Vehicle use of the seven
mile 4-wheel drive road going up Tuber Canyon on the west side of the Panamint
Range between Wildrose and Jai1 canyons has become controversial. The first
four miles of road is on BLM land and the upper three miles extends up to
7,000' into Death Valley NM. There are three riparian areas on the BLM road
segment and possible vehicle damage occurring to the riparian habitat is
causing some people to question whether or not the road should remain open for
vehicle use.
Along with coworkers Dave Nash, Andy Tenney, and Jules
Pallette, we decided to traverse the entire canyon to inventory resources and
evaluate possible damage from visitor use. Doing a vehicle shuttle, we left a
vehicle at the south of Tuber Canyon and then drove up to Mahogany Flat. We
hiked up the Telescope Peak trail for three miles to Arcane Meadow at 9,100'
where we left the trail. We headed directly down Tuber canyon and reached the
old Skidoo water pipeline at 7.200'. This 6 water pipeline was built in 1906
and numerous remnants of the hand riveted pipeline extended across the canyon.
After exploring the pipeline we proceeded to the end of the Tuber road at
7,000' and camped. A storm blew in and a couple of inches of snow fell on us
during the night.
Next day, we followed the road for seven miles on down to
the mouth of Tuber at 2,800'. The first three miles of road in DVNM was in good
shape but there were several difficult 4WD pitches on the lower four miles of
road on BLM. The road passed through three riparian zones with the road running
through flowing water for about one-quarter mile at the bottom zone 3,000'.
There was a profusion of blooming desert plants including numerous Panamint
daisy's in the lower canyon. Tuber is a very scenic canyon and the 4-WD road
provides a good alternate hiking/backpacking route for reaching the higher
elevations in the Panamint range. |
Monument
to High
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Herron, 66, hopes
travelers will find displaying summer temperatures novel enough to boost
awareness of Baker. Ninety miles from Las Vegas, the desert outpost is the last
oasis for motorists driving to Las Vegas, 90 miles away. But the community of
400 residents finds it tough to compete with the attractions of casinos and
hotels at the state line.
Ideally, Herron said, the roadside attraction
will persuade some of the 8-1/2 million drivers who pass through annually to
stop long enough to take pictures, get a bite to eat or buy a few
souvenirs.
But a competitor, Matt Pike, a co-owner of a local Denny's.
angrily denounced the plan.
"This is a selfish business ploy in the face of
stiff opposition," Pike said at the panel meeting, before a 5-1 vote approved
the plan. "Maybe we should apply to build a 150-fool statue of a sun god."
Herron said the tower's height will symbolize the 134-degree record temperature
set in nearby Death Valley in 1913.
Plans had called for the tower to have
flashing lights and a sign at the base promoting Baker and Death Valley. But a
compromise with the county's planning toned down the design. |
By MICHAEL T. HARRIS
SPECIAL TO
THE TIMES
BAKER, Calif. just how hot can it get in this blistering East
Mojave Desert community?
Perhaps by late summer, a 134-foot.high
thermometer will be able to tell you.
San Bernardino County planning
commissioners Thursday approved construction of what is likely to be the
world's tallest temperature gauge just off Interstate 15 on the road to Las
Vegas.
Expected to cost $600,000. the thermometer is the idea of Baker
businessman Willis Herron.
Herron's development company will pay for the
metal and plastic thermometer, which will stand beside his rebuilt Bun Boy
restaurant, scheduled to open in August. The original restaurant was destroyed
by fire more than a year ago. |
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