Dangerous Ghost Towns

[safetybar]

Hello! I just wanted to throw a question out there in regards to everyones ghost town hunting. Has anyone ever run into any 'trouble' while exploring some of these abandoned towns? Has there been anyone else there that wasn't very inviting? Or anyone living there that wasn't particularly welcoming?

There was one time that I was doing some exploring while I was working in Colorado for a few months. I found what seemed to be an abandoned mining camp on a hill (no idea where I was .. but it was VERY far from the nearest paved road or house). I climbed the hill to take some pictures and explore. I looked down and saw my Avis rental Grand Prix sitting all alone in the distance...I had this horrible feeling that by the time I'd get back to the car the tires would be slashed. Then I kept wondering what I would do if while spying on my car, I saw a few people come out of the woods to inspect it and perhaps 'disable it' so I couldnt leave.

Maybe I've spent too much time with the horror movies. But I got down that hill pretty quick...that camp was eerie enough as it was...and got out of there.

[Max Barnett]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I explore New Mexico a lot and the closer I get to the border the higher the anxiety. My pet fear is being in a tent with no view of what is around me while any one who comes up can see where I am and all my exits. I think the odds of some six o'clock news event happening is small but it still makes for something other than a peaceful night's sleep.
Because of this paranoia I built some special motion sensors that I place in the camp area and on the trail or road leading to my site. The sensors contact me by radio if anything over 30 lbs crosses in front of it. Depending on the terrain, I can locate the remote sensors up to a couple of miles away for a good "heads up" when someone is coming. The real value is the peace of mind. When I wake up in the night and think I heard something I'm not afraid to stick my head out of the tent for fear my head might be lopped off with a machete. If someone is out there this system will let me know. So far there has never been an alarm except when I step outside to relieve myself (that also tests it!).
Just wanted to tell this story so you know that you are not alone in your paranoia!
Max

[Johnnie]

SaftyBar. experience reminds us of a experience we had in 1960 way up on the top of the Panamints Moutains, On one of our many trips to the famouse Panamint City, But this one trip I took my 1942 milatary jeep and planed to take some side trips so when my friend Bob, and I saw a small drit road leading off to the north of the town-site we thought it would be fun to see where it went so after about 15min. trugeing up this road we could hear a roar of another 4wd comeing up behind us, not knowing what to expect we felt we should be on the defence. We look at each other and expected the worse. As the two guys approched us we tried not to give the appearece of being scared but it wasn't easy because they had guns and we did not. Then they ask us what we were doing up there and we told them them that we were out exploring, Then they ask us would we like to see a mine at the top of the mountain and we told them to lead the way so when the wagoneer went around the next bend we found a small area where we could turn around in a few minutes we hightailing down the mountain and down Supprise canyon.

I will tell you we never went back on these trips with out protection (Seldom Seen Slim) the old Ballarat prospector always told us that the area at the top of Panamint City was protected by (Panamint Annie) who would shoot out your radiator So in that trip in1960 may have been ( Shotgun Annie) friends or maybe she ran them off and they were out exploring also like us who knows, but it was a very uncomfortable position to be in to say the least.

If anyone would like to read our posting about the history of Panamint city just go tho the top of the page of the bulletin board and type in Panamint city History and you can read our posting from a couple years ago. If you do plan a trip to this very historical mining camp go prepared it is a about 11miles to the top and 6 hr, hike. The road that we used in the 1960 trip was so good that a passager car could be used but now do to the landslides and washouts it is inpassable for any vehicle.

"Happy Trails"
Johnnie & Sheila







Your Fellow Ghosttowners
Johnnie & Sheila

[Johnnie]

Hello! I just wanted to throw a question out there in regards to everyones ghost town hunting. Has anyone ever run into any 'trouble' while exploring some of these abandoned towns? Has there been anyone else there that wasn't very inviting? Or anyone living there that wasn't particularly welcoming?

There was one time that I was doing some exploring while I was working in Colorado for a few months. I found what seemed to be an abandoned mining camp on a hill (no idea where I was .. but it was VERY far from the nearest paved road or house). I climbed the hill to take some pictures and explore. I looked down and saw my Avis rental Grand Prix sitting all alone in the distance...I had this horrible feeling that by the time I'd get back to the car the tires would be slashed. Then I kept wondering what I would do if while spying on my car, I saw a few people come out of the woods to inspect it and perhaps 'disable it' so I couldnt leave.

Maybe I've spent too much time with the horror movies. But I got down that hill pretty quick...that camp was eerie enough as it was...and got out of there.

Hello! fellow ghosttowner we can sure relate to your experience as well.

Johnnie & Sheila

[OldTroop]

Thats exactly why I carry a firearm with me when Im out and about. You should never go into the boonies with out a gun...even if its just a .22......I dont believe Ive ever ran into anyone ghost towning and searching that wasnt armed. Common sense tells you not to go off into the hills with out protection.
I want them to see me armed so they know this is not a person to mess with...if thats what they have in mind.

[dexter200161054]

I will stay in the USA. Unless of course you take about 5-7 men with you with fire arms just in case, becuase going alone wouldn't be the smartest thing. My mom loves camping, and I there are several ghost towns within a 1/2 an hour or so.

[GaryB]

I usually have a gun just in case I run into a rattlesnake that decides to get too friendly. But yes, after the murders a few years back at Yellowstone for instance, I decided having protection while I'm out in the boonies is a must. Some parts of the west are still wild unfortunately.


Luckily, I haven't ever had an issue while GT'ing. Most of my "experiences" have come while game hunting believe it or not.

[Johnnie]

Thats exactly why I carry a firearm with me when Im out and about. You should never go into the boonies with out a gun...even if its just a .22......I dont believe Ive ever ran into anyone ghost towning and searching that wasnt armed. Common sense tells you not to go off into the hills with out protection.
I want them to see me armed so they know this is not a person to mess with...if thats what they have in mind.

We are sure that most fellow ghosttowners have a story like ours to share also. As you can see in the photograph on all my post that i am more prepared than I was in 1960 trip. We are currantly working with a couple fellow ghosttowners that have their own web sites and hope to find a way install our 8mm films now on video of most of our trips to these ghost towns in the 1960s and letting everyone see what we saw in Panamint City when we had that experience we wrote about at the top of Panamints. And what Ballarat and (Seldom Seen Slim) look like and Gold Point, Old Dale, here in California, and Good Springs Nevada look like in the early 1960s. We hope to get this project going in a couple weeks. with their help. We sure the film will give more meaning to the stories we posted in the past.

Your Fellow ghosttowners
Johnnie Sheila

[Johnnie]

[quote=Johnnie]Hello! fellow ghosttowner we can sure relate to your experience as well.

The old west legend still cireulates around the camp fires in Panamint Valley about horsemen that ride up and down Suprise Canyon around midnight.

Well when my friend Bob, and i were on that trip that took up to the top of the Panamints in my 42 milatary jeep that i wrote about a couple weeks ago, First started at the Pond at the mouth of the canyon that's where we spent the night by the pond and that night while we were sitting around our camp fire is when i told Bob, the story that i read several years before about the horsemen that always ride there horses up and down the canyon and not to be to scared because it was just a legend. But in the middle of the night we were awoke by the sound of hoofs that came from the nearby dirt road and from then on we could not get back to sleep. But at daybreak we went out onto nearby road and sure enough there in the sand was hoof prints, but later on when we told (Seldom Seen Slim) down at Ballarat, what we heard, that night by the pond in Suprise Canyon is when he chuckeled and said he had heard that same story many times before but added that it was probably a bunch of "Wild Burrows" that roam the nearby canyons and Panamint valley. Who knows for sure. So take for what it't worth, Thats our scary add-to ghost town experience.

Johnnie

[Flatiron]

Just wanted to share my story about being in the boonies and running into trouble. Many years ago I was camping just outside the Jarbridge Wilderness area in Northern Nevada and had a peaceful nights sleep, only to find Sheriff's cars, a Coroners vehicle, and numerous unmarked cars, about a mile down the road from where I camped. I was stopped, of course, and was asked a whole slew of questions, as to where I was from, what I was doing in the area, and if I heard or saw anything strange the night before. After spending about an hour answering questions, I was allowed to leave. Two days later while travelling through Idaho, I heard on the radio that authorities had found 2 bodies of 2 older gentlemen who were shot and killed in their truck while deer hunting. They were from Twin Falls, Idaho, and had been missing for a couple of days. From that time on, I have carried a .357/.38 with me while out exploring. ...........