’ climb out on the “switchback trail” to the east up a scree slope in a narrow ravine. Once you are in the ravine, about half of the old trail can still be followed. On a previous trip, Wendell missed the trail going up the ravine and encountered difficult downclimbing further down canyon - including a high waterfall. He has written a great story about this adventure - “Baptism of
Fire: Daisy Canyon, My Introduction To Climbing In The Inyos”.
At the top of the ravine, hikers pass through an impressive rock portal with a panoramic view of Saline Valley. The trail then. descends to the next drive station at 3,700’ where we camped for the second night. Again, this drive station makes a great campsite with its expansive level wooden flooring. From the drive station, the trail continues steeply on down to the wash in the bottom of Daisy Canyon. A small rattlesnake was encountered next to trail. Crossing the wash, you reach the road which comes in for 2 miles from the Saline Valley Road. Except for the one short gap at 6,600’, the trail can be followed all the way through the canyon.
Torn Budlong has found two 1912 photographs showing the salt tram trail and the salt works. One photo shows the Saline playa with many salt mounds ready to be collected and put on the tram. The second photo shows eight burros and two packers on the salt tram Switchback trail” where the trail switchbacks for 500’ out of the canyon at 5,000’.

No attempt was made to clean up this scan to ocr text.

Randy P


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