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MAPS GOLD PANS 

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AND 

A LARGE 

ASSORTMENT OF 

CURRENT AND 

OLD BACK ISSUES

WILLIAM and JOY KNYVETT 

Co-Publishers/ Editors 

GEORGE BRAGA, Art Director 

MARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip Editor 

F. A. BARNES, Utah Associate Editor 

GLENN VARGAS, Lapidary Editor 

K. L. BOYNTON, Naturalist 

MARVEL BARRETT, Circulation Manager 

Color Separations by 

Henry Color Service 

Lithographed by 

Wolfer Printing Company, Inc. 

Available in Microfilm by 

Xerox University Microfilms 

THE COVER: 

Two little Navajo girls pose 

in front of one of the many 

arches in Monument Valley, 

Utah. Photo by James 

Blank, Chula Vista, Calif. 

THE DESERT'S SUMMER PLACE 

WHALE OF THE DESERT 

LAND OF THE BLUE WATER PEOPLE 

PIOCHE-NO GHOST IS SHE! 

HOT AIR BALLOONS OVER MONUMENT VALLEY 

Volume 40, Number 5 MAY 1977 

CONTENTS 

DESERT JOURNAL 

DEAD INDIAN CANYON 

GOLDFIELD, NEVADA 

DESERT CLIMBERS 

FEATURES 

8 

12 

16 

20 

24 

28 

32 

34 

36 

Bill Jennings 

Ron Scogin 

Michael John Beisch 

Mary Frances Strong 

Alvin Reiner 

Raymond B. Cow/es 

Dick Bloomquist 

Howard Neal 

K. L. Boynton 

DEPARTMENTS 

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE 4 

NEW BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS 6 

RAMBLING ON ROCKS 40 

TRADING POST 42 

BOOKS OF THE WEST 44 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 46 

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 46 

William Knyvett 

Book Reviews 

&ElnaS. Bakker 

Glenn and Martha Vargas 

Classified Listings 

Mail Order Items 

Readers' Comments 

Club Activities 

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-425 Highway 111, Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code 714 346-8144. 

Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $6.00; 2 years, $11.00; 3 years, $16.00. Other 

foreign subscribers add $1.00 U. S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allow five weeks for change of address and send 

both new and old addresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional 

mailing offices under Act of March 3,1879. Contents copyrighted 1977 by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must 

be secured in writing. Manuscripts and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelope. 

Desert/May 1977 3

BACK ISSUE 

BARGAINS! 

ODDS AND ENDS 

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from 1959 to 1965 

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VOLUMES FOR YEARS 

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EACH 

COMPLETE VOLUMES 

FOR YEARS 

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and 1975 

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DESERT MAGAZINE 

P. O. Box 1318 

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260 

in the 

^Publisher's 

yoke 

W HE DESERT holds many mysteries 

9 in her quiet canyons and valleys. One 

• unusual find was brought to our office 

by Martin Grunnett, of Indio, California. 

It seems that about two years 

ago, Martin and his son, Walter, took a 

drive out on Interstate 10 east of Indio 

and turned off the freeway onto the Hayfield 

pump station service road. They 

parked the car and decided to do a little 

exploring, with nothing particular in 

mind. 

A short distance from the car, Walter 

found a wire ring containing 51 dog tags, 

relics of the war-time training era of General George Patton and his desert manuevers. 

There are 11 duplicate sets and 29 single tags. The majority belonged to 

servicemen from the Southeast, with the state of Tennessee most represented. 

The mystery is: How did the tags defy discovery for 30 years and just how were 

they gathered? Some of the 

tags are in mint condition 

and appear to be an aluminum 

alloy, and others are obviously 

weathered and are 

copper-colored. 

Was the desert heat so intense 

it led to 40 boys going 

over the hill? 

Perhaps new tags were 

issued and these were 

thrown away to be found 

later by some relic hunter? 

Oh, Perry Mason, where 

are you? 

The tags have been left at 

our office by Walter and he'd 

be delighted if some reader 

could come by and solve this 

"mystery." 

And, by the way, this is a 

good time to remind everyone 

that our Book Shop and 

office will be on summer 

hours as of May 28th. We 

will be open from 10 to 3 

during the week, but closed on weekends. Be sure to stop by and sign our guest 

book if you are in the area. It has been a tremendous pleasure to meet so many of 

our readers this past season who have dropped by to say hello. Almost every state in 

the Union has been represented, as well as Canada, Mexico, South America, 

Germany and Sweden. It is most rewarding for us to share Desert with so many fine 

people. Even though "home" may be elsewhere, they still love the beauty, quiet 

and fascination of the desert. 

Included in this issue is an excerpt from an upcoming publication by the University 

of California Press entitled Desert Journal, by Raymond B. Cowles in collaboration 

with Elna S. Bakker. Although the book is primarily the story of one man's 

affair with the deserts of southern California, it serves beautifully as an introduction 

to a whole range of biological and environmental principles. Desert Journal is the 

culminating work of a great teacher, naturalist and scholar. 

Dkert/Ma 

rt/May 1977

3 GREAT BOOKS! 

INDIAN 

JEWELRY MAKING 

For the first time Indian 

jewelry makers, whether 

experienced or novice, have 

at their disposal a full-color 

photographic essay of basic 

Indian designs. The book 

utilizes a sequential, stepby-step 

approach for the 

craftsman. In addition to 

basic designs, a short pictorial 

history of Indian jewelry 

making as well as 

modern day techniques and 

tools are presented. Valuable 

information on how to 

set up a work bench, gauge 

wire, know the weight of 

silver, etc. 

64 PAGES 

ALL COLOR 

64 PAGES 

ALL COLOR 

INDIAN 

JEWELRY 

MAKING 

$795 

W EACH 

plus 50 cents handling 

Calif, res. add 

6% sales tax 

ORDER FROM 

Desert Magazine Book Shop 

P.O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260 

TURQUOISE, The Gem 

of the Centuries 

Beautiful illustrations in 

accurate color can help you 

identify the turquoise in 

your jewelry. Pictures of 

turquoise from 43 localities 

from U.S. and around the 

world. A must for anyone 

possessing even one piece 

of turquoise. 

FETISHES And Carvings 

of the Southwest 

A vivid pictorial account of 

the use and beliefs associated 

with fetishes and the 

history of popular fetish 

necklaces since prehistoric 

times. This book presents 

the wide range of fetishes 

and carvings from several 

Southwestern Indian tribes 

as well as the outstanding 

works of several known 

fetish carvers. 

64 PAGES 

ALL COLOR

Available in moat book stores, or order 

from Western Epics, Inc., 254 South 

Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 

Please include 75c postage 

The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns 

This functional guide lists more than 150 Utah ghost towns, arranged 

geographically by counties. Related photos and practical 

maps lace the informative text, making this a must for 

Utah ghost town enthusiasts. An excellent gift, and invaluable 

l»jt for plotting a vacation. 

Heavy paperback, 166 pages, $4.95. 

Lost Legends of the Silver State 

Gerald Higgs made his way through 

every county in Nevada, covering over 

15,000 miles, and sorting through ancient 

ji. mining entries and water-stained news- 

I papers. The result was this colorful assortment 

of sixteen lesser known legends 

.gjj about the golden age of Nevada. Thirtythree 

old-time photos compliment the fas- 

I cinating text. Hardcover, 142 pages, 

$7.95. 

Hard to find books on Western Americana also available. Please inquire, dealers welcome. 

SEND CHECK OR 

MONEY ORDER TO: 

Please add 50c for postage 

Photo Album 

of Yesterday's 

Southwest 195 

early day pictures of the Desert 

Southwest from 1862 to 1912. 

Printed on 80# coated stock. 

9"x12" format. 185 pages 

California residents please add 6% sales tax. 


P. O. Box 1318 


I HAULED THESE MOUNTAINS 

IN HERE 

Frances and Dorothy Wood 

"Greatest freighter in the West." "King of the freight lines." This was David 

Wood, who came to Colorado in 1876, the year statehood was granted. 

Wood played an historic part in opening up the western slope of the Great 

Divide. His huge freight wagons, hitched to six or eight teams of oxen or mules, 

served the early mining camps in the San Juan Basin. He hauled out ore and hauled 

in food, machinery, dynamite, coal — everything needed at the mines. 

The story of David Wood — soldier, pioneer, freighter, builder — is a story of 

how the West was won. 

340 pages, 6x9, many photographs, cloth $9.95 

The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. 

Box 700 

Caldwell, Idaho 83605 

Books for 

Desert 

Headers 

COLORADO RIVER GHOST TOWNS 

By Stanley W. Paher 

Many of our readers are familiar with 

Stanley W. Paher who is the author of 

several books about the Southwest. His 

Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining 

Camps, published in 1970, earned him 

the Award of Merit of the American Association 

of State and Local History. 

Next came Northwestern Arizona Ghost 

Towns which was followed by Las Vegas, 

As it began—as it grew. Two guidebooks, 

Ponderosa Country [Reno and 

vicinity] and Death Valley Ghost Towns 

were issued in 1972-73. 

Now Stan brings us Colorado River 

Ghost Towns, and as is his usual format, 

it is illustrated with an abundance of rare 

old photos. 

The Cerbat mountains and other 

barren ranges in western Arizona along 

the Colorado River offer a wide range of 

unexpected experiences to the visitor. 

Tucked away in several canyons are the 

skeletal remains of abandoned mines 

and towns. Chloride, Cerbat, Fort Yuma, 

Ehrenburg, El Dorado Canyon, Oatman, 

Grand Gulch, La Paz, Swansea, Mohave 

City and Harrisburg are but a few of the 

ghost towns that are brought back to life 

both in text and illustrations. 

Large format, paperback, this standard 

editon is priced at $2.95. 

Desert/May 1977

Another edition is also available which 

contains 15 beautiful four-color reproductions 

of etchings by Roy Purcell, well 

known western artist who was featured 

in the November 1976 issue of Desert. 

This edition is priced at $4.95. 

i TO HEU- 

ON WHEELS 

TO HELL ON WHEELS 

The Illustrated Manual 

of Desert Survival 

By Alan H. Siebert 

The third edition of this valuable 

manual is now available. Even the most 

experienced back road driver considers 

this reference book essential equipment 

for glove and tool box. 

With charts, photos and drawings, To 

Hell on Wheels tells the how-to story of 

all-terrain savvy. 

Now with the popularity of Citizens 

Band Radio the book has been revised to 

reflect emergency signaling for that time 

when the chips are down. One out of 

every two recreational vehicles is 

equipped with CB today, but there is a 

long and a short side to all communication 

systems. 

Common sense and cool logic are the 

keys to successful outdoorsmanship and 

this new edition has the facts laid out in 

plain, easy-to-understand terms. 

This book could make all the difference 

when the difference can call the 

outcome. 

Paperback, illustrated, 64 pages, 

$2.95. 

MAKE MONEY OUT OF ROCKS! 

"Rock Creations for Fun and Profit" pictures dozens 

of little animals, people and 

insects in full color, with step 

by step instructions on how to 

make them, how and where to 

sell them for extra income. One 

of the most unique, profitable 

and inexpensive hobbies in the 

world can be yours for only 

$2.95 plus 30 cents shipping. 

Send to THE OWLS ROOST, 

No. 1 Corral Lane Sp. No. 17, 

Ashland, Ore. 97520. 

by Dorothy Davis 

Desert/May 1977 

Dealers Inquiries Invited 

y 

Exploring Calif. Byways 

#ll In and around 

Los Angeles 


•VI Owens Valley 

, 

Exploring Historic 

California 

Exploring the Unspoiled 

west vol. 1 

Alaska, Utah, Calif., 

Colorado, Idaho, 

Nevada 

Exploring the Unspoiled 

West Vol. 2 

New Mexico, Arizona, 

Mexico, Oregon, 

Washington, Alaska, 

Hawaii, California 

. ..'• . . " , " , • N 


(fill Desert Country 


• VII An Historic 

Sketchbook 


• IV Mountain Country 

• • > . . . • • : • . ! ! 

Guidebook to the 

Colorado Desert 

of California 

A Special 

Guidebook 

Offering! 

Great reading about the West from 

Russ Leadabrand, Choral Pepper, 

Marjorie Camphouse and the Society of 

American Travel Writers. 

Informative little books that will make 

your future trips more enjoyable. 

Well illustrated, paperback. 

Supplies are limited. 

ONLY . . 

ORDER TODAY FROM 

$195 


•V Historical Sites 

OMN&t COUMftSS 


Mountains of San Diego 

and Orange Counties 


Missions of California 

Baja California 

1EACH 

any 3 for S 5 00 

Please add 50c for postage/handling 

California residents please add 6% sales tax 


Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260

W Desert's 

Summer Place 

Cool, Blue Mountains Beckon 

by BILL JENNINGS 

• S SPRING SIZZLES into summer, the 

flfc low desert ceases to be a popular 

f| camping and off-roading area for 

most of its fair weather friends, and 

thoughts turn to the cool, blue mountains 

above. 

At California's Anza-Borrego Desert 

State Park, however, you can extend the 

season through the hottest months because 

the huge (more than 500,000 

acres) park runs up to 6,000 feet in the 

San Ysidro and Santa Rosa Mountains 

and on the eastern edges of the 

Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains. 

About three years ago, the state parks 

agency began a series of land acquisition 

moves with private land owners and 

other public bodies, mainly the U.S. 

Bureau of Land Management, that 

should, someday, cause a hyphenation 

and further elongation of the park's already 

jaw-breaking name, to the Anza- 

Borrego Desert-Mountain State Park. 

Anza-Borrego has its own longtime 

mountain empire, the Culp Valley, its 

adjoining Jasper Trail and the juniperyucca 

wonderland of Pinyon Mountain. 

Now it has added the desert rim escarpment 

between Julian and Mt. Laguna 

and most particularly the northern 

Sheep Canyon Natural Preserve and the 

vast Santa Rosa Mountains State 

Wilderness. 

Much of these latter areas along upper 

Coyote Canyon and easterly into 

Rockhouse Valley are roadless, however, 

and access is controlled during summer 

to protect the desert bighorn sheep. 

Culp Valley, a primitive campgrounds, 

however, remains open all year and is 

the springboard to the vast recreational 

Above: Los Coyotes Indian Reservation near Warner Springs in San Diego County 

offers a good summertime jeeping area for desert denizens. Right: Old homesite at 

the abandoned Indian village of San Ignacio in the San Ysidro Mountains shows two 

building styles and eras. Addition at left is from World War II Navy dependents' 

housing project near San Diego. Original adobe at right is probably 100 years old. 

Desert/ May 1977

empire of the San YsidYu Mountains. 

Situated adjacent to County Highway 

S22, 10 miles west of Borrego Springs 

and 16 miles southeast of Warner 

Springs, Culp is the park's highest organized 

camping area, 3,400 feet and 

generally cool enough in summer to permit 

sleeping bag camping. 

It has only pit toilets and no water 

but it is a favorite of off-roaders because 

it's the jumping-off place for the 

famous Jasper and Wilson Trails, 

pioneered nearly 20 years ago by nowretired 

ranger Frank Fairchild. These 

tracks will handle all four-wheel-drive 

rigs and some of the more rugged twowheel-drive 

types, but be warned there 

are some "squeezes" where widebodies 

vehicles may lose a layer of paint 

or more. 

Just a few miles away, up behind 

Warner's, is the crown jewel of summer 

sites in these rugged and beautiful 

mountains, the little-known San Ysidros. 

On Los Coyotes Indian Reservation there 

are miles of so-called jeep trails and 

numerous campsites all open to visitors 

by payment of modest day and overnight 

fees. 

For the past decade, the Mountain 

Cahuilla tribesmen have opened their 

25,500-acre reservation to visitors. They 

even have a map showing some of the 

best four-wheel routes and campsites 

and ask only that visitors stay out of lower 

Cougar Canyon where a deceptively 

easy road leads steeply downward toward 

a now-inactive tungsten mine and 

on to the boundary of the state park. 

Even some four-wheelers have been 

known to founder when trying to come 

back up this grade and tow trucks are 

expensive when they have to be 

summoned from Santa Ysabel or Borrego 

Springs. 

The tribal campgrounds committee 

does not include a salvage and rescue 

team among its many services to 

visitors. 

The main campground below Panawatt 

Spring is just six miles from Warner 

Springs, the first four by a newly paved 

county road. There is running water 

here, plenty of firewood and many secluded 

campgrounds, each with its own 

ring of canyon oaks. Elevation here is 

just under 5,000 feet and nights generally 

are cool enough for comfortable sleeping 

under covers. At the reservation 

boundary two miles back you pay your 

fee and receive the combination to the 

gate at the old San Ysidro village site. 

Church services are still held there and 

tribal meetings occur at least once a 

Hot Springs Lookout, a Forest Service 

fire-warning station on San Diego County's 

highest peak, offers a superlative 

view, on a clear day, including San Diego 

Harbor 55 miles away, Catalina and San 

Clemente islands, 70 miles or more. 

month in a modern community clubhouse 

Campers in more remote corners of 

Los Coyotes also pause at the main 

campground. It's the only source of reliable 

water year-around on the entire 

reservation. Other camping areas are 

found up to 6,000 feet elevation on the 

road to the Forest Service's Hot Springs 

Peak lookout, the highest point in San 

Diego County at 6,533 feet. 

Another four miles northeasterly 

along the main road is the abandoned 

village site of San Ignacio, the head of a 

still visible trail that reaches across 


9

Coyote and Rockhouse Canyons to the 

ancient Santa Rosa villages of another 

Cahuilla group. At San Ignacio are the 

ruins of another church with an adjacent 

cemetery, several homes that are 

still occupied by cattle-owning members 

of the Los Coyotes band and some of the 

loveliest oak canyons in Southern 

California. 

The area escaped in two major San 

Ysidro fires in the past five years but 

visitors are warned to be careful with fire 

pits anywhere on the reservation. Help 

has to come all the way from Warner's 

and brush fires are the biggest worry of 

the Cahuilla. No hunting is permitted on 

the reservation. 

Borrego Palm Canyon rises near San 

Ignacio but hikers are warned that heavy 

brush and some steep rock falls make the 

seemingly short journey down to the 

permanent stream an arduous one. 

Hikers or motorists who make the long 

climb up to Hot Springs peak are rewarded 

— on a clear day at least — 

with one of the most incomparable views 

still available in Southern California. The 

Coronado Islands, even Navy ships in 

San Diego Bay, and still farther out, 

Catalina and San Clemente Islands can 

be seen from the deck of the lookout 

tower. The Forest Service caretakers 

welcome visitors. 

Some of the best off-roading is off the 

northeast slopes of Hot Springs, in the 

headwaters of Sheep, Cougar and Indian 

Canyons and on to the locked gate at the 

entrance to Lost Valley. An isolated section 

of Anza-Borrego park adjoins the 

reservation here but access is blocked by 

Los Coyotes from the south and the huge 

Lost Valley Boy Scout Reservation to the 

north. 

Orange County Scouts 15 years ago 

purchased the old Henry Bergman 

Ranch in Lost Valley, more than 3,000 

acres of mountain meadow that now has 

a big recreational lake and other activity 

areas including hiking and riding trails 

and back country campsites. Even the 

600-plus acres belonging to the state are 

not open to casual visitors, although 

Old cattle loading 

chute attests to the 

rich ranching 

history of the 

Santa Rosa 

Mountains, an area 

that offers many 

summer camping 

sites for desert 

area visitors. 

10 

Anza-Borrego rangers occasionally lead 

tours into Lost Valley. Eventually, the 

park is expected to exchange the Lost 

Valley acreage for land more accessible 

to the public. However, the state will not 

be able to pass land title to private interests 

because the Lost Valley parcel 

contains known archeological sites and 

therefore must be protected under state 

law. 

Los Coyotes camp is one of the original 

units in a new all-Indian enterprise designed 

to give reservation members a 

new economic base through recreational 

development. Known as Indian Campgrounds, 

Incorporated, the new interstate 

entity has access to federal economic 

development funds. Banning 

Taylor, longtime Los Coyotes elective 

spokesman, has been an ICI director 

several years. The ICI system also includes 

Chemehuevi Valley on the 

Colorado River's California side opposite 

Lake Havasu City. 

Other camping areas in the mountains 

fringing Anza-Borrego include several 

Forest Service campgrounds, at Mt. Laguna 

and Descanso to the southwest and 

Indian Flats near Warner Springs, on the 

Pacific Crest Trail at the entrance to Lost 

Valley. 

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management 

is the newest public agency landlord in 

the region with several campgrounds in

Yucca plume rises above slope of Santa 

Rosa Mountains near one of many old 

mines that dot the region. 

the McCain Valley Recreational Area 

just north of Interstate 8, 60 miles east of 

San Diego. This 38,700-acre special use 

zone was established in October, 1963 

and now includes three campgrounds, 

Lark Canyon, Whitearrow and Cottonwood, 

with more than 15 miles of roadway 

and a spectacular off-road vehicle 

route from Lark Canyon east past Sacatone 

Spring and Tule Mountain to the 

western rim of Carrizo Gorge. The 

gorge, which contains the headwaters of 

Carrizo Creek, is a 1,500-foot deep cut in 

the Inkopah Mountains made famous by 

the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Rail 

Way, a major victim of last September's 

tropical storms. 

Forest Service camps may require advance 

reservation during peak-use periods. 

The most popular are in the Mt. 

Laguna Recreation Area 12 miles north 

of Interstate 8 at Pine Valley, 45 miles 

east of San Diego. A call to Cleveland 

National Forest headquarters in San 

Diego is advised before going to Laguna 

Also handy for visitors is Cuyamaca 

Rancho State Park near Cuyamaca Lake, 

along State Highway 79, 10 miles southeast 

of J ulian. The park contains some of 

the largest gold mines in Southern California, 

the most notable of which is the 

Old Stonewall on the south shore of the 

little lake. A campground is located 

here. The park also contains one of the 

largest collections of Diegueno Indian 

artifacts at its museum in the old Green 

Valley ranch house that is now park 

headquarters. 

Until mid-June, the exact date yet to 

be announced at Anza-Borrego park 

headquarters, the historic and scenic 

Juan Bautista de Anza trail up Coyote 

Canyon will remain open to back country 

drivers. The so-called canyon "road" 

is literally a way to go, through and 

around the intermittent streambed but 

offers an authentic taste of California 

history. 

Anza led two expeditions through the 

canyon from Tubac near Tucson to San 

Gabriel Mission. The second, in 1775- 

1776, led to the founding of San Francisco 

and was marked as a major event in 

the Bicentennial last year. 

By park regulation, you can pull off 

the track anywhere along this route and 

camp overnight, provided you do not 

have a campfire. 

Far up Coyote, near the San Diego- 

Riverside counties boundary, there are 

several outstanding camping and exploring 

sites, in the vicinity of Upper Willows, 

Fig Tree and Mangalar, near old 

cattle line camps that are now part of the 

park. Of these, the most likely camping 

areas are in Alder and Tule Canyons, although 

access to the latter is through 

some very "quick" sands during times 

of streamflow, making the route risky for 

all but the widest-rim rigs around. 

Alder contains the remnants of a line 

camp maintained for many years by the 

late Howard Bailey, a rancher of the 

Anza-Cahuilla area who sold much of the 

upper Coyote Canyon to the state for half 

its appraised valuation several years 

ago. 

This lovely canyon abounds in wildlife, 

particularly deer in its upper reaches, 

quail and other birds. Several thickets of 

California Alders, sycamore and oak 

trees mark springs along the streambed. 

Access is possible by high-centered vehicles 

with two-wheel-drive. 

If you get this far up Coyote and don't 

find the solitude you seek, continue up 

the Turkey Track trail to the little town of 

Anza on State Highway 371 and head 

easterly toward the Santa Rosa 

Mountains. Six miles east of Anza you 

intersect the famous Palms-to-Pines 

Highway, State Route 74. Continue east 

toward Palm Desert another five miles to 

the junction of the Santa Rosa Road, a 

hairy switchback affair that rises to the 

summit of the Santa Rosa's 8,716-foot 

Toro Peak. Toro centers an isolated 

square mile of the Santa Rosa (Cahuilla) 

Indian Reservation and is restricted to 

foot traffic, but the short, steep climb is 

worth the effort. 

The view from Toro is even more spectacular 

than the vistas from Hot Springs, 

which you can see some 25 miles to the 

southwest. From Toro you can see far 

into Arizona and southern Nevada anc 

westerly to the Pacific. There are several 

primitive Forest Service camping 

areas in the Santa Rosas, with gooc 

spring water, a confusing network of ok 

logging roads that offer fine four-wheeldrive 

recreation, all very legal. 

Some say the Santa Rosas are 

haunted, but maybe that's just the wine 

sighing through the heavy stands o 

Jeffrey and Ponderosa pines you hear. C 

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11

Whale the 

Desert 

byRONSCOGIN 

fHALES are not usually associated 

with the desert — especially the 45foot-long 

sperm whale, sounding 

down 3,000 feet into the black oceanic 

depths to capture a lunch of squid and 

cuttlefish. Yet, a crucial connection does 

exist between the mighty sperm whale 

and a common, long neglected, nondescript 

bush growing in our American 

desert southwest and this modest plant 

just may save the mighty leviathan from 

extinction. 

Our nation owes a special debt of 

gratitude to the sperm whale. During the 

early years of our republic in which our 

infant economy was in constant danger 

of total collapse, the major economic 

force which helped fill our young 

nation's coffers and kept the fledgling 

12 

The flowers 

of the male 

jojoba plant are 

borne in small, 

inconspicuous 

clusters. 

The paired, 

leathery, 

upright leaves 

are a useful 

identifying 

character. 


*

country solvent was the powerful New 

England whaling fleet of Bedford, Nantucket 

and New Haven. The prey of 

these stalwart men of the sea was the 

sperm whale, hunted for the unusual oil 

which it contained within a cavernous 

space in its head. Sperm whale oil was 

highly prized for illuminating oil and 

candlemaking and a single whale could 

yield more than a ton of it. Petroleum 

products and eventually the brainchild of 

a man named Thomas Edison spelled the 

end of sperm oil as an illuminant, but the 

demand continued for numerous industrial 

applications of the oil ranging from 

lubricant in fine instruments to cold 

pressing of steel to the manufacture of 

soap and detergents. 

The result has been that the sperm 

whale has been relentlessly and ruthlessly 

hunted and rendered into oil until 

their numbers are about one-forth of 

their former population. For several reasons 

the sperm whale is more fortunate 

than his cousins, the blue whale, the 

humpback whale, the right whale and 1 ' 

the bowhead whale. These species are in 

The fruit of the jojoba plant are borne in clusters of two to four. Each fruit contains 

two or three peanut-like seed. 

all likelihood now doomed to biological 

extinction. The sperm whale is merely 

endangered at present, although his 

number continually diminish in the face 

of unregulated hunting. 

What has this to do with the desert? 

As noted, the sperm whale is hunted almost 

exclusively for the unusual oil it 

produces in huge quantities. This oil (actually 

as liquid wax in chemical parlance) 

was considered to be unique in 

nature, but an unexpected second source 

for this oil exists. In our desert grows a 

shrubby plant known popularly as jojoba 

or goatbush and to scientists as Simmondsia 

chinensis. The fruit ot joioba 

contains a peanut-like seed which contains 

up to 50 percent of its weight as an 

oil so similar to sperm whale oil that only 

with difficulty can a trained chemist distinguish 

the two. Numerous industrial 

tests have shown that in most applications 

jojoba oil can substitute for sperm 

whale oil and industrial interest has 

risen to the point that it is reasonable to 

believe that the desert's jojoba plant 

may provide sufficient quantities of a 

product which could make sperm whale 

hunting uneconomical and, as a result, 

prevent the possible extinction of this 

majestic monster of the sea. 

The utility of jojoba seed and their 


D, 

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contained oil have not been discovered 

merely recently. For centuries the Indians 

of the Southwest have used the 

seed as a food and beverage source. The 

seeds were eaten out of hand without 

preparation or a beverage was prepared 

by grinding the nuts and boiling 

the resultant meal. The liquid was then 

strained off and consumed as a nourishing 

drink. 

In more recent times, the oil pressed 

from jojoba seed enjoyed a wide popularity 

as a hair treatment and restorer 

Jojoba seed were a standard offering in 

early Los Angeles drug stores. The oil 

was pressed or boiled from the seed and 

rubbed into the scalp or eyebrows. Its 

restorative properties were highly acclaimed 

and are still highly regarded in 

parts of Mexico. 

The early Mexicans also made a rich 

beverage with jojoba nuts, which they 

first roasted and ground together with 

the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. This pasty 

mass was boiled with water to which 

milk, sugar and vanilla beans were 

added. The product was a thick, rich 

drink resembling chocolate. 

The popular name jojoba comes from 

the original Indian word for this plant 

"hohowi" and the English epithet goatbush 

attests to the popularity of the 

shrub as a browsing material for goats, 

sheep, deer and cattle. The scientific 

name, Simmondsia chinensis, is derived 

from two sources. The generic name 

Simmondsia is a tribute to the famous 

English naturalist F.W. Simmonds. The 

specific name chinensis comes from the 

fact that the first man to describe this 

plant in the scientific literature believed 

that the specimen in his possession had 

been collected in China and so he named 

it "chinensis." In fact, jojoba has never 

been near China, but the rules of scientific 

nomenclature prevent changing the 

name to something more appropriate 

and this early geographical error is 

perpetuated in the name used by the scientific 

community which prides itself on 

accuracy and precision. 

Jojoba is actually quite restricted in its 

range, occurring as it does only in our 

North American Sonoran desert. It is 

found in southern California, in southern 

Arizona, on the Baja California peninsula 

and along the western coast of 

mainland Mexico. 

Jojoba is a common shrub found on 

dry, rocky hillsides below 5,000 feet in 

elevation. The bush is usually three to 

Desert/May 1977,

When the fruit [left] of the jojoba dry out they split open [center]. Inside are several 

dark seeds [right] from which jojoba oil [in vial] can be expressed. 

six feet in height with dense foliage consisting 

of paired, leathery leaves which 

tend to fold together and point upward. 

The jojoba is most easily recognized by 

its thick, bushy appearance and these 

paired, upward-pointing leaves. The 

fruit on the female plant are characteristic 

and in the fruiting season (early summer) 

appear like an acorn with the cap 

replaced by four or five small leaves. 

The jojoba belongs to a group of plants 

botanists term "dioecious" — meaning 

that there are separate male and female 

plants. This is in contrast to most plants 

where male and female structures occur 

on the same plant, indeed, usually in the 

same flower. The male plants bear very 

small, inconspicuous flowers which 

bloom in the spring to produce pollen. 

The pollen is carried by the wind, rather 

than insects, to the female flower on a 

separate, nearby shrub. After pollination 

the female plant produces the fruit 

containing the seed with the oil of commercial 

interest. 

There is great interest at present in 

the feasibility of bringing jojoba into 

plantation cultivation. Research programs 

at the University of Arizona and 

University of California at Riverside are 

evaluating the considerable problems in- 


volved and determining the optimum 

planting, growing and harvesting conditions 

for cultivating this plant. Jojoba 

differs greatly from such crops as corn 

and wheat, which man has carefully selected 

for thousands of years. Jojoba is 

still a wild plant and its genetic variation 

and range of breeding stocks are 

still unknown. Much work remains before 

this plant will yield its oil under cultivated 

conditions. If these research programs 

are successful, jojoba will become 

the only native American desert plant to 

be brought into plantation cultivation. 

The natural habitat of jojoba includes 

numerous Indian reservations and these 

reservations would provide ideal areas 

for its cultivated growth. The federal Office 

of Economic Opportunity has expressed 

its commitment that if plantation 

planting of jojoba is demonstrated to 

be feasible, that every effort would be 

made to assist the native Indian population 

to cultivate this plant on their lands 

in hopes of providing a cash crop to improve 

their economic conditions. Indeed, 

it would only be just if the first 

people to realize the utility of this plant 

centuries ago and exploit it, could today 

be the benefactors of its utility to industrialized 

Western man. • 

I New... 

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are happening at... 

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Stay at the historic 

AMARGOSA HOTEL 

This lovely 50-year-old hotel is 

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while in the Death 

Valley area. 

Telephone Death Valley Junction 

#1 for information or reservations. 

Visit Marta Becket's famous 

AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE. 

You've read about this beautiful 

and unique attraction in Desert 

and National Geographic. See 

Marta Becket's program of 

dance-mimes. See her fabulous 

murals inside the Opera House. 

Performances Friday, Saturday 

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Saturdays only in May, September. 

8:15; doors open at 7:45. 

ITelephone Death Valley Junction 

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For further information about 

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please write: 

Death Valley Junction, Inc. I 

P.O. Box 675 

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California 92328 

15

'"**.:>:> i ^t : ^m 

•V:. •• .... 

I 

Above: Majestic Mooney Fall drops 200 feet into an emerald green pool. Opposite page: The 

canyon rim sign [top] that marks the start of the trail to Supai Village eight miles below Traver- bv MICHAEL 

tine Terraces [bottom] form stepping stones across the creek and hold back the water in beautiful 

lagoons. Photos by Dana Burden of Havasupai Expeditions, Wickenburg Arizona 

,LN BC,C/M. 

Un 

B t l i > t f 

,1 


HE STATE of Arizona offers many 

"contrasts to the traveler. Not the 

least of these are its numerous Indian 

Reservations. For example, it would be 

difficult to mistake the Apache Indian 

Reservation, set in the fastness of the 

White Mountains, for the Navajo Reservation, 

with its broad, multicolored 

desert, and its beautiful Canyon De 

Chelly. The Hopi Reservation presents 

an even greater contrast, for its villages 

are set high on the edge of receding 

plateaus commonly known as The Three 

Mesas. However, this picture of contrasts 

would not be complete without the 

mention of another, a Reservation that 

may well be the most unusual of its kind 

in the United States. 

Set in the narrow defile of a Grand 

Canyon gorge, it consists of a scant 500 

acres and is populated by 300 Havasupai 

Indians. Because of this it has kept 

much of the wonder and enchantment of 

its natural surroundings. It might be difficult 

for some in our day and age to 

imagine, but with only one automobile, a 

trading post, a church, a clinic, one 

street light, and a school, the village retains 

much of the natural simplicity that 

is the true hallmark of the American Indian. 

To walk through the village is to be 

enmeshed in the "Cod given" things of 

this earth. For here there is no concrete 

or asphalt, but only the soft, undulating 

feel of sand underfoot. Along Supai's 

main street, willowy cottonwoods keep a 

silent vigil. Fields of corn glisten in the 

sun. Mules bray. Chickens cluck. An Indian 

boy can be seen trotting his pony 

down one of the sequestered lanes. For 

these — it can be justly said — are a 

simple people. 

As one looks up through the hollow of 

the canyon past its vermillion cliffs and 

airy portals, there can be seen two pillars 

of rock. It is an ancient tradition of 

the Havasupai that these were put there 

"by the gods" as a sign of divine protection. 

Wouldn't it be worthwhile to 

journey to this hidden land and learn 

something of the people who inhabit and 

care for it? 

One of the first things the hiker hears 

as he approaches Supai is the sound of 

running water. He may have begun his 

Desert/ May 1977 17 

journey in Flagstaff or Williams or 

farther east. Having driven west on I-40 

to a cutoff about six miles of Peach 

Springs, he has taken a long secondary 

road to what is known as Hualapai Hilltop 

— the beginning of his long trek to 

the village. The flat, circumscribed area 

for the autos seems insignificant as one 

looks down into the great rift that is the 

canyon below. 

As a terminus for three smaller canyons 

its sides reach to the sky like massive 

fortress walls. There is majesty in 

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The Rim country 

above Supai Village. 

adjusts his pack and manages to catch a 

second wind. Now the canyon walls narrow 

as the trail moves into a rocky 

watercourse. Here the footing must be 

sure for it is easy to slip. Gradually the 

canyon opens into a broad gorge. Just 

ahead is the village of Supai. Here he 

picks up a yellow tag for his pack that 

will guarantee his reservation in the 

campground ahead. 

Leaving the village his anticipation 

grows. He knows that there will be falls 

ahead, but it is difficult to form a picture 

of them. The creek bed has begun to 

change to a lovely crystalline blue. The 

canyon has taken on the aspect of a tropical 

garden. Its walls seem to hold the 

scene fixed in another worldly setting. 

Then he abruptly comes to Navajo Falls. 

At first he hears the sound of rushing 

water to the left of the trail. Routed in 

several converging streams, the water 

tumbles 75 feet to the canyon floor below. 

There is another series of switchbacks 

as it winds its way to the rim of Havasu 

Falls which cuts through the next step of 

the canyon and pounds 125 feet to the 

lovely lagoon below. Thrashing over the 

precipitous drop the water throws its 

brilliantine into the morning air. Several 

rows of limestone steps back it up into a 

natural lagoon. The bottom of the pool 

varies from a deep azure to a soft bluegreen. 

Nature has been bountiful in her 

use of color. From here on the creek is 

coated with travertine — a crystal of 

calcium carbonate — which takes on 

many shades of blue. The campground 

lies just ahead. Set in a wooded area next 

to the creek it affords a perfect place of 

rest after a long hike. 

From here to the last falls the canyon 

is a primeval garden untouched by man. 

A virgin spring seeps from the canyon 

walls. Tropical fauna is in abundance. 

Flowers can be seen with long, fluted 

bells that resemble the trumpet of the 

old Victor Talking Machine. The traveler 

now has but to secure his camp and 

make the last half-mile trek to Mooney 

Falls. Because of their great depth, he 

hesitates even to look down. With a 

thunderous roar the water billows and 

funnels its way into the large lagoon 

below. To reach their base a trail has 

been cut in the side of the canyon wall. 

In places tunnels have been hewn right 

through the rock. The descent at times 

becomes almost perpendicular. Finally 

— on reaching the bottom — one can 

look up 200 feet to the crest of water 

pummeling over the canyon wall and be 

awe-struck. It is the end of a journey to 

an enchanted land that cannot help but 

cause men to wonder at the magnificence 

of Nature's handiwork. 

For this is the land of the Havasupai. 

It is their offering to their fellow man, 

and the irredeemable service they daily 

perform in administering the campground, 

keeping the canyon clean, and 

maintaining its trails. A loose piece of 

paper is not to be found for hikers are 

asked to pack out their trash and their 

waste paper. Nor are fires permitted. 

The traveler is asked to leave things as 

he finds them and to respect the untouched 

quality of the reservation. 

These are the people who must pack 

everything down by eight miles of rugged 

trail. It is not uncommon to see Havasupai 

packmen on the trail to the village. 

Supai is the only town in the Unit- 

18 Desert/May 1977

ed States that has its mail delivered by 

pack-train. It is only in cases of ex- 

treme necessity that helicopters are used 

as in the winter of '72 when National 

Guard helicopters had to fly in food and 

emergency supplies. 

Living close to the land, cutoff from 

the outside world; and returning to 

others — by caring for it — the beauty of 

the land. These — in the true meaning of 

Havasupai — are "the blue water 

people." • 

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A Nevada Field Trip 

Panaca Spring, at the head 

of Meadow Valley, was as important 

to the early miners and settlers 

as it is to the ranchers today. 

Because of the presence of 

abundant water, the first successful 

stamp mills that processed Pioche 

ores were erected a short 

distance west at Bullionville. 

Pioche- 

No Ghost Is MARY FRANCES She!by 

%,,,:, •---n? 

STRONG 

photos by 

Jerry Strong 

Though now idle, 

the mill and reduction 

facilities at Pioche stand 

resolutely in testimony 

of a vigorous and 

active past. 

The continued 

existence of the 

Union Pacific Railroad 

spur tracks, which served 

the mill, suggests that 

hope persists for a 

resurgence of 

mining and milling. 

20 Desert/ May 1977

i 

PPROACHING from either north or 

south, Pioche, Nevada is a surprise. 

IA feeling of nostalgia quickly envelopes 

you in this picturesque mining 

camp where the old mingles graciously 

with the new. Mines and huge dumps 

sprawl over the Pioche Hills. Below 

them, the more than a century old community 

crowds contentedly in a narrow 

canyon. The laughter of children is heard 

and townfolks greet strangers as if they 

belonged here. Pioche's great boom 

days may be gone but no ghost is she! 

Still active as a mining camp, ranchers' 

supply town and home to many, 

Pioche has survived devastating fires, 

flash floods and mine closures. Through 

good, bad and hard times her viable 

citizenry has endured and built a community 

of pleasant living. This has not 

always been the case. In the early days, 

Pioche had a reputation as one of the 

"wickedest towns in the West." 

The original strike at Pioche was the 

result of a simple act of barter. In the fall 

of 1863, fearing a long hard winter was 

ahead, Indians showed William Hamblin, 

Mormon Missionary, some highgrade 

"panacre" — their name for silver 

ore. They offered to reveal the source 

in exchange for food and a bargain was 

quicky made. Hamblin visited the location 

and filed claims on the "Panacker 

Lode." The following spring a 

townside (Panaca) was developed in 

Meadow Valley and the Meadow Valley 

Mining District organized. 

Indian hostilities and Brigham 

Young's disapproval of mining was responsible 

for the claims lying idle during 

the next four years. Evidently their 

owners were completely unaware of the 

district's real potential. Disregarding the 

possibility of an Indian attack, numerous 

prospectors began to arrive in the 

area and a great many claims were 

staked out in the hills. 

This quiescence was due to change in 

1868, after the arrival of three men — 

William Raymond, John H. Ely and 

Charles E. Hoffman. Raymond and Ely, 

fresh from failure in the Pahranagat District, 

decided to form a partnership and 

purchase the Burke Brothers' claims in 

the Pioche Hills. The deal called for a 

$35,000 payment when enough ore was 

produced. Hoffman, backed by F.L.A. 

Desert/ Mav 1977 

An aerial tramway carried the rich silver ore from Treasure Hill to the Pioche 

smelter two miles north. Still in fair repair, new mining activities may use it again. 

Pioche, a San Francisco banker, also 

purchased a number of claims and began 

development of the Meadow Valley Mining. 

Company. The district was reorganized 

and renamed Ely. 

A small camp had sprung up in a canyon 

below what later became "Treasure 

Hill" and in 1869 the townsite of Pioche 

was laid out. The Meadow Valley Mining 

Company built a rather crude smelter. 

The parts had been shipped around The 

Horn to San Francisco and carried by rail 

to Elko, where the final haul was made 

by wagon over nearly 300 miles of rough, 

rugged trail. The firebricks had come all 

the way from Scotland at a cost of $1 per 

brick. Initial firing in the new smelter revealed 

that successful reduction of the 

ore would require more sophisticated 

equipment. 

As was usually the rule in desert mining 

areas, water was scarcer than ore. A 

former general, Patrick E. Conners, 

solved the camp's problem by building a 

nine-mile pipeline from springs in the 

Highland Range west of Pioche. However, 

the springs could not supply water 

for milling. 

Raymond and Ely decided to move 

their five-stamp mill at Hiko (Pahranagat 

District) to the head of Meadow Valley 

where ample water was available. 

Faith in the Pioche ores was so great that 

miners, unemployed due to lack of milling 

facilities, volunteered to provide the 

labor needed to reassemble the mill and 

21

Cradled by the slopes of ore-laden mountains, Pioche is a picturesque town of resolute, 

self-reliant people. As the Lincoln County Seat, it is the hub for many activities. 

build a 10-mile stretch of road between 

Pioche and the millsite that later became 

Bullionville. They were promised 

payment only if the mill proved 

successful. 

By January 1870, the mill was ready 

and the initial ore run tested out at $300 

a ton. This little five-stamp mill proved 

to be the catalyst for Pioche's big boom. 

There was plenty of high-grade ore and 

when news spread of nearly a thousand 

dollars a day profit being recovered by 

the mill — the rush was on! Within 60 

days, the partners paid for the claims 

and reimbursed the miners for their 

help. Raymond and Ely developed the 

Burke claims on Treasure Hill into the 

greatest silver producer in southern 

Nevada. 

Pioche's population rapidly increased 

to 6,000. Accommodations became 

scarce but plenty of entertainment could 

be found in the town's 72 saloons, three 

dance halls and 32 houses of ill repute. 

With money flowing freely and the law 

lax, it was only natural that Pioche would 

attract the lawless. 

Disputes among the miners were often 

settled by gunplay and caused the Daily 

Record to state, "Some people here do 

not hesitate to fire a pistol or gun any 

time of the day or night." The Record 

22 

also remarked, "Murderers who shoot a 

man in the back get off Scott free, but 

the unfortunate devil who steals a bottle 

of whiskey or a couple of boxes of cigars, 

has to pay for his small crime." Reportedly, 

Pioche had over 70 violent deaths 

before anyone died of natural causes. 

In 1871, Pioche became the seat of 

Lincoln County. That same year a devastating 

fire raced through town. It caused 

13 deaths and left nearly 2,000 homeless. 

Spirits undaunted — rebuilding 

started immediately. 

Mining continued at a feverish pace 

and a year later the boom reached its 

peak. A total production of over five 

million dollars for the year made Pioche, 

except for Virginia City, the largest 

silver producer west of the Rocky 

Mountains. As a result of this, Bullionville 

had become a sizable milling center 

with a population of around 500. Its 

seven mills, with a total of 120 stamps, 

roared day and night. 

It had also become obvious that the 

cost of hauling ore by wagon to Bullionville 

was cutting well into the profits. A 

railroad seemed to be the answer; thus 

incorporation of the Nevada Central occurred 

in 1872 and grading began the 

following year. The job was fraught with 

problems — illness of animals and bad 

weather that included a small hurricane. 

The latter swept through camp and uprooted 

everything not bolted down. After 

overcoming these and other obstacles, 

the Nevada Central Narrowgauge Railroad 

was placed in operation on June 8, 

1873. 

All seemed well at Pioche but when a 

"peak" is reached the next move is 

usually down. During 1874, the rich 

silver ore began to play out and excessive 

water was encountered in the mine 

shafts at the 1,200-foot level. The Meadow 

Valley and Raymond-Ely Mines 

closed down a few years later and the 

"Chloriders" (leasers) took over. Like 

rats on a sinking ship, people deserted 

Pioche by the hundreds. 

Small ore shipments kept the railroad 

running on a reduced schedule and 

the mills operated spasmodically. When 

these shipments further declined in 

1883, railroad operations ceased and 

most of the rolling stock was sold to 

W.T. Codbe, a Salt Lake mining man. 

Only the faithful remained and big, bad, 

bawdy Pioche took on a new look. 

In 1890, Godbe merged the Meadow 

Valley, Raymond-Ely and Yuba Mining 

and Reduction Company to form the 

Pioche Consolidated Mining and Reduction 

Company. He promptly announced 

his new company would build a smelter a 

mile north of Pioche and extend the 

tramway an additional three miles. 

Important silver discoveries had been 

made in the Bristol Range, 15 miles 

north, and Godbe undertook the construction 

of a railroad to bring the ores to 

his mill. It was completed the following 

year and dubbed "The Jackrabbit Line." 

Godbe's confidence in the Pioche 

mines was undaunted, even though the 

price of silver continued to steadily decline. 

In spite of more flash floods, fires 

and numerous derailments, his mines, 

railroad and smelter kept Pioche's fires 

of hope burning. Unfortunately, these 

fires were mere embers five years later. 

Pioche's fortunes waned and prospered 

during the next three decades. A 

railroad was completed from Caliente to 

Pioche. On the west side of the Pioche 

Hills, the Prince and Virginia Mines 

were developed. They shut down in 1927 

after producing over eight million dollars 

of argentiferous manganese for use in 

fluxing. 

In 1940, the Prince Mine was reactivated 

and the Caselton Mill completed a 

Desert/Mav 1Q77

few months prior to World War II. 

Pioche was ready to help with the demands 

of our war effort and the need for 

zinc-lead and silver. Total production 

soared to over 100 million dollars before 

the mines closed down in 1958. These 

were Pioche's really great bonanza days. 

She had made the dreams of the faithful 

come true. Today, there may be still 

more to come! Once again there is mining 

activity at Caselton and Pioche is 

waiting to share the benefits. 

Pioche lies nearly three miles west of 

Highway 93, the main north-south artery 

of travel in eastern Lincoln County. Because 

of this she is often bypassed by 

travelers intent on including the enchanting 

Lehmann Caves or striking 

Cathedral Gorge on their vacation 

itineraries. It is the devotee of Western 

Americana and recreationists who enjoy 

secluded, out-of-the-way places that will 

find Pioche's charm and picturesque 

countryside to their liking. 

It is easy to spend a week or more in 

the Pioche region. Stop and stroll around 

the old camp. Note the many original 

buildings, especially the hundred-yearold 

courthouse — most photographed 

edifice in town. Visit the Lincoln County 

Museum and Library occupying one of 

the old stone buildings along the main 

drag. We found Henry Wilder, librarian, 

very friendly and knowledgeable about 

the area. He was more than willing to 

suggest historical places we might enjoy 

visiting. Hours were: 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday when we were 

there. 

If you are interested in mining, hike 

around Treasure Hill. Be sure to respect 

all "No Trespassing" signs. Do not disturb 

equipment or collect specimens 

without permission. Be sure to have your 

camera along. 

Stop at the historical marker on the 

summit just east of town. The aerial 

tramway began here and carried ore one 

and one-half miles northeast to the mill. 

Tramways were necessary in mountainous 

regions. Buckets were suspended 

from a cable by two pulleys and hung 

from a swivel yoke. This enabled them to 

be pivoted for dumping. 

The bucket is held in a fixed position 

by two latches when traveling. They 

must be opened for dumping. The supaorting 

cable is attached to the shouldof 

the towers. When the bucket is 

by passing over the shoulders, it 

Pioche, Nevada 

causes some ore to spill. Beneath one, I 

found a nice specimen to take home. 

We also enjoyed browsing around the 

old mill whose tall, brick chimney dominated 

the landscape. It seemed to be patiently 

waiting for another boom to come 

along. Another day, we made the Caselton 

loop trip. It was worth the drive just 

to see the tremendous rotary kiln. 

For other recreational activities in this 

region, you will find four Nevada State 

Parks within 40 miles of Pioche. Each 

one provides good campsites and a 

variety of things to do. They are Cathedral 

Gorge, nine miles south on Highway 

93 (photographic geological formations, 

hiking); Kershaw-Ryan, three 

miles south of Caliente (photographic 

geological formations, hiking); Beaver 

Dam, 30 miles southeast of Caliente 

(fishing and hiking); and Eagle Valley 

Reservoir, 17 miles northeast of Pioche 

(fishing, boating, swimming, hiking). 

During our visit we made Cathedral 

Gorge our base of operations. From our 

lovely campsite on pink sandstone 

among olive trees, we enjoyed a daily, 

breathtaking view of the "Gorge." 

Morning sun bathed the formations in 

shades of warm pink; while the lateafternoon 

sun's rays deepened them to 

brilliant vermillion. We spent several 

days hiking the trails and viewing the 

gorge from many angles. 

It was late November and our planned 

week's visit had lengthened into two 

weeks. We were reluctant to leave with 

so many places yet to see. One morning 

we awoke to very dark skies and a 

"special" feel in the air. When the Park 

Ranger stopped by our camp I remarked, 

"If we were home, I'd say we were due 

for snow." He replied, "You are right. It 

is a good bet that snow will be falling 

within 24 hours." We left the next morning 

and later learned Pioche had a foot of 

snow that night. 

Visiting this great old silver camp had 

shown us a new section of Nevada. It had 

introduced us to fine, friendly people — 

the kind you hear about when folks recall 

the "good old days." Via historical 

trails we had traveled back in time to 

1864 and found some of the old sites 

alive and well. This is strong, rugged 

country with hardy, dedicated people. A 

place to visit — to remember — to 

return. • 

23

S 

EY ALVIN, how would you like to 

take some photos of hot air balloon 

flights over Monument Valley?" 

queried John Burden, the amiable manager 

of Goulding's Trading Post and 

Lodge situated in that sandstone paradise. 

"Sure," I replied, "as long as I 

don't have to go up in one of those 

things." 

Doing some preparatory research, I 

found out that a hot air balloon is the 

simplest type of aircraft; the first successful 

one being invented by the brothers 

Joseph and Jacques Montgolfer of 

France. On June 5, 1783, the brothers 

filled a silk bag, approximately 32 feet in 

diameter, with hot air and smoke from a 

ground fire. The balloon rose more than 

a mile before cooling off and returning to 

the terra firma. The first airborne passengers 

were a sheep, a rooster and a 

duck. Shortly thereafter, on November 

21, 1783, Jean Pilatie de Rozier and the 

Marquis de Arlandes flew over Paris for 

23 minutes. 

The French Army had a balloon corps 

in 1799, and later, in 1809, Napoleon 

worked out a never-used scheme for invading 

England from the air. Aerostats 

were used for observation purposes in 

several wars including our Civil War. 

With the advent of fixed-wing aircraft, 

manned balloon flights became a rarity 

until recently. 

Shortly after six a.m. on a Fall morning, 

our convoy left Goulding's and 

headed out into the valley. One-half hour 

before sunrise the majestic monoliths 

were silhouetted by the approaching 

day's soft light; a rainbow of orange, 

saffron, yellow-green and blue-violet 

rising into the star-studded blackness 

overhead. Near the Mittens and Merrick 

Butte there seemed to be a mist hugging 

the ground in this normally arid re- 

24 

gion. An occasional cow or horse looked 

up as the caravan traveled the 13 miles 

to the proposed launching site. It looked 

like the Los Angeles Freeway with headlights 

strung out for several miles. After 

passing the information center, the 

procession turned into a long serpent, 

slithering down the switchbacks to the 

Valley's floor. The Sleeping Ute Mountains, 

over 100 miles away in Colorado, 

could be readily discerned in the crystal 

clear morning air. 

The innumerable pairs of headlight 

beams heading East were soon outshone 

by the rising sun as it made its appearance 

over the horizon. 

We passed the stately Three Sisters 

standing high on their talus thrones, and 

soon we were dipping down by the Great 

Sand Dunes into Sand Springs Wash. 

The convoy then made its way up the opposite 

bank, and soon with the Totem 

Pole and Yei-bi-chei Dancers for company, 

we arrived at the launching site. 

The aviators quickly converted their 

four-cubic-foot sacks of synthetic fibrous 

material into giant 60,000-cubicfoot 

spheres, averaging 55 feet in diameter. 

To inflate these voluminous 

balloons, a portable gasoline-powered 

fan is first employed. Then the gas burners 

above the balloon's basket are ignited, 

sending forth flames approximately 

a dozen feet long, and heating 

the air so the aerostat may be placed in 

an upright position. The whole operation 

takes about 15 minutes. 

One colorful jumbo bag after another 

became inflated. It was like watching a 

field of flowers blossoming as if photographed 

by time-lapse photography. 

Then, like dandelion seed pods, they began 

to ascend ever-so-gently into the air, 

and drift into the blue sky. 

Sid Swanson, a pilot from Chandler, 

BH 

by 

ALVIN REINER 

Above: The mighty 

mesas and 

monoliths become 

dwarfed when 

viewed from 1,000 

feet. Right: a hot 

air balloon drifts 

through the 

valley. 

Arizona, filled me in on the sport of balloon 

flying, which has been growing 

rapidly during the past few years. For 

instance, in the 1971 National Championships 

held in Indiana, there were only 

18 entries, while the 1975 competition 

had 130 participants, with another 150 

Desert/

At 1,000 feet 

one can 

observe 

distant mesas 

and another 

balloon 

below. 

$8,500. The size of the vehicle, the 

number of seams, and the elaborateness 

of the basket help determine the cost. 

Another reason for the seemingly high 

cost is the uniqueness of each vehicle. 

Many display the owner.s name, and/or 

some original air work. While the propane 

gas used to keep an aerostat afloat 

only costs about $5.00 an hour, by the 

time depreciation, insurance and a 

chaser vehicle are considered, the expenditure 

is close to $75.00 per hour. 

In order to operate an aerostat, a balloonist's 

pilot license has to be obtained 

from the FA. A. This consists of 10 hours 

of dual flight instruction and then passing 

an F.A.A. examination. 

Sid started flying about five years ago 

after watching others, and became 

hooked immediately. Most of the pilots 

in the Phoenix and Farmington clubs 

have been participants for two or three 

years. 

Sid Swanson then asked me if I would 

care to go for a ride, and before I could 

come to my senses, I found myself standing 

in a five-foot-square wicker basket. 

"No parachute?" I inquired, but then 

realized I wouldn't know what to do with 

one anyway. I guess what really got me 

paranoid was Sid's wife kissing him 

good-bye, as well as aerostat owner, 

Gene Cox, of Phoenix kidding Sid about 

obtaining a pilot's license one of these 

days. 

Strange thoughts raced through my 

head. Suppose some sharp-beaked hawk 

One of the 

giant balloons 

is raised 

to an upright 

position prior 

to liftoff. 

26 Desert/ May 1977 i

or eagle decided to attack this infringement 

on its air space? Why, there 

wouldn't be anything left for the buzzards 

to clean up, after a 1,000-foot 

plunge. 

I almost had to be told we were airborne, 

as there was no sensation of rising. 

Looking over the side of the basket, 

it appeared as if the Earth was 

dropping away from our seemingly stationary 

platform. However, a glance at 

the nearby mesa walls attested to the 

fact that we were, indeed, ascending into 

the cloudless blue heavens. The gas jets 

roared as we climbed, while the inferno 

breathed its dragon-breath against my 

neck, and singed what few hairs I have 

left on my head. 

When we were about 1,000 feet above 

the valley floor, Sid cut the engines, and 

there was the roar of silence. I felt like 

some supreme being, looking down at 

the Earth through my window in the sky. 

Those mighty monoliths, such as the 

Totem Pole and Yei-bi-chei Dancers, 

which I had previously looked up at with 

awe, seemed so insignificant now. 

We drifted aimlessly at the whim of 

the wind. As we hovered, the abstract 

striations in the rocks situated on the 

mesa tops became a modern art show on 

the ancient sandstone. The time flew by 

as we drifted over one feature after another, 

and soon the gauges on the propane 

tanks were in the red, so it was 

time to return from my dream trip. I was 

cautioned to bend my knees on touching 

/Above: A balloon 

hangs suspended 

over one of the 

unique formations 

for which 

Monument Valley 

is famous. 

Right: Like 

a Martian invasion, 

several aerostats 

float above the 

valley's great 

sand dune. 

Desert/May 1977 27 

down, but due to Sid's expert piloting, 

there was less impact than jumping out 

of bed in the morning. 

My adventure into the skies above 

Monument Valley has spoiled me, for 

in the future, when I view the splendors 

of this magnificent place, from a terrestrial 

vantage point, they will seem almost 

commonplace after my view from 

the heavens.

DESERT JOURNAI 

Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from a forthcoming 

book written by a naturalist who loved his work and 

the desert. Raymond Cowles served on the faculty of 

UCLA from 1927 to 1963 and was emeritus professor 

of biological sciences at the University of California, 

at Santa Barbara, at the time of his death in 1975. 

Copyright ©1977 by the Regents of the University of California; 

reprinted by permission of the University of California Press. 

A NATURAUST REJECTS 

ON ARICI CAIIFORNIA 

by RAYMOND B. COWLES 

in collaboration with Elna S. Bakker 

Illustrations by Gerhard Bakker 

Nightfall is an interruption. Regardless of where 

we are and what we might be doing, we are 

usually aware of its approach. Time to quit the 

job and go home. Time to start dinner. Time to 

check out the children, get ready fora play or a 

party, watch the evening news. There are certainties 

about nighttime. It will get dark; part of it will be 

spent in sleep. Something, however, happens beyond the 

simple setting of the sun. Life shifts gears, changes direction, 

even if slightly. Things are done that seem somewhat out-ofplace 

during earlier hours. It is time for a cocktail, to review 

perhaps more objectively any disquieting events of the day, 

to take stock of the state of the world, to plan a more 

realistically conceived tomorrow. 

A tasty meal, an evening's relaxation or entertainment— 

these are good hours ahead. Though the shock of morning 

may be more dramatic, the day ahead is uncertain. It usually 

means work, often worry, perhaps distress, or exciting new 

discoveries. Night, on the other hand, is a pleasant companion—rest 

and laughter, a cherished hobby, an engrossing 

book, a warm friend, a cool wind, and a muscle loosened that 

was tense before. 

In the world of the wild the departure of the sun is an occurrence 

of major importance. Plants cease to photosynthesize, 

though they continue other physiological processes, and 

animals either settle to rest or awaken to activity. As diurnal 

species give way to those nocturnal, the machinery of nature 

shifts its gears as well. 

Almost every afternoon in the warm season, coastal fog, 

held at bay by the heat of the sun, rides in on the ocean 

breeze toward the seaward bluffs, envelops the surf-ruffled 

shore, and creeps ever so quietly up every valley of the 

bordering mountains. Then, dammed up, it rises higher and 

higher along the flanks of the Coast Range, veils the trees in 

cool, wet, floating mist, and muffles distant sounds so that 

the drip of moisture from leaf tip and branchlet often becomes 

audible. 

28 Desert/ Mav 1977

Fog is a frequent companion of the summer night, and in 

the cool months of late spr-ing and fall it may occur during the 

day along the entire California coastline. From Point Conception 

north it fosters many kinds of trees, which reach up into 

the moving screen of fog, collect the moisture, and return it 

to the soil in a nightly shower that keeps the soil damp and 

favorable for growth. Although fog is composed of odorless 

and tasteless droplets of water, it stimulates the tissues on 

which it settles so that one is often aware of a pleasant, almost 

spicy, odor as the fog arrives each night. 

According to research by Don Mullally in the tree groves 

along Skyline Drive near San Francisco, precipitation from 

fog drip amounts to double that of annual rainfall. Fortunately 

for the vegetation, fog is most prevalent during late spring 

and summer after regular precipitation has ceased. Thus fog 

climatically "bridges" what would otherwise be an extremely 

dry season with ample moisture for plants that can collect and 

use it. 

Redwoods, Monterey cypress, Monterey pine, the native 

sycamore, and to a lesser but still observable extent, oaks, 

some species of the introduced eucalyptus, and many other 

types of coastal vegetation collect and drip this moisture. I 

have noticed that the European plane tree, close relative of 

the California sycamore, but originally an inhabitant of areas 

where moisture is far more abundant, seems totally lacking in 

the ability to attract fog droplets. The two species, European 

and California, when growing side by side over a pavement 

demonstrate this difference. 

Nocturnal visibility is characteristic of desert regions. In 

heavily vegetated areas, particularly in dense forest or woodland, 

most or all of the light from stars and the night sky 

seem to be lost by absorption or random scattering. The 

nights are very dark, and artificial illumination is necessary 

for even the simplest of activities. On the contrary, California's 

deserts consist of light-colored soils varying from pale 

buff to soft pink, and their plant life is so scanty it throws few 

shadows. All the natural light from moon, sky, and star, vivid 

in the clean air, remains to aid one's vision. Just a few minutes 

without artificial light and with automatic ocular accommodation, 

one can find one's way across strange terrain with 

remarkable ease. 

In high mountains night visibility is intermediate between 

that of the humid coast and the sere desert. Judging by my 

own eyes and their ability to accommodate, nights do not 

seem as dark at higher altitudes as in the heavy forests of the 

Pacific Northwest nor as bright as in the desert. 

There is another feature that mountain nights have in common 

with those of the desert—or did have in less smoggy 

times. That is—or was —ultra-clear air extending out uninterruptedly 

into space. Shortly after sunset heat is rapidly radiated 

into the sky, and the temperatures of both air and 

ground drop quickly. Night, unless there is a temperature inversion 

layer, may become quite cold. 

From about 5,000 feet upward the evening chill becomes 

more exaggerated. People unaccustomed to clear mountain 

air and skies and the consequent quick loss of heat to space 

are often caught without adequate clothing and suffer accordingly. 

I have learned to expect a scurry for coats, blankets, 

fuel, and a good fire around sundown after a day in the mountains 

with my students. 

Nightfall on the desert is remarkably different from that 

event in other regions of the world. In wintertime the almost 

balmy temperature and gracious warmth of the setting sun 

are replaced by increasing and often piercing cold. The 

change is so abrupt that one feels it almost immediately as 

the heat departs into space, and the dry air, unable to hold 

the re-radiated heat, becomes sharply and uncomfortably 

cold. In summertime, while nights at high altitudes cool 

swiftly, those in the desert do not. Weeks of long, super-hot 

days and the heat accumulated in soil and rock under intense 

solar radiation keep desert nocturnal temperatures relatively 

high. The approach of night, however, signals at least partial 

release from the tension of burdensome heat. Temperatures 

as high as 90° F. are most welcome after 120°F. in the shade. 

In the Colorado Desert moist, warm air occasionally drifts 

northward from tropical storms originating south of the Gulf 

of California, preventing the escape of the day's accumulation 

of heat. Under these conditions even the nights remain 

excessively hot. 

In these so-called temperate latitudes nighttime temperatures 

may remain for hours far above those ever encountered 

on the hottest days on the Equator, and one can expect temperatures 

of 100° F. or more as late as midnight. 

The sunset skies of the desert have scenic effects that are 

practically unknown in other climates. The sky blazes behind 

the peaks clustered to the west. This brilliant color changes 

from lemon to gold to orange, and eventually the sky becomes 

deep violet. The absence of clouds confines the 

warmer colors to a fan-shaped glow, which slowly fades until 

all above is inky blue and the mountains become sharp-cut 

silhouettes of black velvet. In more humid climates, dust, 

moisture, and other microscopic flotsam scatter the 

remaining rays and soften the harsh contrast characteristic of 

the desert. 

Summer or winter, there is something special about sundown 

and the oncoming night, and my desert camps were no 

exception. Not the least was the cessation of work, return to 

camp, and, in those years of fewer people, the gathering of 

scanty firewood. I often used cactus skeletons and the roots 

and stems of stunted shrubs. Soon my camp was rich with 

fragrance. Food cooked in the aromatic smoke from desert 

wood has a tang in this clear, unpolluted air unknown outside 

the arid world. Long before the summer sun has set, the first 

flight of bats commences, most often the little canyon, or pipistrelle, 

bat with pale silvery body, black wings and ears. 

Along the Colorado River they flicker across the sky, bent 

primarily on reaching water where they can replenish the 

moisture lost during the day, even in their relatively cool 

rock-crevice retreats.

In the same locale nighthawks by the hundreds appear 

soon after the heat begins to abate. They flutter and sail toward 

the river for the first drink of the day. During May and 

June when many are still incubating or hovering over their 

eggs to protect from the sun's increasing heat, this first intake 

of water precedes feeding. The birds nest, or more accurately, 

lay their eggs, on the exposed ground. Throughout 

the day the relentless sun beats down. Air and ground temperatures 

may exceed 120° F. for hours on end; the direct 

heat of the sun contributes to what for most creatures would 

be unendurable conditions. Insulated against heat by its feathers, 

each nighthawk sits in a self-made patch of shade and 

comfort. Plumage is an effective in shielding the skin and 

blood vessels from high temperatures as it is in containing 

body heat during cold weather. 

From time to time, they open their enormous mouths and 

flutter their gular pouch, evaporating some of their small 

supply of water to keep blood and body temperatures below 

damaging or lethal levels. But water is so scarce and the day 

so long that excessively prolonged cooling by this means 

would dehydrate the birds. I know of no other animals, however, 

not even the supposedly sun-tolerant lizards (that possess 

no feathery insulation), that can remain in the direct 

sunlight for so long a time. Many of the smaller lizards will 

die in minutes under such conditions. Yet the nighthawks, 

warm-blooded, heat-generating birds, complete their incubation 

period and care for the young in the unrelenting heat of 

the desert until all can take flight to a less strenuous environment. 

These crepuscular (dusk and dawn) flights of bats and 

nighthawks are generally silent. The bats seldom twitter, and 

the prolonged croaking warbles of the nighthawks are very 

rarely heard after the close of the mating season. That particular 

call and the roaring courtship dive are usually reserved 

for cooler hours and, if possible, after a drink. 

The mating cry of the nighthawk (sometimes called a bullbat, 

though it is not a bat at all) is a common spring sound on 

the desert. When it is first heard, those unfamiliar with 

nighthawks often look in vain for a noisy amphibian, particularly 

around an oasis or a farmer's reservoir. The other characteristic 

sound made by the nighthawk is produced apparently 

by its vibrating feathers at the end of a steep dive at 

maximum speeds. Such diving is most common during the 

breeding season. The source of this sudden, vibrant buzz is 

easy to detect, as the birds are often visible against the sky. 

Other sounds belong to the dusk —the thin whistling of a 

Say phoebe, a hardy desert flycatcher, and the faint calls of a 

rock wren near rugged slopes and boulder-strewn hillsides. 

Desert sparrows chirp in the thickening shadows. Though 

there appears to be a scarcity of life on the desert, nonetheless 

it is there, and one can gain an inkling of its abundance 

by listening to the sounds of dawn and dusk. 

One of the delights of camping in the unspoiled desert is 

the nightly scurrying of the several species of the attractive 

little rodent, the kangaroo mouse. These kangaroo "rats," as 

they are usually called, bear a rough resemblance to their 

namesakes in the length and power of their hind legs and 

their bipedal locomotion. In starshine, moonlight, or campfire 

glow, their dancing shadows flutter at the far edge of 

vision. And it is their shadows, not their bodies, that are visible 

on these rare occasions of abundance and great activity. 

This is also true of other desert ground-running, nocturnal 

creatures. The remarkable concealing coloration of desert 

animals is probably amplified in our perception because of 

our limited noctural vision, but it also serves to conceal them 

from nocturnal predators. The pale fawn grays and browns of 

their upper surfaces become virtually invisible. In the tan- 

30 

gential light of fires or a rising moon they cast sharp black 

shadows against the pale desert sands that are far more conspicuous 

than their bodies. Their activity is indeed a shadow 

ballet attended only by those who dare the silent infinitude of 

the desert wilderness. 

My camp, where I conducted research in animal temperature 

control, was located near mesquite thickets, often in the 

lee of a mound of wind-drifted and compacted dust and sand 

through which ran multitudes of burrows of anthropods and 

rodents. Arthropods are the insects and numerous other 

species of backboneless creatures with jointed limbs. They 

include scorpions,which may be as long as three inches, and 

the harmless (to human beings) but speedy solpugids, known 

also as hunting or sun spiders. These long-legged, ghostly 

creatures, about the leg spread of a quarter, emerge on warm 

nights, as they had at the ditch camp where I first met them, 

to dart over the ground in search of their victims. Their swift 

shadows caught my attention night after night in late spring 

and summer as I rested in the mesquite grove. 

Scorpions appear to be more shy and conceal themselves 

by remaining still. I rarely saw them unless I was hunting for 

them. This I did by following their distinctive tracks,as the 

animals themselves are difficult to see. Pale straw in color, 

they match their background, and their quiet habits render 

them invisible. I collected a number of them, however, with a 

portable ultraviolet light. Then they became spectacular. 

They glowed with an eery light that reminded me of animated 

constellations gleaming on the sand. Under the most fortunate 

conditions I have seen as many as six small scorpions 

within a single field of light. 

To those who love the desert—and judging by its spreading 

urban communities it has a strong appeal —night is a time for 

deep enjoyment. The dark is not to fear but to explore. Star 

glow and the faint shimmer of the night sky brightened my 

camp and its surroundings. Stretched in my sleeping bag and 

relaxed after a good meal and a vigorous day of exercise and 

work, I watched for the occasional meteor and listened for the 

comforting sounds of night—the distant bugling of a coyote, 

whose wailing bark belongs to the wilderness, and the 

mellow, dual-toned hooting of a mated pair of horned owls as 

they went about their night's business of defending territories 

and hunting unwary rodents. 

In summer, especially, work began well before full daylight. 

I awakened to the first of the mountains darkening 

against the eastern sky. Then the light spread over those still 

violet-shadowed to the north and south. Finally, the horizon 

glowed as if afire just before the sun burst over the edge of 

the world. 

What is left of the unspoiled desert spaces are the last fragments 

of virgin nature remaining in many parts of the Southwest. 

They are hospitable to those who accord them due 

respect and who have the knowledge to enjoy their intimate 

little canyons, their wide sun-drenched plains, and the plants 

and animals that live there. The desert has unique aesthetic 

and scientific satisfactions. It is as deserving of preservation 

as forests, lakes, and coastlines. Its future merits more than a 

scourge of off-road vehicles and a population encouraged to 

growth by irrigation from desalted sea water and other costly 

sources. Unless we act now we will surely lose these once 

almost inviolate refuges, which not only serve to harbor wildlife, 

but which provide valuable sanctuaries of escape from 

the multiplying pressures of the human world today. Even 

their heated air currents are essential to sustain patterns of 

atmospheric circulation that draw in cooler and heavier air 

from the sea and stabilize the climate of coastal California. 

We have a number of reasons to be grateful for those "wastelands" 

east of the mountains. • 

Desert/Mav 1977

THE LAST 

100 COPIES! 

Through the courtesy of the 

publisher, Westernlore Press, 

the last copies of this desert 

classic are now available from 

Desert Magazine Book Shop. 

Written by Randall Henderson, 

founder of Desert Magazine, 

with designs by Don Louis Perceval 

and maps by Norton Allen, this 

book is a must for desert buffs. 

Few men have known the desert 

and its people like the author, who 

spent over half a century as a 

reporter and editor on its frontier. 

Hardback, dust jacket, illustrated, 

indexed, 357 pages. 

$ 750 

Please add 50c for handling/postage 

California residents add 6% state sales tax 

TRAILS 


P. O. Box 1318 Palm Desert, California 92260

NO. 6 IN A SERIES ON 

CALIFORNIA PALM OASES 

F 

ROM FERN CANYON our oasis trail 

runs southeasterly several miles to 

the sunrise side of the Santa Rosa 

Range. Dead Indian Creek — in reality a 

dry, bouldery canyon — rises between 

Asbestos and Haystack mountains in the 

Santa Rosas, pouring its occasional 

storm torrents into the Coachella Valley 

near Palm Desert. The scenic Palmsto-Pines 

Highway (Route 74) spans this 

watercourse just before beginning its 

twisting climb of Seven Level Hill, yet 

the palms — though less than a mile 

away — cannot be seen from the pavement, 

and their very existence is un- 

by DICK BLOOMQUIST 

suspected by most motorists. The highway 

bridge over Dead Indian is three and 

three-quarter miles south of Palm Desert 

at a point where the road curves left at 

the foot of the mountains. One-tenth of a 

mile further on there is a second bridge, 

this one over Carrizo Creek. Dos Palmas, 

which we shall visit on our next field trip, 

stands at the headwaters of Carrizo. 

Beyond the first bridge an unimproved 

dirt road branches to the right. Passenger 

cars should park near the start of this 

road or on the highway shoulder nearby, 

but four-wheel-drives can continue upstream 

for three-quarters of a mile to 

within a few hundred feet of the oasis. 

Stands of desert willow, cheesebush, 

smoke tree, palo verde, chuparosa, and 

desert lavender formerly mottled the 

sandy floor of lower Dead Indian Creek, 

but the great storm late in the summer of 

'76 carried away most of this growth. 

Half a mile up the wash the palms come 

into view for the first time — a tight little 

grove hard by a cliff on the right side of 

the canyon. The Jeep trail ends a short 

distance below the palm cluster, halted 

by narrowing walls and monumental 

boulders. A shallow tunnel, evidently a 

relic of early mining activity, pierces the 

canyon's left slope at this point. Craggy 

Grapevine Creek empties into Dead Indian 

from the left near here, also, but its 

many Washingtonias are difficult to 

reach because of the dry waterfalls near 

its mouth. 

Scenic Dead Indian Canyon. 

Photo by George Service, 

Palm Desert, California. 

From road's end no trail leads to the 

palms in Dead Indian Creek. For several 

hundred feet each visitor just picks 

his own route over and around the megaliths 

choking the creek bed, which in one 

place have created a "cave" large 

enough to stand upright in. The palms 

form a compact colony in the shadow of 

sheer canyon walls. I counted 17 living 

trees (there were 24 a few years before 

the flash flood of 1976), only one of 

which grows apart from the cluster. 

Most of the older ones have charred, 

partially denuded trunks, yet all appear 

to be in good health. Water sometimes 

surfaces in the form of a tiny seep. 

In the center of the oasis there is a delightful 

palm-circled "pocket" filled, at 

the time of my visit at least, with the 

music of house finches in the treetops. 

The tallest palms rise perhaps 35 or 40 

feet. 

Dead Indian Creek continues beyond 

the grove, with more palms strung along 

its course, but the hiking is difficult. A 

Mileage Log 

0.0 Junction of State Highways 111 and 

74 in Palm Desert. Drive south toward 

Hemet on Highway 74 (the 

Palms-to-Pines highway). 

3.7 Bridge #56-187 over Dead Indian 

Creek, the first of two bridges 

crossed just before the highway begins 

its ascent of the Santa Rosa 

Mountains. Park near here; the 

oasis is less than a mile to the right. 

Four-wheel-drives can go threequarters 

of a mile up the canyon on 

a road that begins on the far side of 

the bridge. Elevation at palms about 

1320 feet. 

few feet upstream Ebbens Creek comes 

in from the right, its entrance blocked by 

a water-stained dry fall. I do not know 

the origin of the name "Dead Indian," 

but Ebbens Creek commemorates Theodore 

Ebbens, a burro prospector of the 

Santa Rosa Country around the turn of 

the century. Like Grapevine, this tributary 

contains wild palms accessible only 

to dedicated rock climbers. 

The unspoiled little oasis in lower 

Dead Indian Creek is easily reached by 

the casual hiker, however. It also 

provides a jumping-off point for those 

who wish to explore some of the more sequestered 

palm groups of the Santa Rosa 

Mountains. • 

Desert/Mav 1977

J. s , -

QHQSTS by HOWARD NEAL 

Qoldfield, Nevada 

Gold was first discovered on Columbia 

Mountain, in western Nevada, in the fall of 1902. By 

the spring of the following year a number of prospectors 

were on the scene, but it took until 1904 for a 

real gold rush to develop—and, that rush was a big 

one! Within four years, what had been barren desert 

became the site of Goldfield, Nevada's largest city. 

It was an imposing city, a city that was built 

to endure with many stone structures reaching as 

high as five stories into the sky. In 1908 Goldfield's 

population reached 20,000 and its people prided 

themselves in the community's five banks, two daily 

newspapers, three railroads and as spectacular a 

hotel as could be found in the West. 

Mining activity hit its peak in 1910 when 

production reached nearly $11 million. By 1918, 

when major mining activity stopped, it is said that 

more than $100 million had been taken from the 

ground. 

Today, Goldfield is a ghost of her former

self. In 1913 a flood ravaged the 

community, and in 1923 some 53 

square blocks of the city were 

consumed by fire—never to be 

rebuilt. Yet, the quiet streets of 

Goldfield display much to remind 

the visitor that this is one 

of the spots where the history of 

the West was made. 

Goldfield is located 26 miles 

south of Tonopah, Nevada on 

U.S. Highway95. • 

Above: In Goldfield, a number of large buildings are still standing but no longer in use. Goldfield 

High School is one of these structures. Many stone and brick buildings, some as tall as five stories, 

were built during the years that Goldfield had a population of more than 20,000 and was the largest 

city in Nevada. Far left: A giant headframe towers over a quiet Goldfield mine. Mine structures seem 

to cover the desert between Goldfield and Columbia Mountain. It is estimated that more than $100 

million was taken from the mining district. The peak production year was 1910, when nearly $11 

million in gold was mined. Left: A lonely arch, guarding a vacant lot in downtown Goldfield, is a reminder 

that the town was once a thriving business center. Early in this century Goldfield had five 

banks, two daily newspapers and two stock exchanges. Many business buildings were destroyed in a 

fire that consumed 53 square blocks of the city in 1923. 


. ..at*. » 

DESERT 

CLIMBERS 

by K. L. BOYNTON 

©1977 

EVER SEE a lizard tearing across the 

road ahead of the car, or hotfooting 

it from here to there in the desert's 

open space? The odds are about 1000 to 

1 that it won't be Urosaurus ornatus, or 

his long-tailed cousin U. graciosus, 

either. Long distance runners they are 

not, being neither built for it, nor having 

36 

the stamina. They are the "tree lizards" 

— climbers, the scansorial experts, gymnasts 

to be found according to particular 

habitat on trees, bushes, cholla, rocks. 

Agile, excellent jumpers and clingers, 

they're even at home on vertical cliff 

faces, heads up, down or sidewise. 

Artful dodgers, too, whizzing around a 

tree trunk keeping on the opposite side 

and never appearing at the same level 

when next they peek to see what's going 

on. Alert and wary, they are exceed- 

ingly hard to catch, which keeps them in 

business when larger lizards, snakes, 

coyotes, foxes or birds wish to dine on 

them. Or, motionless, they so well match 

their backgrounds and have such good 

nervous control, they are easily passed 

by unseen. Thus when biologists succeed 

in securing some of these candidates 

for research, it can be well understood 

that either some fancy footwork 

went into it, or a lot of sharp-eyed 

patient searching, or both. 


All this interest in these small-tomedium-sized 

lizards is not due to their 

reluctance to cooperate. It is mainly because 

they are such a successful species 

throughout the Southwest, a fact that 

points to their great ability to adapt to 

many different environmental conditions. 

Members of the Urosaurus clan are 

daytime operators and make their living 

catching insects and other arthropods. 

Equipped with excellent eyesight and an 

auditory set-up most sensitive in a range 

between 700 and 2,000 hertz (fine for insect 

sounds) they hunt by sight and 

hearing. 

Being reptiles they are active in the 

warm seasons of the year, depending on 

the sun to warm them; depending, too, 

upon behavioral tactics to regulate their 

temperature, going underground when it 

is too hot or too cold. Wintertimes they 

become dormant, with perhaps as many 

as 30 or 40 clumped together in a retreat 

not far from the surface. When spring 

rolls around again they appear topside 

once more and in due time the big social 

season gets underway. 

Now since the way an individual gets 

along and how local populations keep up 

the old numbers are basic measures of 

species success, a study of lizard behavior 

becomes of first importance. So 

zoologists Carpenter and Grubitz, collecting 

six adult males and two adult females, 

marked them with paint of 

various colors for quick identification 

and let them loose in an enclosure with 

concrete block and logs to climb on. 

Then they sat back to watch what happened 

in Urosaurus social circle. 

The lizards had scarcely been installed 

Above: 

Urosaurus 

ornatus is one 

of several 

tree-climbing 

lizards. 

Right: His 

cousin, U. 

Microscutatus 

or smallscaled 

brush 

lizard, is 

found in Baja 

California. 

Photos 

courtesy of 

San Diego 

Zoo. 

Desert/May 1977 37 

in their new surroundings before it became 

obvious what was first on the 

agenda: deciding which male was going 

to be the top lizard. There were six males 

and therefore six candidates. Each one 

was determined, climbing up on the 

highest thing he could find and challenging 

the nearest male. This "display" 

challenge, it turned out, is always done 

in the proscribed Urosaurus ornatus 

manner: compress the body laterally; 

thereby exposing a full side view of the 

brilliant blue belly, push out the throat 

into a handsome blue or green dewlap, 

and when as big and tough looking as 

possible, start doing a series of pushups. 

All four legs are involved, hoisting the 

whole body, head and tail up and down, 

the lizard standing tall at the height of 

the pushup. In no time at all displaying 

males were all over the place, breaking 

into chases and fighting, and thereby 

sorting themselves out, certain ones 

fleeing in retreat, or flattening out in 

submission. 

Shortly the contestants were down to 

two, one marked with white paint, the 

other with red. Both were active in displaying 

and making overtures to the 

ladies but within a few days "whitey" 

succeeded in overcoming "red" and this 

settled the matter. He now dominated 

the whole enclosure doing all the displaying, 

and of course, the subsequent 

courting of the females. Not one of the 

other males, "red" included, displayed. 

At this point, to make things interesting, 

Carpenter and Crubitz removed 

"whitey" and shortly "red" took over, 

challenged only briefly by "green." Old 

Red turned out to be quite a despot and 

inside of a couple of weeks had worked 

himself up to some 48 displays an hour, 

the rest of the males tearing for cover at 

the sight of him. So the zoologists 

yanked him, and "green" became dominant 

for a few days until "red" was returned 

to the scene. War was declared 

instantly but eventually "red" became 

dominant and ruled supreme. 

The thing that was immediately apparent 

was that the male (no matter 

which one), normally brown on the back, 

became very much darker in taking over 

the dominant role, and all the subordinate 

males paled to a very light brown. 

But when the dark dominant was 

plucked out and put by himself, he 

became lighter in a couple of hours. 

Returned and eventually dominant once 

more, he became very dark again. This 

color change, probably related to the 

male's psychological state, reinforces 

the effect of his dominance. A dark, 

puffed-up, blue-bellied lizard, with extended 

colorful dewlaps and doing 

;aggressive display pushups vigorously, 

is a sight to behold — particularly when 

the next move is bound to be a chase and 

fight. 

Biologists view all this aggressive behavior 

and dominance as part of the establishment 

and maintenance of territory 

under normal conditions. In nature 

it acts to distribute the males throughout 

the habitat. With elbow room and 

territory thus allocated, fighting is cut to 

a minimum and the population can settle 

down into the business of daily living 

and keeping up clan numbers. 

Interesting enough, the pushup bit 

may have more to it than being just part

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of the aggressive display. Carpenter and 

Grubitz, with stop watch and counter in 

nand, made a time-motion study and 

found to their surprise that there was a 

definite pattern to it, both in the number 

of pushups and the time between them. 

It is consistent and instinctive, not dependent 

on age or experience, and it belongs, 

subsequent research showed, to 

the Urosaurus ornatus clan alone. 

The ladies, it seems, are unmoved by 

all this rowing among males for 

supremacy. They go about eating and 

sunning themselves and display only if 

the occasion calls for it. In doing so, they 

do not flatten their bodies or extend 

the dewlap, and are more half hearted in 

the pushups. But their timing and sequence 

is in the proper Urosaurus 

fashion. 

What part does all this play in their 

success in desert conditions? 

Zoologist Larry Michel took a look at a 

New Mexican population near Animas, a 

rocky section of open plains dotted with 

lava flows. As is to be expected, with the 

paucity of trees, the Urosaurus were rock 

dwellers here, but very much at home. 

During his long study, he caught and 

marked some 286 lizards and made some 

646 captures, and when he finished had 

a pretty good idea of what went on. 

Here the majority of females reach 

maturity in a year or less, and most produce 

two clutches a year. One batch is 

laid around the end of June; the second 

in early August. The number of eggs to 

the clutch varies, the biggest contributed 

by the most ambitious lady, apparently 

was 16 (her first of the season, by the 

way). The smallest was five. Counting 

the united efforts of the ladies in the 

study area, the average of the first clutch 

was 10.9 eggs and that of the second 7.5, 

so broadly speaking Mrs. Urosaurus 

dwelling near Animas has a potential of 

18 eggs a season. 

The gentlemen around Animas mature 

at about a year or less and are sexually 

active from early June through mid- 

August at which time regression of the 

gonads begins, and interest in such proceedings 

tapers off. 

Arizona Urosaurus ornatus, studied by 

biologist Parker near Tucson, on the 

other hand, showed a longer reproductive 

season of about six months. The 

ladies here produced some six clutches a 

season, but fewer eggs, averaging about 

4.8 per clutch. But what with some 87 

percent of them mature at the start of 

the season and others maturing and 

entering the breeding population on 

later dates, a good supply of Urosaurus 

in that vicinity seems assured. 

Nor are the Texas tree lizards about to 

take a back seat. Zoologist Martin,looking 

to their affairs under drouth conditions 

at that, found that three to four 

clutches a season with an average of five 

to a clutch was par. Hence, there's a 

good potential of 18 eggs per female for 

the approximately four month season 

there. This, in spite of an overall seasonal 

decline in fecundity. 

Food makes a big difference in reproductive 

success, the females who have to 

produce the eggs being more affected by 

a shortage of groceries than the males. 

But the males may be more affected by 

high temperature. Anatomist Licht's 

tests showed that keeping Urosaurus 

gents at an even one degree above their 

"preferred temperature" (body temperature 

for activity normal to the species) 

resulted in testicular damage, and loss of 

body weight as well. Even keeping them 

at the preferred temperature constantly 

was damaging, a situation which would 

not occur in nature since the desert cools 

shortly after sunset. Apparently lower 

temperature periods are needed. 

Since high temperatures have a sterilizing 

effect, this may account for the' 

seasonal decline in the male cycle during 

the summer. Evolutionary speaking, 

too, the temperature limit for normal 

testicle functioning may be what actually 

determines the level at which a lizard 

species regulates its body temperature 

— a figure that varies markedly among 

the various kinds. Temperature indeed 

may control the breeding season in hot 

environments. 

Biologist Royce Ballinger, interested 

in the relation between population sizes 

and the carrying capacity of the environment, 

wondered what happens if the 

numbers living in a place were suddenly 

reduced. He went around to the Animas 

region and selecting a couple of 

study areas, subtracted about one third 

of the adult lizards from each, thereby 

simulating a sudden high mortality. The 

following two years' study showed him 

that environmental conditions were not 

equal in both years, the second being 

much shorter of insects for food, a situation 

typical of the fluctuations of a desert 

environment. The adult survival rate 

still came out just about the same, and 

most interesting to report — there was a 


ig increase in hatchling survival. The 

lizards were bound to begin their numbers-recoup 

when these reached maturity 

and entered the breeding 

population. 

Ballinger cogitated on this, with an 

eye on lizard-expert Tinkle's sage observation 

that lizards seem to fall into two 

categories: 1) the early maturing, multiple 

brooded and short-lived kind, or 2) 

the late maturing, single brooded longlived 

kind. He could see that Urosaurus 

certainly belonged in the first group. 

Aggressive, hard at their reproductive 

business all season no matter where, 

they stood a much better chance of species 

success in the unstable and difficult 

conditions of the desert than a late 

maturing species with one brood. Evolution-wise, 

natural selection favored this 

get-on-with-it approach and was operating 

on the younger members of the population 

where, he finally decided, the efficiency 

for evolving these traits should 

be the greatest. 

From the looks of all this, members of 

the Urosaurus tree lizard clan will be 

skipping about the desert's mesquites, 

shrubs, cacti and rocks for many a moon 

to come. • 

How To Get There 

Drive North of Bishop 

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Desert/ May 1977 39

MAKE A NOTE . .. 

Next fall you can take private 

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40 

Rambling 

on 

Hocks 

by 

GLENN and 

MARTHA VARGAS 

IMPERIAL TOPAZ: 

"The New Precious Gem" 

AVER THE YEARS we have resisted 

oi the term "precious gem" because it 

\f tends to indicate only a few gems that 

command a high price, and are readily 

available to the jewelry trade. Usually, 

the "precious gems" include diamond, 

ruby, sapphire, emerald and pearl. 

There are others such as alexandrite and 

high prices such as alexandrite and 

cat's-eye (which are both chrysoberyl). 

In our minds these should also fall in the 

"precious" classification. 

Regardless of our past thinking, imperial 

topaz is now rapidly approaching 

the price range of sapphires and rubies. 

During our recent trip to Brazil, we saw 

excellent cut gems in the vicinity of 30 

carats, or slightly larger, priced at 

$40,000 per gem. Fine, transparent, 

deep-orange crystals, about the size of 

an adult index finger, were being offered 

at $6,000 per crystal. It is possible that 

these prices could have been bargained 

down a bit, but at those levels what is a 

few hundred or a few thousand dollars? 

Imperial topaz-has had an interesting 

history. Only a few mines in a small district 

of Brazil produce this and a nice 

golden color. The golden is much more 

common than the orange. Both colors 

have always been rare, and commanded 

a fairly high price in relation to most 

other popular-priced gems. 

This rarity fostered imitation. Certain 

types of amethyst, when heated carefully, 

will turn to a yellow or orange 

color. For many years, this heat-treated 

AuroPrieto, Brazil Topaz Mine. 

amethyst has been sold as "topaz." The 

practice has been carried on for so long a 

time that most gem dealers do not feel 

that the offering of citrine as topaz is 

fraudulent. In fact, the word citrine is 

often not part of their vocabulary. 

The labeling of citrine as topaz is now 

illegal in this country, but we still see it 

on rare occasions. In virtually every 

other country, the practice goes on without 

any restraint. In Brazil, it is actually 

an insult to tell a dealer that his "topaz" 

is citrine. 

The mineral topaz is found in a number 

of colors. The most common is colorless, 

which is found in many countries. A 

nice deep blue is found in Colorado, 

Texas, Brazil and some African countries. 

An interesting golden color is 

found in Utah, but this quickly fades on 

exposure to light. Mexico produces a 

nice pinkish-golden color that really defies 

being named. It is often called 

champagne or sherry color, but the allusions 

are not good. 

A pink topaz comes from Brazil, but 

crystals are usually very small. A very 

fine red comes from Afghanistan, with 

some of the crystals at least finger size. 

A red is also reported from Russia. A 

green topaz is known, but it is very rare. 

Our present-day technology has had 

an interesting effect on the topaz market. 

If colorless topaz is exposed to 


gamma ray irradiation, it turns to an intense 

deep blue. The color, however, 

does not really match that of any known 

natural topaz. There is no danger of any 

radiation effects, and the color is evidently 

permanent. We have seen excellent 

examples of this blue topaz, both 

cut and uncut, and feel that it will become 

a popular gem. Undoubtedly, 

when topaz was first irradiated, imperial 

topaz color was hoped for. 

We had the privilege of visiting a mine 

where imperial topaz is found, and were 

able to purchase a small amount. This 

mine was huge, covering most of a large 

mountain. At the time of our visit, the 

miners had found no good crystals for 

more than two weeks. The mine was 

really uninteresting. Miners were digging 

in a brownish to reddish rock that 

was very decomposed. We saw virtually 

no crystals in place, and were told 

that they appeared in a reddish mud 

without any advance signs. The one reliable 

advance sign is a few quartz crystals. 

As far as we could determine, the 

topaz orginally formed in the usual gem 

pockets along with quartz. Weathering 

or other changes broke apart the pockets 

and liberated the contents into a mudlike 

material that is probably a decomposition 

product of the rock that surrounded 

the original pocket. This situation 

tends to force the miners to dig al- 


most blindly, with the hope of finding a 

pocket without any real leads to follow. 

This certainly tends to add to the price of 

the good gem quality crystals. 

Before our Brazil trip, we knew that 

imperial topaz prices were rising and we 

certainly saw this while we were there. 

We have discussed rising gem prices in 

our July 1976 column, noting that all 

gems are rising in price. The present rise 

of the price of imperial topaz is much 

greater in proportion to any other gem. 

Recently, we received a form letter from 

One Of Our Brazilian dealer friends, 

telling us that if a dealer in this country 

has an imperial topaz gem of five carats 

or larger, he should immediately raise 

the price at least 200 percent and a maximum 

of 300 percent! 

For many years, imperial topaz has 

been referred to as precious topaz, to 

differentiate it from the citrine imitation. 

We have never liked the term, and 

have spoken against it. Now we must eat 

our words, for this fine orange gem is 

really becoming precious. • 

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and browse; jewelry mountings, chains, supplies, 

minerals, slabs, rough material, equipment, 

black lights, metal detectors, maps, rock 

and bottle books. 

• HEALTH CARE 

SINUS RELIEF! Simple methods of world's 

leading ENT specialists for phlegm, nasal drip, 

etc. Send $1.00 for how-to booklet to Hydro 

Med, Inc., Dept. D, 10753 Palms #2, Los 

Angeles, California 90034. 

• MAPS 

GOLD MAP with Ghost Towns, California's 

Sierra-Nevada Mountains. Send stamped selfaddressed 

envelope for announcement. Win. 

Enterprises, DBox 5048, Klamath Falls, Oregon 

97601. 

42 

• MAPS 

OLD STATE, RAILROAD, COUNTY MAPS. 

70-110 years old. All States. Stamp for catalog. 

Northern Map, Dept. DM, Eagle River, Wise. 

54521. 

• MINING 

ASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guaranteed. 

Highest quality spectographic. Only $5.00 per 

sample. Reed Engineering, 2166 College Ave., 

Costa Mesa, California92627. 

PROSPECTING 

BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA Feather River gold 

nuggets. Among the world's finest grade. $3.00 

to $700.00 sizes. Send for price list. Prospector 

Jack Ward, Box 380, Sandia Park, New Mexico 

87047. 

DRYWASHERS! GOLD CONCENTRATORS! 

Guaranteed to recover minerals, gold. A hobby 

that pays for itself! Write to: Nick's Nugget, 

P. O. Box 1081, Fontana, Calif. 92335. (714) 

822-2846. 

BEAUTIFUL ODD-SHAPED Natural gold just 

like it came from the earth $2.00. Gold panning 

packet with instructions $2.00. Prospector Jack 

Ward, Box 380, Sandia Park, New Mexico 

87047. 

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. What they are. 

Why they are valuable. Where they are found. 

How they are identified. $2. Tomar Research, 

Dept. DM5, Box 531, Montrose, Calif. 91020. 

GRUBSTAKE: Are you seeking funding for a 

small mine operation; a prospecting venture; or 

an economically oriented expedition? I can help 

you find a backer. Send twenty dollars to: 

William Cate, POB 1125, Pacifica, California 

94044 for details. Money back, if not satisfied. 

• REAL ESTATE 

SCENIC OCOTILLO, CALIFORNIA. Lots, 

Homes, Acreage in the Unspoiled West Desert 

of Imperial County. Bell Realty, 1147 Imperial 

Hwy., Ocotillo, California92259. 

40 ACRES, scenic high desert. Mid Hills, N of 

Mitchell Caverns, San Bernardino County. $300 

per acre. (714)886-3576. 

FORTY ACRE PARCELS for sale. Average price 

$80 per acre. Located near Lanfair Valley in 

eastern Mojave Desert. D. A. Murphy, 1062 

Valencia Mesa Dr., Fullerton, Calif. 92633. 

MAILED FREE—Descriptive foto brochure of 

Hi-Desert parcels. Send name, address to: Breck 

Nott Realty, P. O. Box 487 (61807 29 Palms 

Highway), Joshua Tree, Calif. 92252, or phone 

714-366-8461. 

• ROCKHOUNDS 

PRINEVILLE ROCKHOUNDS POW WOW. A 

great place to socialize or market your wares. 

For information write Prineville Rockhounds 

Pow Wow Assn., P. O. Box 671, Prineville, 

Oregon 97754. 

• SEEDS & PLANTS 

LOVERS OF THE WEST show your plants in 

Old West setting. Sturdy handcrafted redwood 

planters. Replicas of Old West saloon or general 

store. $10.00 each or two $18.00. Please specify. 

Joseph Lutz, Rt 1, Box 66, Templeton, California 

93465. 

LOEHMAN'S CACTUS PATCH, 8014 Howe St., 

(P.O. Box 871D), Paramount, California 90723. 

$7.50 for 15 cacti or 15 succulents. Catalog 30c. 

TREASURE FINDERS 

BURIED TREASURE — Locate up to quarter 

mile away with ultra-sensitive Directional Locator. 

Send for free, informative phamplet. 

Research Products, Box 13441-BUC, Tampa, 

Florida 33611. 

WILL YOU GAMBLE $4.00 to save $200? Build 

one of several detectors from our 20-page book 

"Build Transistor Treasure Detectors." Easily 

followed instructions, $4.00. Trionics, Box 164D, 

Brewer, Maine 04412. 

INSTANT RICHES—Explore ghost towns. Find 

buried treasure, coins, relics, antiques, and 

more. Goldak —the finest "Metal and Treasure 

Locators since 1933." Send for free catalog. 

Goldak, Dept. D, 727 S. Main St., Burbank, 

California 91506. 

• MISCELLANEOUS 

PROFESSIONAL ART BY MAIL—The only one 

of its kind you have been looking for. Courses 

approved by California Dept. of Education. V.A. 

Approved. Send for Free Brochure. Roy Keister 

College of Fine Arts, 15800 Highland Dr., San 

Jose, California 95121. 

HOW TO 

PLACE YOUR AD 

Mail your copy and first-insertion remittance 

to: Trading Post, Desert Magazine, Palm 

Desert, Calif. 92260. Classified rates are 25c 

per word, $5.00 minimum per insertion. 

Deadline for Classified Ads is 10th of second 

month preceding cover date. 


MISCELLANEOUS 

AMAZING PROFITS in real estate. My reports 

tell you how and where to purchase land. Just 

$1.50. Midway House, Midway Rd., Knoxville, 

Tenn. 37914. 

"WILL FORMS" —Make Your Own Will Easily! 

Ready to fill in. Mail $2.00 (2 for $3.50) to 

Forms, Box 3609, New Haven, Conn. 06525. 

EARN $1,000 & up in your own home. No experience 

needed. For details send $1 and self addressed 

stamped to Opportunities Unlimited, 

Box 1255D, Banning, California92220. 

VEST—LIGHTWEIGHT 10 ounce insulated 

$15.00. Clothing for outdoor people. Send .50 for 

our 16 page catalog —Refunded with order. Mail 

to Clausen Sales, P. O. Box 830, Carson City, 

Nevada 89701. 

RAILROAD EMBLEM T-Shirts, 195 Different 

Authentic Designs—Past/Present. Send choice, 

size, $6.00 each to: Hobo Co., Box 2492-D, Santa 

Barbara, Calif. 93120. Catalog 35c. 

VIBRATIONS FROM Gemstones and Minerals! 

Mail $3.00 for literature which may bring amazing 

cosmic changes into your life. Christian 

Metaphysics, Box 239, Yucaipa.Calif. 92399. 

MAPS! 

ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK 

TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS 

A set of 7 maps covering the Anza-Borrego 

Desert State Park, 8Vi"x11" format, spiral 

bound. $5.50 

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENT 

UPDATED TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS 

A set of 12 maps covering the Joshua Tree 

National Monument, 8 1 /2"x11" format, 

spiral bound. $7.95 

ROADMAP TO CALIFORNIA'S PIONEER 

TOWNS, GHOST TOWNS AND MINING 

CAMPS 

Compiled by Varna Enterprises. 38"x25" 

and scaled. Southern California on one side 

and Northern California on the other. Contains 

detailed location of place names, 

many of which are not on regular maps. 

$3.50 

MAP OF PIONEER TRAILS 

Compiled by Varna Enterprises, this is 

their new large map on pioneer trails blazed 

from 1541 through 1867 in the western 

United States. Superimposed in red on 

black and white, 37"x45". $4.00 

ROADMAP TO CALIFORNIA'S LOST 

MINES AND BURIED TREASURES 

Compiled by Varna Enterprises, 38"x25" 

and scaled Southern California on one side 

and Northern California on the other. $4.00 

Please add 50c for Postage/handling 

Calif, residents add 6% state sales tax 

Order from 

, Magazine Book Shop 

P. O Box 1318, Palm Desert, Calif. 92260 


EACH 

Including tax and postage 

Gold embossed on brown vinyl. Space for 

12 magazines easily inserted. A beautiful 

and practical addition to your home bookshelf. 

DESERT 

WORTH 

SAVING! 

MOST OF OUR READERS SAVE THEIR 

DESERT MAGAZINES FOR FUTURE REFER- 

ENCE AND READING PLEASURE. THE BEST 

WAY TO KEEP YOUR BACK ISSUES IS IN 

OUR ATTRACTIVE SPECIALLY-MADE 

BINDERS 

P. O. BOX 1318, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260) 

REPLACEABLE SUBSCRIPTION FORM 

DattiL 

P. O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260 

• Check here if you 

wish this issue replaced. 

May 1977 

D ENTER A NEW SUBSCRIPTION a RENEW MY PRESENT SUBSCRIPTION 

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ADDRESS 

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Two Years $11.00 

(Or 2 One Years) 

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(Or Three One Years) 

D ALSO SEND DESERT'S 12-ISSUE 

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$4.50 (Includes tax ans postage) 

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43

Send orders to 

Box 1318 

Palm Desert, California 92260 

LAS VEGAS [As It Began—As It Grew] by Stanley 

W. Paher. Here is the first general history of 

early Las Vegas ever to be published. The author 

was born and raised there in what, to many is 

considered a town synonymous with lavish gambling 

and unabashed night life. Newcomers to 

the area, and even natives themselves, will be 

surprised by the facts they did not know about 

their town. Western Americana book lovers will 

appreciate the usefulness of this book. You don't 

have to gamble on this one! Hardcover, large 

format, loaded with historical photos, 180 pages, 

$12.50. 

THE DESERT by Russell D. Butcher. Superb 

photography and excellent text make us fully 

aware of the richness of Mr. Butcher's desert 

experience. Informative guides to the parks, wildernesses, 

desert gardens and museums also included. 

Large format, hard cover, $17.50. 

^ I 

CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH 

VALLEY by Arthur Woodward. A diary-like accounting 

of the day-by-day experiences of an expedition 

for a survey of the boundary between 

California and the Territory of Nevada. 

Paperback, 73 pages, $2.00. 

NEW MEXICO GEM TRAILS by Bessie W. 

Simpson. Gield guide for rockhounds with 40 

maps and 65 locations. 88 pages, profusely illustrated, 

$3.50. 

ARIZONA by David Muench. The finest pictorial 

presentation of the Grand Canyon State ever published. 

One of the outstanding color photographers 

of the world, Muench has selected 160 

of his 4-color photographs which are augmented 

by comprehensive text of David Toll. Hardcover, 

11x14 format, 200 heavy slick pages, $25.00. 

HANDBOOK OF CALIFORNIA BIRDS by Vinson 

Brown, Henry Weston Jr., and Jerry Buzzel. 

This second enlarged edition includes facing 

color plates showing numerous similar-looking 

birds for comparison at a glance; the names of 

each birds on each color plate so you can use a 

hand or card to cover them to test your ability to 

identify them; new sections on bird courtship in 

addition to sections on migration, eggs and nest, 

bird territorial behavior, etc. Paperback, beautifully 

illustrated, 224 pages, $7.95. 

CALIFORNIA DESERT WILDFLOWERS by 

Philip A. Munz. Illustrated with both line drawings 

and beautiful color photos, and descriptive 

text by one of the desert's finest botanists. 

Paperback, $3.95. 

THE AMERICAN WEST, A Natural History by 

Ann and Myron Sutton. A first-hand information-packed 

description of the plant and animal 

life and geological evolution of the 15 major 

natural areas of America's West, illustrated with 

magnificent photos (71 in color) and maps, 

makes it clear just why the forests, animals, 

flowers, rivers, deserts and caves of the Land of 

the Big Sky are exactly as they are. Large 

10"X12 1 /2" format, hardcover, 272 pages, 

originally published at $25.00, now only $12.98. 

44 

NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING 

CAMPS by Stanley W. Paher. Covering all of 

Nevada's 17 counties, Paher has documented 

575 mining camps, many of which have been 

erased from the earth. The book contains the 

greatest and most complete collection of historic 

photographs of Nevada ever published. This, 

coupled with his excellent writing and map, 

creates a book of lasting value. Large format, 

700 photographs, hardcover, 492 pages, $17.50. 

TRAILS OF THE ANGELES, 100 Hikes in the 

San Gabriels, by John W. Robinson. This is the 

most complete guide ever written to hiking and 

backpacking in California's San Gabriel Mountains. 

Hikes vary from easy one-hour strolls to 

all-day and overnight rambles. Tours of the Mt. 

Lowe Railway and Echo Mountain ruins. The 

author has walked, recorded and researched all 

trips, and has graded them as "easy," "moderate" 

or "strenuous." Excellent trail map. 256 

pages, paperback, $4.95. 

17th CENTURY MISSIONS OF THE SOUTH- 

WEST by Francis B. Parsons. The author reveals'the 

fascinating history of the old 

churches, monuments and ruins of the Southwest 

that we see today. Well illustrated with 

photos of each mission. Paperback, $2.95. 

RAILROADS OF NEVADA AND EASTERN 

CALIFORNIA VOL. I by David F. Myrick. The 

poignant record of over 43 railroads of Northern 

Nevada, many of them never before chronicled. 

Fantastic reproduction of rare photographs and 

maps (over 500). A deluxe presentation. Large 

format, hardcover, $15.00. 

RAILROADS OF NEVADA AND EASTERN 

CALIFORNIA VOL. II by David F. Myrick. Just 

as Vol. I detailed the history of the Northern 

Roads, Vol. II expands the railroad history of 

the Southern Roads of Nevada. This volume also 

contains a useful Index to both volumes, and is a 

reliable and accurate travel guide today as the 

reader wanders among the ghost towns of the 

past. Lavishly illustrated with maps and old 

photos, large format, hardcover, $15.00. 

EARTHQUAKE COUNTRY by Robert lacopi. 

New, revised edition brings maps and descriptive 

text up to date as nearly as practicable. Well 

illustrated, the book separates fact from fiction 

and shows where faults are located, what to do 

in the event of an earthquake, past history and 

what to expect in the future. Large format, slick 

paperback, 160 pages, revised edition is now 

$3.95. 

TALES OF THE SUPERSTITIONS, The Origins 

of The Lost Dutchman Legend by Robert Blair. 

An intriguing and well documented account of 

the fabulous Lost Dutchman, the author turns up 

new clues and signatures which will prove to be 

both a setback and a stimulus to the search for 

the legendary mine. Paperback, 175 pages, 

$4.95. 

LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 

by John D. Mitchell. The first of Mitchell's lost 

mine books is now available after having been 

out-of-print for years. Reproduced from the 

original copy and containing 54 articles based on 

accounts from people Mitchell interviewed. He 

spent his entire adult life investigating reports 

and legends of lost mines and treasures of the 

Southwest. Hardcover, illustrated, 175 pages 

$7.50. 

ANZA CONQUERS THE DESERT, Commissioned 

by James S. Copley, Written by Richard 

F. Pourade. The story of the conquest of the 

Great Desert by Juan Bautista de Anza. The 

colonization of California in the 1770s received 

its greatest impetus with the opening of the 

overland route from northern Mexico. Hardcover, 

beautifully illustrated, 216 pages, large 

format, $12.50. 

OUR HISTORIC DESERT, The Story of the 

Anza-Borrego State Park. Text by Diana Lindsay, 

Edited by Richard Pourade. The largest 

state park in the United States, this book presents 

a concise and cogent history of the things 

which have made this desert unique. The author 

details the geologic beginning and traces the 

history from Juan Bautista de Anza and earlyday 

settlers, through to the existence today of 

the huge park. Hardcover, 144 pages, beautifully 

illustrated, $10.50. 

WHERE TO FIND GOLD IN THE MOTHER 

LODE by James Klein. As in his Where to Find 

Gold in the Desert and Where to Find Gold in 

Southern California, author Klein guides you to 

the areas in which people are doing the best 

now. He includes history, tips on equipment 

needed, how to pan, how to stake claims, etc. 

Paperback, 121 pages, illustrated with photos 

and maps, $4.95 each. 

WELLS FARGO, The Legend by Dale Robertson 

In his own personal narrative style, without departing 

from known fact, Dale has recreated the 

Wells Fargo legend. Entertaining reading in 

addition to excellent illustrations by Roy Purcell. 


WESTERN SIERRA JEEP TRAILS by Roger 

Mitchell. Twenty interesting backcountry trips 

easily accessible from California's great central 

valley. A rating system included to determine 

how difficult a route is before you try it. Paperback, 

illustrated, maps, $2.50. 

1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. 

Updated edition of one of the best of the bottle 

books. $4.95. 

A GUIDE TO WESTERN GHOST TOWNS by 

Lambert Florin. Prepared by the West's most 

traveled spook hunter, this complete guide lists 

over 400 ghost towns in Washington, Oregon, 

California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, 

Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, the Dakotas, New 

Mexico, Texas, Alaska and British Columbia. 

Mileages, road conditions, maps, superlative 

photos, paperback, $3.95. 


SUCCESSFUL COIN HUNTING by Charles L. 

Garrett. An informative study of coin hunting, 

this is a complete guide on where to search, 

metal detector selection and use, digging tools 

and accessories, how to dig and the care and 

handling of coins. A classic book in the field. 181 

pages, paperback, $5.00. 

NATIVE TREES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 

by P. Victor Peterson. Interesting and descriptive 

text with line drawings and four-color 

photos, as well as individual maps of areas 

covered. Handy size makes it ideal for glove 

compartment. Paperback, 136 pages, $2.95. 

THE COLORFUL BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND 

STAGE by Richard Pourade and Marjorle Reed. 

With 21 stagecoach paintings by Miss Reed, the 

text concentrates on the Fort Yuma to San Francisco 

run of the tough Butterfield route. Album 

format, heavy art paper, $6.50. 

DOWN THE COLORADO: The Diary of the First 

Trip Through the Grand Canyon, photographs 

and epilogue by Eliot Porter. Contains John 

Wesley Powell's dramatic journal of 1869 when 

ten men in four boats swept down the raging 

Colorado River, over rapids considered impassable, 

to chart the unexplored river and its surrounding 

canyons. Includes a 48-page gallery of 

four-color photographs by America's foremost 

photographer of nature. Hardcover, large 

10 1 /4"x14%" format, 168 pages. Originally published 

at $30.00, now priced at $9.98. 

GOLDEN CHIA by Harrison Doyle. The only reference 

book on the chia plant and seed. This 

book illustrates the great difference between the 

high desert chia, and the Mexican variety sold in 

the health food stores. If you study, practice and 

take to heart, especially the last ten pages of this 

nutritionally up-to-date, newly revised book, you 

will find many answers you've been searching 

for to the achievement of health and well being, 

lengthen your life expectancy measureably, and 

be 99% less susceptible to disease of any sort. 

Fourth printing, 105 pages, illustrated. Paperback 

$4.75, cloth, $7.75. 

STAGECOACH WEST by Ralph Moody. The 

lively story of stagecoaching in the West, which 

provided the lines of rapid communication, 

hauled the wealth of a new nation, and helped 

Americans settle the region between the Missouri 

and the Pacific. Well illustrated, including 

many detailed maps. Hardcover, 341 pages, 

originally published at $8.95, now only $3.98. 

A HISTORY OF THE COMSTOCK SILVER 

LODE AND MINES, Nevada and the Great 

Basin Region, Lake Tahoe and the High Sierras, 

by Don De Quille [William Wright]. Gives an excellent 

description of Nevada mining, particularly 

in the period of its greatest productivity. Also 

includes history of the region, its geography and 

development. Hardcover, one of the "America's 

Pioneer Heritage" Series, 158 pages, originally 

published at $6.95, now priced at $2.95. 


RETRACING THE BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND 

TRAIL THROUGH ARIZONA by Gerald T. Anhert. 

This book was written to mark the pfiysical 

route and station locations in the most hazardous 

segment of the Butterfield Trail—Arizona. The 

author's original intent was merely to find, 

follow and map the Trail, however, the long and 

difficult task resulted in putting this vital information 

in a book which makes it easy for others 

to follow, or to provide a (delightful armchair 

journey over this dramatic route. Profusely illustrated 

with maps and photos, this book is a 

visual hand-tool to the explorer; an exciting segment 

of Americana to the scholar and historian. 

Large format, hardcover, $9.75. 

THE LIFE OF THE DESERT by Ann and Myron 

Sutton. This fascinating volume explains all the 

vital inter-relationships that exist between the 

living things and the physical environment of 

our vast desert regions. More than 100 illustrations 

in full color. Helpful appendices contain 

comprehensive index and glossary. Special features 

on endangered species, lizards and poisonous 

animals. Hardcover, 232 pages, profusely illustrated, 

$5.50. 

BIG RED: A WILD STALLION by Rutherford 

Montgomery. There was a time when there were 

many wild horse herds on our western ranges. 

These herds, jealously guarded by the stallion 

that had won them, met with real trouble when 

the hunters found they could get good prices for 

them from meat processors. Big Red tells how 

one stallion successfully defends his herd from 

both animal and human enemies. Illustrated, 

hardcover, 163 pages, $4.95. 

GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by Nell Murbarger. 

A pioneer of the ghost town explorers and 

writers, Miss Murbarger's followers will be glad 

to know this book is once again in print. First published 

in 1956, it is now in its seventh edition. The 

fast-moving chronicle is a result of personal interviews 

of old-timers who are no longer here to tell 

their tales. Hardcover, illustrated, 291 pages, 

$7.00. 

BROKEN STONES, The Case For Early Man in 

California by Herbert L. Minshall. "The Broken 

Stones" peels back some of the story of man in 

America, back beyond the longest racial 

memory. Author Minshall pulls together all that 

has been learned or suggested by amateurs as 

well as experts, including his own discoveries. 

To them the broken stones are beginning to 

speak—and they speak of the presence of man 

on the American Continent many thousands 

of years before he shaped the first bow and 

arrow. Large format, beautifully illustrated, 

hardcover, $16.50. 

YOUR DESERT AND MINE by Nina Paul Shumway. 

A significant history of California's Riverside 

County's date culture from its origins to the 

present. A fascinating, true story of the fascinating 

Coachella Valley. Limited quantity available. 

Hardcover, an historian's delight, 322 

pages, $8.95. 

Please add 50c per total order 

for Handling/Postage 

Calif, add 6% state sales tax 

200 TRAILS TO GOLD, A Quid* to Promising 

Old Mines and Hidden Lodes Throughout the 

West by Samuel B. Jackson. Rated by the pros 

as "one of the best," this comprehensive guidebook 

is jam-packed with detailed descriptions of 

hundreds of gold-prospecting opportunities, 

histories of past bonanzas, and stories of still-tobe-located 

lost mines. It covers every gold-bearing 

section of the United States. Hardcover, 348 

pages, illustrated, $8.95. 

DESERT EDITOR by J. Wilson McKenney. 

This is the story of Randall Henderson, founder 

of DESERT Magazine, who fulfilled a dream and 

who greatly enriched the lives of the people who 

love the West. Hardcover, illustrated with 188 

pages, $7.95. 

GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS OF 

CALIFORNIA by Reml Nadeau. Once again 

available, this excellent book preserves the 

myths along with the history of the ghost towns 

of California. Paperback, 278 pages, well Illustrated, 

$4.95. 

THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by LaVan Martineau. 

The author tells how his interest in rock 

writing led to years of study and how he has 

learned that many—especially the complex petroglyphs—are 

historical accounts of actual 

events. Hardcover, well illustrated, glossary 

bibliography, 210 pages, $8.95. 

THE OLD TRAILS WEST by Ralph Moody. The 

story of great legendary routes that bound a wild 

land into a nation. The Oregon Trail, El Camino 

Real, the Butterfield Overland Mail, The Santa 

Fe Trail and many more names that conjure up 

the romance of the past. It recounts the true 

stories behind the trails and how they contributed 

to the settling of the West. Illustrated with 

maps and reproductions of authentic old prints. 

Hardcover, 318 pages, originally published at 

$8.95, now only $3.98. 

MINES OF THE MOJAVE by Ron and Peggy 

Miller covers the numerous mining districts running 

across the upper Mojave Desert from Tropico, 

west of the town of Mojave, to Mountain 

Pass, a little west of the Nevada border. Paperback, 

67 pages, $2.50. 

BUTCH CASSIDY, My Brother by Lula Parker 

Betenson. Official version of the authentic life 

story of Butch Cassidy, actually Robert Leroy 

Parker, famed outlaw of his native Utah and adjoining 

states, told by his surviving sister. The 

book also offers a new look at Utah Mormom history 

by a participant. Hardcover, many rare pictues, 

265 pages, $7.95. 

THE SALTON SEA, Yesterday and Today, by 

Mildred deStanley. Includes geological history, 

photographs and maps, early exploration and 

development of the area up to the present. Paperback, 

125 pages, $1.75. 

45

Letters 

to the 

Editor 

Letters requesting answers must 

include stamped sell-addressed envelope 

El Jabonero Secret Gone ... 

I thought you might be interested in this 

clipping that appeared in a recent edition of 

the Phoenix Arizona Republic newspaper. 

"Jim Orosco, the last known full-blooded 

Sand Papago Indian, died of natural causes 

Wednesday at his ranch at Poso Redondo. 

Mr. Orosco was born about 1900 at Quitobaquito, 

the family rancheria that today is 

part of the Organ Pipe National Monument. 

His ancestors settled at Quitobaquito after 

the Mexican government, shortly before the 

turn of the century, mounted an expedition 

against the cannibalistic San Papagos, 

slaughtering almost the entire tribe of about 

800 men, women and children. 

The few survivors escaped into the 

Pinacate lava fields. Mr. Orosco's grandfather 

later settled at Quitobaquito. 

After the death of his father, Jose Juan, 

Mr. Orosco sold the rancheria to the National 

Park Service and established a ranch at Poso 

Redondo, 18 miles southeast of Ajo. 

Mr. Orosco was thought to be the only 

person who knew the secret of the famous El 

Jabonero gold mine, thought to be in the 

Agua Dulce Mountains. Mr. Orosco's father 

purchased an automobile from James Carney's 

Garage in Ajo in 1936 or 1937 with 

placer gold packed in a tomato can. He is 

reported to have told Carney, 'If there isn't 

enough gold in that can, I can get more.' 

Mr. Orosco will be buried at Poso Redondo 

in the traditional Indian manner. No non-Indian 

services are planned. 

Survivors include a son, Francisco." 

TOM HENDERSON, 

Phoenix, Arizona. 

Desert Tortoise Rooter... 

I have just read Gloria Nowak's article on 

the "Desert Tortoise," and I must say she did 

a fine job and I hope she continues to care 

about the tortoise. 

I have lived all my 31 years in the small 

Mojave Desert town of Boron, so I know a 

good deal about the Desert Tortoise. I know 

how they have been victimized by uncaring 

people. 

The Desert Tortoise Preserve is a good idea 

and hopefully it will some day become a 

haven for many tortoises. 

Calendar of Events 

This column is a public service and there is no 

charge for listing your event or meeting—so take 

advantage of the space by sending in your announcement. 

We must receive the information 

at least three months prior to the event. 

APRIL 30-MAY 1, Norwalk Rockhounds 13th 

Annual Gem Show, Masonic Lodge, 12345 E. 

Rosecrans Ave., Norwalk, Calif. Admission 

free. Prizes. 

In the meantime, for anyone who has a 

tortoise and would like to see it returned to its 

natural habitat, there may be a way. 

Some months ago, I read a newspaper article 

in the San Bernardino Sun (California] 

about a "Half-way House for Desert Tortoises." 

These people take in displaced tortoises 

and help them adjust to the ways of 

their natural habitat. Hopefully, someday, 

some will find their way back here where they 

belong. Bravo! Half-way House! 

May I also say that I enjoy reading Desert 

Magazine very much. Being a Desert Rat, I 

can appreciate all the things I have learned 

from your magazine about the places nearby 

that I previously knew nothing about. Keep 

up the good work. 

SHIRLEY WISE, 

Boron, California. 

Chaffin Ferry . . . 

Thanks a million to Mr. Tom McClain of 

West Jordon, Utah for the fine picture of the 

Chaffin ferry at the "Dandy Crossing" on the 

Colorado River, before Lake Powell put it 

under water. 

Mr. McClain refers to my uncle as R. 

Chaffin. That is very close. His name is 

Arthur Chaffin, or Art for short. 

NED. L. CHAFFIN, 

Bakersfield, California. 

Likes Joshua Tree ... 

On a recent trip to Palm Springs, California, 

I had the extreme pleasure of visiting 

Joshua Tree National Monument and found it 

to be one of the most beautiful parts of the 

desert, a place where peace and serenity is 

still found. 

I want to thank you for telling about places 

like Joshua Tree because it is one of the few 

parts of the desert where people can go to 

that is not crowded. By going there I now 

know that we must preserve areas like this for 

future generations so they can see what the 

desert has to offer. 

Keep up the good work in your magazine. 

SIDNEY BLUME, 

Brockton, Massachusetts. 

MAY 7 & 8, 19th Annual Gem and Mineral 

Show sponsored by the Kern County Gem and 

Mineral Society, Kern County Fairgrounds, 

Ming and So. "P" St. Free admission, ample 

parking, dealers of all kinds. 

MAY 7-15, 51st Annual Wildflower Show 

sponsored by the Julian Woman's Club, 

Julian Town Hall, Julian, Calif. An Art Show 

sponsored by the Julian Chamber of Commerce 

will be held in the upper floor of the 

Town Hall. The Pioneer Museum will be open 

and run concurrent with the flower show. No 

Admission. 

MAY 14 & 15, Mission Peak Cem and 

Mineral Society's 11th Annual Show, Irvington 

High School, Blacow Rd. at Grimmer 

Blvd., Fremont, Calif. Special exhibits, demonstrations, 

dealers. 

MAY 21 & 22, Sacramento Diggers Mineral 

Society's "77 Gemstone Festival." Florin 

Center Mall, Florin Road and Stockton Blvd., 

Sacramento, Calif. Dealers. 

MAY 21 & 22, Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral 

12th Annual Show, "77 Lucky Gems." Yucaipa 

Valley Community Center, First Street and 

Avenue B, Yucaipa, Calif. Free admission 

and parking. 

MAY 21 & 22, Clendale Lapidary and Cem 

Society's 30th Annual May Festival of Gems, 

Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N. Verdugo 

Rd., Glendale, Calif. Admission 50cents. 

MAY 25-30, Chest of Jewels Gem and Mineral 

Show, in connection with the Silver Dollar 

Fair, Butte County Fairgrounds, Chico, Calif. 

Sponsored by the Superior California Gem 

and Mineral Association with its member 

clubs in Chico, Corning, Oroville, Paradise, 

Red Bluff, Redding and Yuba City. 

MAY, 27-29, Yucca Valley, California's 27th 

Annual Grubstake Days. Parade, art exhibit, 

contests, games, many events planned. 

MAY 28 & 29, Verde Valley Gem and Mineral 

Show, Mingus Union High School, Cottonwood, 

Arizona. Sponsored by the Oak Creek 

Gem and Mineral Society of Sedona and 

Mingus Gem and Mineral Club of Cottonwood, 

Arizona. 

MAY 28-30, 13th Annual Gold Country 

Classic for four-wheel-drive and dune buggies, 

sponsored by the Sacramento Jeepers, 

Inc., 9 miles east of Sloughhouse, Calif., on 

Highway 16, 20 minutes from Sacramento. 

Competition geared for the family off-roader. 

Camping space available. 

46 Desert/May 1977

GREAT 

READING From 

CAXTON PRINTERS 

GOLD RUSHES AND MINING CAMPS OF THE 

EARLY AMERICAN WEST by Vardis Fisher 

and Opal Laurel Holmes. Few are better prepared 

than Vardis Fisher to write of the gold 

rushes and mining camps of the West. He brings 

together all the men and women, all the fascinating 

ingredients, all the violent contrasts which 

go to make up one of the most enthralling chapters 

in American history. 300 illustrations from 

photographs. Large format, hardcover, boxed, 

466 pages, highly recommended. $17.95. 

rs—I 

JEEPTRAILSTO COLORADO GHOST TOWNS 

by Robert L. Brown. An illustrated, detailed, informal 

history of life in the mining camps deep 

in the almost inaccessible mountain fastness of 

the Colorado Rockies. Fifty-eight towns are included. 

239 pages, illustrated, end sheet map. 

Hardcover, $7.95. 

GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCK- 

IES by Robert L. Brown. Written by the author 

of "Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns," this 

book deals with ghost towns accessible by passenger 

car. Gives directions and maps for finding 

towns along with historical backgrounds. 

Hardcover, 401 pages, $7.95. 

GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by 

Norman Weis. The ghost-town country of the 

Pacific Northwest, including trips to many littleknwon 

areas, is explored in this first-hand factual 

and interesting book. Excellent photography, 

maps. Hardcover, 319 pages, $7.95. 

OWYHEE TRAILS by Mike Hanley and Ellis 

Lucia. The authors have teamed to present the 

boisterous past and intriguing present of this 

still wild corner of the West sometimes called 

the I-O-N, where Idaho, Oregon and Nevada 

come together. Hardcover, 225 pages. $9.95. 

Send check or money order to 

MAGAZINE 

Box 1318, 


California residents please add 6% tax 

Please add 50c for postage/handling 

THE NEVADA DESERT by Sessions S. Wheeler 

Provides information on Nevada's state parks, 

historical monuments, recreational area, and 

suggestions for safe, comfortable travel in the 

remote sections of western America. Paperback, 

illustrated, 168 pages, $2.95. 

SOUTHERN IDAHO GHOST TOWNS by Wayne 

Sparling. An excellent reference describing 84 

ghost towns and the history and highlights of 

each. Excellent maps detail the location of the 

camps, and 95 photographs accompany the text. 


GEM MINERALS OF IDAHO by John A. Beckwith. 

Contains information on physical and optical 

characteristics of minerals; the history, lore 

and fashioning of many gems. Eleven rewarding 

field trips to every sort of collecting area. Slick 

paperback, maps and photos, 123 pages, $4.95.

At the beautiful, clean 

Monument Valley KOA campground. 

Individual trailer hook-ups, a 

general store and laundry/shower 

facilities. 

monument 

valley KOA 

Or ... Stay at near-by Goulding's 

Lodge & Trading Post. Furnished, 

air-conditioned rooms, family 

style meals and shopping facilities. 

Goulding's 

Plus, daily guided tours into 

the heart of Monument Valley. 

An adventure you won't want 

to miss. 

For free brochure and information write: Box 1-D / Monument Valley, Utah 84536 / Or call (801)727-3231 

meals, and tours.

books - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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