Rant n' Rave – Piss n' Moan – rambles and rants of an old man…

August 11, 2009

Charlie Manson and Me – part 2

Filed under: Charlie Manson and Me - part 2 — Tags: — Bob @ 7:03 am

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Charlie Manson and Me – part 2

~Enter Goler Wash~

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These pictures don’t show the big boulder that we were looking for at the entrance to Goler Wash because it was removed sometime in the past. No idea why.

Goler Wash in the distance. Photo by David A. Wright - 03/17/2001

Entrance to Goler Wash - photo by Hal Newman, 11/05/2001

Entrance to Goler Wash – photo by Hallett Newman, 11/05/2001

We were on Wingate Rd. and then headed East on Coyote Canyon Rd. into the mouth of Goler Wash, and I’m sure we got some people talking about us, due to the vehicle we were driving, but the trail heading in seemed completely passable, so I drove on.
DV2-003-entrance-to-goler-wash-b

Headin’ in…

Here are some ‘treckers’ that apparently believe they need an extreme off-road vehicle for their Sunday drive!
DV2-004-entrance-to-goler-wash-traffic-b

“Is the winch cable long enough for this trip?” “Where’s the GPS?” “Does AAA know about this road?” “How far to The Burger King?” “Daddy, I have to pee! Where’s the next gas station?”

 I’m jes’ funnin’ here, Folks. NOW I know how lucky we were back then! Yes, God watches over children and fools! We were basically prepared, but didn’t have a CLUE about the lay of the land or how to survive in it! …or what lay ahead! But boy-oh-boy was it fun and exciting! It STILL is!

 At this point I will apologize to those who actually know and love this area. These pictures might not be in their exact order of progression throughout this trip, as we didn’t keep a log or a chronology of our movements. I will call it ‘poetic license’ to get around this matter, but if someone does spot a glaring error where I have inserted a photo of a trail in Idaho or somewhere, please let me know so I can make it right(er). Remember, I collected these pics from the Web, and they were labled as ‘Goler Wash’ and that’s all. 

 

Western Entrance to Goler Wash - 04/16/2005

Western Entrance to Goler Wash – 04/16/2005

Into Goler Wash – 04/16/2005

Into Goler Wash – 04/16/2005

I recall the sound of the dual exhaust pipes bouncing off the steep walls of the wash as we drove in.

Goler Wash near the West entrance.

Goler Wash near the West entrance.

Goler Wash near the West entrance.

Goler Wash near the West entrance.

I think I read somewhere that the walls run from about 300′ to over 600′ high! As we slowly drove forward, trying to take in all this absolutely amazing scenery, while I was managing to stay on the trail and avoid most of the rocks, it was like being in a dreamworld!

Once in a while I would have to stop to let a rider on horseback or a dirt bike pass, mostly heading West as it was already past noon. We, of course, were planning on staying at the Newman cabin which was about 3 mi. up the Wash, so we weren’t pressed for time. I did worry that we might have needed an advance reservation to stay there, but we were self-contained, so what-the-heck!

In places the canyon walls went almost straight up into the sky, leaving us in cool shadows. I recall spots where the trail was so narrow that I had to pull in the side mirrors for clearance. Remember, we were in a full sized extended-length van, not a short wheel-base off-road vehicle! There were absolutely no turn-around points once we got into the deep part of the Wash!

I now know this is not Goler Wash, but it has the look of the area. Per David A. Wright, "This might be a picture of Titus Canyon, which is in the Grapevine Range northeast of Stovepipe Wells".

I now know this is not Goler Wash, but it has the look of the area. Per David A. Wright, “This might be a picture of Titus Canyon, which is in the Grapevine Range northeast of Stovepipe Wells”.

See description of previous picture.

See description of previous picture.   Goler Wash, near the West end.

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Charlie Manson & Me – part 3 

~ Newman Cabin~

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