The surreal landscape of this part of the Last Chance Range is my welcoming host for the day. 5.5 hiking miles with about 2000 feet of elevation gain.

I start my sunny morning in Eureka Valley with coffee and a pipe (surprise!)

I start my sunny morning in Eureka Valley with coffee and a pipe (surprise!)

The short drive across Eureka Valley will take me to the starting point of today's hike

The short drive across Eureka Valley will take me to the starting point of today's hike

Goodbye dear FJ, I'll see you in a while

Goodbye dear FJ, I'll see you in a while

I encounter some mining debris when I reach the top of the first little hill

I encounter some mining debris when I reach the top of the first little hill

Debris with a view (across Eureka Valley)

Debris with a view (across Eureka Valley)

I start gaining elevation quickly

I start gaining elevation quickly

I walk past a couple of thin, dry cholla cactus

I walk past a couple of thin, dry cholla cactus

And I walk past a brittlebrush bush with just one yellow flower on it

And I walk past a brittlebrush bush with just one yellow flower on it

Oh, a gate, which I will now pass through

Oh, a gate, which I will now pass through

Which rocks should I look at?

Which rocks should I look at?

The dark hills bring out the colors in the rocks

The dark hills bring out the colors in the rocks

This little dry waterfall looks like I can climb up it, so I will

This little dry waterfall looks like I can climb up it, so I will

I'll walk around this little tower of erosion

I'll walk around this little tower of erosion

Great, I can continue upward a little farther

Great, I can continue upward a little farther

Another step up...

Another step up...

A look back across Eureka Valley to Waucoba Mountain

A look back across Eureka Valley to Waucoba Mountain

A desert holly grows in the crumbled rock

A desert holly grows in the crumbled rock

I'll sit here and enjoy the solitude for a few minutes

I'll sit here and enjoy the solitude for a few minutes

OK, back down into the main canyon I go...

OK, back down into the main canyon I go...

This canyon is weirdly colorful

This canyon is weirdly colorful

All rocks eventually will roll downhill

All rocks eventually will roll downhill

Hmmm, this was once a road...

Hmmm, this was once a road...

Up I go

Up I go

An old metal drum

An old metal drum

Unearthly landscape

Unearthly landscape

I could do a little trip up this side canyon too

I could do a little trip up this side canyon too

I could spend a day exploring side canyons and ignoring my original destination!

I could spend a day exploring side canyons and ignoring my original destination!

I see a face on that little hoodoo on the left

I see a face on that little hoodoo on the left

A few hopsage bushes manage to grow in this part of the canyon

A few hopsage bushes manage to grow in this part of the canyon

A pair of old pipes rest alongside the former road

A pair of old pipes rest alongside the former road

Pinkish rocks resting on a blackish hillside are eye-catching

Pinkish rocks resting on a blackish hillside are eye-catching

I follow the old road as it cuts across the hillside

I follow the old road as it cuts across the hillside

A look back at the eroding road

A look back at the eroding road

This part of the old mountain road is still relatively intact

This part of the old mountain road is still relatively intact

Erosion reduces the width of the road down to that of a foot trail

Erosion reduces the width of the road down to that of a foot trail

The old road gets rockier

The old road gets rockier

I must be close to the old mine; here's a debris pile

I must be close to the old mine; here's a debris pile

An old battery with decomposing plastic casing

An old battery with decomposing plastic casing

Around a bend is the miners' cabin

Around a bend is the miners' cabin

Someone affixed a for-sale sign on the cabin!

Someone affixed a for-sale sign on the cabin!

Voltage!

Voltage!

An old bedspring

An old bedspring

Apparently, two people could sleep in this luxurious cabin in the Last Chance Range

Apparently, two people could sleep in this luxurious cabin in the Last Chance Range

Uh oh: official hantavirus warning!

Uh oh: official hantavirus warning!

Fully stocked cabin

Fully stocked cabin

Magazines to read

Magazines to read

Products that help you feel better

Products that help you feel better

This product helps you feel better than most medical remedies

This product helps you feel better than most medical remedies

A cabin on the edge of the world

A cabin on the edge of the world

I'm going to walk up to that something up there on top of the hill

I'm going to walk up to that something up there on top of the hill

Nice cabin

Nice cabin

There's a lot of old mining junk left up here

There's a lot of old mining junk left up here

Nice view across Eureka Valley to the Saline Range

Nice view across Eureka Valley to the Saline Range

Old shelves of old stuff

Old shelves of old stuff

That cabin...

That cabin...

Water!

Water!

Ready to use?

Ready to use?

Everything was just left up here

Everything was just left up here

The equipment operators had a spectacular view from their work site

The equipment operators had a spectacular view from their work site

Nice day to go to work at the mine site

Nice day to go to work at the mine site

I get a good overview from up here of the old shelf road leading to the cabin

I get a good overview from up here of the old shelf road leading to the cabin

A vehicle drives Eureka Dunes Road down below, leaving a dust trail

A vehicle drives Eureka Dunes Road down below, leaving a dust trail

I begin the walk back down the mountain

I begin the walk back down the mountain

I remember that this cabin is "for sale" as I walk by

I remember that this cabin is "for sale" as I walk by

The old road now has a drainage gully crossing it here

The old road now has a drainage gully crossing it here

The road descends rapidly

The road descends rapidly

I take a look back at the eroding road cut

I take a look back at the eroding road cut

The final descent down into Eureka Valley begins

The final descent down into Eureka Valley begins

There's that metal drum again

There's that metal drum again

A close-up of the drum: "Vision Quest"

A close-up of the drum: "Vision Quest"

The suns shines into my eyes

The suns shines into my eyes

The sunset lights up the tips of the Last Chance Range

The sunset lights up the tips of the Last Chance Range

A half-minute later...

A half-minute later...

I always enjoy the rapidly changing end-of-day light

I always enjoy the rapidly changing end-of-day light

The sunset glow has almost disappeared up there

The sunset glow has almost disappeared up there

Three minutes later, the sunset glow is gone

Three minutes later, the sunset glow is gone

Pink rocks, pinkish sunset

Pink rocks, pinkish sunset

A pile of black and white

A pile of black and white

I'll arrive back at the FJ just as it gets dark, another great day done

I'll arrive back at the FJ just as it gets dark, another great day done

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