Feb 2017 reports - Rosy Canyon, Borax BM, Cottonwood Slot, more

Here are the final two hiking reports from our February trip:

Cottonwood Slot --
www.panamintcity.com/cottonwood/cottonwoodslot.html

Pothole Canyon --
www.panamintcity.com/cottonwood/potholecanyon.html

Hi Richard, I really have no idea but I figure it's best to ask at the FCVC. I don't want to see any fellow hikers get into trouble but maybe the park service has some insight on whether or not hikers are allowed up the canyon.

Please do not hike into Corkscrew Canyon without stopping by the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and asking a park ranger for permission to do the hike.

Are the Park Rangers able to grant legal access to Corkscrew Canyon on behalf of Rio Tinto Mining? The no trespass sign was up when we visited the canyon in March, 2016. We ignored it. I suspect that it is really a transfer of liability. If a hiker is injured, they can't sue Rio Tinto because the area is closed. Similarly, the road closed sign on the Whitney Portal Road in winter is routinely ignored by winter mountaineers. If one of their cars is buried in an avalanche, they can't sue Inyo County because the road was closed.

By the way, we normally are great respecters of private property, but not for an outfit like Rio Tinto. They deserve no respect. See here for a list of their numerous abuses:

www.corp-research.org/rio-tinto

Our third report continues the Borax BM hike with a drop into Corkscrew Canyon from the ridge above. This was an amazing way to see the entire length of Corkscrew Canyon. Hope you enjoy the brand new report and I still have two more to come.

Corkscrew Canyon --
www.panamintcity.com/black/corkscrewcanyon.html

You're welcome, Richard. All DV forums are somewhat quiet in the summertime. But I find it a good time to catch up on trip report writing.

Our second report to be released documents a full hike to Borax BM. It shows the hike from the parking area to the summit of Borax BM and then continuing 1 mile farther along the ridgeline. As the report ends, we are standing above the massive vertical headwall above Corkscrew Canyon. Borax BM was an excellent peak hike.

Borax BM --
www.panamintcity.com/black/boraxbm.html

What a stunning area! Thank you for this report. It is super.