Death / Panamint Valley Ballarat Ghost Town Curator Interview (a great desert rat character!)

Ok, this is long and has no purpose except to help you relax, lower your blood pressure, and experience the laid back life of the owner/curator of the Ballerat General store, Rock Novak, a wonderfully talkative desert rat and an enjoyable character. “The only man in town“. I wish I had had more time to hang out and soak in more mellow mojo but I was on my way out to Goller Canyon on a dual sport motorcycle ride. Later on this same day I got lost (solo, with only wild burros out there with me) for a few hours out near Barker Ranch (Manson’s place) and made my way back through Ballerat after dark, about 9:30 at night. Prolly shoulda had someone else with me but I did bring lotsa Boy Scout “be prepared“ provisions-thought I was gonna camp out there. The day before this I had come up Saline Valley Road and ridden up Lippincott Rd, the double black diamond (skiing) equivalent of a Jeep road on a rented BMW G650. I had wanted to return down Lippincott but was not about to go down hilling with ABS brakes that I couldn’t seem to turn off!