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.

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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.

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Haunted Legends for Halloween Night

Join me if you dare, the spirits are waiting!

 Halloween has always been my favorite time of the year and not just for the sweet candy treats but because it was fun to dress in costume and get all scared going door to door.  I remember my mom decorating our house and later that night, reading scary stories like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Maybe that is the reason that I am drawn to haunted houses, ghost towns, and spooky legends.

 For this Halloween, I have decided to give a tour of some of the spookiest places that I have been photo-exploring with my camera.

Speaking of spooky places, I will begin my tour with Spooky Rock, a very unusual rock outcropping in Mineral County, Nevada.  Located in Garfield Flats, the area was prone to much volcanism. Even in the bright sunlight the grimacing faces on these rock formations make the hair on my neck stand at attention. As the sun drops down and one cloud to the left appears as a hand beckoning, it really begins to get me in a spooky mood.

A brick arch stands out in the desert of Central Nevada and is about all that is left of the Delamar mining town.  Once a town of 1,500 residents with an Opera House, hospital, churches and numerous saloons, Delamar soon became known as "The Widow Maker" due to the dust from mining that contained glass like particles. It caused an incurable disease of the lungs--Silicosis.  The hazardous dust not only brought premature deaths to the miners but also to anyone living in Delamar.  I will never forget that smell of rose perfume that greeted me as I wandered around this ghost town.

  

Spring Mountain State Park is an oasis and peaceful retreat from the hustle of Las Vegas.  However, I have heard some pretty scary tails from the rangers who worked there after dark in the winter months.  Windows rattling, doors creaking, footsteps on the wooden floor!  Some have even seen Vera Krupp wearing her 33.19-carat Asscher cut diamond as she wanders from room to room.  After a settlement from Alfried Krupp,  Vera purchased the 500 acres west of Las Vegas and enjoyed a life of cattle ranching and country living.  

Bodie State Park, California was once a thriving mining town turning out millions in gold bullion.  As I peek through the dusty window of the undertaker's parlor, I am reminded of all the mining accidents and a harsh winter that brought the demise to hundreds of residents.  Today the ghost town is protected from vandals or looters by the spirits that call Bodie their home.  Anyone foolish enough to remove even a pebble will suffer the "Curse of Bodie".

Founded in 1902, Goldfield, Nevada grew to a population of 30,000 and produced $11 million in gold.  Know for its longest bar of all mining towns, it took a staff of 80 to serve all the libations.  A stove exploded in a millinery shop and burned two blocks before the wind shifted and saved the town from destruction.  Today, Goldfield is mostly deserted as it sits quietly on Interstate 95.  After sundown you might just catch a glimpse of ole Virgil as he heads down to join with the other spirits.

Driving through the back roads of Lyon County, you cross the rail road tracks at Wabuska, "The Shadow Town" of Nevada.  The town saw a boom in 1881 when the Carson & Colorado Railroad station was opened.  There was a general store, hotel and hot meals for hungry rail workers.  Over time, the town started its decline and all that was left was a bar and a few rooms for the weary.  You can stop for a cold one on a dark night, but you must be pretty brave to enter that outhouse all covered in vines! 

Some houses aren't the source of legends to be scary; they just look that way from wear and tear of time.  This house caught my attention and made me stop for a closer look but I declined the invitation to go inside. 

Other houses stand as a reminder of what life used to be.  The mining boom in the surrounding areas of Aurora and Bodie depleted the forests of pinyon pine which was used for lumber and firewood.  A house near Lee Vinning, California void of any trees except for a stump is a reminder of those days.  The house stands abandoned but the spirits  linger, drawing me to come inside.

  

Pioche Nevada in 1860's was the scariest town in the west, meaner than Tombstone and badder than Dodge City. Pioche was a mining camp with dozens of saloons and brothels.  Seventy-two people were killed before the first natural death occurred.   No wonder this is still called the "Hanging Tree" and to me is the scariest of all the places that I've been spooked to visit.

   

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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.

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Coyotes and Valentines, Romance is in the Air

  

Canis latrans singing the desert's music

With February being the month for Valentines I thought how appropriate to blog about one of the wild critters who also feels romance in the air this time of year. The month of February is most often when the coyote's attention turns from stalking a favorite snack to wooing a mate.  Coyotes are known for being good parents as both mother and father feed their pups by regurgitating food they have found while hunting.

 Following a gestation period of only sixty days, the mother may have a litter of up to nineteen pups.  The pups mature quickly, are ready for weaning in about one month and reach their full size in a year.  Keeping a close family unit, the males most often leave the pack while the female pups remain in the unit.  

Coyotes prefer to hunt at night in pairs, but on several hikes I have been fortunate to spot a single coyote hunting during the morning.  I have never been allowed to get too close and that is where my telephoto lens comes in.  I've been asked numerous times if I wasn't afraid of being attacked and the answer is No.  Maybe if I cornered one in a barn, but that isn't likely to ever happen. 

A family of coyotes lived across the pasture at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park and on summer weekends I would go out to the park for exhibits and events.  One day on my drive out, I saw a duck get hit by a car.  I stopped to retrieve the dead, warm duck  in a plastic bag.  I wanted to see if one of the coyotes would come and take the duck back to the den.  Sure enough, I hardly had time to focus my camera when one of the coyotes grabbed the duck and ran back out of sight. 

Every time I hear Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Music of the Night", I think of the coyotes singing at night.  There is something about their howls on a warm desert night that just seems right.  I will never forget during our Wildflower Photography Workshop at Death Valley hearing the coyotes break the silence in the early morning hours before dawn. 

In my opinion, Coyotes are given a very bad rap and it breaks my heart to know that they are being hunted and killed just for sport.  Coyotes do their part to keep nature in balance by eating rodents, rabbits and squirrels.  Their diet may also consist of birds, lizards, snakes, plants and fruits.  Yes, they will kill and eat cats and small dogs, which is why I keep my cats inside at night.  The main predators other than humans to coyotes are bears, wolves and mountain lions.  It makes me wonder when we continue to target all the natural predators what will keep nature in check.  

So as long as there are the Canis latrans, the "barking dog", I will enjoy the desert night where the greatest sound is silence and I anticipate like with a blank sheet of music for nature to supply the notes

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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.

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Adventures in Wildlife Photography

 Knowing When to Exit Before It's Too Late

I began my photographic ventures shooting landscapes and because they always took me off the beaten path, I came across many different types of wildlife. Around this same time, I was doing volunteer work in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park with my photography. I made friends with some of the park rangers who taught me how to approach wildlife and enter their habitat without causing any problems. 

One of the first things I learned in photographing wildlife was that I would need a faster telephoto lens. So when I could afford it, I added the Nikon 500mm 4.0 to my collection of lenses and it soon became my favorite, even though it was cumbersome and required a tripod. The 500mm lens allowed me to reach areas where the wildlife hung out and most times go unnoticed. However, on several occasions after walking quietly and blending in, I was the one who was in for a surprise and not too sure about my next move.

A female coyote stops on her way back to the den to check out what is hiding in the mesquite trees. I've been fortunate to come across these creatures many times in the early mornings or evenings when I wander through the desert. They are very shy and most of the time will scurry off. I love to hear their music on a calm summer night.

Now mind you, I haven't had the thrill of encountering a cougar in the wild yet, although I have seen their tracks in the moist sand near First Creek. This cougar photo was during the open house at the Animal Ark in Reno, Nevada.

Speaking of First Creek, which is in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and runs along the trail as its name implies, is a great place to see a lot of wildlife. One spring day when I was hiking  down the densely covered path I heard heavy breathing coming from just around the bend. My curiosity got the best of me and I continued on to find a group of wild burros foraging on a nearby hill. When I came into view, all heads looked up with ears forward. Wild burros can be mean spirited and will defend their territory; however this group posed for the camera as I quietly walked on down the trail.

There is something very peaceful about deer as they quietly graze on foliage, however this buck did not want me coming any closer and I have heard stories about hunters being attacked by them. With a quick clique of the shutter, I backed up and made a fast departure.

When I lived in Las Vegas, I often made trips out to Wilson Canyon where I could always find a large group of wild horses gathered around the natural springs. Early one summer morning, I was hiding in a grove of creosote bushes focusing on several horses that were drinking nearby. I heard some noise, turned and was completely surrounded by a bunch of wild horses that had snuck up while I was in deep concentration! When the horses realized that I was there, they stopped and allowed me to take a whole group of great photos.

Elk are like deer and just want to graze and be left alone. However when I was walking down a narrow back road near Cedar Breaks, Utah and came upon this group of Elk, I wasn't too sure how they felt about me entering their territory. Since my truck was a distance away, I snapped a few quick photos and did an about face!

In the areas that I frequent looking for wildlife, I've never seen a wolf out in the wild and this beauty is from the Animal Ark in Reno.

On one occasion, I did look up to see these big eyes watching me from the overhead tree! And no, I am not afraid of owls; to me they are beautiful birds that keep nature in balance. 

What I am afraid of and always cautious about are the rattlesnakes that live around the rocks in the desert. During the warm season, you have to be very careful about where you step and place your hands! Getting bit by one of these creatures when you are out on a hiking trail could mean the kiss of death and ruin your day!

I love being out in nature, exploring and finding photos. When I am in nature, I try to be a good neighbor and to go unnoticed without intruding or disrupting any habitats. As the saying goes, take only photographs and in the desert we don't believe in leaving footprints, only memories.

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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.

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