Our first Friends of the Inyo WSA/DPS/Desert Survivor/BLM trip to inventory Craig Canyon in 1992 had left some unanswered questions. Plus, the canyon's spectacular natural attractions made it a high priority for further exploration. Located on the east side of the Inyo Range between Hunter and Daisy Canyons, we had discovered a historic 5-stamp mill midway down its length and wondered how the miners had accessed the remote site.

For our 1992 trip, we had followed the canyon bottom for seven miles from the crest of the Inyos down through a spectacular 2-mile long narrows to where it emptied out onto the floor of Saline Valley. For this follow up Craig Canyon exploration, we decided on a loop trip to traverse through the center of the canyon to search for trails. We knew that the miners had to have accessed the millsite off either the north or south side ridges since travelling the canyon bottom would have been impassable for pack animals. Friends of the Inyo WSA participants of our original trip Morgan Irby and Tom Budlong came back again and we were joined by Jerry Goss (looking for a warm up trip for his upcoming Nepal trekking adventure) and Wendell Moyer in our quest to learn more about the area. First day we followed the Daisy/Craig ridgeline out to the Trepier Mine at 7,700'. The going was easy but it was obvious there was no pack trail so we knew this was not the primary access route. The long abandoned Trepier mining site has several interesting diggings, artifacts, small shelters and an impressive, intact rustic old cabin built into a rock slope. We camped around the old cabin which overlooks Daisy Canyon and the Inyo Salt Tram - a most memorable view and campsite looking 5,000' down to the tramline and into Saline Valley.

Second day, going northward and dropping down into Craig, we were able to follow a minor trail most of the time from the Trepier down along a ridge to 6,200'. This trail was not as substantial as most of our others we have inventoried in the Inyos and we completely lost it where the ridge became steep and loose at around 6,200'. As Jerry lead us back and forth down the slope, falling rock on the opposite side of the canyon got our attention along with the cause of the falling rock - eight Bighorn sheep (two rams, five ewes and a lamb) ascending directly across from us. We spent about 15 minutes admiring the healthy looking Bighorns and were amazed at the extremely steep, loose cliff face. Friends of the Inyo WSA have documented the evidence of Bighorn in all eight eastside canyons and now have live sightings for two canyons - Keynot and Craig. Since there have never been any Bighorn transplanted to the Inyos, it appears that there is a good natural recovery occurring. Jerry got us down through the final 1,200' of loose scree and by late afternoon we had reached the old water powered stampmill in the canyon bottom we had last seen 14 months before.

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