Charlie's hideout

[Bill Hollinger]

Yesterday I went out coyote calling (no luck) and decided to divert out to an area I've never been. I ended up at the Barker Ranch in the Death Valley National Monument. Yep, Charlie Manson's old hideout. There are a few settlements before you get there. Here are a few of the photos I took.

The entrance of the canyon




A little further up the canyon, perhaps half way in


The Newman Mine Cabin


This looks to be an old mining operation


I thought the old M35 deuce and a half was a nice touch


One of the out buildings at the Barker Ranch


And the main house where Charlie did a lot of plotting and planning. He was caught at the site, found hiding in a cabinet. He was nearly overlooked because he is so small no one thought, at first, to look in the very small cabinet


On the way out I broke a front shock mounting bolt. It took me all day to drill it out, tap the hole and put it all back together. This is a weak spot for the Dodge Dakota. I've replaced three of them. All the others came out with the twist of the fingers. This one was not so cooperative.

Information

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[Youngblood]

He was caught at the site, found hiding in a cabinet. He was nearly overlooked because he is so small no one thought, at first, to look in the very small cabinet

As I recall, they found him because some of his long hair was protruding from the cabinet door.

I had no idea that the approach was like that. The Whole In The Wall Gang would have heartily approved.

[browningautorifle]

How the h*ll did they get a bus up there? That road would have made that 6x6 weep...specially the narrow washout.

[Bill Hollinger]

Yes, a deputy spotted a few strands of his hair coming from the cabinet. After his arrest he was taken to the jail in Independence, CA.

[Sarge1998]

How the h*ll did they get a bus up there? That road would have made that 6x6 weep...specially the narrow washout.

That's pretty standard for unused mining roads, when maintained for an active mine they handle all the big rigs ( i.e. bus), but after a few years and rock slides they can be close to or actually impassable. Here is a shot of my friend and I traveling 21 Road in western Colorado in 03', it was an old mining road and now a gnarly challenge for 4 wheelers. No offense meant to Bill, but if a Dakota made it, it's not that bad.

Attachment 39381

[Bill Hollinger]

None taken at all Sarge. In fact, except for two spots I believe a good two wheel drive could make it up there. The old Dak does a good job but has it's limitations for sure. It has the limited slip diffs front and rear but it is a big vehicle compared to a jeep or my Mighty Mite. The Mite is what I wanted to take up there but it's 110 miles from the house and that would have been a long drive for sure. I did take a wrong turn and it got really rough. I got spooked a couple of times before I was able to get turned around and head back out. With 252,000 miles on it I have to be careful what I try to do with her.

[browningautorifle]

Sounds like our logging roads here. They go from handling two full trucks passing each other, to after twenty years they are a foot path.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

This photo essay is not at all what I expected. I was thinking VC in a spicer hole with an AK muzzle protruding. This was much cooler than that!