My knee recovery used to be a weekly assessment, since things could change in such a short time period. Nowadays, my outlook is more on a grander scale of months and even years. For example, last week I was having some patellar issues after riding home from work one day. It was clearly coming from under my kneecap, and was reminiscent of previous occasions when I've strained a patellar tendon. This week, it's fine. It's just another testament of how patience is a virtue for any knee surgery recovery.
We've had a record amount of rain in California this winter, and with that came a "super bloom" of wildflowers in the deserts. I took this as an excuse for a backpacking trip into Death Valley. There's an old ghost town called Panamint City that I've always wanted to visit. It was a booming mining town in the late 1800's and relics to its' history are abound.
It took me 5 hours and a lot of 4WD to get to the trailhead.
We've had a record amount of rain in California this winter, and with that came a "super bloom" of wildflowers in the deserts. I took this as an excuse for a backpacking trip into Death Valley. There's an old ghost town called Panamint City that I've always wanted to visit. It was a booming mining town in the late 1800's and relics to its' history are abound.
It took me 5 hours and a lot of 4WD to get to the trailhead.
From the trailhead, it was an 8 mile hike up 3000 feet to Panamint City
Along the way there were plenty of wildflowers, and plenty of indication that people have been running around in these hills for hundreds of years:
Once I got into town I was exhausted, but that didn't stop me from starting my exploration of the area
I walked nearly 1/4 of a mile into this mine shaft before I decided that there are certain places that are better left to mystery:
This old Ford Fairlaine must've made it up here when there was still a road. I'm afraid she'll never see asphalt again though:
I spent a couple days exploring the area even further. Every corner contained some old artifact of a time when this town had 4000 people living here. It was a great adventure that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in California's mining history. All you need is a backpack full of gear and a new knee!