Hart Mine, giant geodes, plane wreck
This trip will be through the Mojave Preserve from the south beginning at Goffs.
We will be stopping at the OX Ranch and then onto the ghost town of Hart.
Hart was another turn of the century mining town. At one point boasting eight
saloons and four hotels with a population of four hundred. Not much remains
today other than a giant open pit mine however, there are enough artifacts
laying around to keep it interesting.
We will be stopping at the OX Ranch and then onto the ghost town of Hart.
Hart was another turn of the century mining town. At one point boasting eight
saloons and four hotels with a population of four hundred. Not much remains
today other than a giant open pit mine however, there are enough artifacts
laying around to keep it interesting.
First stop the OX Ranch, which at one time ran cattle over much of what is now the
Mojave Preserve. Shortly after the preserve was created, the ranch was bought
out by the Park Service and the cows removed. Signs of the ranch can be found
throughout the preserve in the form of corrals, windmills, and watering holes.
Mojave Preserve. Shortly after the preserve was created, the ranch was bought
out by the Park Service and the cows removed. Signs of the ranch can be found
throughout the preserve in the form of corrals, windmills, and watering holes.
A few miles down the road we passed the old Hart Mine airport which is now closed and grown over. When we stopped to get a bite
to eat I noticed something about mile away on a hill. Taking a hike to see what it was it turned out to be a plane crash shown in the
following photos. A little research about this wreck revealed the plane is a Piper PA-31 Navajo. The pilot was running low on fuel on
a nonstop flight from Kennewick, Washington to San Diego, forcing him to make an emergency landing.
to eat I noticed something about mile away on a hill. Taking a hike to see what it was it turned out to be a plane crash shown in the
following photos. A little research about this wreck revealed the plane is a Piper PA-31 Navajo. The pilot was running low on fuel on
a nonstop flight from Kennewick, Washington to San Diego, forcing him to make an emergency landing.
Runway visible in the distance
