Alabama Hills Hike to Abandoned Shelter

Most of us are sheltering in place right now, trying to get accustomed to our new normal. The news is full of the scary realities of life during this crazy time, so many things that cause us stress and worry. For a few minutes, I wanted to provide you with a distraction and keep it light. Remind you that positive thinking will keep us strong and able to deal with the stress that is around us.

So, I thought you could come with us on a hike in the Alabama Hills to enjoy some nice views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and get a glimpse of how unique the rock formations are in these hills. It’s just a short hike, but I’m excited to show you this interesting area we stumbled upon last time we hiked the area.

Let’s drive through the hills to get to the pullout location where we can park the car. It’s about at the halfway point of Tuttle Creek Road. It’s a  gorgeous day and we’ll have unobstructed views of all the surrounding mountains!

Up ahead on the right is the place to park the car.

Are we ready? We need to walk down an embankment, hike along the creek and then cross it to get to the other side. Watch your step when we cross “the bridge.”

Follow my daughter, she seems to have found a way up to the rocks.

Can someone tell her that we’re hiking in the opposite direction? Yoohoo

The road is on the left of us and Tuttle creek is meandering on the bottom of the ravine.

Check out that interesting boulder on the right.

The air is crisp and the sun is bright, it’s a perfect day for this hike. How are you doing these days?

Let’s follow the trail up and over the rocks and get away from the road.

Sorry, this happens a lot on our hikes, someone’s always taking a picture. Just keep walking, don’t mind us.

We finally start getting a glimpse of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Oh, we made it to the place that I wanted to show you. See it over there?

There’s a rusted bed frame, barrels and other odds and ends all piled up together. In front of ….

a door. It’s weathered and the wood has rotted, but it’s definitely a door. Someone built a door frame and door to cover a “room” carved out in a gigantic boulder.

Take a look inside, there’s even a window on the right. There is nothing, but a wood board on the floor, so I’m guessing the furniture we saw outside used to be inside? Everything is in a state of decay, suggesting that someone used this place a very long time ago. There are many mines in the Alabama Hills, perhaps a miner lived here? What do you think?

Everything has holes in them, these are bullet holes right? Target practice?

There’s another opening in the rocks over there. This one is higher up. There’s no door, but it has a concrete door frame and some wood furniture that looks like a bench and a dresser. (In case someone is actually using this place, which I doubt, I didn’t want to post pictures of their space). There is evidence of a vent built into the rock wall. All of the evidence suggests that this house/room was built at a later time than the first one we looked at.

I suspect the other “house” at the bottom had issues with water flooding inside when there was water filling the wash from storms. Also, with all the little holes and openings, I could see vermin getting inside and making a home in there. Perhaps, the furniture was put outside to deter infestations. (I tried looking online for any historical information about this place and couldn’t find any). If anyone knows anything, I would love to hear about it.

There was even a place to cook over a fire near the door frame. The grate looks like a more recent addition.

Shhh! Did you hear that? ….. just kidding. But, let’s just go now anyways.

Take a good look at the beautiful Sierras before we head back.

We need to climb back over this ridge to the other side. 

We’re almost back, just have to find the trail to “the bridge.”

We made it back! Thanks for coming along with us. You did great, and it was nice to have someone to share the hike with. If you find out anymore about the living quarters we came across, let me know. Even if it’s a guess or theory, I’d be curious to hear about it.

Stay tuned for another hike-along to Fossil Creek in my next post.

Stay safe and healthy!