Rock Garden
 

Shinumo Camp — This was an important output of the W.W. Bass operation; probably almost a permanent residence with a tent-cabin, iron stove, and a garden. The remains of the camp, stove, and equipment are assembled as a kind of exhibit near the trail.

The flat opposite the stream at Shinumo Camp is worth spending time to investigate. Bass is reported to have irrigated a small farm here, but doubtless he was not the first. Signs of his extensive engineering work are still present. There are several rock building outlines and quite a deeply excavated water basin. Along the base of the slope the remains of his water diversion ditch are found, running very nearly the full length of this area which is cut by a drainage from the west. At both sides where this drainage opens the remains of supporting walls for an aqueduct are present, and the ditch continues upstream to the apex of the flat under a cliff. Apparent barbwire supports for another section of aqueduct dangle from the cliff above. The exact means to supply water into this system is something of a puzzle, although it seems as if a pipe may have crossed Shinumo Creek here and continued upstream to the elevation required.

Another mystery at Shinumo Camp is the two vertical holes drilled into rocks near the main camp area. George Steck writes about these in Loop Hikes and also made a point of locating them when we were stopped here. He was always hoping for a good explanation to justify this labor, since drilling holes in rock by hand is not the sort of thing one would do just to pass time. A good suggestion from my friend Danny at our 2004 visit was that there could have been a tie-up for burros strung between them to make a secure tether for packing and unloading.

Trails — North Bass Trail follows along Shinumo Creek with difficultly crossing the stream, but not really an option because of the creek bends and narrow space between cliffs (see Shinumo Creek, White Creek and Muav Canyon).

Routes — Refer to Shinumo Creek.

1990 September - Camp 9 and 10.

2004 October - Camp 2.

2005 October - Camp 5 of 10.

 

Catalog of Places - Trips - Routes - Notes