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Snow and Wood Canyons
The mouths of Snow Canyon and Wood Canyon are less than a half mile apart. Snow Canyon contains more ruins of past mining operations, but there are some interesting finds in Wood Canyon also. Both canyons branch off into forks containing springs, tunnels, and prospects. To the north of Snow Canyon are many ruins worth visiting. A road goes up into this area, but it is quite steep! (Click here for area map.)

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Snow Canyon (May 2015)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Mine Structures - Various wooden structures near end of road in Snow Canyon.
  2. Cable Winder - Old apparatus used to wind cable.
  3. Pulley and Gears - Rusty metal wheels atop old wooden structure.
  4. Old Trail #1 - Stacked rock used to support trail built into steep hillside.
  5. Mine Artifacts - Various items qualifying as antiquities.
  6. Rusty Wheel - Old metal wheel mounted on concrete block and wood.
  7. French Madam #1 - Looking up at French Madam Peak (8458 feet).
  8. Solid Metal Cylinder - It weighs a lot more than a bowling ball!
  9. French Madam #2 - Another look at this lovely lady.
  10. Old Trail #2 - Trail visible on hillside (looking south from north of Snow Canyon).
Wood Canyon (April 2015)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Desert Woolly Star - Extremely prevalent at lower portion of canyon.
  2. Spineflower - Another plant present in great numbers in lower canyon.
  3. Lilac Sunbonnet - These fancy, but small, flowers were scattered around the lower canyon area.
  4. Woolly Daisy - This plant was quite prevalent along most of the hike.
  5. Yucca #1 - First group of yucca plants encountered along trip up canyon.
  6. Bighorn Skull - The upper portion of a bighorn skull, including base of horns.
  7. Donkey - A particularly shaggy creature who had been preoccupied with eating until my arrival.
  8. Two Donkeys - Disgruntled donkeys not pleased to have their meal interrupted by a hiker.
  9. Lupine #1 - Close look at the flowers produced by this attractive plant.
  10. Yucca #2 - Another cluster of yucca plants prevalent in upper canyon.
  11. Astragalus - A small number of milkvetch plants were observed in upper canyon.
  12. Evening Primrose #1 - A single small group of plants was observed in the upper canyon.
  13. Evening Primrose #2 - A close look at an unopened flower with its stamens sticking out.
  14. Lupine #2 - Another look at a flower with the banner, keel, and wings characteristic of the Pea Family.
  15. Pipe - A random piece of pipe sticking out of the group a couple mile up from mouth of canyon.
Wood Canyon (April 2014)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Creosote Flower - Close look at a creosote flower growing near mouth of canyon.
  2. Cholla Flower - Close look at a flower produced by a cholla.
  3. Donkeys - An adult and a juvenile donkey.
  4. Box Thorn - Pretty purple flower growing on a box thorn bush.
  5. Blazing Star - Lots of blazing star plants about a mile up the canyon.
  6. Mojave Red - Rattlesnake peeking out from between a couple rocks.
  7. Brickellia - Spearleaved Brickellia flower bud.
  8. Water Pipe - There's about a half mile of rusty old pipeline in one of the forks of Wood Canyon.
  9. Lupine - Lots of lupine producing luscious and fragrant flowers!
  10. Old Trail #1 - Rocks piled to maintain trail at about 4300 feet.
  11. Old Trail #2 - Another look at section of trail.
  12. Old Trail #3 - Stacked rocks further up the canyon encountered off and on to 4600 feet.
  13. Upper Spring - Spring at about 4700 feet with a couple pinyons and a yucca.
  14. Carrot Family Member - Biscuit root, desert parsley, or some other Carrot Family member..
  15. Miniature Bouquet - Desert star and purple mat sharing real estate.
  16. Hedgehog Cactus - Some blooming and many with buds.
  17. Beavertail Buds - I counted exactly fifty flower buds on this one plant.
  18. Desert Tomato #1 - Tiny flowers of Lycium andersonii.
  19. Desert Tomato #2 - A close look at desert tomato flowers.
  20. Rock Outcropping - View from the top of outcropping shown in image from September 2007.
Wood Canyon (May 2011)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Wood Canyon View - Looking down on mouth of Wood Canyon from 4500 feet.
  2. Yellow Frocks - Small member of the Sunflower Family.
  3. Broad-Flowered Gilia - A colorful member of the Phlox Family.
  4. Desert Sage - This member of the Mint Family is also known as Purple Sage.
  5. Bedstraw - A species of Galium of the Madder Family.
  6. Threadstem Gilia - Especially difficult to photograph member of the Phlox Family.
  7. Mexican Bladdersage - Member of the Mint Family with interesting seed pods.
  8. Brickellia - There are several species of Brickellia found in the Panamint Valley.
  9. Panamint Penstemon - This plant was found growing near the lower spring.
  10. Beavertail Cactus - Showy flowers typical of many species of cactus.
  11. Muddy Area - Mud under thicket at lower spring.
  12. Spring Box - Wooden box inside thicket at lower spring.
  13. Ruins - Ruins of small structure at middle fork of Wood Canyon.
  14. Lilac Sunbonnet - Another member of the Phlox Family.
  15. Area Map - Map showing route of hike.
Snow Canyon (March 2009)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Burrobush - Yellowish-greenish flowers of Ambrosia dumosa.
  2. Chia - Close up of tiny chia flowers.
  3. Purple Mat - Nama demissum lives up to its common name!
  4. Lesser Mohavea - Bright yellow flowers of Mohavea breviflora.
  5. Small Flowered Blazing Star - There was quite a bit of Mentzelia albicaulis blooming!
  6. Rusty Pan - A rusty pan near an abandoned mine.
  7. Tunnel and Ladder - Old ladder next to a mine tunnel.
  8. Familiar Names - Some familiar names left inside mine tunnel.
  9. Pulley Apparatus - Interesting relic inside mine tunnel.
  10. Lilac Sunbonnet - It's always nice to see a little Langloisia setosissima in bloom!
  11. Mine Camp - Mine camp just north of Snow Canyon.
  12. Wall and Tunnel - This tunnel sits just above the mouth of Snow Canyon.
  13. Desert Star - Tiny flowers of Monoptilon bellidiforme.
  14. Cloak Fern - This specimen of Cheilanthes parryi looks particularly fuzzy!
Snow Canyon (June 2008)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Ruins at 3700' - A rock wall in main canyon near road to north.
  2. Mine Entrance - Mine entrance east of road to north less than a half mile from bottom of canyon.
  3. Cottontop Cactus #1 - Yellow flowers on cottontop cactus.
  4. Cottontop Cactus #2 - More yellow flowers and closeup of "cotton" on top of cactus.
  5. Cottontop Cactus #3 - Another view of flowers on cottontop cactus.
  6. Saddle Mining Co. - Sign painted on side of boulder along road to north.
  7. Ore Loader - Ore loader next to road to north.
  8. Structures - View of ore loader and other structures at the bottom of the canyon.
  9. Stove Remains - Remains of a stove at a camp on ridge north of Snow Canyon.
  10. Lookout City - View of Lookout City through haze caused by smoke from the Clover Fire in the southern Sierras.
  11. Road to Lookout - View of road leading to Lookout City through haze.
  12. Rock Structure - Remains of a rock structure at top of ridge north of Snow Canyon.
  13. Broken Bottles - Some broken bottles at site of mining camp.
  14. Mine Entrance - Mine entrance below mining camp on top of ridge. (approx. elev: 5000')
  15. Panamint Rattlesnake #1 - Rattlesnake near mine entrance.
  16. Panamint Rattlesnake #2 - Rattlesnake stretched out.
  17. Panamint Rattlesnake #3 - Rattlesnake partially stretched out.
  18. Panamint Rattlesnake #4 - Rattlesnake coiled up.
  19. Hedgehog Fruit - Fruit of hedgehog cactus.
  20. Mine Shaft Ladder - Ladder down mine shaft. This shaft is near mining camp with stove remains and bottles.
  21. Mine Shaft - View of area surrounding mine shaft.
  22. Yuccas #1 - Group of yucca plants at approximately 5400' in elevation.
  23. Yuccas #2 - Another view of group of yucca plants.
  24. Wire and Wood - Wire and wood on high point at 5800' scattered amongst boulders.
  25. Yucca Fruits - Close view of yucca fruits.
  26. Panamint Rattlesnake #5 - Second rattlesnake encountered on hike.
  27. Mine Remains - These remains were along trail leading back down to the canyon bottom.
  28. More Remains - This site is located at bottom of side canyon draining into Snow Canyon.
  29. Cable Support - Several cable support structures remain standing.
  30. Ore Loader - Another view of ore loader shown in picture seven.
Wood Canyon - North Fork (September 2007)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Donkeys #1 - A group of donkeys at the mouth of Wood Canyon.
  2. Donkeys #2 - Another view of the donkeys at the mouth of Wood Canyon.
  3. Outcropping - Large rock outcropping in south sub-fork of the north fork of Wood Canyon. The base of the outcropping is at an elevation of 3800 feet.
  4. Mountain View - View of peaks spotted with pinyons above canyon.
  5. Wildrose - Some wildrose bushes encountered at an elevation of 3900 feet.
  6. Marker - Mine claim marker or trail duck? Who knows? This marker is located right above the wildrose patch.
  7. Sheep Horn - Sheep horn found right below thicket.
  8. Thicket - Dense thicket encountered at an elevation of 4200 feet.
  9. Cactus Patch - Cactus patch photographed on way back down the canyon.
Wood Canyon - South Fork (August 2007)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Lizard - Lizard by road at mouth of Wood Canyon.
  2. Panamint View - Looking south down Panamint Valley from mouth of Wood Canyon.
  3. Revenue View - Road leading from mouth of Wood Canyon to Revenue Canyon.
  4. Trail - Section of donkey trail leading up south fork of Wood Canyon beyond end of road.
  5. Pipes #1 - Some rusty pipes below spring in Wood Canyon.
  6. Pipes #2 - More rusty pipes. These were found right below the spring shown in picture 12.
  7. Bushes - Bush at 4000' about 100 yards below spring shown in pictures 10 and 11.
  8. Spring #1 - Spring at 4200'.
  9. Spring #2 - Another view of spring.
  10. Berries #1 - Close up of berries growing on bushes at spring.
  11. Berries #2 - Another picture of berries.
  12. Spring #3 - Pictures 10 and 11 show a spring at the canyon bottom. This one is located further down the canyon, but up on the side of the canyon.
Snow Canyon (June 2007)    Quick view of trip pics
  1. Rock Wall #1 - Rock Wall along side of road a little ways up Snow Canyon. (3700')
  2. Rock Wall #2 - Another view of rock wall next to road. (3700')
  3. Road to North - This road continues to the north to many interesting sites. (3700')
  4. Entrance - Mine tunnel framed with old timbers. (3800')
  5. Mill - Remains of mining operation. (3800')
  6. Ore Loader - Old wooden ore loader at bottom of hillside. (3900')
  7. Mill Ruins - Foundation stones of old mill. (3900')
  8. Wall in Canyon - Wall located a little ways up from end of road. (4000')
  9. Prince's Plume - Lots of vegetation near springs in canyon. (4200')
  10. Cabin Remains - Remains of cabin a ways up from end of road. (4500')
  11. More Cabin Remains - Remnants of another cabin further up canyon. (4600')
  12. Even More - Another rock structure. (4600')
  13. Hill and Yuccas - Steep canyon wall in background. (5800')
  14. Prospect - Evidence of prospecting activity in upper canyon. (5800')
  15. Canyon Bottom - Looking down canyon. (5800')
  16. Panamint Penstemon - Flowers on canyon bottom. (5100')
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