197309 desert magazine 1973 september

8/14/2019 197309 Desert Magazine 1973 September

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SEPTEMBER, 1973 50cICD 08256


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and Treasure.* MORE GOOD FINDS IN LESS TIME* ELIMINATES UNNECESSARY DIGGING* TAKES THE FRUSTRATION OUT OF COIN SHOOTING.

^ T e l e s c o p i n g L e g a d d e d

Instantly and positively rejects over 90% of all shallow trash with negative indications, yet it has a controlled differential rangethat gives you a positive indication on that deeper pot or cancontaining gold or silver coins or old guns or other deep relics andartifacts.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 and only completely analytical detector with computerized hybrid thin film micro integrated circuit with subminiaturesuper precision compatible components. Nothing like 'this ever available to the treasure hunter before. Absolutely infallible indifferentiat ion. Instantly and positively 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 / A /. J U i f f o r o u r F R E E c a t a lo g o f a l l D -T e x u n i t s

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KNYVETT, P U B L I S H E R - E D I T O R

BRAGA, Art DirectorSTRONG, Field Trip Editor

Special Feature EditorC. HOWARD, Associate Editor

A. BARNES, Utah Associate EditorLapidary Editor

. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistMARVEL BARRETT. Circulation Manager

Volume 36, Number 9 SEPTEMBER 1973

THE COVER:The midsection of WhiteW a s h , in southeasternUtah, is a branching mazeof redrock walls, sand(Junes and cot ton woodtrees. Photograph by F. A.Barnes, Moab, Utah.

FORT MOJAVE ROADTHE GREAT COYOTE CAPER

ROOM TO SPARETHE PILLING FIGURINESTHE TRONA PINNACLES

CALIFORNIA'S ALABAMA HILLSGOLER GULCH GOLDDESERT PERFUMERS

UTAH'S WHITE WASH

10 Russ Leadabrand12 Hans Baerwald15 Waller Ford18 Enid Howard2 0 Leonard R. lantee2 4 Gary Richardson2 6 MaryFrances Strong32 Robert Hyatt36 F. A. Barnes

D E P A R T M E N T S

William KnyvettBook ReviewsOfferings for Fall '73

PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE 4BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS 5

BOOK CATALOG 6RAMBLING ON ROCKS 4 2 Glennand Martha Vargas

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4 6 Readers' CommentsCALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 4 6 Club Activities

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea St., Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 years,$9.50; 3 years $1300. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allowfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with rip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Secondclass postage paid at Palm Desert. California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1973by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photo-graphs WILL NOT BE RETURNED unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.

September. 1973


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. m e t a ll o c a t o ro b s o l e t e !

PRECISION'S MARKSMAKES IT SO;Now Precision gives you the better locatorto do the jobs demanded by today'ssophisticated prospector and treasurehunter.Heres 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 ein d i c a t in 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 a g eh 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 scan waterpro of search loop with up to4 -times as much coverage as other T-R's. Com-plete with Precisions geo-balance control, for work-ing in highly minerolized ground, solt water, wetgrass, 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 a ke w o o d B o u le v a r dB 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 ' sM ENTION THE word "desert" andsome folks think of a quiet, peace-ful area, others conjure up thoughts ofrolling dunes and being stranded withoutwater, some will wax about the greatrecreation area it is, while others thinkof the strange wildlife that inhabits thearid lands. Hopefully, to some it willbring back to memory favorite articlesfrom "their" magazine, but to hardlyanyone does "desert" identify with powerand the energy crisis. Yet below thesands may well lie a partial solution toan increasingly critical shortage.

The Bureau of Reclamation will beginexperimental testing of a desalting pilotplant at its 8,000-foot-deep geothermalwell, located southeast of Holtville in Im-perial County, California. This plant isprojected to reduce salinity of the geo-thermal fluids from in excess of 20,000 toless than 50 parts per million.This preliminary study is directed todetermine whether desalted geothermalfluids would be a feasible source for aug-menting Colorado River supplies.There is a good possibility that the geo-thermal wells could provide both energyand water. In an upcoming issue ofDesert we will have an article on the suc-

cessful operation of a geothermal powerplant in neighboring Baja.This issue has two recreation areasfeatured, one in California and the otherin Utah. Water Ford's Room to Spare and

F . A. Barnes' Utah's White Wash, willhave a lot of folks packing their rec rigs,while Mary Frances Strong and GolerGulch Gold will have everyone scramblingfor their dry-washers and gold pans. Infact, with gold at $114 an ounce, I'll seeyou in the gulch!

T u t TourI n Sngw i t h t f c e s s

1 . Draw poker is the best game ofchance for that Saturday nightgame?Tru e False

2 . You have to go to Las Vegas toget real action?Tru e False

3. Roulette is the most unpredict-able game of chance?Tru e False

4. Dice is the wildest and mostwooly game of chance?Tru e False

5. The new game 'Bushwhacker"is the most exciting, wildest,an d u n p r e d i c t a b l e g am e ofchance invented since cardsand dice?True False

If your answer was True to any butNumber 5, your fun sense is run-ning down. Join thousands whohave sparked their fun sense to anall-time high by playing "Bush-whacke r," the game of chance thatmakes even losing fun!

w Inc lud ing pos tage

California residents add 30 cents sales taxNameAddress

Send check or money order to:Desert MagazineFUNTROTTER DeptPost Office Box 1318,Palm Desert, California 92260Desert Magazine


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B o o k s f o rD e s e r tH e a d e r sAll books reviewed are available throughDesert Magazine Book Shop

f Q N D E F t O S / l"auntryO N D E R O S AC O U N T R Y

ByStanley WPaher

The author has col lected data on Renoand its scenic byways, abandoned mines,ghost towns, mountain lakes, forests offir and pine, historic buildings in century-old towns, all in contrast to modern re-sorts in Reno and at Lake Tahoe.

From what he cal ls the "Bonanza Tour"south of Reno and outward from Reno inevery direction, you can reach scenic andrecreational sites described in this volumewith any passenger car. Photos, woodengravings of Comstock mining and mil l -ing, a pictorial history of Reno over a 90-year period, and verbal descriptions of thetours make this an informative book tobe read and scanned in li t t le t ime.

Paperback, large format, 48 pages,S i . 9 5 .T H E P A C I F I CC R E S T T R A I L ,V ol ume I : Ca l i fo rn i aByThomas Winnett

From the colorful front cover by EstherHiggins to the last page, this compactlit t le book will keep the hiker/reader onhis toes.

The idea of a Pacific Crest Trail orig-inated in the earl)' 1930 in the mind ofCl inton Clarke of Pasadena. The origin-al proposal was to have the U nitedStates Forest and National Park Servicestake on as a project a continuous wilder-ness trail across the United States fromCanada to Mexico.

Relative to this particular Californiaguide, the author had this to say, "ButSeptember, 1973

meanwhile, it is possible to walk all theway, and we walked from Mexico to Ore-gon to obtain the information necessaryto write an authentic guide to the Califor-nia portion of the Pacific Crest Trail ."

This book is not a "story book" by anymeans, though it gives a detailed descrip-tion of the route, including mileages be-tween points, and 127 strip maps cover-ing I 640 miles. Th e book tells you howto plan your hike from Mexico to Ore-gon, how to prepare for it. and how toactually do it.

A chapter on the logistics of supplyand resupply will enable you to haveenough food, sunburn lotion and boot-soles to make it through without carry-ing everything from the start .

Another chapter on how to backpackand camp in the wilderness will provideall the basic knowledge you need, and stil lanother lets you know how to enjoy yourwalk along the PC T by furnishing infor-mation about the natural history. In otherwords, this invaluable guide will makeyou among the most informed of hikers.

The cost of all this is astoundinglylow: If you were to buy all the topogra-phic maps necessary to hike the PCT inCalifornia, they would cost over $80 (andweigh 7 pounds) . The book costs $4.95(and weighs 10 ounces). Per mile of traildescribed, this book costs 1/j cent. If youhike a typical 2 miles per hour, this bookwill cost you l/2 ( ; e n ( : P e r hour of pleasureon the finest long trail in America!

Paperback, i l lustrated, photos, maps,150 pages, plus 127 maps, $4.95.A F I E L D G U I D ET O T H E I N S E CT Sof America ,N o r t h o f M e x i c oB yDonald f. Honor andRichard E. White

Introductory chapters of this guide giveinformation on collecting and preservinginsects, the study of living insects, andtheir structure, growth, and development.Through the descriptive section, i l lustra-tions are placed with related text, and thecolor plates with their facing legend pagesarc grouped for easy reference at the cen-ter of the book.

Insects play a vital role in our lives andsome 88,600 species inhabit North Amer-ica north of Mexico. This field guidecovers 579 families of insects and includes

descriptions of other arthropods. Morethan 1 300 fine line drawings, of which142 are in color, illustrate the book, andmost of the families have one or moreillustrations; only the rarely encounteredor obscure families are not illustrated.

The authors explain the importance ofwing venation or other minute features ofan insect as being the chief diagn osticcharacter. Also, that wing venation entailsa rather complicated terminology forwhich no shortcuts can be devised. Theysuggest that by studying carefully the im-portant introductory chapters and learningthe basic technical material, those who usethis book can launch themselves on one ofthe most varied and interesting wildlifepursuits.

Hardcover, 400 pages, including glos-sary, references, and index, beautifully il-lustrated. SV.95.

F L O W E R SO F T H EC A N Y O NC O U N T R YText by Stanley I.. WelshPhotography by Bill Ratcliffe

The results of the concentrated effortsof two men who have been long inter-ested in the wealth of beauty found inthe West, is depicted here in verbal de-scriptions and color photographs thatdemonstrates the professional skill of theauthor and photographer .

The Four Corners region of Arizona,Colorado. New Mexico and Utah providethe setting for this book. It illustrates anddiscusses one of the prime sources of thebeauty of that countrythe common na-tive and introduced flowering plants ofthe canyon country.

T he writer has used technical termssparingly, but there is a foreword in thebook which covers the basic terms in gen-eral for background informat ion. How-ever, with the combined photography andtext, it is not necessary to know any techni-cal language to appreciate the beauty ofthe book.

It is further simplified because plantswith similar flower color are grouped to-gether; so all one has to do to identifya particular flower is to turn to the sectionrepresenting the flower color.

Paperback, large format, 51 pages, allcolor photography, $2.95.

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FALL 1973CATALOG - P ART 1 BOOKS OF

LON G DE ATH VALLEY TRAILS by W il -

Cal i -

ge P ipk in. Bal larat , now a ghostin the P anamint Val ley , was once a f lour -

famou s old-timers. First publishe d in 19 65 ,

ALLEY GHOST TOWNS by Stanley P aher.

in Nevada and Ar zona a nd

a Saubel. Tem alpakh means from the earth ,food, medicine, r ituals and those used in

dcover , $1 0 . 00 ; paperback , $6 .50 .This book had to be lived before it could beThe author's mastery of primitive skills

Chapters deal with bui ldin g shelters,

1 88 pages, revised edit ion boasts of 96

freighting and for the U.S. Fish & W i l d -

e land. P aperback, i l lus trated, 1 74 pagesE DESERT IS YOURS by E rie Stan ley Gard ner.

l and , and shows how the good out-weighs the bad in the perils of the desert. Hard-:over , wel l i l lus trated, 256 pages, $7.50.'ACIFIC CREST TRAIL, Vol. I: California, byhomas Winnett. Even if you are in good physi-

might sit back exhausted by the sheer prospectsof such an adventure. How to hike the t ra i l , ap-reciate, and DO it, have been outlined in theproper order . 145 pages with photography, p lus127 pages of topographic maps of the entirePCT route and alte rnate routes. P aperback, $4 .95

GEM TRAILS IN CALIFORNIA by A. L. Abbott.This compact little book can easily be carriedwhi le hik ing or r id ing and combines detai ledmao drawings with pic tures. In addit ion to gemand mineral names with their specif ic locations,there are other leads to nearby ghost towns, fossils, campgrounds and recreation areas. Paper-back, wel l i l lus trated, 84 pages, S2.95.PADRE ISLAND (Treasure Kingdo m of the Wo rld)by Wil l iam Mahan. At the age of 1 3 the authorhad done research on lost treasures and complet-ed a scrapbook on the subject. In later years, hediscovered "P adre Isla nd ," off the coast of hishome state of Texas. B il l Ma han is we ll q ua lif ie dvor his work having made countless tr ips toPadre where he relates in historical detail of losttreasures, shipwreck;; and savage Indian tr ibes.If you are an historian or treasure hunter, you'll" d i g " this adventurous accounting. Hardcover,il lustrations, maps, translations of Fray Marcosde Mena f rom Spanish to Eng tsh, 1 39 pages,5 6 . 9 5 .

CORONADO'S CHILDREN by J. Frank Doby. Ori-ginal ly publ ished in 1930, th is book about los tmines and buried treasures of the W est, is aclassic and is as vital today as when first written.Dobie was not only an adventurer, but a scholarand a power ful wr i ter . A combinat ion of legendsand factual background. Hardcover, 376 pages,$ 3 . 9 5 .SELDOM SEEN SLIM by Tom Mu rray. P rofiles a ndvignettes of the colorful "single blanket jackassprospectors" who lived and died as they lookedfor gold and silver in Death Valley. Slick paper-back, exclusive photos of the old-timers, 65pages , $3 .00 .ROCK DRAWINGS OF THE COSO RANGE byCampbel l G rant , James B aird and J . KennethPr ingle. A Maturango Museum publ icat ion, th isbooks tells of sites of rock art in the Coso Rangewhich, at 40 0 0 feet , merges with the f lat lands ofrhe northe rn Mojcsve Desert. P aperback , illu strat -ed , deta i led d raw ings , maps , 144 pages , $3 .95 .BAJA (California, Mexico) by Cliff Cross. Updat-ed in 1 97 2, the author has outline d in detail allof the services, precautions, outstanding sightsand ihings to do in Baja. Maps and photos galorew i th la rge fo rmat , 170 pages , $3 .50 .CALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray At -keson. Two of the West's greatest color pho-tographers have presented their f inest worksto create the vibrations of the oceans, lakes,mountains and deserts of California. Theirphotographic presentat ions, combined with themoving text of David Toll, makes this a classicin Western Amer icana. Large 11x14 format,heavy slick paper, hardcover, 200 4-colorphotographs, 1 86 pages , $25 . 00 .

PONDEROSA COUNTRY by Stanley W. Poher. Ascenic and historic guide to Reno and vicinity,the aurnor teiis in words and pictures the manyscenic byways and colorful country to be foundwithin cm hcur or two of downtown "CasinoRow." Various tours are outlined and a finalchapter is devotee! to a pictorial history of Reno.Paperback, 48 pages, 9x12 format, $1.95.FLOWERS OF CANYON COUNTRY by Stanley L.Welsh, text; and Bill Ratcliffe, photographs. Brigham Young University Press. Two professionalsnave united their talents to present ar t in forma-tive, scholarly and artistic promotion of the beau-ty found in f lowers and plants of vast regions ofthe Southwest . Paperback, 51 pages, $2.95 .ROCKS AND MINERALS OF CALIFORNIA, Compil-ed by Vinson B rown, David Allan a nd JamesStark. The 1972 printing is the third revised edi-t ion of a book that will save you hours of t imeby the description and pictures of rocks and min-erals found in this state. Color pictures withclearly developed keys show you how to identifywhat you have found and gives you the finevoois to increase your ability as a f ield collector.Paperback, well I l lustrated with photos, localitymaps, char ts and quadrangle map informat ion.200 pages , $3 .95 .BICYCLE TRAILS OF SOUTHERN CA LIFORNIA byDavid Kurk and Robert Miller. Sixty-nine trails, ineluding sidetr ips, ranging from three to f iftymiles in both rural and urban areas. I l lustrated,maps, terrain description, paperback, 128 pages,$1 .95 .TURQUOIS by Joseph E. Pogue. (Memoirs of theNa tio na l Academy of Sciences) First printe d in1 9 1 5 , Turquois has in its third printing (1973)been updated in many ways. Among them areisted currently-operated Turquois mines, morecoior plates. The book is full of incredible resultsof research and an in-depth study of this fascina-ting minerai of superfic ial or igin. Hardcover, 175pages , beaut i fu l l y i l lus t ra ted , $15 . 00 .

MEET THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS by P hilip We lleswi th P hotography by Ma rvin H. Frost, Sr. Thegeographical area covered by the excellent pho-tos and detailed descriptions include the GreatBasin Desert, Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Theauthor identif ies and describes some of the morecommon plants, mammals, birds, reptiles andother forms of life that a newcomer to the desertmight want to know. Hardcover, very well i l lus-rared, 84 pages , $3 .50 .CALIFOR NIA STATE PARKS by E ditors of Sunset.Covers the Northern Coast and Redwood Coun-try to the Southern Desert and Mountains. Fees,rules, climate, reservations, new developmentsare iiste d, as well as State beaches. Pa perback,il lustrated with photos and maps, large format,126 pages , $2 .95 .LONDO N BRIDGE IN PICTURES and CARLOS EL-MER'S ARIZONA by Carlos Elmer. From the blaz-ing 4-color photos of the scenic wonders of thestate of Arizona to the pictorial essay of LondonBridge at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, you willlearn to appreciate what you will eventuallywant to visit. These two books combined makefor a momento, a guide and a knowedgable ap-proach to a wor thwhi le vacat ion, or weekendjaunt. London Bridge is paperback, large format,$ 1 . 5 0 . Arizona, paperback, large format, entirely4-color photos, $1 .00 .NA VA JO RUGS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE byGilbert S. M axw ell . Concerns the history, legendsand descriptions of Navajo rugs. Full colorphotos. Paper , $2.50.

Desert Mdcaziiie


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HE W EST USE ORDER COUPONON PAGE 45CALIFORNIA RESIDENTSPLEASE AD D 6% SALES TAXby LelandAuthoritative and exact accounts give

easure seekers. Hardcover, $4 .95 .LIGHT HEARTED LOOK AT THE DESERT byuck W aggin. A del ight fu l ly wr i t ten and i l lus-

.95 .Sayles. Duringis search for archeological f inds for more than30 years, the author was exposed to the rumorsst gold an d treasures. After

Museum, he classif ied and delved into these

, wel l i l lus trated, 135 pages, $6.5 0 .

IA'S PIONEER TOW NS, GHOST TOWNS ANDMINING CAMPS compiled by Varna Enterprises.Both roadmaps are 38 " by 2 5 " and scaled. Sou-thern California on one side and Northern Cali-fornia on the other. Both contain detailed loca-tion of place names, many of which are not onregular maps. Treasure Ma p is $4 .0 0 and GhostTown Map is $2.95 . When order ing, be cer tainto state which map, or both.SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN TRAILS by JohnW- Robinson. Easy one-day and more ruggedhiking tr ips into the historic mountains. The 100hiking trails are described in detail and il lustra-ted so you wil l not get lost. Heavy pape rback,257 pages , $4 .95 .MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOK by H enry andBeverly Mockel. The wel l -kno wn painter ofdeser t wi ldf lowers has combined his four-colorsketches and black an d white photographs todescribe in detail so the layman can easilyident i fy wi ldf lowers , both large and smal l .Microscopic detail makes this an outstandingbook for identif ication. Special compressed fibercover which wi l l not s tain. 54 fu l l -color i l lus tra-t ions with 72 i i fe-s ize drawings and 39 photo-graphs , 316 pages , $5 .95 .

ST LEGENDS OF THE WEST by Brad W illiam sThe authors examine the" lo re , legends, characters an d myths that grewout of the Old West" in a sequel to their popu-lar f irst book, The Mysterious W est. Includedamong the more than 20 " los t legends" aresuch intriguing subjects as lost bones, lostladies , los t towns, an d los t d iamonds. Hard-cover , il lus trated, 192 pages, $5 .95 .

A vivid ac-

i fe explor ing Amer ica's new nat ional park and

1 60 pages, $6 .95 .GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZON A by James andBarbara Sherman. If you are looking for aghost town in Ar izona this is your waybi l l .I l lus trated, maps, township, range, cor -ordi-nates, history, and other details make this oneof the best ghost town books ever published.Large 9x1 1 format, heavy paperback, 20 8pages , $3 .95 .

DESERT EDITOR by J. W ilson M cK enney. Knownby his many fr iends throughout the West as "Mr.Desert" the late Randall Henderson founded theDesert Magazine 35 years ago and for more than20 years was editor and publisher. His formerbusiness partner anc long-time fr iend, J. WilsonMcKinney has written a book about Henderson,Desert Magazine and the growth of Palm Desertsince Henderson moved the magazine to the areain 1 94 8. This is a story about a ma n, his drea m,and how he made it a reality. Hardcover, i l lus-t rated, 188 pages. $7.95.NEW MEXICO PLACE NAMES edited by T. M.Pearce. Lists and gives a concise history of theplaces, towns, former sites, mountains, mesas,r ivers, etc., in New Mexico, including those set-t led by the early Spaniards. Good for treasurehunters, bottle collectors and history buffs.Paperback, 187 pages with more than 5 0 0 0names , $2 .45 .

DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOK by Don Holm. Wildl i fe edi tor of the P or t land Ore gonian, the authorhas spent his life exploring and writ ing aboutthe outdoors, so his recipes for preparing foodin a Dutch Oven come from experience. If youhaven't had food cooked in a Dutch Oven, youhave n't l ived . . . and if you have you wi llf ind these recipes new and excit ing culinaryadventuresas wel l as his s ty le of wr i t ing.Heavy paperback, 106 pages, $3.95.MEXICO by Auto, Camper, Trailer by CliffCross. 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-tan. Large format, paperback. $3.5 0 .SOURDOUGH COOKBOOK by Don and MyrtleHolm. How to make a sourdough starter andmany dozens of sourdough recipes, plus amusinganecdotes by the quthors of the popular OldFashioned Dutch Oven Cookbook. A new exper i-ence in culinary adventures. Paperback, 136s lick pages, i l lus trated, $3.9 5 .THE W EEK END TREASURE HUNTER by A. H.Ryan. A companion book to his W eekend GoldMiner, this volume is also concise and packedwith informat ion on what to look for and whatto do with your treasure after you have foundit. Subjects range from Beach Combing to Sunk-en Treasures. P aperback, 76 page s, $1 .95 .THE OREGON DESERT by E. R. Jackman and R.A. Long. Filled with both facts and anecdotes,this is the only book on the litt le known butfascinating deserts of Oregon. Anyone who readsthis book will want to visit the areacor wishthey could. Hardcover , i l lus trated, 407 pages,$ 7 . 5 0 .

A FIELD GUIDE TO INSECTS of America North ofMexico by Do nald J. Borror and Richard E. W hite.This is the most comprehensive, authoritative andup-to-date guide to North American insects everpublishe d. It covers 5 79 familie s of insects andhas more than 1300 l ine drawings and 142 colorplates. Hardcover, 372 pages, glossary, refer-ences, $5.95.GEM TRAILS OF ARIZO NA by Bessie W . Simpson.This f ield guide is prepared for the hobbiest andalmost every location is accessible by car or pick-up accompanied by maps to show sandy roads,steep rocky hills, etc., as cautions. Laws regard-ing collecting on Federal and Indian land out-l ined. P aperback, 88 pages, i llus trated, $3.00 .UTAH G EM TRAILS by Bessie W . Simpson. Thecasual rockhound or collector interested in col-lecting petr if ied wood, fossils, agate and crystalswill f ind this guide most helpful. The book doesnot give permission to collect in areas writtenabout, but simply describes and maps the areas.Paperback, i l lus trated, maps, $3.50.RELICS OF THE REDMAN by Marvin & Helen Dav-is. Relics can be vaulable! Those dating back toIndian history in our land are becoming almostpriceless, say the authors. How to search forthese "hard to f i n d " Indian relics, where tosearch and at what t ime of year, and types oftools needed, are among the many helpful sug-gestions given. Large format, many color andb /w il lustration s, a str ik ing cover P aperback,63 pages, $3.95.RELICS OF THE W HITEMAN by M arvin & HelenDavis. A logical companion to Relics of the Red-man, this book brings out a marked differenceby showing in its i l lustrations just how "sudden-ly modern" the early West became after the ar-r ival of the white man. The difference in artifactstypif ies the historical background in each case.The same authors tell how and where to collectrelics of these early days, tools needed, and howto dispay and sell valuable pieces. Paperback,same type format and cover, well i l lustrated incolor and b/w, 63 pages, $3.95.FAMILY FUN IN JOSHUA TREE by Dean Publica-tions. A happy medium in pr ice and guide bookvalue is reached in this publication for all thefamily, easily understood by youngsters andhighly informative for adults. Step-by-step tourguide , ma p, puzzles, keep the young ale rt totheir surroundings, animals, geology and historyof the area. Paperback, 36 pages, $1.25.GUIDEBOOK TO THE COLORADO DESERT by Chor-al Pepper. Rich in history and beauty is the Colo-rado Desert which lies below the Mojave and ex-tends into Mexico. The author describes areas ofinterest for passenger cars as well as for four-wheel-dr ivers . Paperback, 128 pages, $1.95.PLANTS USED IN BASKETRY BY THE CALIFORNIAINDIANS by Ruth Earl Merrill. Seventy-odd plantspecies, their uses and combined uses, l imita-tions, patterns, waterproofing, etc., are allbrought into focus in an easily read presentation.Appendix lisvs basket materials according to part,use and Tr ibe. P aperback, 25 pages, $2.00 .YUMAN POTTERY MAKING by Malcolm J. Rogers.This publication from the San Diego Museum Pa-pers, No. 2, February 1 936 , and reprinted in1 9 7 3 , presents the subject of Yuman ceramictechnique in its aboriginal form. Comparativestudies and charts of the various Divisions andTribes help to clarify the ethnological interpre-tations, and both archaeological data and thatobtained from Indian informants have beenequal ly drawn upon. Paperback, 52 pages, $2.95

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FALL 1973CATALOG - P ART 1 BOOKSOF

Wel ls, Henrietta an d Slim B arnard

Volume One covers Cal i fornia and VolumeTATE WHICH VO LUME .

ACHES OF BAJA by W al l Wheelock. Beaches

owds. Paperback, i l lus trated, 72 pp. $1 .95 .TLE COLLECTOR'S HA NDB OO K by John T.Contains a listing of 1850 bottles and

, 89 pages, $3.95 .RNIA DESERT W ILD FLOWERS by PhilipI l lustrated with colored photos and de-

s . Paperback. $2 .95 .O W ESTERN REPTILES ANDA Peterson

Hardcover . $5.95.

A f i rs t -hand

wilderness dur ing the 1800 's . F irs t publ ish-d hardcover, original artist i l lustrations, tw oto ry bu f fs , $15 . 00 .

r o f DE ATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS, veteran

es. P aperback, 36 pages, i l lust., $1 .0 0 .

First published in 1 892 , this is a re-his torian who, in 1 884 , walke d f rom Ohioos Angeles, covering 35 0 7 miles in 14 3Lummis writes in a matter-of-fact man-of adventures wh ich make fascinatin g

SERT OVERV IEW MAPScompi led two excel lent detai led maps for

oldwhich are not on modern-day maps, plusat Little Lake to

Colorado Desert Overview covers from theanning to the Arizona side of th e0 each. Be cer tain to s tate which

DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES by Lake Erie Schaefer.A se quel t o B URIED TREASURE & LOST MINES byFrank Fish, the author knew Fish for many yearsand claims he was murdered. Her book addsother information on alleged lost bonanzas, plusreasons why she thinks Fish did not die a naturaldeath as stated by the authorit ies. Paperback,i l lust ra ted, 80 pages , $3 .00 .TREASURE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO THE LAW byCtair Martin Christensen. Answers all of thequestions relative to the legal aspect of f ind-ing treasure trove. Subjects include Antiquit iesAct, Mining Claims, Gold Regulations, Trespassand Salvage, Claim Recordings, Tax Aspect andmany others. Concise and factual. Paperback, 46pages , $2 .75 .THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS by Edmund C. Jaeger.Revised 4th edit ion is standard guide to Mohaveand Colorado deserts with new chapters ondesert conservation and aborigines. Hardcover.S 4 . 9 5 .

10 0 H IK ING TRAILS by Don and Roberta Lowe.There are two separate books: one on trails inNorthern California and the other in SouthernCalifornia. Both have 100 tr ips (both easy andrugged) described in detail. Both books are 225pages, heavy paperback, $5.95 each. Whenordering state whether you want NORTHERN orSOUTHERN Hiking Trails.THE MIGHT Y SIERRA by Paul W ebster. Subtit led"A P or t rai t of a Mountain W or l d" , This is a dra-matic story of the geology of the Sierra Nevadaand of the peopleboth of historic and presentagewho have l ived and died in the mountainwor ld . Includes a special Travel Guide, glossaryand bibl iography. Seventy 4-color and 90 blackand white photographs plus maps and il lustra-t ions. Large format, hardcover. 288 pages,$ 1 7 . 5 0 .ROUGH RIDING by Dick Cepek and W alt W heel-ock. Two veteran travelers have compiled an ex-cellent book on how to drive and survive in theback country. Although based on drivingthrough Baja Cal i fornia, the informat ion is ap-plicable to all areas of the West. Stronglyrecommended for both amateurs and veterans.Paperback, 36 pages, $1.00.LOST MINES OF ARIZONA by Harold W eight.Covers the Lost Jabonero, lost mines of theTrigos, Buried Gold of Bicuner and others ofsouthwestern Ar izona. Paperback, $2.0 0 .FOUR WHEEL DRIVE HANDBOOK by James T.Crow and Cameron W arren. Packed into thisvolume is material qathered from actual experi-ence and presented n a detaile d manner so itcan eas i ly be fo l lowed and unders tood. Highlyrecommended for anyone interested in backcountry driving. Paperback, i l lustrated 96 pages,$ 2 . 9 5 .

GOLD MINES OF CALIFORNIA by Jack R. W ag-ner. Illustrated history of the most productivemines of the Mother Lode country with descrip-tions and anecdotes about the people who own-ed the mines and the roles they ployed in thedevelopment of California. Profusely il lustratedwith rare photographs, the author has chron-icled California's greatest and most excit ingera. Large 9x11 format, 300 photos and maps,hardcover , 259 pages, 10.00.EARTHQUAKE COUNTRY by Robert Icicop i. Publisheel by Sunset Books, this well Illustratedbook separates fact from f iction and showswhere faults arc located, what to do in thoevent oi an earthquake, past history and whatto expect in the future. Highly recommended foiall Californians. Large format.


9/48

HE W EST USE ORDER COUPONON PAGE 45CALIFORNIA RESIDENTSPLEASE AD D 6% SALES TA XThis latest bottle book has more than 30

or cover. $5 .0 0 .COLORFUL DESERT WILDFLOW ERS by Grace an dOnas W ard. Segregated into' categories of red ,blue, white and yel low for eas ier ident i f icat ion,here are 190 four-color photos of f lowers foundin the Mojave, Colorado and Western Arizonaeserts, all of which also have common andscientif ic names plus descriptions. Heavy, slickpaperback . $4 . 50 .MEXICAN COOK BOOK by the Editors of Sun-set Books. Mexican recipes for American cooks,thoroughly tested and suited for products avail-able in the United States. Includes comprehen-sive shopping guide, all cooking techniques andrecipes from soups to desserts and drinks. Largeslick paper format, well i l lustrated, 96 pages,$ 1 . 9 5 .GHOST TOW NS OF THE WEST by the Editors ofSunset. Compares the past with the present andprovides both a detailed and overall picture ofthe early-day west. The outstanding collection ofhistoric photographs are matched by current-day photos by Wil l iam Car ter . Hardcover , 11x9format, heavy slick paper, 225 pages, maps,diagrams, etc . $1 1.75.MA MM ALS OF THE SOUTHW EST DESERTS byGeorge Olin. Newly revised edit ion describesthe mammals of the deserts with artist i l lustra-tions of the animals and their footprint; foreasy identification. Paperback, 112 pages,S I . 5 0 .GUIDE FOR INSULATOR COLLECTORS by JohnC. Tibbitts. This is the third and final book oninsulators by veteran bottle collector John Tib-bitts. This third book has a revised price listand index to insulators described in the pre-vious two volumes. However, each volume de-scribes insulators not shown in the other books,so for a complete roundup of all insulators, allthree volumes arc needed. Books are paper-back, averaging 120 pages, i l lus trated withartists draw ings , S3.0 0 EACH. WHEN ORDER-ING BE SURE TO STATE VOLUME NUMBE R: ONE .TWO or THREE.A FIELD GUIDE TQ ROCKS AND MINERALS byFrederick H. Pough. Author i tat ive guide to iden-t if ication of rocks and minerals. Experts recom-mend this for all amateurs as one of the best3rd edit ion with many new color i l lus trat ions.Hardcover . $5.95.

BARBED WIRE HA NDBO OK by Thomas E. Turner.ontains 4 1 8 dif ferent k inds of barbed wireand associated items, described and il lu stratedwith line drawings. Current value prices. Paper-back , 102 pages $3 .95 .EXPLORING C ALIFORNIA'S BYWAYS by RussLeadabrand. Excellent travel guides to passengercar areas by a veteran explorer and popularwriter. All books are heavy, slick paperback withdetailed maps, il lustrations and historical back-grou nd, 1 80 pages and $1 .95 each. STATEWHICH VOLUME WHE N ORDERING. Vol . 1 , KingsCanyon to Mexican Border; 2, In and Around LosAngeles,- 3, Desert Country; 4 , Mou ntain Country.September. 197?

LOWER CALIFORNIA GUIDE BOOK by Gerhardand Guiick. The authors have revised the thirdedition to bring it up to date. Veteran travelersin Baja California would not venture south ofthe border without this authoritative volume. Itcombines the fascinating history of every loca-t ion, whether it be a town, mission or aban-doned ranch, with detai led mi leage maps an' llocations of gasoline supplies, water and otherneeded informat ion on Baja. 243 pages withthree-color folded map, 16 detailed route maps,4 city maps, 22 il lustrations. Hardcover $6.50MAPS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA from the LowerCali fornia Guidebook by Gehard and Guiick.Slightly smaller than those in the book but con-venient to carry in glove compartment. $1 whenpurchased with the book; $1 .5 0 when purchase" !separately.

THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by Elna Bakker andRichard G. Lillard. The publishers of AmericanWest commissioned the authors to capture thepast and present panorama of the Great South-west. Through text and photographs (both blackand white and color) they have succeeded in ac-compl ishing th is monum ental task. Large 9 x 1 1format, hardcover, heavy paper stock, maps andindex. The best comprehensive book on the GreatSouthwest to date. SI 7.50.UNCLE SAM'S CAMELS, edited by Lewis BurtLesley, This book h the actual journal of MayHumphreys Stacey, a young man who was partof the "came! corps under lead ership of Lt.Edward Beale. First published in 1929 this isa fascinating account of attempts by the U.S.government to import camels from Asia to pro-vide transportation across the deserts of theSouthwest. Stacey later became a colonel inthe U.S Army. A good description of how thecamels were purchased; and Beale's report tothe Secretary of War. Hardcover, 298 pages,S 8 . 0 0 .HELLDORADO by W illiam Breakenridge. One ofthe most famous law enforcement off icers ofthe Old West'describes his life and gives first-hand accounts of the famous outlaws and law-men he knew. First published in 1928 andlong out-of-pr int , now avai lable. Hardcover ,il lustrated, 1883 map of Arizona Terr itory, 255pages , $7 .50 .JEEP TRAILS TO COLORADO GHOST TOW NS byRobert L. Brown. An i l lus trated, detai led, infor -mal history of l ife in the mining camps deep inColorado Rockies. Fifty-eight towns are includedthe almost inaccessible mountain fastness of theas examples of the vigorous struggle for exist-ence in the minirg camps of the West. 239pages, i l lustrated, end sheet map. Hardcover.$ 5 . 9 5 .

TREES OF THE WEST (Identified at a Gance) byMatild a Rogers, Photographs by W ynn Ham mer.Miss Rogers has written graphic descriptions ofall of the trees generally found in the Westernarea of the United States. Mr. Hammer has pho-tographed them when in their pr ime. The result isa handbook that everyone can understand andenjoy. Paperback, i l lus trated, 126 pages, $2.5 0 .BURIED TREASURE * LOST MINES by Frank fish.One of the original treasure hunters providesdata on 93 lost bonanzas, many of which he per-sonally searched for. He died under mysteriouscircumstances in 1968 after leading an adven-turous life. I l lustrated with photos and maps.Paperback, 68 pages, $2.00.LAND OF POCO TIEMPO by Charles F. Lumitlit.A reprint of the famous writer and historian ofhis adventures among the Indians of New Mexico.Lummis was one of the foremost writers of theWest. P aperback, 236 pages, $2.4 5 .GRAND CANYON TREKS by Harvey Butchard. Detailed description and directions of hiking trailsinto the Grand Canyon by a man who has spentall of his life exploring the Arizona gorge. Paper-back, i l lus trated, 69 pages, $1 .95 .GEOLOGY FIELD GUIDE TO SOUTHERN CALIFOR-NIA by Robert P. Sharp. A fresh and lively ap-proach to what otherwise might be a dry sub-ject. Areas which you can see while driving aredescribed and il lustrated. Will help your chil-dren understand land make better grades) geo-ogy. Heavy paperback, 192 pages, $2.95.SOUTHWESTERN IN DI AN ARTS & CRAFTS by TomBahti. B eaut i fu l ly i l lus trated with 4 color photo-graphs, this book describes the arts and craftsof the Indians of the Southwest and offers sug-gestions on what to buy and how to judgeauthentic jewelry, rugs, baskets and pottery.Large format, heavy paperback, 32 pages,$ 1 . 0 0 .GHOST TOWNS AND MI NIN G CAMPS OF CALI-FORNIA by Remi Nadeau. The only good, hard-cover book on the California ghost luwns. Werecommend i t h ighly . $7.5 0 .1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Updated edit ion of one of the best of the bottlebooks , $4 .95 .BOOK OF CACTUS by Harry C. Lawson. Writ tenfor the amateur, this book tells how to plant,care for and identify cactus found in the West.The 36 pages contain 409 small photographsand descriptions of the plants. P aperback, $2 .0 0 .TRAVEL GUIDE TO UTAH by the Editors ofSunset Books. Like their other guide books, thisis a concise, factual, i l lustrated and we l l -mapped guide to Utah. Anyone planning avacation or tour through the B eehive State shouldhave this alon g. Large 8x1 1 fo rma t, heavypaperback , 80 pages , $1 .95 .

OLD ARIZONA TREASURES by Jesse Rascoe. Containing many anecdotes not previously coveredin Arizona histories, this new book covers haci-endas, stage stops, stage routes, mining camps,abandoned forts, missions and other historicallandmarks. Paperback, 210 pages, $3.00.THE WEEKEND GOLD MINER by A. H. Ryan. Anelectronic physicist "bitten by the gold bug,"the author has written a concise and informativebook for amateur prospectors tell ing where andhow gold is found and how it is separated andtested, all based on his own practical ex-per ience. Paperback, 40 pages, $1.50.

0


10/48

O N T H E T R A I L w i th . . .R u s s L e a d a b r a n d F o r tMojaveR o a d

N T H E MIDDLE 1800s, the Pah -U te In-dians in the southern portion of the

agains t the w hite settler s, emi-from Fort Mojave on the Colorado River,

ll the way into the San Bernardino Val-ley.

As a result, a series of U.S. Army forts,camps, outposts and redoubts were builtin the lonesome desert areas, each situat-ed reasonably close to a supply of water.Here, at these small, isolated camps, themilitary waged a curious kind of warfarewith the Indians .

The effectiveness of the campaigns, the

value of the battles and seiges, are stillbeing argued by learned and insistent his-torian s. B ut of grea ter interest is the pre-servation of the historyand hopefullythe sites themselvesof the various out-posts that reach from San Bernardino outto the Colorado River. (The old FortMojave Road, according to our expertsof this month's column, claim the roadreached from San Pedro, California, toPrescott, Arizona. But for the purpose ofthis discussion, the road between SanBernardino and Fort Mojave on the Col-orado is most interesting.)

'Not too much has been written aboutthese military outposts in the M ojave

Dennis Casebier and artifacts found at the site of old Camp Rock Spring.

D eser t, almo st no wo rk has ever beendone in the national archives.

Dennis Casebier changed all that.Casebier was a Marine stationed at the

the Marine Corps base near TwentyninePalms in the period 1953-1956. Not aCalifornian. he was fascinated by thedesert. In 1956 he returned to school inKansas, came back to California a physi-cist working for the U.S. Navy and nowstationed in the San Bernardino area, andwith his new wife started exploring thedesert. He decided early that he wouldconcentrate on the Mojave Road. His worktook him frequently to Washington, D.C.where, at night, he poured through thenational archives seeking informationabout these tiny, remote military outpoststhat flourish ed in a period from I 860 to1 869.

The research paid off. Today he is con-sidered the doyen, the expert on this areaand these outposts.

H e spends much time at the sites,knows the owners of the private land thatsome of the sites are situated upon, knowsthe desert people, and has made good andlasting friends. Dennis Casebier is 38.

Thus far his research has resulted inthe publication of four books on thegeneral area. The first, Camo El Dorado,Arizona Territory, was published by theArizona His torical Foundation. Threesubsequent books are all on the outpostsof the Mojave Road which Casebier pub-lished himself in limited editions. Thesear e Carleton's Pah-Ute Campaign, TheBattle of Camp Cody, and finally, CampRock Springs. California.

Projected are future books on Fort Pah-U t e , another Camp Cady volume, (thereare many subjects for books about CampCady), and others of the outposts.

Casebier lists the points of interestfrom the crossing of the Mojave north ofCajon Pass toward the Colorado thus:

1 . Lane Ranch, near the site of OroGrande, a frequent stopover site but nota military outpost.

2 . Forks of the Road. Where the Mo-jave and Old Salt Lake City Trails forked

,nine miles west of Camp Cady.3 . Old Camp Cady, established briefly

in I860, active again in 1865-70, the mostimportant military outpost in the MojaveDesert .

4 . The Caves of Afton Canyon. A trad-ing post was once located here.

5 . Soda Springs, in I860 called Han-


11/48

cock's Redoubt. !On west edge of SodaLake near spot of present-day Zzyzx.

6. Marl Springs, 1876 to 1878. I t was35 miles between water to Marl Springs inthose days, a long dry crossing.

7. P a h -U t e S p r in g , h ig h er , c o o l e r ,5000 feet. Lots of free flowing water here.A fantastic archeological site that hasbeen heavily vandalized. Active 1867-68.Once called Camp Beale in days of camelcrossings.

8. Fort Mojave, with adjacent Hardy-ville. An Indian school stood here once.All buildings gone, only sidewalks andfoundations remain, even graveyard heav-ily vandalized.

And beyond Fort Mojave toward Pres-cott, Casebier has pounds of documenta-tion about other forts, camps and outposts.

T o single out one specific desert his-tory subject and to follow through on it tothe end, i s important for us a l lstudents,and scholars and armchair adventurers.Dennis Casebier has done this in a jobof incredible dedication and zeal, and atno little cost to himself. He deserves thehighest kind of credit for this effort whichwill, for years to come, serve everyonehere .

I was introduced to the labors of Den-nis G. Casebier by my old desert buddy,E. I . "Eddie" Edwards, la te ly of JoshuaTree and more recently of Sun City.

Casebier, in a recent conversation, hastold me that there are a number of inter-esting and significant military sites adja-cent or approaching the Army posts thatare on private land.

Casebier has made good friends in thedesert during the years he has researchedthe Mojave Road and has permission to

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examine the sites on private land. Some-time in the late summer or fall of thisyear he has scheduled a metal locatorsearch on these private land areas.

Casebier told me that if he finds sig-nifican t articles he will notify co ncernedmuseum people and will give me a reportto share here with you.

He is a vigorous campaigner for pro-tection of all the old military sites. Hewould like to see them guarded againstvandal ism and unauthorized digging andactivities that would hamper later, seriousarcheological work.

The U.S. Army outposts along the oldMojave Road are now being protected, asfar as written history is concerned, byDennis Casebier .

H e, and I, would like to see these an-cient, remote, poignant outposts in thehostile Mojave preserved as state parks ora string of National Monuments, or some-thing equally secure, so that visitors herein those years in the far future can under-stand the march of l iving history that oncewas enacted so violently here during thevarious Pah-Ute campaigns across thelonesome California desert.BACK ISS U ES P E C I A L S

VOLUME

$150

Mail a ll orders to: DEPT. TDESERT Magazine

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260Personal check or postal order must accompanyall orders. Be sure to include complete address.

September, 1973 11


12/48

n

O u r p h o t o - s t o r y t a k e s p l a c e in t h e c i t y of D e s e r tH o t S p r in g s , C a l i f o r n i a , a w i l d l i f e s a n c t u a r y w h e r ea r e g u l a r e v e n i n g m e a l is a p p r o a c h e d w i t h a l l t h ew a r i n e s s a n d c a u t i o n of a m a j o r h e i s t . H a n s B a e r -w a l d h a s " c a p t u r e d " th e " b u r g l a r " r e d - h a n d e dw i t h h i s E x a c t a c a m e r a a n d a 1 3 5 m m l e n s .

1 . " K e e p the e n g i n e r u n n i n g , it l o o k s l i k e thec o a s t is c l e a r . "

. " H o p e I d o n ' t t r ip t h e s i le n t a l a r m . "3 . " D o n ' t f o o l w i th t h e s m a l l s t u f f . G r a b t h e big

p i e c e s a n d l e t ' s g e t o u t t a h e r e "4 . " I t w a s a p u s h o v e r ! S te p o n th e g a s a n d h e a d

f o r t h e d e n ! ". " N o o f f i c e r , it c o u l d n ' t h a v e b e e n m e , I w a s

j u s t o u t for a n e v e n i n g w a l k . Y o u s a y he h a sa g r a y c o a t , is b r i g h t - e y e d a n d b u s h y - t a i l e d .I ' l l s u r e k e e p a n e y e o u t . "

Desert Magazine


13/48

b y H a n s B a e r w a l d

t

September. 1 9 7 3


14/48

WM

, a

i


15/48

tNew Campground

b y W a l t e r F o r d

A iu; YO U ATARDY camperone whosehabits or job requirements delayyour arrival at a campground unt i l allthe desirable sites are g o n e ? If you are,the area described here is just for youthe whole 2 s),050 acres! But not exclu-sively. You will share it with other camp-e r s , the proximity of which will dependsolely upon your desires. You may mi ngl ewith fellow campers, or select a spot inthis vast area where isolation and solitudeare real ami not just a state of mi nd.

The c a mpground is k n o w n as Los Coy-otes and is located on the Cahui l la IndianReservation of the same name which liesalong the San Ysidro Mountains, east ofW a r n e r ' s Hot Spr i ngs . LosCoyotes is oneof a numbe r of c a mpgrounds be i ng con-st ructed throughout the W e s t by an or-ganizat ion cal led Indian Campgrounds,I n c . , using Federal funds and I nd i a n man-power. Those in operat ion so far are: LosCoyot e s ; H oopa , on the K l a ma t h Ri ve r ;an d one on the Tule River , near Porter-ville.

Banning Taylor, Los Coyotesmanager, points with prideto some of hiscampgrounds' plusfactors. Co lor photo by Jim Smullen.September, 1973

Los Coyotes is the largest campgroundin San Diego County 's mountains andalso has the distinction of having thehighest peak, Hot Spr i ngs Mount a i n , ele-vation 6533 feec. So far, about 100 acreshave been developed with water, rest-rooms, and tables. Banning Taylor , LosCoyotes spokesman for the past 23 years,an d a director for I nd i a n Ca mpgrounds ,I n c . , told me that additional areas in LosCoyotes are being improved as the needdevelops. A food store is scheduled foropening soon, wi th a bath house, extendedwater supply and more tables to follow inthe near future.

Ca mpi ng is permit ted anywhere in thereservation, but most visitors seem to pre-fer a spot under the oak trees. Those seek-in g to get away from it all, like the camp-sites among pines and cedars along theroad up to Hot Spr i ngs Mount a i n . Th i sarea also has a special appeal to campersfrom Coachella and Imperial Valleys whofind the cooling breeezes of the higherelevation a welcome relief from the sum-mer heat of their home areas.

All roads in the reservation are wellmaintained, wi th the exception of a shortstretch leading up to the lookout on topof Hot Springs Mountain. This sect ion is

Indian Campgrounds, Inc., is anew all-Indian enterprise designedto use, nourish and develop the

long-dormant human and landresources ofAmerican Indians.

Its business structure isthat of amember-owned chain. Itsprimarybusiness goal isthe development

of attractive and profitablecampground/recreation areas onIndian-held landscampgroundsthat will befully competitive withsimilar facilities, both public

and private.In achieving this goal, IndianCampgrounds will produce

positive and far-reaching socialand economic reverberations.

Member campgrounds invite allcamping enthusiasts to share in

the unspoiled surroundings whichhave been their domainfor generations.


16/48

From the entrance gate the main road

d Cahuilla village site of San Ignacio.California Desert

J. Smeaton Chase tells about visit-Ignacio in I 91 8 when he was col-

e way, It was nearly sunset when they

the rancheria of San Igna cio,"wrote. It is a romantic situation,

His impressions the next morning werecolorful: T he daylight view of

ater was abundant , and the surroundingsere almost alpine in boldness and novel-

y. The air was superb, and the summerlimate delightful."

Palm Canyon, which cuts through theSan Ysidro Mountains, begins a short dis-tance east of San Ignacio and ends nearthe Anza-Borrego Park headquarters inB orrego Springs. Since hiking up thecanyon from the Borrego side is a popularactivity with visitors, I asked Taylor aboutthe possibility of traveling through thecanyon from the San Ignacio side. "Thereare nothing but cattle trails in the LosCoyotes section of the canyon and thegoing might be roug h," he said. "Bu tcapable hikers could probably make it."However, anyone considering making thetrip should check with him first for direc-

i

tions and possible sources of water alongth e way,

A road left from the turn to San Ig-nacio leads to Camp Nelson, 0.5 mileaway. This campsite among the pines isprimitive in its accommodations, but itappeals to many campers who like the iso-lation it provides. Camp Nelson takes itsname from a deer hunter who used ityearly for his hunting headquarters. Buthunting is no more. A few deer huntersextended their activities to reducing thequail and squirrel population, so the LosCoyotes residents voted to ban all hunting.

Surprisingly, other than the ban onhunting, restrictions on campers are few.And with the cooperation of visitors, it ishoped that they will remain that way. Atpresent the people of Los Coyotes ask onlythat you treat their homeland with kind-ness as you travel through it; use care instarting your campfires; and if you bringyour pets with you , keep them under con-trol so the)' don't disturb the wildlife.

Although Los Coyote lists its popula-tion at 1 50, lack of work has forced about100 to seek employment elsewhere. Themain reason for opening the reservation tocampers was to provide work for its mem-bers, which is certain to happen, once thetraveling public learns what the area hasto offer. So far, such recognition has beenslow in coming. Many campers who useLos Coyotes frequently are reluctant to

Desert Magazine


17/48

,-

Tef campers like Los Coyotes forits free firewood, water, shade, andthe extra bonus tranquillity!Left: Serene spots surrounded bypines and oaks await one-daypicnickers and weekend campers.Above: Youn gster examines oldgrinding holes where Cahuilla womenground seeds and acorns. Grindingholes may be seen in Los Coyotesand along the old trail toSanta Rosa village.praise its attractions to others, lest it jointhe ranks of other overcrowded camp-grounds. But Banning Taylor bel ievesthat, if it ever does occur, it will be toofar in the future to even think about. Andafter looking at Los Coyotes you have togo along with his conviction. Twenty-fivethousand acres can accommodate a lot ofcamping r igs.

If you visit Los Coyotes during a week-end, you can register at the entrance gatewhere you will receive the combination toa lock on a gate farther along . Cam perswith children seem to like the sense ofsecurity the locked gate provides. At timesother than weekends you can register atBanning Taylor ' s home on the way in,where you will undoubtedly be met wi thmuch ta i l -wagging and fr iendly barkingfrom his four dogs. And if you hear someunearthly screams intermingled with thebarking, don' t be a larmed. Some of Ban-Seplember, 1973

ning 's 1 I peacocks w ill just be addin gtheir voices to your welcome.

In his book, The Cahuilla Indians.Harry C. James has an interesting illustra-tion showing the locations of 31 old Ca-huilla Village sites which-he divided intoWestern, Mountain, and Desert groups.San Ignacio is included with the Moun-tain C ahuilla grou p. The re is an old In-dian trail from San Ignacio to the Moun-tain Village Wiliya that continued on toRockhouse Canyon, then up to Old SantaRosa, which Banning Taylor said is stil lpassable. This is probably the same trailChase was seeking when he was trying tofind the way from Coyote Canyon to SanIgnacio back in 1918. The numerous fire-blackened caves and bedrock grindingholes along the old trail west of SantaCatarina Springs indicate that this areamay have been the site of Wiliya Village,considered to have been one of the largestof the Mountain Cahui l la group.

If you follow Highway 79 northeastabout seven miles from Warner ' s Springs,you will be near the area of one of South-ern California's most bizarre mysteriesD e a d m a n ' s H o l e .

The story of Deadman's Hole beganback in 185 8 when a B utterfield S tagedriver found an unidentified prospectordead near a waterhole . There was no ap-parent cause of the m an's d eath. T hespring took on the name of Deadman'sHole and the incident faded into the back-

ground until 1888, when the body of an-other victim was found under almostidentical circumstances. In both instancesthe possessions of the victims were undis-turbed, ruling out robbery as a motive.

In 1889 a resident of the area wasfound dead near the spring. There werelacerations around his neck and evidenceof his body hav ing been dragged a con-siderable distance. Wealthy friends arriv-ed on the scene, determined to find thecause of his death. A six-month searchprovided no further clues, so the quest wasended.

In the same year the body of a youngIndian girl was found hidden in a clumpof brush near the spring. Like the pre-vious victim, there were lacerations aroundher neck and her body had been draggedto the place of concealment. And like theother crimes, no clues to her assailantcould be found. And thus the matter stooduntil a few months later when the mysteryof Deadman's Hole was brought to a dra-matic end.

Two hunters entered the area and re-portedly sighted a gorilla-like creature, sixfeet tall and weighing about 400 pounds,with long muscular arms and feet that ex-tended fully 20 inches. As they followedthe beast it turned as if to attack the hun-ters and one of them brought it down witha rifle bullet. It is said that since that timeDeadman's Hole has been an area of peaceand tranquilli ty.

However, some skeptics did not acceptthe hunters' story. They said the huntersnever revealed the creature's body, likethey promised to do, nor was any mentionof this seemingly newsworthy event madein a newspaper until long after i t hap-pened.

And now, back to Los Coyo tes for di-rections how to get there: Follow high-way toward Warner ' s Springs and turnright to Camino San Ignacio 0.3 milesouth of Warners. Turn r ight off CaminoSan Ignacio to Los Coyotes road and pro-ceed to a stop sign 1.5 mile ahead. Turnleft at the stop sign to reach Taylor'shome, otherwise continue ahead 4.3 milesto the Los Coyotes entrance gate.

The camping season runs from May 1 stto December 1 st. There is a charge of$3.00 a night or 15.00 a weekend forcamping. Picnicking is $2.00 a car or 50cents per person. Considering the seren-ity the area provides, these have to bebargain rates.

17


18/48

THE PILLINGARCH 1, 1950, is a day that ClarencePilling will always remember. Of

His thoughts were on two particular

He decided to stay on the ledge, ride

When he reached the overhang he was

Clarence had lived in the canyon coun-

He walked around the cave, looked into

He reached his hand into the smallthe light . . . he stared at it unbeliev-

Clarence Pilling had been around In-pockets and rode slowly back to the linecabin on the mesa top. There he wrappedeach one in layers of tissue, (there wasonly one kind available), placed the dollsbetween two pillows, tied them togetherwith twine and carried the package intoPrice on his pack mule.

"The Pilling Figurines," as they werenamed, were shipped off to the Pea-bodyMuseum at Harvard University where Dr.Noel Morss made a study of their mater-ial, style and handwork. He dated themas probably having been made in the 11thCentury, which means they are in the

Desert Magazine


19/48

neighborhood of 800 or 900 years of age.They are considered in archeological l i ter-ature to excel both in beauty and technicalconstruction any like find of comparativeage in the American Southwest.

The Figurines are four to six incheshigh, and the natural clay used is grey- '

white or pink-red. Five of them were pro-tected by a thin sandstone slab on thecave shelf, and were wel l preserved. Theremainder were exposed to wind and sandscouring and lack some of the intricateornaments that would make them com-plete. All are made of unbaked clay, and

b y E n i d H o w a r dthe cross marks on the back would indi-cate that they were laid on a basket trayto dry when they were finished. Ratherlike ornamental cookies.

T he Figurin es are paired m ale andfemale, and the sexes are clearly distin-guished in both anatomy and dress. Thedetail of construction and decoration isintricate and artistic in that each tinypear or disc-shaped ornament of the neck-lace or belt is perfect with no raggededges, and they have been applied fromthe bottom up so that the upper rows al-ways overlap the tops of the preceedingrow. The dress of each Figurine is unlikethe others, as are the facial expressions.Eyes are indicated by transverse indentedslits, and stripes of red and white paintedon cheeks and forehead.

The female Figurines have the hairdressed in heavy bobs bound with cord,hanging down over the shoulders, andtheir manner of decoration suggests anapron type garment around the hips, withthe men wearing breechclouts, except onewhich has a sort of kilt.

It is indeed remarkable that such deli-cate objects should remain undamaged forthe several centuries they reposed on theledge in "Pillings Cave," where Clarencefound them.

W h o was the artist and why were theycreated ? Did they have cerem onial sig-nificance, or merely a special family por-trait grou p ? W as the artist m ale or fe-male? These questions tease our minds,but we can possibly never unravel themystery. The artist could not have for-seen that a cowboy of the future, round-ing up stray cattle, would p robe thecrevice in the canyon wall and sunlightwould again fall upon eleven Figurinesof skilled primitive craftmanship. TheFig urines are a gift from the past, onethat stirs the imagination and has giventoday a small glimpse of yesterday.

The Figurines have been exhibited inSalt Lake City, Utah, and the PrehistoricMuseum at Price. At present they are ondisplay in the lobby of the Carbon CountyBank in Price, where they have their ownspecial glass case to protect them fromdamage. Q


20/48

A moon-likelandscape providesa unique campingspot.

b yL e o n a r d R .

T a n t e e

IT WAS a little past midnigh t as webounced along in our car on thebottom of Searles Dry Lake in California'sSan Bernardino county. The air had justa touch of coldness in it on this moonlitMay night. Silver clouds slept in the navy-blue sky, silhouetting the tall and myster-ious T rona Pinnacles that majesticallyreached up to the stars. I slowly broughtthe car up to the base of a pinnacle andparked in the bright moonlight. My wifeand I had returned to this masterpieceof 'Nature's once again.

One hundred-twenty miles and threehours from Los Angeles, with a coffeebreak midway, we found ourselves di-rectly in the middle of Searles Dry Lake,heading for the pinnacles on the distantsouthern shores. There is no "maintained"road over the lake, and the mud-packedroad that does exist is quite teacherous.W hen storm clouds are rolling acrossthe desert sky, it is best to avoid themuddy tracks.

Just off the paved Trona-Wildroseroad, a large Spanish and English signboldly warns the desert explorer of thedangerous area ahead. Most people usingthe Trona-Wildrose road travel past thesign and the pinnacles, unaware of theirexistence. People on this road, for themost part, are following one of the most


21/48

historical and scenic routes into nearbyDeath Valley.

The pinnacles are a land to visit onbalmy winter days. But they are best leftalone on dripping-wet winter days andsimmering summer days. If you find your-self crossing this dry lake for the rewardof the pinnacles, check your gas, water,your tires and that spare, and your legsto take you to the town of Trona, shouldyou need help in getting your car out ofmud or sand.

The friendly chemical-producing com-munity of Trona is ten miles away tothe northeast. As we set up our tent andstarted a warm fire going in the moon-light, I noticed the lights from Trona.They flickered on the dry shores of along-ago lake much as the stars flickeredabove us.

Some history of this captivating pieceof desert will explain its discovery bywhite man and its formation by nature.

The dry lake is named after its dis-coverer, John Searles, who crossed thelake in 1862 in search of riches in thenearby Slate M ounta in range. As hecrossed the lake, he idly picked up a fewcrystals simply to look at them. He had noidea as he tossed the crystals back down,that he was standing on top of his futurefortunes. Ten years later, while in NevadaSearles happened to see the process oftaking borax from a dry lake. The crystalslooked vaguely familiar. Then dollar signsflashed in his eyes! H e had crossed asimilar dry lake somewhere near the SlateMountain range. One more year passedbefore Searles and his brother returnedto the shore of the dry lake that bears

| |

their name and filed a mining claim. In1874, the two brothers founded the SanBern ard in o Min in g Co .

Twelve years later, in 1896, Searles soldhis company, and soon after there was alag in productivity. T hen, in 1913, apermanent processing plant was construct-ed and named the American Trona Com-pany. The word Trona comes from oneof the many minerals mined in the saltsof the dry lake. During World War I ,there was a serious shortage of potashhere in America. Potash is another one ofthe many salt chemicals that come fromdry playas, or dry lakes. Potash is usednormally for soaps, fertilizers, and,strangely enough, tooth pastes. But duringWorld War I , our government needed i tto produce explosives. The scientists work-ing for our armed forces knew how tochange potash into potassium chlorate,which at this point became the "bang" ina bomb. Most potash was imported fromGermany. The Allied blockade cut off ourimport of potash from Germany. Whenimported potash dwindled, the prices ofit spiralled skyward. The town of Trona,hidden out in the desert, boomed.

Today, the chemical company has a newname: The American Potash and ChemicalCompany. The lake yields potash, sodaash, borax, boric acid, salt cake, lithium,

Above; P innaclesrise from the

desert floor andcreate a

science-fictionatmosphere.

Right: A closerview of the

pinnacles withSearles Dry Lake

in the background.

September, 197i


22/48

Searles Lake was a very deep and vastonly called the Ice Age. W ater s

That is how the water got there. But

1 5 thousands years ago, it was at least

another 130 feet higher than the presentday surface of the dry lake. And whenyou see the massive expanse of desertonce covered by water that deep, itwas a large lake indeed. Today, tall andlonely pinnacles stand like sentries guard-ing the secrets of a long-ago lake.

W e rose with the sun on our firstmorning. Beams of the new day driftedacross the desert and painted the norm-ally white pinnacles a vibrant, warm gold.After breakfast my wife and I preparedto hike through, over, and around thepinnacles. Through experience gained onprevious rock-hounding weekends, wehave found backpacks to be the answerto carrying all the rocks that we find forcutting, tumbling, or shelf display. Aswe find a rock, we simply toss it into ourback packs.

I wra pped myself in rock chisels, arock pick, a three pound sledge hammer,my 33mm camera and various othercamera paraphernalia. My wife adornedheuself with two large canteens, rockchisels and hamm ers, and emergencysupplies in her backpack, plus the re-sponsibility of watching our puppybeagle, Mitzi.

DIAMOND DRILL POINTSGood drill points ar e necessary with an y drillpress. Tw o styles ar e listed below. T he solid style ha sa drilling point composed of a special alloy and dia-mond bort. This type of drill is delicate an d needs carein its use. However, wH h care, th e solid type is muchlonger lived an d will drill more holes pe r dollar. T hehollow core style drill has a hollow steel ti p which iscoated with diamonds by a special process. This styledrill, drills very fast and is less delicate and can beused by the beginner with good success. We do recom-mend this type drill for beginners and for extra fastdrilling in Opal, Obsidian, etc.The Ne w "W HIZ-Z-Z Sintered Diamond DrillsSh an k Size Pr ice E a c h1.00 mm $5.501.50 mm ..._ _ - _ 5.002.00 m m _.._ _ _ 5.503/16 inch 6.003/16 inch _ 7.001/8 inch _ .... 8.001/8 inch _ 9.00Prices on request for larger drillsup to 8 mm

Metro Diamond DrillVitromet Bonded Diamond DrillsHer e are the handiest Vitromet Bonded DiamondTools developed for the Jewelry an d Lapidary Crafts-,-nan for drilling, reaming an d beveling Gemstones.

i l l i i Drills W ith 3/3 2" ShankNo . 8 1 mm (3/16" diamond depth) . $7.50No. 9 IVi mm (3/16" diamond depth) $700No . 10 1V4 mm $6.50

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AS A DRILLBasic unit. Drills clean holes faster. Comes withmotor, chuck, foot rheostat, drill pan and drilling tem-S late. Booklet of operating instructions included,ickle Plated - - $42.50(Does no t include price of diamond drill point.)

Be sure to include sufficient postageany overpayment will be refundedSHIPLEY'SMINERAL HOUSE

On Hwy. 160 in southwest Colorado, 18 mileseast of Durango or 1 % miles west of Bayfield.Mailing Address:SHIPLEY'S MINERAL HOUSE, Gem Village,Bayfield D, Colorado 81122Phone: 303-884-2632

SEND FOR NEW CATALOG No. 9-BLOTTIE M. SHIPLEY

When we had finished getting ready,we looked as if we were display racksright out of a sporting goods store. De-spite all of this, ironically, we were readyto spend the day in search of miniature"caverns" and bubbly sheets of orange-stained rock looking very much likechalcedony.

I just mentioned that we were aboutto search for "miniature" caverns. Thatis exactly how the surface of the pinnaclesappear. By close observation, small cavi-ties, from three to six inches by fiveinches deep, have small columns in themresembling dripping wax. They bring tomind stalactites and stalagmites one seesin caverns. The colors range from white,through beige to a brown. However, withsome patience and close scrutiny, I havefound a small cavern with purple andvivid blue form ations in it. W e also havea beauty with black and red inside it.Some hard chiseling is required to workout the caverns from the side of the pin-nacle without damaging the materials thatyou want.

There are many pieces of odd-shapedrocks and caverns in the fallen rocks atthe base of the pinnacles. It was in oneof these fallen rock piles that I foundone white pinnacle about three feet long,laying on its side. Its base diameter isten inches and then it tapers to a pointthree feet away. It makes you think of alarge candle, being the way the smallercolumns run down its sides. Perhaps 15thousand years ago, it was the upper-most peak of one of the huge pinnacles.

Close to six hours after leaving ourcamp, we walked through the shadow ofa pinnacle and saw our tent and car. W ediscarded our gear, then relaxed as na-ture presented us with a beautiful desertsunset. Pinnacles pointed up to the pinkpuffs of clouds that were overhead. Theshadows of the pinnacles raced out overthe desert toward the darkness that wasclimbing the mountains to the east be-hind us.

When the sun gracefully finished pull-ing the last remains of the day from thesky, we were again swallowed by a navy-blue night. Stars sprinkled like diamonds.With a small fire going, my wife and Isat back and reflected in this lonely andmoody piece of country. It clears a man'smind; gives him a fresher outlook on life.It is like medicine out here, a quiet, peace-ful place, these Trona Pinnacles.


23/48

SeptobenQuite possibly the nicest time to vacation inGanyonlands, U.S.A.VACATIONING in southeastern Utah is great anytime of the year. But the time that's becoming afavorite with many visitors is Septober, that delight-ful period from Labor Day to Halloween. The daysare pleasantly warm and clear, the nights crispand brilliant.Unlike many National Parks areas, Canyonlands isnever crowded. And it's even less so in Septemberand October. There are plenty of modern accom-modations, restaurants and camping facilitiesthroughout the region.

You will find as much to do as to see in Canyon-lands, U.S.A. Go exploring in the hundreds of Indianruins. Go boating or rafting on the mighty rivers. Gowater skiing or fishing at Lake P owell, or camp alongthe 1,800 mile shoreline. B ring your 4 -wheel drivevehicle or trail bike and enjoy the spectacular backcountry. Or just enjoy the sights from your car alongmodern highways. Whatever you want to do,Septober is the perfect time to do it.There is a complete and co lorful Canyonlands Vaca-tion K it awaiting you. Just drop us a note today andwe'll send you one. Free.

Canyonlands, U.S.A.88 North Main StreetMonticello, Utah 84 53 4


24/48Desert Magazine


25/48

C a l i f o r n i a ' sA l a b a m aH i l l sb yG a r yR i c h a r d s o n

The Alabama Hillswith theSierra Nevadarange for abackdrop.Color photo byD.avid Muench,Santa Barbara,California,

J U S T W E S T of Lone Pine, California, aseries of hills parallel both Highway395 and the Sierra Nevada for some tenmiles. To the casual tourist driving alongthe highway these hills seem an unneces-sary obstruction to his view of the abruptSierra escarpment, the barren sand-and-gravel-strewn hillsides blocking his viewof the more spectacular granite faces andcanyons of the mountains. Occasionally,the more adventurous traveler leaves thehighway via one of the dusty side roadsand is rewarded by a view of one of themost curious geological anomalies ofthis planetthe Alabama Hills.Eighty million years ago a mass of mol-ten granite began to force its way fromthe bowels of the earth up through the

Continued on Page 4(J


26/48

r

f

Gold panning can be fun,as well as, often rewarding .

Members of the Antelope ValleyGem & Alineral Society try theirluck in Benson Gulch,

a tributary of Goler Gulch.r* ^ j ^ - ^


27/48

lit.

11

'm .I..' M a r y F r a n c e s S t r o n gp h o t o s b y J e r r y S t r o n g

During the 1880s, Goler G ulch w as nearly all under claim. Mining has been intermittent since the turn of the century. How-ever, a few old buildings such as this one at the Yellow Lily Mine, have stood gallantly against the harsh ravages of time.

THE M E RE M E NT I O N of a los t go ldmine has always quickened the heartsof men, raised their pulse rate and broughtvisions of great ad venture and ultimateriches. Man's desire for gold has been sogreat he has willingly endured unbeliev-able hardships and often given his life inthe quest for this precious and elusivemetal .

Though he may be on the verge of star-vation and almost crazy from lack ofwater, a man can momentarily forget hisdilemma upon discovering a golden trea-sure. Such was the case in the winter of1849 when Fred Goller paused to rest ina dry gulch and found gold nuggets inthe gravel.

At the time, Goller was a member ofthe ill-fated Bennett-Arcane party beingled out of D eath Valley by W illiam M an-ley. Though on the way to safety, theirordeal was not over as they crossed thegreat Mojave Desert. Traveling on foot

and in a weakened state, verging on col-lapse, Goller realized he was not in anycondition to stake a claim. H owe ver, hepicked up several nuggets, filled a pocketKubtemher. 7 07?

with gold-bearing sand and then quicklysketched a rough map of the area. Healso planted his gun on a low rise to helpidentify the locale when he returned.

Goller was not destined to find the siteof his golden nuggets though he searchedfor it many years. D ur in g one of his ex-plorations with a newly acquired partner,J. C. Cuddeback, they discovered placergold in Red Rock Canyon. Goller con-tinued to search periodically for his "lostgold" during the several years he placermined his claims in the canyon. H e ap-pears to have vanished abruptly from thescene, as well as any later recorded his-tory.

Perhaps he used his poke to return toa more civilized life or, quite possibly,he met with foul play. The latter is notunlikely, since marauding Indians and"highway men" were roaming the areaduring this period.

Goller had shown his nuggets and re-lated his story 1:0 any one w ho w oul d lis-ten. Eventually, many men searched for"Goller 's Lost Gold"to no avai l .

Goller wasn't around in 1893 when

rich placer gro und was discovered in adry gulch on the southern side of the ElPaso Mountains . The new bonanza wasbelieved to have been the site of his lostgold and the district, as well as the longnarrow canyon (called a gu lch ), werepromptly named in his honor.

It is always amazing to learn howquickly the word of a new strike couldreach the outside world in the days beforeany modern means of communication wereavailable. Hundreds of prospectors weresoon rushing hell-bent for Goler Gulch.Stories circulated about gravel that glitter-ed with gold and the $10 to $1000 nug-gets being found on the ground.

Fortunately, discoverers Reed and Ben-son, and other long-time prospectors inthe area, had time to stake the best groundbefore the hordes arrived. On March 15,1 8 9 3 , 10 miners held a meeting and laidout the boundary lines of the new district.A secretary and recorder were elected andthe first mine recorded was the "JackassPlacer."

Within a tew weeks, the length andbreadth of Goler Gulch, and its tribu-


28/48

taries. were under claim. Men with primi-tive dry-washers began skimming the"cream" and reports of sizeable nuggetsbeing found were relayed to Los Angelesnewspapers. With new people arr ivingdaily, a camp soon rose on high groundeast of the Gulch. Known as GolerHeights, i t housed mining camp necessitiessuch as a saloon, boarding house and store

Left: In dry countrywhere streamsare absent,gold-panning canbe done b y bringingyour own waterand tub.Below: You seem tohave stepped backin history at theLady K Mine(formerly the early-day Fine Gold)where owners, Johnand Kathleen Firdon,have kept the dugoutand mine in almostits original state.

along with numerous tents and hastilybuilt cabins. However, Goler never at-tained the status of "town" but remaineda busy camp.

In the Goler District, most of the placergold occurred as very flat flakes in auri-ferous boulder gravels of what is nowcalled the Tertiary Goler Formation. I t layupon the surface of basement rocks ex-

M I M I

O N E F L A K E |MINEasK INC. j T ' "A

posed at intervals along the west side ofthe Gulch for several m iles north. T hegreatest concentrations appear to havebeen in Benson Gulcha side tributary.

Considerable gold was taken from theplacers but, since mining was by indivi-dual claim owners, there isn't an accuraterecord of production. The Wells-Fargoagent at nearby Garlock reported $500,-000 in gold was shipped through hisoffice. It is believed that around a milliondollars in gold was actually mined duringthe years 1893 to 1905.

Dry-washing was hard work and whenthe accumulated surface gold was gone,most of the men moved on. However,mining on a small scale has continued in-termittently over the past 60 years. Dur-ing the depression of the 193O's there wasa resurgence of mining at the Golerplacers. A number of men and their fami-lies came to try and eke out a living fromthe gravels.

W e met a member of such a familyduring one of our trips to Goler Gulchthis past April . Charlie Behrens was justa boy when his family moved to GolerH e i ght s .

"W e came in 1931 and I've lived hereever since, " Ch arlie told u s. "There werequite a few men working the gravels andabout a dozen kids attended the one-roomschool up in the Gulch," he continued.Th oug h raised in a min ing camp, Charlie 'sinterest wasn't in mining. He loves thedesert, however, and has a keen interestin the history of the Goler District. Nowretired, he finds his comfortable home inGoler Heights provides the "elbow room"he needs.

From Charlie's front yard we had acommanding view of the desert, as wellas a bird's-eye view of the Gulch. Charliepointed out the various side gulches andclaims then guided us on a trip up GolerGulch to T he Narrow s. F our-wheel -driveis necessary for exploring beyond theEdith E Mine as the trail up the wash hasstretches of loose sand.

It was a beautiful drive. N um erou swinter storms had turned the deep, nar-row canyon into a wildflower garden.Desert dandelion, gilia, coreopsis, penny-royal and very brilliantly colored paint-brush were among the flowers we recog-nized. Just north of Sand Gulch we sawa large group of thistle-sage. Their beau-tiful purple coloring was even morestriking than usual with the late after-noon sun shining through the blossoms.


29/48

As we drove along, Charlie pointed outold mines and various outcrops of thegold-bearing gravel which can readily beseen along the canyon's west wall. Manyclaims are still held in Goler Gulch andsome unfriendly signs have been posted byone owner to discourage visitors. Charlieassured us the 4-WD trail through theGulch is open for public use. Do nottrespass on claims along the route and itwill remain so.

About three miles from the highway,the canyon walls abruptly close down toa mere slit in solid rock. This is "TheNarrows." The abrasive force of gravel-bearing waters have cut a winding pass-age, barely one car width, through therock strata. Small 4- W D vehicles w illfind easy access but 4-WD pickups, espe-cially those with a camper, must proceedwith caution to avoid the sharp, pointedrocks in the walls. It is only a short dis-tance through the Narrows. The trail con-tinues northerly to Mormon Gulch, theneventually junctions with the Sheep

Springs Road. The latter is a 4-WD trailleading south from old Highway 395 viaSheep Springs through the El Paso Moun-tains to a junction with Mesquite CanyonRoad. Four-wheelers will enjoy exploringthis back-country. Since we had traveledover the route previously, we didn't electto do so on this trip.Instead, we headed back down thegulch to a flower-covered mine adit thatJerry wanted to photograph. When westopped at the "Lady K Mine" we werequickly greeted by a bright-eyed young-ster and his dog. Before long, "Goober"introduced us to the mine owners (hisparents) John and Kathleen Firdon. Aninvitation to explore the old mine andits some 1 200 feet of underground placerworkings was accepted. Kathy was ourguide, since she mines the ore. John hasa respiratory problem which prevents himfrom w ork ing whe re oxygen is scarce.Armed with a carbide lamp, flashlightsand hardhats, we followed Kathy into theadit and along drifts that led in severaldirections. It would be easy to get lostundergroundthe only place I seem tolose my sense of direction.

Kathy pointed out the gold-bearinggravels and showed us several small driftsshe is working. She digs bucketfulls ofthe gravel and then carries them out toa dry-washer for processing. The Firdonsare examples of a new breed of prospec-torsmainly hobbyists who enjoy miningSeptember, 1973

as their leisure time activity. They havesome dandy samples to prove there is still"gold in Goler Gulch."

Their cabin is as fascinating as themine, since it was originally an adit. Evi-dently not much gold was found in the

drifts and it was turned into living quar-ters. Running back about 20 feet intothe hill, it has a 24-inch, solid rock facingwhich shields most of the area from ex-treme summer heat and winter cold. Early-day miners knew how to beat the elements

Above: CharlieBebrens is the"old-timer" at

Goler Gulch wherehe has lived forover 40 years.His home is one

of the few remainingat Goler Heights.Goler Gulch is in

far background.Right: Howard

Lampert, left, andEd Reed operate a

portable dry-washerduring the Antelope

Valley Gem &Mineral Society's

field trip toGoler Gulch.


30/48

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without benefit of gas or electricity.Our visit to Goler Gulch had been re-warding and the sun had slipped behind

the mountains when we started for home.It was a locale we wanted to explorefurther.

Our next trip found us joining mem-bers of the Antelope Valley Gem & Min-eral Society in a'search for gold. LeonardTunnell, the club's enthusiastic president,was the W agon ma ster and he led thegroup into Benson Gulch. This was avery productive area in the early days

197309 desert magazine 1973 september

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