Re: Anyone know anything about Wingate Pass
Posted by WindyGapFan on June 29, 2002 at 23:44:59:
In Reply to: Anyone know anything about Wingate Pass posted by Paul on June 28, 2002 at 18:38:51:
Windy Gap (as it was originally known) has a long and interesting history; first as a route of escape by the Wade Party of the Death Valley 49ers (the only group the made it out without abandoning their wagons), then used by the U.S. Borax 20 Mule Teams to transition from Long Valley into Southern Panamint valley. Later, a monorail was built through Long Valley and Wingate Pass to transport Epsom Salts from the works within Long Valley over Wingate and Layton Passes to the Trona railhead. Not far east from Wingate Pass within Long Valley is the "back entrance" into Butte Valley that passes the infamous Barker Ranch on its way to intersect with Goler Wash Road. For many years the public has been banned from Wingate Pass and Long Valley, which now has a Navy air-to-ground target range and is littered with the wreckage of static and drone targets.