Overview of Surprise Canyon (Vehicle access now prohibited)

There is now a barrier across the canyon at Novak's camp

The canyon climbs 7000 feet in about 7 or 8 miles, up through a beautiful marble canyon that besides being beautiful is also very narrow. This is the section where the seven waterfalls are. There is a huge basin up on top where Panamint City was/is, and this collects a whole bunch of water and sends it roaring down that marble canyon. All loose stuff is washed out onto Panamint Valley and the waterfalls are left exposed. When serious miners are up in Panamint City, they push loose stuff down to ramp the waterfalls and when that has been done in the past, you could drive a 2wd pickup up to the top. At the time of the Travelall pictures shown below, no one had been mining on top and only a few flash floods had washed out the road, so it was still possible for the T' 'all to get to the top. About 83 or 84, one Spring saw the canyon hit by seven flash floods in about two weeks. The Novaks, whom you will find a link to, stood at their cabin on the South bank of the canyon and watched the floods hit the North bank many feet above their cabin and where they were standing. If and when you get up to Novaks, you will see that the bend in the canyon at their place put the water against that wall and diverted it down canyon and left their place untouched. Well since that time, first of all there has been no serious mining that wasn't helicopter supplied up on top, and secondly, there is no loose stuff left to ramp the falls with, even if someone cared enough to do it. If the road were ever restored, which isn't going to happen, the loose fill would have to brought up from below rather than being pushed down from on top, a much different proposition. The silver being brought down from the smelter was hauled in mule drawn wagons which then took supplies back up to the town. The canyon is not straight and the part of it that went through the marble canyon is of course unstraightenable and the steepest part. Read my description below the pictures of the first shipment of silver from the smelter.

This was Surprise Canyon in 1976 before it got really bad, and both before and after it was really good. When mining was being actively pursued in Panamint City at the top of Surprise Canyon, the road was often in good shape with the waterfalls being filled in with loose gravel, which of course, washed out of the Canyon with the next flash flood. My son John, a.k.a. Fritz, and a student of mine, Matt, are hauling the winch line up to a rock that we will use as an anchor. Fritz must have learned well, as he recently winched his Jeep up the seven waterfalls that now mark the beginning of the trip up Surprise Canyon, and spent the night in Panamint City with his two boys, wife, and sister.

With the winch line now secure, the Warn 8000 lb. winch begins to haul the 7000+ lb Travelall up the waterfall.

This is what it looks like to the photographer from the side view. It feels much steeper to the driver, Saline.

Deleted Section on the Novaks
Much to my surprise, the Novaks were deeply offended by being included here, so I have deleted that section. I'm sorry I had to do that, and I'm sorry that they had hard feelings about it, but it is apparently unfixable.

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Kids from the 8th Grade Honors Class at Valley Springs School where I was Principal, sitting on the remains of the great mill at Panamint City, located at the top of Surprise Canyon.

The Story of the old Mill at Panamint City and how the silver got out without being stolen.

This mill was built through the efforts and under the guidance of Nevada's two United States Senators, Jones and Stewart. The Panamint region was inhabited by outlaws from all over the west who had found the Panamints about their only remaining sanctuary, and there in the late 1800's were eagerly awaiting the silver to begin shipping down Surprise Canyon. Wells Fargo had refused the chance to haul the silver and it seemed to be the perfect opportunity for an outlaw down on his luck. The mill operated, the silver was separated, and the wagons were loaded. When the unarmed and unaccompanied driver was ordered to "stand and deliver" he did so with no apparent concern. The canvas was thrown back from the wagon and the outlaws gazed down on a wagon load of silver balls weighing around 500 lbs. each. (History has the balls weighing in at varying amounts ranging from 425 lbs. to 500 lbs.)

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Show me the photos from the 1996 ascent of Surprise Canyon (Son John and solo vehicle with 2 women, 2 little kids and Goat Boy)

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