We backpacked to Panamint City on 10/31/09, which was about 6 miles with 4000' gain - it took us 5 hours due to the struggle through the jungle for the first couple of miles. We were booked into the Hippie Cabin (Overflow Cabin) by the Mayor of Panamint City because the Hilton and the Castle were fully occupied. The Hippie Cabin was great - running water in the sink. We explored Panamint City on Saturday afternoon and in the evening, we joined the occupants of the Hilton around the campfire. On Sunday (November 1st), we checked out more Panamint City sites before backpacking out. The trek out went pretty fast because we didn't try to keep our feet dry - 2 hours and 45 minutes to hike out. A nice relaxing Halloween Weekend. Let's hope Surprise Canyon is never open to vehicle traffic again because it's a special place that needs to be protected.