After exploring an interesting variety of scattered plane equipment, we began dropping down the canyon. We soon began encountering dry waterfalls and put our ropes to good use. We eventually had to do 11 rappels with two perfectly vertical 80' cliffs and one overhanging rappel in a narrow slot which gave us an extra challenge. An intact 450 gal. plane fuel tank was encountered 200' up the side of the canyon and about a mile from the crash site along with the nearby remains of a Bighorn ewe. The tank could have been jettisoned from another plane but I suspect it somehow got thrown out from the crash site and had enough aerodynamic lift to carry it a mile away. The article had described bow the plane had clipped the Panamint crest before crashing into the north Dolomite Canyon ridge so perhaps the wing tank was knocked off at that point.
Surprised by the number of rappels in the north fork of Dolomite Canyon, we reached the bottom of the main canyon in late afternoon and immediately started down-slope - missing the Bighorn sheep water tanks which ended up being a little up canyon from where we intersected the main wash. There was considerable sign of Bighorn sheep in the canyon bottom so water is available in the area and hopefully the water tanks, pipeline, and trough are in working condition. It was well after dark before we completed the walk across the alluvial fan and on out to the road but the wash bottom was easy walking. Now, I just need to schedule another trip to go back and check out the condition of those Bighorn sheep water facilities.
Epilogue - On June 20th. three of us returned to Dolomite Canyon and hiked up to the Bighorn guzzler. A large 2,000 gallon tank is located east of the Big Four Mine load about six miles up Dolomite Canyon. The tank was dry but the tank and water lines appeared to be in good shape. A 2-inch pipeline Leading 600' up canyon to a catchment dam seemed to be intact. The small catchment basin behind a 5' high wall where the canyon narrows was filled in. Hopefully, a project can be organized to clean out the catchment area and that should allow water to flow into the tank.
