197308 desert magazine 1973 august

8/14/2019 197308 Desert Magazine 1973 August

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AU GU ST, 1973 50cICD 08256


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A l l N ew D - T E X " C O M S H O O T E R "

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tively Differentiates Between Trash and Treasure.* MORE GOOD FINDS IN LESS TIME* ELIMINATES UNNECESSAR Y DIGGING* TAKES THE FRUSTRATION OUT OF COIN SHOOTING.

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Instantly andpositively rejects over 90%of all shallow trash with negative indications, yet t hasacontrolled differential rangethat gives you a positive indication onthat deeper pot orcancontaining gold orsilver coins oroldguns orother deep relicsandartifacts.REJECTS: Bottle caps, foil, nails and other ferrous and non-ferrous trash.DETECTS: Silver, gold or copper coins, gold rings and other jewelry.The first andonly completely analytical detector with computerized hy brid th in f i lm micro integrated circuit w ith subminiaturesuper precision compatible components. Nothing like this ever available to the treasure hunter before. Absolutely infallible indifferentiation. Instantly andpositively identifies all metals in differential range as trash or treasure.

F A R E X C E E D S A L L O T H E R M A K E S O F D I F F E R E N T I A L A N D A N A L Y T I C A L T Y P E D E T E C T O R S .J I L T / / Vf o r our F R E E c a t a lo g of a l l D-Tex u n i t s

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, , , ;

PUBLISHER-EDITOR

G E O R G E B R A G A , Art DirectorM A R Y F R A N C E S S T R O N G , Field Trip EditorJ A C K P E P P E R , Special Feature EditorE N I D C. H O W A R D , Associate EditorF. A. B A R N E S , Utah Associate EditorG L E N N V A R G A S , Lapidary EditorK. L. B O Y N T O N , NaturalistM A R V E L B A R R E T T , Circulation Manager

T H E C O V E R :A bonus for old mine buffsis this shot of a headfra,mein Mineral Canyon in theSan Juan Range of Color-ado. Photography by D avidMuench, of Santa Barbara,California.

1JirAt hi

MAGAZINE

Volume 36, Number 8 A U G U S T 1973

F

L A K E S H A S T A . . . F A M I L Y FUNN E W M E X I C O ' S M Y S T E R Y S T O N E

A N Z A - B O R R E G O ' S S C R A P B O O K T R A I LY U M A G O L D !

L I T T L E C O L O R A D O ' S G R A N D F A L L SF U N IN B R I D G E P O R T V A L L E Y

W A S H O E V A L L E YB E A V E R - R - R - R !

EATURES

Helen WalkerJack KutzErnie CowanHarold WeightJames HarrisMary Frances StrongTom BaughBuddy Mays

D E P A R T M E N T S

P E E K IN THE P U B L I S H E R ' S P O K EB O O K S FORD E S E R T R E A D E R S

O N THE T R A I LRAMBLING ON R O C K S

L E T T E R S TO THE EDITORCALENDAR OF WESTERN E V E N T S

William KnyvettBook ReviewsRuss LeadabrandGlenn andMartha VargasReaders' CommentsClub Activities

E D I T O R I A L , C I R C U L A T I O N AND A D V E R T I S I N G O F F I C E S : 7 4 - 1 0 9 L a r r e a St., Palm Desert , California 92260. Telephone Area Code714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and D a t a . S U B S C R I P T I O N R A T E S : U n i t ed S t at es , C an a da and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 years,$9 . 50; 3 years $13.00. O ther foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription O rder Form in this issue. Allowfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codes . D ES ERT Magazine is published monthly. Secondclass postage paid at Palm Desert , California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1973b y D E S E R T M a g a z i n e and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolici ted manuscripts and photo-gr aphs WI LL NOT BE R E T U R N E D u n l e s s a c c o m p a n i e d by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.

July, 1973 \


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y o u r .. m e t a ll o c a t o ri so b s o l e t e !PRECISION'S MARK-5MAKES IT SO;Now Precision gives you the better locatorto do the jobs demanded by today'ssophisticated prospector and treasurehunterHeres whyit's better. T r u e t o n el o u d s p e a k e r . S e n s i t i v ei n d i c a t i n g m e t e r . 7" s e a r c hl o o p . B a t t e r yt e s t e r . G r o u n dc o n t r o l . T-R c i r c u i t .

M e t a l - M i n e r a lc o n t r o l . T e l e s c o p i n gs h a f t . S p a c e ageh e a d p h o n e s V e r n i e rt u n i n g . 2 y e a rg u a r a n t e e .New ultra scon wat erpro of search loop with up to4- t imes as much coverage as other T-R's. C o m -plete with Precisions geo-balance control, fo r wo r k -ing in h igh ly mine ra l ized g round, sa l t wa te r , w e tgrass, etc.

Order now. . . or sendfor moreinformation.

G e n e r a l E l e c t ro n i c D e t e c t i o n C o .1 6 2 3 8 L ak ew o o d B o u le v a rdB E L L F L O W E R , C A L I F O R N I A 9 0 7 0 6

P u b l i s h e r ' sTHE W E A T H E R M A N has been playingDragon Man and breathing his hotbreath over most portions of the South-west with temperatures hitting into the120 bracket in the lower desert areas.Riverside, California experienced its hot-test June since 1902. With this in mind,the August issue points out a few placesthat should not lead to heat prostration.

Helen Walker "cools it" in the LakeShasta region and Mary Frances Strongbrings us a "never-before published" col-lecting area in B ridgepo rt V alley andtells about camping on the East WalkerRiver and all the good summer fun avail-able On the other side of the ledger, along-time friend of Desert, Harold O.Weight, comes up with a hot story of alost ledge of gold over by the ColoradoRiver, not too far from Yuma, Arizona.Harold, and his wife, Lucille, wereassociate editors of the magazine 'wayback in the '4Os and it's a great pleasureto welcome him on board again.Ernie Cowan depicts one of his favor-ite loop trips in the Anza-Borrego StatePark and Buddy Mays rounds out theissue with an article about beavers inthe desert.The Desert Southwest lost a greatbooster in a tragic air crash when DickSmith, operator of Canyonlands Aviation,and three National Park Service em-ployees were killed while taking an aerialsurvey of park wildlife.An important editorial appears on page11 regarding the upcoming Off-RoadVehicle Use Plan and all readers areurged to circulate the information to all

interested parties.

You?

1 . D ra w p o k e r i s t h e b e s t g a m e o fc h a n c e f o r t h a t S a t u r d a y n i g h tg a m e ?Tru e Fa ls e

2. Yo u h ave t o g o t o Las Veg as t oge t rea l ac t ion?Tru e Fa ls e

3 . Ro u le t t e is t h e m o s t u n p red ic t-a b l e g ame o f ch an ce?Tru e Fa lse

4 . D ice is t h e w i ld e s t a n d m o s tw o o l y g a me o f chance?True Fa lse

5 . T h e n e w g a m e ' Bu s h w h a c k e r"i s t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g , w i l d e s t ,a nd u n p r e d i c t a b l e g a m e o fch an ce i n v en t ed s in ce ca rd sand d ice?Tru e D Fa ls e D

If y o u r a n s w e r w a s T r u e t o a n y b u tN u m b e r 5 , y o u r f u n s e n s e is r u n -n i n g d o w n . J o i n t h o u s a n d s w h oh a v e s p a r k e d t h e i r f u n s e n s e t o a na l l - t i m e h i g h b y p l a y i n g " B u s h -w h a c k e r ," t h e g a m e o f ch a n c e th a tm a k e s e v e n l o s in g f u n !

California residents add 30 cents sales tax

State. . Z i p .Send check or money order to:Desert Mag az ineFUNTROTTER DeptPost Off ice Box 1318,Palm Deser t , Cal i fo rn ia 92260

Desert Magazine


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B o o k s f o rD e s e r tH e a d e r sA l l bo o ks r e v i ewed a r e a v a i l a b l e t h ro u g hDesert Mag az in e Book Shop

8AJA CALIFORNIA-.

'

BAJAC A L I F O R N I AByChoralPepper

Should the reader harbor mixed emo-tions concerning stories of missions andlost treasures as being dull or even in-compatible, a great revelation is in storeupon reading this thoroughly and smooth-ly written book. The setting, largely, is inthe country that was so loved by the lateErie Stanley Gardner, known to friendsand Baja natives as Uncle E rie. AndChoral Pepper was introduced to the Bajashe also loves by this man who couldweave such mysteries about people, andwho was so intrigued by this magic landthat he returned often by every form oftransportation including the helicopter.

Delving into the sometimes controver-sial history surrounding many of the oldmissions, the Santa Isabel, San Juan Bau-tista, San Vicente Ferrer and the morethan 30 others (the 800-mile trek coversthem all from North to South), she, packsinto this comparatively small book a worldof facts about the land, the insects, vege-tation, the seashore, and the missionarieswho came to tame the hostile Indians andteach them how to till the soil.One of the "tall tales" is that of theYaqui Indians and the Santa Isabel curse.Read it and learn what other treasures arein store for you. The author describesBaja California as "the strangest land inthe world" where a carrot-shaped tree,the cirio, appears to grow upside down,and where the children of a remote ran-

cheria that has never known electricity,board a daily plane to fly to school! Aland of contrasts, indeed.In one instance, the author relates a

August, 1973

visit to the Mission N uestra Senora deGuadalupe, where the wild terrain hasn'tchanged since the 1800s and was once de-scribed by a visitor as the "tail end of anearthquake." Upon her visit, the area wasaccessible only by helicopter and it couldbe seen from the air that centuries ofburro travel were indicated by a trailwinding around the hub of a mountain.She says that it was near the site of theoriginal mission that a forest of hardwoodtrees grew and led a padre, with nativehelp, to haul lumber to the port of Mulegewhere he built the first ship on the penin-sula, the famous El Triunfo de la Cruz.Impossible, you say, and so did the natives.This is but one1 of the many TRUE tallstories for your "armchair" trip down thatfascinating route of the Padres, the ErieStanley Gardners, and the Choral Peppers.Paperback, well illustrated, 126 pages,$1.95.

F A M I L Y F U NI N J O S H U A T R E EN A T I O N A LM O N U M E N TByDean Publications

The Southwestern deserts of the UnitedStates abound in National Parks andMonuments where the visiting family willfind many of nature's wonders carefullypreserved . . . assuming, of course, thatthe interested family has a capable "guide-book" to help them.Somewhere between the 25 cent pam-phlet, vaguely describing points of inter-est, and the expensive hardcovers, describ-ing the most complicated aspects of thearea, there is room for a family-oriented,reasonably-priced souvenir guidebook."Family Fun in Joshua Tree NationalMonument" is just such a book.Through the cooperation of the Nation-al Park Service, Dean Publications has suc-cessfully produced a book that is easilyunderstood by youngsters and at the sametime highly informative for adults. Andit's all done in an entertaining way. Thepages are packed with palatable informa-tion and quality illustrations to help every-

one gain a better understanding of thisfascinating Monument.The publishers have introduced a per-sonable "guide" for the young-at-heart in

a character they call "Mr. Yahooty." Thereaders follow this charming little fellowas he leads them step-by-step through theMonument, pointing out the highlights."Mr. Yahooty" introduces the readers tomany of the plants and animals they maysee and gives them "down-to-earth" ex-planations about the geology and historyof the area. A thorough and accurate "tourguide" and centerfold map orient the visi-tor quickly while the numerous games,puzzles and coloring pages will keep theyoungsters alert and interested in theirsurroundings.

"Family Fun in Joshua Tree NationalMonument" is the first in a series of Na-tional Park and Monument guides fromDean Publications. Paperback, 4-colorcover with attractive 2-color treament onthe inside. 36 pages, $1.25.UTAHU T A H G E M TRAILSan d

G E M T R A I L SO F A R I Z O N ABy Bessie W. Simpson

Whether the collector 01 leader beneophite or experienced in the field, theseguides provide an uncluttered, concise de-scription of gem locations in each of thestates. Illustrated maps with highways,side roads, lakes, ridges, etc., all identifiedplus photos of the various rocks and petri-fied wood, offers suggestions for a safeand comfortable way to travel to thesedesignated areas. The author points outthat most every location is readily acces-sible by car or pickup, but all cautionsshould be observed. It is also suggestedthat the collector supplement the guideswith BLM maps and regular highwaymaps furnished by service stations. In thisway, any changes, new roads, numberchanges on highways, etc., may be noted.

The guides are easily carried on a packtrip because of their light weight. Bothare paperback, 88 pages, Arizona, $3.00and Utah, $3.50.

All books reviewed are for sale atDesert Magazine Book Shop or bymail. Simply enclose your check ormoney order and your order willreceive same-day shipping. Califor-nia residents please add 6% statesales tax.


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NG b y R. C. Rethm el. Stresses caution

G O L D H E X b y K e n M a r q u i s s . A s i n g l e m a n ' s

ot" does not mean he is treasureless. From goldpanning to hardrock, f rom dredging to elec tronicmeial detect ing, he enjoyed a l i fet ime of "doinghis th ing." Sl ick paperback, i l lus trated withphotos and maps, 146 pages, $5.00.

BOOKS OGEM MINERALS OF IDAHO by John A. Beckwith.Contains informat ion on phys ical and opt icalcharacteristics of minerals; the history, lore, andfashioning of many gems. A lso eleven rewardingfield tr ips to every sort of collecting area. Slickpaperback, maps and photos, 123 pages, $2.95.THEY FOUND GOLD by A. Hyatt Verr il l . Treasurehunting is not restr icted to the West, as is broughtout here. Instead, Verr il l deals with his effortsand those of others to locate treasures fromsunken ships off the coast of Yucatan and CentralAmer ica, and ethnological expenditures aroundthe wor ld. Hardcover , i l lus trated, 267 pages,$7 .50 .THE STERLING LEGEND by Estee Conatser. Thestory of the Lost Dutchman Mine is in a classof its own. Here the author presents the JacobWalzer story in a realistic and plausible manner.An introduction by Karl von Mueller, and a mapinsert leaves the reader to draw his own con-clusions between fact and fiction. Paperback,i l lus trated, 98 pages, $3.50.THE NEVADA DESERT by Sessions S. Wheeler.Provides information on Nevada's state parks,historical monuments, recreational a r e a s , andsuggestions for safe comfortable travel in theremote sections of western America. Old jour-nals, micro-fi lm copies of early newspapers andmemories of l iv ing persons make an excit ing his-tory of Nevada. Paperback, i l lustrated, 168pages, $2.95.TRADERS TO THE N AVAJOS by Frances G illm orand Lou isa Wade Wether i l l . John and LouisaWether i l l of Kayenta, l iv ing among the Navajosfrom 1900 into the 30s, served the Indians inmany ways from historians and school teachersand guides to explorers and archeologists. JohnWether i l l was the f i rs t of two white men toreach Rainbow Bridge. Paperback, 265 pages,$2 .45 .MEXICO by Auto , Camper , Trai ler by Cl i f fCross. Revised edit ion. Excellent guide with in-formation on trailer parks, butane and ice sup-pliers and street maps for vil lages and cit ies.New enlarged edit ion includes Baja and Yuca-t a n . Large format, paperback. $3.50.A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by Roge rTory Peterson . The standard book for f ield iden-t i f icat ion sponsored by the Nat ional AudubonSociety . 2nd edit ion, enlarged with new sect ionon Hawai ian birds . 658 in fu l l color . Hardcover .$5 .95 .

DESERT ANIMALS OF THE SOUTHWEST by RichardClay ton . Delight fu l for chi ldren and grown-ups,this little book includes sketches and concise de-scr ipt ions of animals with accompany ing foot-prints. Covering 38 creatures, it could be usedas a game around the campfire. Paperback,i l lus trated, 78 pages, $1.95.EXPLORING CALIFORNIA BYWAYS VOLUME VIOWENS VALLEY by Russ Leadabrand. Trips fora day or a weekend will lead the readers a merrychase in pictures and words up and down thenarrow Owens Valley. Your eyes will feast onsuch attractions as the Alabama Hills, MonoLake, Mt. Whitney, giant boulders of obsidian atGlass Mountain, Bishop Creek and the nowplundered Owens Lake and many, many more.Paperback, i l lus trated and mapped, bib l iography,126 pages, $1.95.WILY WOMEN OF THE WEST by Grace ErnestineRay. Such women of the West as Belle Starr,Cattle Kate and Lola Montez weren't all goodand weren' t a l l bad, but were fasc inat ing andconficting personalit ies, as researched by theauthor. Their l ives of adventure were a vitalpart of the life of the Old West. Hardcover, i l lus-t rated, 155 pages, $5.95.

MAP OF PIONEER TRAILS Compiled by VarnaEnterprises. Publishers of popular maps on lostmines and ghost towns in California, Varna ha1;released a new Icrge map on pioneer trailsblazed f rom 1541 through 1867 in the westernUnited States. Superimposed in red on blackand white, the 37x45- inch map is $4.00.

IN DIA N SILVERWORK OF THE SOUTHWEST, ILLUS-TRATED, VOLUME I by Harry P. Mero. An i l lus-t r a ted analysis of silver wor, with a brief historyof each category and excellent photos. The textmakes it easy to identify the various types ofworkmanship. Hardback, 122 pages, $4.50.GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCKIESby Rober t L. Brown. Written by the author ofJeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns this bookdeals with ghost towns accessible by passen-ger car. Gives directions and maps for f indingtowns along with his tor ical backgrounds. Hard-cover, 401 pages, $6.9 5.WEST OF DAWN by Hugh D'Autremont. Theauthor's account of his life of adventure whichstarted in the 1930s during which he lookedfor lost mines, prospected for gold in Mexicoand hardrock mined in California. Reads like afiction al wild west novel. Hardcover 187 pages$5.00 .

PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA byRanda l l Hender son . The beautiful palm canyonsand isolated areas of Baja California are de-scribed by the late Randall Henderson, founderof DESERT Magazine. Although these are hispersonal adventures many years ago, lit t le haschanged and his vivid writ ing is alive today asit was when he first saw the oases. Paperback,i l lus trated, 72 pages, $1.95.

GOLDEN MIRAGES by Philip A. Bailey. Out -o fprint for more than 20 years, this was a collec-tor 's item. A valuable book for lost mines andbur ied t reasure buf fs , i t is beau t i fu l ly wr i t tenand gives f i rs t -hand interv iews with old- t imerslong since passed away. Excellent for researchand fascinating fo- arm-chair readers. Hardcover,i l lus trated, 353 pages, $9.95.COINSHOOTING, How and Where To Do I t byH. Glenn Carson . This book presents tips andtr icks' on coinshooting and hunting other itemslost by people over the years. Metal detectorowners wi l l f ind their hobby made more prof i t - ,able, says this veteran "coinshooter." Paperback,i l lus trated, 58 pages, $2.50.THE CAHUILLA INDIANS by Lucile Hooper. Com-pared to the large tr ibes of the West, the Ca-hui l las , a l though being comparat ively smal lplay an important part in the history of SouthernCalifornia. Customs, liv ing habits, the cultures ofthis tr ibe are better appreciated by the author'sinsight. First published in 1920, and again inpr int . Paperback, large format, b ib l iography, 65pages, $2.50.GUIDEBOOK TO THE FEATHER RIVER COUNTRYby J im Mar t in . This is a "must" for recreationenthusiasts eager to relive the discovery of goldin this country. Try your luck at gold panning,f ishing, boat ing, h ik ing and ice angl ing asdescribed in this western travel book. Slick paper-back, i l lus trated, 128 pages, $1.95.LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edw ard Arthu r.Facts and how-to-do-it on prospecting are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in California.For those who think there are no more valuableslef t in Cal i fornia, they wi l l f ind a new f ie ld inthis informat ive book. Inc ludes market ing data,maps, potential buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format, i l lus trated, heavy paperback, 84pages, $3.95.

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WEST by The Editorsof Sunset Books. A pictorial interpretation ofthe 23 scenic preserves that encompass withintheir 12 mill ion acres most of the nation's f inestmountain and desert scenery. Contains 247photograp hs wi th 32 pages in 4-colo r, 43 2-color maps, drawings, geological d iagrams, his -tory and other informations. Large 9x11 format,heavy slick paper, hardcover, 286 pages $11.75.Desert Magazine


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HE WESTWESTERN G EM HUNTERS ATLAS by Cy Joh nso nond Son. Ahelpful book of detai led maps show-ing gem and mineral locat ions, f rom Cal i forniato the Dakotas and Brit ish Columbia toTexas.Markings note private claims, gem claims (feecharged) and rock and gem locations. Alsosuggested reading formore detai l onareasincluded and other r ich areas not included inthis publication. Paperback, maps galore, col-lec tor 's l ibrary , 79 pages, $3.00.BACKPACK COOKERY by Ruth Dyar Mendenhall.Full ofgood ideas for making the most ofde -dehydrated foods. Paper . $1.00.LOST DESERT BO N AN ZAS byEugene Conrot lo .Brief resumes of lost mine artic les printed inback issues ofDESERT Magazine, by aformereditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00.THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK b y La Va n Mar t in -e a u . The author tells how his interest inrockwr i t ing led toyears ofstudy and how he haslearned that manyespec ial ly the complex pet-roglyphs are historical accounts ofactualevents. Hardcover, well i l lustrated, glossary,b ib l iography , 210 pages , $8 .95 .

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTHWEST bythe EditorsofSunset Books. Apic tor ia l with abrief text show-ing modern day activit ies of cities such asPhoenix, El Paso, Taos, and communities belowthe Mexican border, and covering the South-western states, canyons and deserts. 240 photo-graphs of which 47 are four-color, large format,223 pages, hardcover , $10.95.TIMBERLINE AN CIENTS w ith photos byDavidMuench and tex t by Darwin Lamber t . Bristlcconcpines are the oldest l iv ing trees on earth. Pho-tographer David Muench brings them tolife inall their fascinating forms, and Lambert's proseis like poetry. One ofthe most beautiful pic-uorials ever published. An ideal gift. Large llx4 format, hardcover, heavy slick paper, 128>ur-color ohotoaraDhs. 125 Daaes. S2 2.00 .to14fo u IUM1U, nuuLuve, neuvy aii-r, u(jcr,i r -color photographs, 125 pages. $22 .00 .NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS byStan ley W. Paher . Directions to and history about23 ofArizona's most famous ghost towns. His-torical photographs and artist sketches enhanceeditorial content. Large, 11x14 format, slickpaperback, 48 pages, $2.95.JOURNEY OF THE FLAME byWal te r No rdho f f .The most excit ing tale ofearly Baja and AltaCalifornia ever written. Recounts lost treasurelegends and isaccurate historical account pre-sented inf ic t ional s ty le. Hardcover . $4.95.August, 1915

GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by N orm anD. Wels. The ghost-town country ofthe PacificNor thwest inc luding t r ips tomany l i t t le -knownareas, isexplored inhis f i rs t -hand fac tual andinteresting book. Excellent photography. Bestbook to date on ghost towns of the Northwest.Maps. Hardcover, heavy slick paper, 319 pages.$ 6 . 9 5 .

DESERT GEM TRAILS by Mary Frances Strong .DESERT Magazine's Field Trip Editor has revisedand brought up to date her popular f ield guidefor rockhounds. She has deleted areas which arenow closed to the public and added new areasnot covered before. The maps have also been up-dated. This is the "b ib le " for both amateur andveteran rockhounds and back country explorers.Heavy paperback, 80 pages end stil l the samepr ice, $2.00.COMMON EDIBLE &USEFUL PLANTS OF THEWEST by Mur ie l Swee t . Adescription with artistd raw ings ofedible (and those not totouch)plants along with how Indians and pioneers usedthem. Paperback, 64 pages, $1.50.

1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Updated edit ion ofone ofthe best ofthe bottlebooks. $4.95.LOST MINES OFDEATH VALLEY byHaro ldW e i g h t . This is anew approach to the enigmaof Death Valley Scotty 's l ife and legends andgives additional irsight into the Lost Gunsightand Breyfogle bonanzas, plus other Death Valleymysteries. Paperback, historic photographs, refer-ence mater ia l , 86 pages $2.50.NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MIN IN G CAMPSby Stanley W. Paher. Covering all ofNevada's17 counties, Paher has documented 575 miningcamps, many ofwhich have been erased fromthe earth. The book contains the greatest andmost complete collection ofhistoric photographsof Nevada ever published. This, coupled withhis excellent writ ing and map, creates abookof lasting value. Large 9x1 1 form at, 700photographs, hardcover , 492 pages, $15.00.SPEAKING OF INDIANS byBernice Johnston.An authority on tne Indians ofthe Southwest,the author has presented aconc ise wel l -wr i t tenbook on the customs, history, crafts, ceremoniesand what the Amer ican Indian has contr ibutedto the white man's c iv i l izat ion. AMUST orboth students and travelers touring the IndianCountry. Heavy paperback, 10x7 format, i l lus-t rated, 112 pages, $2.50.GHOST TOWNS AN D M IN IN G CAMPS OF CALI-FORNIA by R em i N ad eau . The only good, hard-cover book on thp California ghost towns. Werecommend it h igh ly . $7 .50 .

MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by LBurr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.LOST MIN ES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by JohnD. Mitchell. The first ofMitchell 's lost minebooks isnow available after having been out ofpr int foryears. Reproduced from the originalcopy and containing 54 artic les based on ac-counts from people Mitchell interviewed. Hespent his entire adult l ife investigating reportsand legends oflost mines and treasures ofheSouthwest. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 175 pages,$7 .50 .HOW AND HERE TO PAN GOLD byW ayn eWin te r s . Convenient paperback handbook withinformation on staking claims, panning and re-covering placer go ld . Maps and drawings.$2.00.30,000 MILES INMEXICO byN e l l Murbarger .Joyous adventures of atr ip by pick-up campermade bytwo women from Ti juana to.Guate-mala. Folksy and enter tain ing, as wel l as in -structive toothers who might make the t r i p .Hardcover, 309 pages, $6.00.ON DESERT TRAILS by Randall Henderson, foun-der and publ isher ofDesert Magazine for23years. One ofthe first good writers torevealthe beauty of the mysterious desert areas. Hen-derson's experiences, combined with his com-ments on the desert ofyesterday and today,make this aMUST for those who really wantto understand the desert. 375 pages, i l lustrated.Hardcover. $6.95.

GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by N ell Murb arg er.A pioneer ofthe ghost town explorers andwr i ters , Miss Murbarger 's fo l lowers wi l l be gladto know this book isonce again inprint. Firstpubl ished in1 9 5 6 , it isno w ints seventh edi-t ion. The fast-moving chronicle is o result of pensonal interviews of old-timers who are no longerhere totell their tales. Hardcover, i l lustrated,291 pages, $7.00.THE NORTH AME RICA N DESERTS by Edmund CJaeger . Along-time authority on all phasesofdesert areas and life, Dr. Jaeger':; book on theNorth Ameican Deserts should be carr ied where-ever you travel. Itnot only describes each of theindividual desert areas, but has il lustrated sec-tions on desert insects, reptiles, birds, mammalsand plants. 315 pages, i l lustrated photographs,line drawings and maps. Hardcover. $5.95.LOST MIN ES &BURIED TREASURES ALONG THEOLD FRONTIER by John D. Mitchell. The secondof Mitchell 's books on lost mines which was out-of -pr int for many years is avai lable again. Manyof these appeared inDESERT Mgazine yearsago and these issues are no longer available.New readers will want to read these. Containsthe original map first published with the bookand one pinpointing the areas oflost mines,Mitchell 's personal research and investigationhas gone into the book. Hardcover, 240 pages,S7.50.

7


8/48

I ; ii!11Pit River Bridge across upper end of Shasta Reservoir. Bridge carries railroad and U.S. 99 traffic.

H EN T H E summer sun begins tosear the desert sands, it is time

Water conservation parented Lake Shas-McC loud, and P it R ivers were

The curvaceous shoreline totals 365and you may camp anywhere along

Come to L ake Shasta prepared to fish,hunt, swim, water ski, sail, sightsee, orjust snooze in the sun. You will find thedays warm, the nights balmyeven in thewinter the lake is ice-freetruly a recrea-tion area open 365 days a year.

E ver envied the family on a house-boat? Lake Shasta is a great place for youto satisfy that secret yen. You can rent ahouseboat along the shore, and with ashort practice run, and a few instructions,you will have your "Cap tain's P apers. "You and your family can slip away anddiscover the exciting adventure of sun onyour private deck., dragging a fish line atyour leisure, and the gentle rocking ofyour boat while you drift off to sleepin your private cove at night.

Fishermen find a real challenge at Lake

Shasta. You are never 100 percent surewhat will take your bait, but be pre-pared to net trout, salmon, kamloop, bass,crappie, bluegill, catfish, and even a bigsturgeon. There is no excuse for not get-ting your fill of those early or late fish inghoursfor here at Shasta you may fish 24hours a daywith only one restrictionno trout or salmon fishing at night! Goodboat launches are available at spots alongthe shoreline, if you have brought yourown boat. Rentals of all water sport equip-ment is available, and along with it, re-liable information on where to go, andwhat to do when you get there.

For you cave enthusiasts, there is anexciting tour through the Lake ShastaCaverns. Your ticket will entitle you to acruise on the catamaran, "Cavern Queen,"

Desert Magazine


9/48

H

Looking across Shasta Reservoir above Pit River. f iurnnu of Reclamation photoF U N ! b y H e l e n W a l k e rwhich transports you across the lake. Fromthe boat dock on the opposite side of thelake, a bus will convey you, via a scenicwinding road, to the cave entrance, some800 feet above the lake surface. Guideswill escort your small group along thelighted passages. Care has been taken notto detract from the display that naturespent millions of years creating, and atthis very moment, is still working to im-prove.

Like giant icicles, the stalactites hangfrom the ceiling. With a broader base, anda more blunt tip, the stalagmites push up-ward from the floor. If these two confuseyou, it may help to remember the stalac-tites have a "C" for ceiling, and the stalag-mites have a "G" for ground. In someareas, where the water has drippedAugust, 1973

through a crack, a dripstone formationmay hang from the floor to ceilingitis said to resemble draperies. Your imag-ination can pick out ballerinas, bacon rind,pop corn, faces, and many other forma-tions.

To even further enhance the mysteryof the cave, there is an old Indian legendtold by the Wintu Indian tribe. It relateshow three Indian maidens entered thecave on the advice of the old wise onesof the tribe. They were told to bathe inthe two pools of Sawame, magic water, forthis would bring them good luck.The Indian maidens entered the caveand found the first pool, and one by onethey bathed in the cool water. The pass-age to the second pool was dark andnarrowthe maidens clung together in

their fear of the darkness. On the dampand slippery path, one of the maidensslipped and fell out of the grasp of theother two. The unfortunate one disap-peared into the dark abyss. The two re-maining maidens retraced their steps, andwent to seek help. Young braves at-tempted a rescue, but their grass ropeswould not reach the bottom of the pit.It was believed that the spirit had claimedthe maiden.

The legend again came to light when,in 1903, two scientists, in search of fossils,found a skeleton on the floor, where themaiden had supposedly fallen on thattragic day.From your base camp at Lake Shasta,you will discover many interesting sidetrips of varied interest. To the north is9


10/48

When the atmospheric pressures areyou will marvel at the rugged pinnaclesthat stand 6500 feet before you.

Traveling southeast, you will visit Mt.Lassen Volcanic National Park. A self-guided car tour will explain all the pointsof interest along the foothills of thisactive volcano.

V

i

iI 1

III IColumns ofstalactitesextend 60 feetand morefrom theroof ofthe cave.

Along the shore-line, you willfind boat launches,tackle, bait, andsporting goods shops.

Ghost towns are scattered throughoutthis Mother Lode country. A few of thelocal ones, near Lake S hasta, includeWhiskey Town, Weaverville, Keswickand others. Here you may have a chanceto ponder the yesteryears of the colorfulgold rush days.Of course, no trip to Lake Shasta iscomplete without a visit to Shasta Dam.The approach is spectacular, as you glance

across the water, and into the majesticface of Mt. Shasta, 60 miles away. Shastadam is 602 feet high second tallestconcrete structure ever built in this coun-try. It is said that the concrete used tobuild the dam would provide a three footwide sidewalk around the world at theequator. Tours of the dam are self-guid-ing, and can be taken during thedaylight hours. If you can squeeze in thetime, see the dam both during the day-light, and again at dark. At night the damis a glow of lights, and it is the backdropfor the deer that come down to feed onthe green lawnsa real treat for theyoungsters.

By now I am sure you are convincedthere is never a dull moment at LakeShastaand it's true. The whole familywill have fun on this trip.However, when the days begin to getshorter, crisp leaves begin to fall fromthe trees, and the cool air nips at your

anklesgrab those desert boots again.Start your adventures where you left offthe desert will welcome you back homeagain. QDesert Magazine


11/48

lUPMtTANT KIHTOKIALOn the drawing board at this timethe Bureau of Land Management's

vehicle use in theDesert. With an increase of

in visitor use days in the last

The BLM held open house meetingss and recommendationsbefore drafting the

The ORV plan will contain three

ess to the area would be by foot only.Since this plan is the control of publicaware of the plan and just what it

The plan will be presented to the pub-lic in another round of open house meet-ings sometime late August or early Sep-tember. This will be the most criticalperiod for commendation or criticism.Attend these meetings! Understand therestrictions, ask questions and if neces-sary, file any protest by mail to:

Mr. Burton W. Silcock, DirectorBureau of Land ManagementDepartment of the InteriorWashington, D. C. 20240The where and when of these meet-

ings will be announced in the press butyou can be placed on the BLM list toreceive notification by writing to:

Mr. Neil Pfulb, Desert Plan DirectorBureau of Land ManagementP.O. Box 723Riverside, California 92502

To be realistic we must understandthat no special interest group will comeup a winner, and that each group willlose a little is to be anticipated. Afterthis plan has been presented to the pub-lic for comment it will proceed to BLMstate headquarters in Sacramento andthen on to Washington for final ratifi-cation. These meetings will, in clear-cutterms, spell out just what we can andcannot do on the California Desert inour off-road vehicles.

And for those of you who assumethat an ORV is either a motorcyle or4-wheel-drive, let it be clear than anyvehicle leaving a maintained road canbe classified as an ORV, which reallyencompasses all of us who love thedesert.

ALTERNATIVE ORV CONCEPTS

OPEN

ALLRESTRICTEDHPF-Af-KJIL /V USEO oev

r :ED 4rams depict several ORV alternatives. The final Desert Use Plan proposal will probably follow along the lines, Y or Z, but there are so many possibilities it may not resemble any of these in its ultimate presentation.

1971 11


12/48

b y J a c k K u t z StoneN THE timeless reaches of the desert,only the rocks are eternal. Desert

out its brief time and dies.Men come and go. Even the agelessrivers gnaw at their banks and continually

Only the rocks endure. Yielding slowl)o the desert 's grinding, they standaloof, watching the passagef the centuries. T he rocks of the desert

have seen the lifetime of the land and intheir volcanic hearts, they hold the desert'^historyits past, its secrets.

Surely no rock in the deserts of Americaholds a more tantalizing secret than thefabled Mystery Stone of New Mexico.

Fifteen miles northwest of Los Lunas.in the midst of a scorching wasteland, arounded mesa rises above the banks ofthe Rio Puerco. It differs in no way fromthe other mesas around it . Its arid slopesstretch up to a dark basalt crown and its12

sides are cleaved by boulder strewn ar-royos. Halfway up one of these gullieslies an ordinary rockordinary except forone th ing .

There is a carving on the rockaninscription so strange it has puzzled arche-ologists, anthropologists and laymen formore than one hundred years.

The Mystery Stone is part of a basaltcolumn which appears to have toppledonto its side. At the base of the column, asmooth surfaced corner stone bears nineletters of writing11 sentences composedof 216 letters. Forty different letters makeup the individual words of the message.Most are Phoenician characters; severalare of the ancient R ock H ebrew , a fewfrom Russian Cyrillic and one each inEtruscan and Egyptian . The words formedby this linguistic: potpourri cross and re-cross the rock in perfectly straight lines,carved deep in the age-old lava.

When the dark "desert varnish" that

coats basalt is penetrated, the light-coloredinner core of the rock shows through,giving the inscription the appearance ofchalk words on a blackboard. It standsout, sharp and clear. But what does it say?Why is it there? And who was its artisan '

T he Mystery S tone's existence has beenan "open secret" for longer than the liv-ing memory of its oldest visitor. Indians,prospectors and ranchers have sat beforeit and scratched their heads in perplexity.Scientists have trooped up the narrow traillike pilgrims to a desert shrine. Photo-graphs have been taken, plaster castingsmade and a dozen theories advanced.

Is it a hoax? By scratching one hardstone against another, one can quickly de-termine the time required to make a singledeep incision into solid basalt. Cuttingthe inscription was an incredibly painstak-ing process, done as it was, without theaid of modern tools. Why would anyonelabor long hours in the broiling sun of

Desert Magazine


13/48

an obscure arroyo to create a cryptogramwhich no one might ever find?

If not a hoax, then what? A treasuremarker, perhaps? Attempts have beenmade to dig beneath the stone. T he exca-vators found nothing but more rock.

H ow then do we solve the stone's mys-tery? T he first clue lies in the fact tha tthe periods come at the beginning of thesentences. It siems obvious therefore thatthe inscription must be read from rightto left. Hebrew and many other ancientlanguages are read in this way.

U sing th is as a s tarting point , O ldTestament expert Robert Pfeiffer of Har-vard University made a phonetic trans-lation. It was, he concluded, the T enCommandments d irect from Exodus 20:2-17. " I am Yahweh thy God who broughtt he e o ut of t he l a nd . . . "

B ut D r. Pfeiffer's in terpreta tion stilldid not tell us who carved the inscription.Nor when. Could i t be that the Ten LostTribes of Israel had somehow found theirway to the desolate wastes of New Mex-ico's Rio Puerco Valley?

Further comments came from Dr. FrankHibben of the Univers i ty of New Mexico 'sAn t h ro p o l o g y Dep ar t m en t . Dr . Hi b b enhad first examined the carving in 1936.H e did not dispute P feiffer's translationbut believed it to be the work of Mormonimmigrants who crossed the West in the19th century.

There had been Mormon set t lementsalong the Puerco to the north, but couldthere possibly have been a Mormon pion-eer learned in ancient Phoenician, Hebrewand Cyrillic?

The mystery seemed only to deepen.Was the inscript ion pre-Columbian or arelic of the American F rontier? W her ehad its makers come from and wherehad they gone? Many questions remainedunanswered but at least the message hadbeen translated.

Or had i t?In the early 1960s, an Albuquerque

petroglyph expert, Robert H . LaF ollot te,took an interest in the stone. For somereason, LaFollette was not satisfied withthe previous explanat ions . H e beganworking on his own. By first determiningthe phonetic sounds for each of the strangePhoenician characters, he was able to readthe inscription aloud. Much to his sur-prise, the reading sounded very much likeNavajo .August, 1973

A quick check of the BIA's Navajodictionary confirmed it . LaFollette, withthe help of a Na vaj o interpreter, trans-lated the rock's messeage into Englishand found it to be a story of an epicjourney. It told of a people, pursued byenemies and fleeing across the water.There was an account of a battle and anordeal of hunger and thirst. The travelersmet other tribes, were aided by them andat last arrived at a river where they builttheir homes.

Now, there were two completely dif-ferent translations of the same inscriptionand the Lafollette interpretation againposed more questions than it answered.

The Navajos of today have no writtenlanguage. If the Navajos were employingstone writing at the time of their arrivalin the Southwest and the language theywrote was Phoenician in origin, why thendid their Athabaskan ancestors in Canadanot have the same written language?

Puzzles seem to appear within puzzles.The more the Mystery Stone is studied,the deeper its mystery grows. Let us leavethe stone for ,i moment and climb on tothe top of the mesa itself.

From the summit, a magnificent desertpanorama spreads in all directions. Themuddy Rio Puerco follows its tortured,twisted course through wild, emptycountry. To the east, the escarpment ofthe Manzano Mountains rises sharply andto the west, a maze of tablelands and can-yons pile one behind the other. It is anawe inspiring view and we quickly realizewe are not the first to have seen it.

Scattered over the hump-like crest ofInscription Mountain, the broken ruinsof many Indian pithouses are clearly vis-ible while along the edge of the mesa,dozens of petroglyphs, the Indian rockdrawings appear. There can be no doubtthat this desert hill once hosted an Indianvi lla ge . Continued on Page 4 1

Authorexamines

stonewritings

that remainas much

a mysterytoday as

when firstdiscovered.

v


14/48

Coming through"The Squeeze.Photo byfimHuie,* Escondido,


15/48

_C ALIFORNIA'S 16 MILLION acres ofdesert is a place of wide varietythat provides most "desert rats" withtheir own favorite areas.Maybe you like the sand hills, wheretiny insect trails crisscross rippled dunes.The pinyon-clad high desert might at-tract you in the warmer months wherethe wide-open mescal flats invite you to

wander on foot. Or perhaps the deeplyeroded hill country is your favorite.Whatever your choice, rarely are all ofthese environments found closely to-gether. But Anza-Borrego Desert StatePark in San Diego County offers such aplace along a 35-mile jeep route that'sas exciting as they come.I call it the "Scrapbook Trail" becauseit covers the desert from top to bottom,showing the visitor historic high pointsof both natural and human significance.This route, from Pinyon Mountain eastto Fish Creek, can be traveled easily inone day, or there is enough to see to keepyou busy for a week or more.The Pinyon-Fish Creek route is a four-wheel-drive trail only. It is rugged, re-quiring some skill, but there is little dan-ger and only a few places where real cau-tion is needed.I have traveled the route many times,often spending as many as three days to

A n z a -B o r r e g o ' sS c r a p b o o kT r a i l

Above: A Jee p goes down "Heart Attack Hill" with a view northeast across Har-per's Flat. Below: The trail out of Pinyon Wash gets rocky and required four-wheel drive. From this point it is just a short distance to "Hea rt Attack Hill."

b y E r n i e C o w a nAugust, 1973


16/48

the distance, T o gather p ictures

There's a catch to this particular trip

About seven miles up Pinyon Mountain

e. T he best bet is a smaller

four-wheel-drive rig or a dunebuggy.S o, if you're set, buckle up and let's

hit the trail and see what there is to see.To reach the Scrapbook Trail, take

state H ighw ay 78 in San D iego County tothe junction with county road S-2, about1 2 miles east of the old mi nin g tow n ofJulian. Now paved, S-2 was once theroute of the B utterfield O verland Stagebetween 1858 and 1861.Turn east on S-2 and follow the pave-ment about four miles until you see oneof the large brown and yellow state parksigns on the right. On the left you willnotice a small trail post the same color.H ere is where you turn off to begin youradventure in to Pinyon Mountain Valley .

T he road climbs a long sloping mescalflat, once roamed by Indians who made

Jim Huieof Escondido,California,guidesa Jeepthrough"The Squeeze."

good use of the many items of plant lifehere. Evidence of the Indian can be fountlin several places along this trail. Theirlegacy is broken pottery, bedrock morterosand pictographs.

The wide mescal flat soon narrows intoa compact little canyon and the road be-gins to seesaw over successive ridges asyou climb into the pinyon-juniper belt,a fantastic area of high desert. The air isrich and clean, the plant life more profusethan at lower desert elevations and thealtitude affords views for miles in manydirections.

The road passes between two hugemountains, Pinyon on the north andVallecito on the south. Both peaks arecovered with the stunted desert pine calledpinyon. T he seeds of the pine were oncesought by Indians who would trek intothe area and gather the cones before theseeds fell . The nuts were then stored andeaten after being removed from thecones.

O n the north side of the road just be-yond Pinyon Mountain, you will noticea huge pinyon tree. It stands alone on thevalley floor and can be seen for a longdistance as you approach. This particularpinyon is perhaps the largest in the statepark. A short side road leads to the treeand on a warm day its filtered shademakes a pleasant picnic spot.From here on the real fun begins.

About a mile beyond the monarch pin-yon, you come to the Squeeze that Iwarned you about earlier. No matter howsmall your vehicle, it's best to have some-one guide you through this tight spot. Ihave seen gas cans scraped and rear viewmirrors shattered on the ungiving rocks.

The real four-wheeling begins at thispoint. Remember, you are in a state park,so stick to the existing route. Let me tellyou, it's rough enough as it is.

The trail stays in the wash for abouta half-m ile after popp ing throug h thesqueeze, then makes a hard right andfollows a rocky path up a smaller wash.This is sometimes hard to find, so keepa sharp eye out. If you do miss it, don'tworry, because you can only go about ahalf-mile more in the main wash.

T he road climbs a ridge and at thesummit there is a panoramic view to thenortheast, across H arpe r Flat w ildernessarea, the rugged Sunset Mountains andthe Salton Sea. Just a few hundred yardsmore brings you to "He art Attack H il l . "

Desert Magazine


17/48

Afternoon shadoivt,give texture to the

mountains as we drivealong Fish Creek Washat one of its wider points

near the junctionwith Loop Wash.

At this point you have your choice ofdropping over, or dropping out. I haveseen two vehicles rolled on this verysteep hill, both the result of careless driv-ing. The key point is to let your enginecompression be the brakes. D on't hitthe brakes, because you might begin toslide and turn sideways. T he hill isstraight, with no side slope, so with thistechnique you should have no difficulty.

U p until a few years ago I was ableto drive up the hill, but it is badly ruttedand chewed up now, making it almostimpossible to go any way but down.

S o, this is the point of no return. Onceover the hill, you must continue on toSplit Mountain. Make sure you have wa-ter and the basic emergency gear beforecommitt ing yourself. It's a long way tothe local garage from here.

After the dropoff, the road continueswinding down over a series of small ridgesinto Pinyon Wash once again. You canturn left at this junction and follow thewash back to the west a short distance.

A hike of a few hundred yards furtherwill bring you to one of two large con-crete dams, filled to the brim with sand.O ut of the wash to the left is an oldcabin.

These were built by a family namedH arpe r w ho ran cattle in the big flats just

August, 1973

to the east. The dams were constructedin the early 1920s to provide a watersource for the animals. H eavy runoffquickly filled them with sand and an out-break of anthrax wiped out the cattle,putting an end to the whole project.

O n a day trip , this is a good half-way-point and makes for an interesting lunchstop. From here Pinyon Wash continuesto run east, then turns north. At thispoint the state park rangers have puta fence across the road, closing the vastexpanse of H arp er's F lat to motor ve-hicles.

H a r p e r ' s Flat measures about fourmiles long and two miles wide. It 's agreat place to explore on foot. In a March1972 Desert story I told of efforts by parkrangers to re-introduce the desert tortoiseto this area. More than 20 tortoises werecollected and released here in Anza-Bor-rego State Park.

As you follow the Pinyon-Fish Creektrail, you may come across one of thesenew residents. If you do, look for anumber etched on its shell and reportthis to rangers. Please don't pick him upfor a pet, as it's against the law.

From the entrance to Harper's Flat, theroad loops back south and begins a climbout of the wash. It pops out at the topof a long, sloping fan known as H apah a

Flat. From this point the view to thesoutheast includes the Carrizo Badlands,Carrizo Mountains and Signal Mountainon the horizon. You are now in Fish CreekWash and the next 20 miles to pavementis down hill all the way.

After crossing Hapaha Flat, the canyonwalls again rise and narrow down as youenter an area of ancient sea beds that havebeen uplifted and eroded, forming deepcharacter lines on this desert face. Thisis canyon country with several markedwashes that lead into narrow maze-likecanyons.

O ne of the most interesting is Sand-stone Canyon. You will probably reachthis point toward mid-afternoon. Try andset some time aside to see this spectaculargorge. It's well marked, so you can't missit.

Sandstone Canyon is about three mileslong and in places just wide enough fora vehicle. There are high sandstone wallsthat hang out, over the canyon floor inplaces.

O n this trip I put my camera bag overmy shoulder and set out alone for a hikeup canyon away from my companions.As I walked into the muffled silence ofthe c anyon, I w atched a red tail haw kgliding overhead.

(..OMtmutid on Page 4011


18/48

, ' '

Left: PicachoPeak. landmarkon the hidden gold ledge trail,and Picacho Basin, whereprincipal mines of theregion are located.Below: Ed Rochester,on the mesa near FergusonLake, the approximate spotwhere the Indian boy beganhis cross-country trekwith Devine.

m

'-^aftc:

, ---b y H a r o ld 0 . W e ig h t

H a r o l d W e i g h t , w h o s e l it e r a r y e f f o r t s h a v e not b e e ns e e n in D E S E R T M a g a z i n e fo r m a n y y e a r s , c o m e s o ns t r o n g w i th a t a l e o f a l o s t l e d g e o f g o l d n e a r theC a l if o r n i a -A r iz o n a b o r d e r . M a n y o f th e f a c t s a p p e a ri n p r i n t for the f i r s t t i m e a n d , w i th the p r i c e o f g o l d ? ?

Desert Magazine


19/48

S OMEWHERE SOUTHEAST of old Pi-cacho Peak, between the peak and theColorado River, tradition says, l ies a richgolden ledge which has been known tothe Yuma Indians for generat ions andthrough those long years was systematic-ally concealed by them from prying eyesof Mexican and American prospectors.This hidden gold of Yuma is located, EdRochester believed, close beside an ancientIndian trail perhaps four miles southwest

Ferguson Flats in the process,of becoming Ferguson Lake,

with water building upbehind Imperial Dam.

Devine is supposed to havetied up his boat

somewhere along the river,right of center,

an d to have climbed withthe Indian boy, up one ofthe ridges shown.

August, 1973

of the lower edge of Ferguson Lake. Fer-guson Lake, almost due east of PicachoPeak, was Ferguson Flats before the Colo-rado River backed up behind Imperia lD a m .

T he Y um a Gold is one of three tan-talizing lost mine legends which inhabitthis wild region of desert hills, basinsand washes in far southeastern California.The othersthe Lost Sullivan, east fromPebble Mountain, and the Colorado RiverLost Dutchman, northwest of Imperia lD am I have related in earlier issues ofDesert Magazine .

Ed Rochester knew more about the hid-den Yuma Gold than any other man, hav-ing collected scraps and bits of its historyfor more than thirty years from Indians,from whites, from any source he couldtap. It was his unshaken conviction,through the years he and I hunted andtalked lost mines, that the Yuma ledge, theSullivan and the Dutchman were reallyone and the same, independently discov-ered at different times from different di-rections.

I could not, still cannot accept the Sul-livan and the Dutchman as the same ledge.But neither can I deny that, as Ed demon-strated long ago, when the waybills tothese three lost mines are worked out on

a map, the search lines will converge andif carried far enough, intersect.

Ed was too knowledgeable a prospectorand practical a miner to chase any fabledbonanza full t ime. But he was certainthat the Yuma gold did exist, and huntedit periodically as a pastime and a chal-lenge. And requesting only that I wouldnot publish or publicize the story whilehis quest for the ledge continued, he dis-cussed his progressor lack of i tfreely,tape-recording his findings and opinionsfor me through the 1950s.

H e died in January 1962, with theYuma ledge stil l unfound and the story hehad hoped to compile of his search forit sti l l unwritten.

Ed's significant involvement with thehidden Yuma Gold began in the early1920s, although he had heard of it fromhis first days on the river. At that timehe was out on the mesa near Senator Wash"perhaps prospect ing, perhaps hunt inggame." Seeing a horseman r iding throughthe country, he cut the man's trail andpassed the time of day with him.

The r ider was J . E . Devine bet terk n o w n a s " D e a c o n " o r " D e k e " D e v i ne t othe Colorado River people . H e had beeneditor of the Yuma newspaper, the Sun,from 1899 thro ug h 190 4. continued

/ - ':.''/ i l r *


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"You prospect ing?" Devine asked" W e l l , I have been prospecting," Ed

"but it looks like pretty low-Devine shook his head. "You wo u l d n ' t

it, but there's a very rich mine backW h e n he was editor of the Sun, he

on, a young Yuma (or Q u e c h a n )for him in the newspaper

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Ed Rochester,Earl Kerr and(.barley Curtis,in the oldI am Riley store,where they werethen living, atPicacho in 1951.This was a periodwhen lid and Earlwere activelysearching for thehidden Yuma gold.

ca t ed h e had been to school, probablySherman Inst i tu te . But like so many of hispeople, he was suffering from tubercu-losis, and was not s trong. Devine gavehim work in the print shop which waswithin his physical capablites, and helpedhi m in such ways as he could.

In those days, most newspaper editorsin mining country were themselves deeplyinvolved in mining. Deke owned numer-ous claims, and propected himself when-ever possible. And, of course, there wasalmost constant talk of mines, ledges anddiscoveries around the office. One of thefirst things a prospector would do, hittingtown after making a strike (after "wet-ting his whist le" at a favorite saloon, otcourse), would be to take his prizesamples to show the newspaper editor.

The young Indian listened to this talk,looked at the specimens, witnessed Deke'sexcitement. One day he said to the edi-tor: "You want gold? Some day I willshow you where there is lots of gold ."

Deke wouldn ' t leave it at that, andunder his eager questioning, the boy toldthis story. When he was very young, be-fore he had gone off to school, one dayhe and his father came down the old In-dian foot trail between Picacho and thePotholes , which was located on the Colo-rado River at the site of present Lagunad am . Th ere had been a heavy storm witha great deal of runoff just before theIndian and his son made their journey.A nd at one place the father left the trailan d led the way down into a nearby wash.In the bed of the wash was a ledge, richlystudded with visible gold, which had beenuncovered by the flood waters.

Leaving the gold untouched, the olderIndian gathered heavy boulders and placed

them on the ledge so that it was complete-ly concealed. O nly the Yuma Indiansknew that the ledge existed, he told hisson, and it was the duty of the first onealong this trail after a storm to make surethe ledge was covered, so no white pros-pector might discover it.

Then they returned to the trail, andcontinued on down to the Potholes andthe Yuma Reservat ion .

The young Indian had only been therethat one time, and that was years before,bu t he had thought he could find the ledgeagain . Devine gave him no peace until heagreed to try.

The exact date of the expedition thetwo made up river does not seem to be ofrecord. Ed Rochester said it was inthe early stages of construction, or ofpreparat ions for construction of the La-guna dam. Dev i n e had a power boat whichhe had leased to workers at the dam site.T h e two drove up to Laguna, obtainedthe boat, and continued on up the Colo-rado. At the lower end of Ferguson Flats.following the boy's directions, they landedand secured the boat.

" N o w we walk," the yoiuig Indiansaid.

L o n g ago, on a U. S. Geological Surveyquad, Ed Rochester marked the probablespot where Devine had tied his boat.

"You know how these washes come inhere at the lower end of Ferguson Lake,"he said . "Well , the)- climbed up on one ofthese ridges, between the washes, andthey walked south and west. You remem-ber, when we were in there, there's a kindof basin back there. They seemed to be-heading for that basin. But when they hadgone almost four milesmaybe three anda halfthe Indian boy sat down. He wassick and exhausted, and could go nofarther.

" H e was so bad Devine thought hewas going to die right there. He had al-most to carry him back to the boat, andthen rushed him down to Y u m a and intoa hospital. I think the old building therejust at the end of the old bridge was ahospital in those days.

"With care the boy got better. But whenhe was well enough to leave the hospital,he just sneaked away, across the river andinto the arrowweeds . Devine never sawhim again , but he heard that he died onlya short time later.

"It wasn't mineral country right wherethe Indian boy collapsed. But the more

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22/48

the hidden ledge. He tho ught that ,

f it. H e

"The gold taboo was a very strong

that went back before the whitesy to get that kind of inform ation from

some of the stronger Yuma men to packthe gold out of th e country, and noneof these men ever returned home.

"T he n a great flood came which putthe invaders at a disadvantage, and theYumas killed them and turned their bodiesinto mountains or hills to protect theirvillages from the flood waters. Pilot Knobis one of those hills. Thensince thegold had enslaved them and had been acurse to them, they threw it into the riverand their leader put a taboo on it .

"T her e wa sn't an)- tribal enforcem ent ofthis taboo, or any punishment by the tribefor breaking it . None was needed. AnIndian knew that if he violated that taboo,

Photo from Weight collectione mining camp of the P otholes, on the Colorado River, at the present site of

Indian boy made their trip to locate the Yuma gold ledge.

anybody ha s

"They didn't try to set any date, be-a date, they just say

he would die?and he just proceeded todie. T h e younger generation, though, youjust can't tell what they think about that.They are right betwixt and between. Theybelieve it and they don't believe it."The principal taboo was against show-ing any outsider any gold. You'll find thatin most of these stories where an Indianis persuaded to show someone a gold de-posit, he will never take you directly toa spot and say: 'H ere is the gold. ' H e'lltake you to the vicinity, and you're sup-posed to find the gold yourself.

"An Indian named Johnny Black killed in an auto accident a couple ofyears agotold me that when he was ayoung man, his uncle on his mother'sside took him to show him a gold veinthis one I 've been looking for, I think.

I knew his mother, and she was onlyquarter-Indian, so I suppose that 's whatthe uncle was. No more than that. Johnnyhad even more European blood, so maybethey figured it would be all right for himto get the gold.

"Johnny told me they went up thetrail that swings off east from PebbleMountain. Back in that country. Thenthey climbed up on a little hill or mesawhere they could see quite an area ofland.

"Well, now you look,' the unclesaid. Then he left Johnny there on thehill, and high-tailed it out of sight andcame back to the reservation here. Appar-ently he knew the location of the ledge,but had too much Yuma blood to monkeywith it. It was dangerous for him.

"And Johnny, left there all alone, lostheart. H e looked around for a little while,but he didn 't look too strongly. H e di dn'tsee any ledge, so he figured it wasn't inthe cards for him to find the gold. Hecame back here. H e never looked again.

"You know, there are gold ledges anddeposits all over this country. The Yumasmust have known where they were. Theyknow everything else about the land.They know, and have told me, whereevery other kind of rock is. B ut 1 canthink of only one old Indian who is sup-posed to have mined and sold gold. Thatwas old Catula, and I don't know butwhat he was a half-breed. Or maybe hehad just married into the Yumas. Anyhow,if he did break the taboo, the only thingthat happened to him was that he died ofold age.

"This Catula, he used to live up therearound the Potholes, and was supposedto have dug out a lot of placer gold. Sup-posed to have been placer, but I neversaw any of it . Not right at the Potholes.Back somewhere north of the reservation.Maybe it was a little dry placer he foundup there, by the Lost Yuma or Lost Sulli-van, or whatever you want to name it.H e and this woman used to go up thatway and be gone for quite a while andcome back with gold. He died not so longago, and Indians around here will tellyou that a relative of his has got fruitjars full of gold that old Catula placeredout somewhere."

To return to Deke Devine, after theyoung Indian vanished, the editor decidedhe would go back to the place where the

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boy had collapsed, and from there makea serious search for the golden ledge. H ereturned to the landing spot at the lowerend of Ferguson Flats, tied up the boat,climbed to the mesa. But once there hecould not pick up the trail they had fol-lowed, could not recognize the route theyhad taken. In search after search throughthat country, he could not find the hiddenledge.Unable to continue the search himself,he grubstaked two prospectors to take upthe quest. One day they came excitedlydown to Yuma with several pieces of veryhigh grade ore. From their descriptionof their strike, Devine was not certainwhether it was the ledge he had beenhunting. But it was well worth investi-gating.Then, the night before the prospectorswere to lead Deke to their discovery, they

got into a saloon brawl. The one whoactually had found the high grade oredisappeared and the editor never sawhim again. The other could notor wouldnotrelocate the ledge from which thesamples had come. Neither could Devinefind it, then or later.As Rochester traced it out, the mamIndian trail between the Potholes andPicacho followed up the big wash justeast of the present Picacho road (whichEd called Big Picacho Wash) until itreached Pebble Mountain. There it di-vided. One branch went on past the moun-tain and finally into Carrizo Wash. Theother turned east at Pebble Mountain,curving around to enter Marcus Wash.This latter must have been the one forwhich the Indian boy was heading when

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he and Devine hiked in from FergusonFlats. The Yuma Gold must be hidden ina wash close to that trail.If so, why hav en't the thorough searchesmade uncovered it? Perhaps a principalreason is that even along main trails, es-pecially near the river, there were manyvariations, cutoffs, intersections and cross-ings, at times forming almost a network,and varying even according to the seasonof the year.Once only in his searches, Ed Rochesterfound a place that fitted Devine's de-scription perfectly. Continued on Page 30

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'L ittle (2olorad

197308 desert magazine 1973 august

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