Thirteen Spooky Places for Halloween Trick or Treat

My favorite places that give me a fright!

 

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to list 13 of the spookiest places where I have been for photos.   

 

Spooky Places Countdown #13 Deadman's Creek. 

 How did such a serene place get this spooky name?  Back in 1861 two prospectors went searching for a gold vein.  The burned and headless body of the one partner, Robert Hume was discovered in a shallow grave near the creek and later his head was found floating in the stream.  When questioned, his partner blamed the death on an Indian attack but he then disappeared before he was arrested! 

 

Spooky Places Countdown #12 Convict Lake

How would a pristine lake clear as glass and set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada get such an ominous name? In 1871 a bunch of escaped convicts held up at this lake; there was a shootout with the local posse and two of the members were killed.  On late fall afternoons; listen quietly and the sound of bullets may be heard echoing through the canyons. 

Spooky Places Countdown #11 Death Valley

In this land of extreme contrast, a wrong turn could become fatal.  One of the hottest places on Earth with a below-sea-level basin of salt flats as far as the eye can see.  Death Valley was named by gold prospectors in 1849 when they traveled across the valley and many perished in the attempt.  

 

Spooky Places Countdown #10 Rhyolite, Nevada  

 

Nevada’s ghost town near Death Valley was a short-lived success story.  When its gold mines played out in 1909 so did the town.  On a full moon night, looking through the remaining structures, you can feel the spirits of the old west, and maybe catch a glimpse of some spirits who refuse to move on. 

 

Spooky Places Countdown #9 Spring Mountain Ranch State Park 

The ranch house seems a peaceful place to visit during the day.  But beware on those long, dark winter nights when drawers rattle and doors slam and nobody is there except for a lonely ranger. This working cattle ranch was owned by the famed German actress Vera Krupp of Krupp diamond fame and she still protects her legacy from unwanted intruders. 

 

Spooky Places Countdown #8  Bodie Ghost Town State Park, California

Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town where visitors can walk the deserted streets that once housed 10,000 residents.  However beware and take only memories or the Bodie Curse will get you! Many an unfortunate person has been known to return even the smallest pebble. For you see, Waterman Bodie for whom the town was named, keeps a close watch over anyone tempted to collect any souvenirs not for sale in the gift shop.  

 

Spooky Places Countdown #7  Chemung Mine, California

Founded in 1906, the Chemung Mine was a good producer of gold, however legal issues were a constant problem.  It was torn down and rebuilt 3 times and then abandoned by 1939.  A warning to all visitors--stay away on Saturdays, especially at night because that is when the ghosts of dead miners come out.  There are reports of unfortunate campers who did not head this warning never to be seen again

 

Spooky Places Countdown #6  Stokes Castle, Austin, Nevada 

 
Who would ever think a three-story stone castle would be built out in the lonely desert of Central Nevada?  Anson Phelps Stokes was a mine developer, railroad magnate and banker that designed his1897 castle after visiting Italy.  Built by the sweat and brawn of local workers with large pieces of native granite, it was only used as a summer home by Stokes for a short time.  Sitting abandoned today, but by the light of the moon you might catch a glimpse of the workers toiling away.   

 

Spooky Places Countdown #5    Goldfield, Nevada

Boarded up buildings are desolate reminders at Nevada’s most haunted ghost town.  The boomtown that once housed 30,000 residents and produced $11million in gold was short lived when the veins ran shallow.  On a dark, snowy day there’s a shiver up your back, could it be the wind or a spirit coming to indulge at the longest bar in the history of mining towns?

 

Spooky Places Countdown #4    Delamar, Nevada

A lonely arch seems  welcoming to the ghost town of Delamar.  And in the late 1800’s, the mines produced $13.5 million in gold. However, the town had a dark side, when the gold was crushed it created a fine dust from the quartzite which gave the miners silicosis.  Thus the town became known as the “Widowmaker”! 

 

Spooky Places Countdown #3   Aurora, Nevada    

The mining town of Aurora, Nevada was founded in 1860 and named for Aurora, the goddess of dawn.  In it’s heyday, the population had grown to 10,000 and produced  $27 million worth of gold by 1869.  Today, much of the town has been destroyed by vandals except for the graveyard which is protected by many a long departed spirit.

 

Spooky Places Countdown #2  Pioche, Nevada   

 In the 1860’s the mining town of Pioche had a reputation for being the baddest town in the west, badder than Tombstone or even Dodge City!  The “Hanging Tree” still stands and can be seen silhouetted against a full moon.  

 

Spooky Places Countdown #1   Spooky Rock Outcropping, Nevada  

Spooky Rock Outcroppings are actual formations from lava flows in the Garfield Flat Thrust that go back million of years.  Resembling a scene from The Danse Macabre, the curved and elongated rocks appear as hooded characters with grimacing looks that definitely send chills up the spine as the sun sets on a late autumn day.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

Halloween Countdown, Thirteen Spooky Places for Photo-exploring

Hanging Trees, Ghost Towns and Spooky Tales

To celebrate my favorite holiday, Halloween, I thought what could be more fun than to give a tour of the spookiest places that I have done photography.

  To begin our 13 Spookiest places, I take you to Spooky Rock, Nevada.  Spooky Rock (its actual name) is an out-cropping of rocks that was naturally formed from volcanic flows which cooled with grimacing looking faces.  Located out in the desert, far from civilization, it sure sets the imagination to wandering, especially after sundown.

  

Number 12 on our list, the ranch house at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Nevada seems a peaceful place to visit during the day. But beware on those long, dark winter nights when drawers rattle and doors slam and no body is there except for a lonely ranger.  This working cattle ranch was once owned by the famed German actress Vera Krupp of Krupp diamond fame and they say she still protects her legacy from unwanted intruders.  

    

Spooky tales Number 11:  Goldfield was Nevada’s largest town after gold was discovered in 1902 with mines that produced more than $86 million in revenue.  Over time, the town slowly dwindled and in 1923 was almost completely destroyed by a fire.  One of the remaining buildings, the Goldfield High School was built in 1907 and still houses many spirits including a young girl that can be seen peeking out the windows from the upper floors.

Stokes Castle in Austin, Nevada is Number 10 on our countdown.  It was built as a summer home for Anson Phelps Stokes in 1897; who was a mine developer, railroad czar, and banker. A careful look up to the three story windows and you might catch some spirits of the numerous workers who labored to build this massive tower that was constructed form pieces of native granite that weighed more that a thousand pounds each.  

Spooky tales Number 9:  On a full moon night at Rhyolite Ghost Town, Nevada you can walk with the spirits of this once prosperous mining town.  As with most towns of the old west there are tales of violence and deception over the lure of gold--like with the prospector who was poisoned by the local barber for his gold nuggets.   

Coming in at No.  8:   High above the desert in central Nevada at 10,520' elevation stands Corey Peak.  Almost a scene from “The Twilight Zone” stands an abandoned shack with towers and strange looking objects.  I am left with an eerie feeling and hope I don’t see any small grey figures.   

  

At No. 7,  around 1867 Marietta Nevada was a major source for salt and borax.  It became established as a town in 1877 and over time the 150 residents saw their share of violence.  Robbery was almost an everyday occurrence and in just one week, the horse stage was held up 4 times!   Today, Marietta is mostly a ghost town with only a few living residents.  If walls could talk, and they sometimes do, you will be hearing of the trials and tribulations on a windy Halloween night.    

Bodie Ghost Town is No. 6 on the Spooky countdown.  During the Californiathe gold rush Bodie was a thriving town with 600 to 800 buildings and a population of over 10,000 residents. Along with the merchants and professional businesses, Bodie also had a dark side with its numerous saloons, gambling halls and brothels.  Many a spirit still roams the abandoned buildings and are known to protect the town against pilferers. Take only photos and leave only footprints or you might come face to face with the “Bodie Curse”.  

No 5 is  Pipers Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada.  Virginia City grew with the discovery of the Comstock Lode of silver in 1859.  Pipers Opera House is still open for events today and if you look toward the back of the stage, you might just catch a glimpse of the bearded man who stands enjoying the performance. 

 

No 4,  In 1849 emigrants bound for California's gold fields strayed into the 120-mile long basin of the driest and hottest area of North America.   After a two-month long ordeal of hunger and thirst one of the few survivors looked down from a mountain top and decried, “Good-bye Death Valley!”  Thus Death Valley became the name of the most extreme weather location in North America with less than 2 inches of annual rainfall, temperatures reaching as high as 134°F and the lowest elevation on the continent of 282 feet below sea level.  As harsh and extreme as Death Valley is, it can also be enjoyed for its natural beauty.  However, take nothing for granted in Death Valley because death may come from just any careless move.  

No 3,  Gold was discovered in the Aurora area in 1860, one year before the Territory of Nevada was formed. The township of Aurora became established and so did its reputation for being one of the wildest towns in the west. As many as 27 people were killed in one year, and it was a well-documented fact that the notorious Daly Gang made Aurora their home. Today, not much remains of Aurora except for the cemetery which is still maintained with a peaceful view during the day.  However, at night you might just be in for more sights than the stars coming out.  

No 2,  A rock arch is about all that remains of Delamar, one of Nevada’s once prosperous mining towns.  At one time, Delamar was producing millions of dollars in gold. However it soon became known as the “Widowmaker”. The mines were embedded in quartzite and a fine dust was produced when the material was crushed which gave the workers a fatal lung condition:  Silicosis.  As I wandered through these deserted ruins on a beautiful spring day, I just happened to encounter  the overwhelming fragrance of rose perfume; maybe one of the widows was still searching for her lost love.

   

And No. 1 on our countdown goes to the Hanging Tree which still stands today in Pioche, Nevada. In the 1860’s Pioche was a notorious gold and silver mining camp with a reputation much worse than Tombstone or Dodge City, where the only law was by way of the gun. Wait under the tree on a full moon night, if you dare.  And you’ll sure get a chill down your back from the lost souls in the “baddest” of the old west!   

With my Nikon and tripod, my goal is to recreate the scene as it appears in nature, to preserve in a photographic image the awesome, yet simplistic beauty of the scene that waits around a bend or over a hill. Sometimes it's a colorful landscape, and many times I'm allowed in the presence of the numerous creatures that adapt to life in the wild.

---

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

---

Rhyolite, Nevada, A Glimpse Back in Time

 Foundations from a by-gone era

What brings about the feel of the old west more than standing alone among the ruins of a once prosperous mining town surrounded by colorful mountains that have seen their share of gold?  As a gentle breeze moves across my face, I can close my eyes and almost hear the sounds of 10,000 residents coming and going from the numerous salons, restaurants and large school house. 

 Rhyolite is one of my favorite ghost towns to wander through and explore because most of the structures are well preserved and still standing tall against the colorful mountains. Also, Rhyolite just happens to be located slightly off the road on the way to the eastern entrance of Death Valley National Park.  

In 1904, two prospectors Shorty Harris and E. L. Cross happened upon a hill with so much quartz that it was "just full of free gold".  This area was only five miles from the Beatty Ranch which evolved into the small desert town of Beatty and is one of the last outposts for supplies before entering Death Valley from the east.  One of the first mining camps was called Bullfrog and soon the rush was on! A town site was laid out nearby named Rhyolite due to all the silica-rich volcanic rock in the area. 

Rhyolite was one of those boom towns that grew almost over night with saloons, restaurants, boardinghouses and by 1906 Countess Morajeski opened the Alaska Glacier Ice Cream Parlor!  

  

The John S. Cook & Co. Bank building was 3 stories tall.

The Bank cost $90,000 to build and had a safe that could hold one million dollars in coin. 

Rhyolite two story school house and large auditorium with enough space for 250 children.

The HD & LD Porter Store that sold everything a mining town could need, their slogan was
"We handle all things but whiskey".

In the distance is the Las Vegas and Tonopah Train Depot.

Rhyolite Jail House and the stories it might hold! 

 The town had a pretty prosperous "red light district", drawing the ladies from larger cities like San Francisco.  

Times were good for Rhyolite until the financial panic of 1907, banks began to fail and the mines started shutting down. 

 Thus began the demise of Rhyolite, businesses slowly closed their doors and the population dwindled down from the 10,000 to just 611 residents. 

Today, Rhyolite stands as historical testament of a by-gone era that was once a prosperous mining town in rural Nevada.  

What a privilege it is to wander around and admire the remains of buildings that refuse to succumb to the harsh desert conditions.
        

http://www.bonnierannald.com

For additional information:

http://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/rhyolite-ghost-town.htm

---

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

---

2016 Death Valley Wildflowers in Higher Elevations

 

Part 3, Highlighting the Super Bloom North of Furnace Creek

Death Valley harbors one of the most extreme environments on planet Earth, however when the conditions are just right, nature thrives.  Thus was the case this February in 2016 when El Niño brought enough rain and at the best time for numerous wildflower seeds that have been lying dormant for years to germinate and produce a Super Bloom.  I was fortunate to travel to Death Valley during this rare event for a photo shoot of the wildflowers.  On Part 1 of my Blog Post, I highlighted the various locations where the flowers were blooming from the Badwater Road to the Beatty Cut-off Road.  In Part 2, I focused on the individual flowers that were in bloom in the southern part of Death Valley National Park.  

 In Part 3 of my Death Valley Wildflower Super Bloom blog post, I will focus on a number of flowers that I found in the higher elevations.  

Death Valley has elevations reaching from the lowest extremes at Badwater Basin, 279 feet (85 m) below sea level, to  Mount Whitney which rises to 14,505 feet (4,421 m) in altitude.  During my photo-explorations for the wildflowers at the higher elevations, I only reached heights between 1,000 feet (304.8) and 4,950 feet (1,510 m) above sea level.

After departing the Furnace Creek area and the fields of Desert Gold that Death Valley is famous for, I traveled up Highway 190 to where the bright colors of Golden Evening Primrose began to accent the roadside. 

  Golden Evening Primrose (Camissonia brevipes) is also known as the Easter egg flower with its bright yellow cups.  Blooming in early spring, its delicate fragrance adds a gentle touch to the harsh environment. 

 

Like with an artist's palette of color, lavender and purples of Caltha-Leaved Phacelia (Phacelia calthiflora) grow along with the Golden Evening Primrose.

  A member of the Boraginaceae family these bell shaped flowers grow in the mid-range altitudes but below 3281 feet (1,000 m). 

 The beauty of the Caltha-Leaved Phacelia must be enjoyed from a distance, because as with the Notchleaf Phacelia (Phacelia crenulata) contact with the hairs may result in a skin rash similar to poison ivy.  

Trekking back through a wash reveals delicate, tiny white flowers of Cryptantha. 

 This plant is related to the "Forget-Me-Not" in the Boraginaceae family and also known as the Popcorn flower due to the flowers growing in clusters like the popcorn snack. 

Sheltered by rocky depressions in the wash are a number of Desert Five-Spot flowers in various stages of opening. 

 Growing below 4,000 feet (1219.2 m), the flower petals are only open in the afternoon and close at night. 

 A member of the Mallow family, Malvaceae, this flower is also known as the Lantern Flower, for how it resembles a glowing lantern when light passes through its delicate petals.  

Growing conditions for the 2016 wildflower season were just perfect for the Lesser Mohavea (Mohavea breviflora) to thrive.

 Usually considered a "belly flower" since it grows so close to the ground, many of these plants were growing like small bushes.  The Lesser Mohavea is also known as the golden desert snap-dragon. 

  

Much to my delight among all the 20 different species of wildflowers that were in bloom, some Creosote Bushes were just starting to flower.  Five petal yellow flowers and small fuzzy seeds make this bush stand out against the Mojave Desert landscape. Also known as Greasewood, this plant may live from 30 to 90 years of age.

My timing was just about perfect for the 2016 Super Bloom and catching as many different flower plants as I did.  I have since learned that rising temperatures and a vicious wind storm have taken their toll on many of the wildflowers that I was able to photograph.  Most of the remaining wildflowers are found in the higher elevations or in sheltered canyons.  What a thrill to be out in a huge natural garden enjoying the fragrance and colors in one of the most inhospitable places on the globe. Follow my Blog and check back often to see where my next photo-adventure will take me.   

---

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

---