Property tax assessments for Inyo County landed in Tecopa mailboxes this month, and many residents are facing valuations that have climbed as much as 20 percent over last year. The increases have sparked unease in this small desert community, where modest incomes and fixed pensions are common, and where institutional support is limited.
The higher assessments can be attributed to rising property values across the region, part of a broader trend affecting rural and urban areas alike. But in Tecopa, where the economy relies heavily on tourism, seasonal visitors, and small businesses, many residents question whether paper valuations reflect the realities of local life.
For homeowners on fixed incomes, the prospect of higher tax bills is particularly troubling. The increases could exacerbate challenges for those already struggling to maintain property in the remote community. Others have expressed disbelief at the valuations themselves, arguing that while the desert landscape holds historic and personal value, the market for land and buildings in Tecopa is narrow and unpredictable.
The assessments arrive at a time when Tecopa is already facing questions about its future, from the county’s ongoing search for a new concessionaire to operate the hot springs campground and pools, to broader concerns about how growth and outside investment might reshape the town. For many, the rising tax bills are another reminder of how external forces—whether county processes or shifting markets—can weigh heavily on a community that relies largely on self-reliance and limited resources.
And Then There Were Three
Inyo County weighs competing visions for the future of Tecopa Hot Springs
Today, Inyo County officials convene another public meeting on the future of the Tecopa Hot Springs campground and pools, inviting residents to share their perspectives as the county moves closer to selecting a new concessionaire. Three bids have been submitted, with Cynthia Kienitz confirmed as one applicant. Speculation centers on Spencer McNeil of Delight’s Hot Springs Resort and Las Vegas real estate professional Lance Hamrick as the two additional bidders.
At the heart of Kienitz’s proposal is a reimagining of a long-cherished tradition: that locals should be able to soak for free. Her application calls for the creation of The Gathering Spring—a community clubhouse and soaking pool designed and managed by residents themselves. Under her plan, the historic hot springs pools at the campground would remain the primary revenue source for the concession, while locals would be given a dedicated space of their own.
Kienitz frames the plan as a pragmatic response to what she calls the “unsustainable” costs of keeping the main pools free for residents, citing labor, chemicals, and repairs. Instead, she argues, locals deserve a space “by us and for us,” one that could be sustained through grants, fundraising, and collective stewardship. Her proposal draws on the legend that Chief Tecopa once declared the springs “forever free for all,” acknowledging that the Paiute people once shared these waters. Though no Paiute families live in Tecopa today, she pledges that any would be honored with lifetime passes.
Still, the plan poses a difficult question: does building a separate facility uphold the spirit of free access, or does it create a symbolic divide between residents and the historic pools they have long considered their own? For some, the concept of a community-only pool feels empowering—an opportunity to protect local culture on their own terms. For others, it represents a shift away from tradition, where locals risk being pushed to the margins of the very springs that define their town. “With our vast body of knowledge, skills, and lived experience, we truly could build anything,” Kienitz wrote. “The question is—will we?”
While Kienitz’s proposal highlights questions of access, the broader bidding process has been marked by its own intrigue. At the county’s bidder’s conference, McNeil pressed officials on whether Tecopa businesses might be exempt from submitting a formal application. The answer was unequivocal: no such exemption exists, and he, like any other operator, can file a full proposal. Hamrick, meanwhile, appeared at the recent bidder’s conference with his wife, dog, and contractor, asking pointed questions about how the county intends to define who qualifies as a local for discounted access. The response: how would you define it?
Once the evaluation process is complete, the county will return to Tecopa to present its decision at a follow-up meeting, which will also be accessible via Zoom. County officials, however, have not committed to a date—or even an approximate timeline—for when that meeting will occur. Responses were received by August 15, and while evaluators have been chosen, their names have not been released. The panel is scheduled to begin work on August 22. According to the request-for-proposals, staff evaluation is expected to run through September 5, with an anticipated contract award date of September 26. Yet every one of these benchmarks is explicitly marked “subject to change,” underscoring that the county alone will decide when, and how, the community is brought back into the process.
That uncertainty has begun to ripple through Tecopa. With summer drawing to a close, many residents and seasonal visitors are already making plans for the winter—wondering not only if they will still have a place to call home in the hot springs, but whether the facility will even be open in time. The contract is not scheduled to be awarded until late September, leaving only a narrow window for a new operator to assume control, hire staff, and prepare the pools and campground before the busy season begins. If delays occur, or if the transition proves more complicated than expected, the town could face a delay, or even a winter without its cornerstone gathering place—in a community where the hot springs are not just an attraction, but the heart of daily life.
After the Concessionaire: The Curious Journey of Paul Barnes’ Cabins
While Inyo County weighs bids for the future of the Tecopa Hot Springs campground and pools, the legacy of a former concessionaire continues to circulate in unexpected ways.
When Paul Barnes’s tenure as concessionaire came to an end, his rustic cabins—once a familiar sight at the hot springs campground—were dismantled and hauled away. The workers who labored for three weeks to move the structures off county property and onto Bob White Way in Tecopa Heights, however, have yet to be compensated. Barnes, meanwhile, reportedly sold the units for $1,500 each.
Three of them found a new home at China Ranch Date Farm, where they now sit discreetly among the groves of palms. This time, the haulers were paid, by China Ranch.
The episode has become a telling glimpse into how property circulates in Tecopa, a town where the scarcity of structures lends each transaction an outsized impact. In this case, the cabins’ quiet relocation highlights the tendency to repurpose whatever pieces of history remain standing.
TecopaFest! Planning Gets Underway
Plans to make plans are underway for this fall’s annual TecopaFest! fundraiser benefiting the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD), with organizers signaling a renewed commitment to keeping the event rooted in the community. After feedback that last year’s festival may have overreached, this year’s edition is expected to scale back—refocusing on local connections, neighborly spirit, and homegrown participation.
The first planning meeting is set for this Sunday, August 24, at 4 p.m. at the Community Center, with an option to join via Zoom. Organizers are inviting residents to bring their ideas to the table early, as the group will begin by setting a date and brainstorming activities.
For now, it’s the season of possibilities—an open call for Tecopa to help shape its own fall tradition.
Will Takeover Return This Veteran’s Day Weekend?
Uncertainty is swirling around the fate of Takeover, Tecopa’s annual desert gathering that draws a devoted contingent of Las Vegas burners, and features locally beloved band MEGA-SCOPES. Traditionally held over Veteran’s Day weekend, mixing music, art, and camping in the Amargosa Valley’s stark landscape.
This year, questions remain about whether the festival will happen at all. Sources suggest that organizers are only now beginning to meet, leaving some wondering if there is enough time to mount a full-scale production.
In 2024, organizers had initially announced that the tenth iteration of the festival would not take place, only to reverse course and move forward with a pared-down event, cutting attendance by about 100 people for an event that usually hovers around 500. That experience left participants uncertain but hopeful—grateful that Takeover survived, if only in a reduced form.
For now, with planning reportedly just getting underway, potential attendees are left to weigh whether to mark their calendars or prepare for another scaled-down desert gathering—or none at all.
Tecopa Mines Announces Oct. 11–13 Volunteer Weekend
In his latest YouTube video, Ross captures the stillness of Tecopa in August—the quiet mornings, the long stretches of empty desert road, and the dogs sprawled on the porch waiting for treats—as he prepares to ramp up for the next season. And at the center of those preparations is a big announcement: Tecopa Mines will host a volunteer weekend October 11–13 (Columbus Day weekend).
Visitors are invited to bring tents, campers, or trailers and settle in for a few days of bonfires, cookouts, and camaraderie. The weekend will also feature hands-on restoration projects both above and below ground, suited for all levels of experience, along with mine tours and plenty of time to simply enjoy the desert’s beauty.
For now, Ross’s days follow a simple rhythm: coffee at sunrise in (apparently) a Pyrex cup, reading and language study, the quiet companionship of the “mine dogs,” and the rare passing car on Furnace Creek Road a mile below. Across the valley, the hulking remains of a talc operation shuttered since the 1970s stand as a monument to the labor that once built America’s industrial strength.
As the sun climbs higher and the sheet metal turns scorching, Ross retreats indoors or to the shade, leaving major projects for the cooler months. Nights bring their own rewards—rocket launches streaking from Vandenberg, the ISS overhead, and brilliant skies filled with stars.
This October, he looks forward to sharing all of that with fellow mine enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The volunteer weekend is an open invitation to experience the desert’s tranquility, lend a hand in preserving history, and see what life at Tecopa Mines is all about.
Desert Heat Ripens a Sweet Season at China Ranch
The date palms at China Ranch are having their moment in the sun—quite literally. After weeks of searing 112-degree heat, this year’s crop is racing toward ripeness, promising a harvest that will be both abundant and delicious.
The farm’s Gourmet dates are soaking up the rays and will be ready for eager taste buds by October, while the dramatic Black Beauties are in the midst of their dazzling costume change: from green to red to a glossy jet black, the final shade of perfection. In the words of the farmer himself, they may just be “the two best-tasting dates on planet earth”—and who are we to argue?
Adding to the lineup are the Barhi dates, which in their early yellow stage can be crunched like a tiny apple—sweet, refreshing, and utterly addictive. These are expected to arrive by the end of August, just in time to offer a little late-summer treat.
Behind the scenes, farmhands are busy tying protective cloth bags around the ripening clusters, shielding them from birds with a sweet tooth of their own and from the sun’s overzealous kiss. Thanks to the desert’s furnace-like days, the first fruits of the season could be ready for market as early as September.
And for those dreaming bigger than a box of dates, China Ranch continues to offer date palms of every size—from petite younglings to stately 15-foot specimens that make striking landscaping features.
So keep your eyes on the calendar, Tecopa and beyond: the desert’s sweetest season is just around the corner.
Goldfield Days: A Living Ghost Town With New Stories to Tell
Our neighbor to the north, Goldfield, Nevada, came alive again this summer during its annual Goldfield Days celebration, and Wonderhussy was there to capture the color and character of this “living ghost town.”
This year, she explored beyond the parade and festivities to highlight the town’s enduring history and quirky new life.
Radio Goldfield’s New Caboose Studio
She started at Radio Goldfield, where DJs Carl and crew have moved their broadcast operations into a fully restored 1942 railroad caboose. The “Loose Caboose” cost $45,000 and has become a source of fascination for locals and railroad buffs alike, giving the community station a one-of-a-kind home.
Firehouse & High School Restoration
At the Goldfield Firehouse Museum, century-old fire trucks and photographs of the town’s original firefighters gave a glimpse into early civic pride.
But the real centerpiece was the 1907 Goldfield High School, where Wonderhussy toured with Historical Society president John Ekman. At 79, Ekman has spent decades leading efforts to stabilize and restore the tallest building in town. Inside, he pointed out Edwardian-era photographs, original graffiti from the 1930s and ’40s, and even the school’s intact skylight system.
The Goldfield Hotel: A Haunted Landmark
The day ended with a long-awaited tour of the Goldfield Hotel, still for sale at $2.5 million. Once the grandest lodging in Nevada—with private telephones, bathrooms, and the first Otis elevator west of the Mississippi—the hotel has sat empty for 80 years. Local lore still whispers of ghosts, from a gunfighter to the infamous “Miss Elizabeth.” While video recording wasn’t allowed, Wonderhussy’s photographs revealed ornate details that hint at its former glory.
A Town With Layers
As Wonderhussy put it, Goldfield remains a surreal mix of old and new. Its brick hotels, firehouse, and school stand in stark contrast to Nevada’s more typical wooden shack ghost towns. And though the boom faded a century ago, residents and preservationists continue to breathe life into the town, keeping history tangible for visitors just three hours north of Las Vegas.
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