Presented by the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce

WILLIAM and JOY KNYVETTCo-Publishers/ Editors

GEORGE BRAGA, Art DirectorSHARLENE KNYVETT, Art DepartmentMARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistMARVEL BARRETT, Circulation Manager

Color Separations byHenry Color Service

Lithographed byWolfer Printing Company, Inc.

Available in Microfilm byXerox University Microfilms

DUIALMAGAZINE

Volume 41, Number 7 JULY 1978

CONTENTS

THE COVER:Colorful desert sands ofOwens Valley, California nearState 190. Photo by DavidMuench of Santa Barbara,California.

F E A T U R E S

TWO OF MONO'S FORGOTTEN GHOSTS 8 Roger Mitchell

NEW MEXICO'S WHITE SANDS 12 Edwin D. Anthony

SEVENTEEN PALMS OASIS 16 Dick Bloomquist

BEAR VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 18 Howard Neal

DESERT WILDERNESS, NEW BATTLEGROUND FOR BLM 20 Bill Jennings

OWENS LAKE LOOP TRIP 24 Mary Frances Strong

ANASAZI INDIAN VILLAGE 30 Betty Shannon

PARASITES OF THE DESERT 32 Wayne P. Armstrong

CASA GRANDE TO QUIJOTOA 36 Dick Bloomquist

WHAT'S COOKING ON THE DESERT? 40 Stella Hughes

D E P A R T M E N T S

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE 4 William Knyvett

NEW BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS 6 Book Reviews

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 38 Club Activities

TRADING POST 42 Classified Listings

BOOKS OF THE WEST 44 Mail Order Items

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 46 Readers' Comments

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-425Highway 111, P. 0. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260. TelephoneArea Code 714 346-8144. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and pos-sessions; 1 year, $7.00; 2 years, $13.00; 3 years, $19.00. All other countriesadd $2.00 U. S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form inthis issue. Allow five weeks for change of address and send both new and

Desert/ July 1978

old addresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly.Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additionalmailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1978 byDESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents mustbe secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not bereturned unless accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelope.

BACK ISSUBARGAINSVOLUMES FOR YEARS

1966*1969*197411 issues only

S/JOO!4COMPLETE VOLUMES

FOR YEARS1967 • 1968 • 19701971* 1972* 1973

and 1975

ONLY $ C Q 0 EACH5VOLUMES FOR YEARS

1976 • 1977

ONLY $ C 0 0 EACH6'Send check or money order to

DESERT MAGAZINEP.O. Box 1318

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260

Lowest Photo Print PricesHighest Quality

KODACOLOR FILMDEVELOPED & PRINTED

Standard 12 Jumbo Prints 2.18Standard 12 Jumbo Prints and

New Roll of KODACOLOR 3.34Kodacolor Neg. Standard reprints. 15

SEND FOR PRICE SHEETS& ENVELOPES. All PhotoPrices are Comparably lowNo gimmicks.No lies.More than 50 years of con-tinuous photo service guar-antees your quality and ourintegrity.

MARKET BASKET PHOTO CO. D.P. O. Box 370, Yuma, Arizona 85364 orP. O. Box 2830, San Diego, Calif. 92112

publisher'syk

I f f ELL, I guess our desert has reallyMM been discovered! It wasn't too manyI f years ago that a person who ventur-ed into the desert during the summermonths was thought to be daft. Now,places like Death Valley, the hottestplace in the United States, is experienc-ing tremendous popularity right in theJuly/August scorchers.

Other California resort areas such asPalm Springs and Palm Desert, whichwere very, very seasonal, are now year-round attractions.

One enterprising company, manufac-turers of Palm Springs Desertan SuntanOil, is holding the First Palm SpringsDesertan Suntanning Contest from June30th to July 4th! Registration will takeplace in the Desert Inn Fashion Plaza onJune 30th between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.Each contestant will have their skin colormeasured with a light meter and theperson with the best color accumulation(other than red, I presume), will win tworound-trip tickets to Lake Tahoe, via AirCalifornia. The winner will be exhilarat-ed, obviously, all others will do a slowburn. Ouch!!

Our feature article this month is onthat ever-popular recreational area ofCalifornia's beautiful Owens Valley. Besure to catch Mary Frances Strong's"Owens Valley Loop Tr ip," as well asRoger Mitchell's interesting tale of"Mono's Two Forgotten Ghosts." Thisvalley on the eastern side of the SierraNevada, holds fascinations galore forback-packers, fishermen, hikers, rock-hounds, ghost town and old mining buffs— you name it, Owens Valley has it.

COOK BOOKSFor the outdoor enthusiast,and those who like to flavortheir life with the unusual

ROUGHING IT EASY by Dian Thomas, putsthe fun back into camping with easy andeconomical ways to prepare foods, equip acampsite and organize a camping trip. Pa-perback. 203 pages, $5.95.

AMERICAN INDIAN FOOD AND LORE byCarolyn Neithammer. Original Indian plantsused for foods, medicinal purposes, etc., de-scribed, plus unusual recipes. Large format,191 pages, profusely illustrated, $4.95.

DUTCH OVEN COOK BOOK by Don Holm.New and exciting culinary adventures inDutch Oven cooking. Heavy paperback, 106pages, $4.95.

ARIZONA COOK BOOK by Al and MildredFischer. Unusual recipes for Indian cooking,Mexican dishes, Western specialties. Uniquecollection. Paperback, 142 pages, $3.00.

CACTUS COOK BOOK compiled by Joyce L.Tate. An excellent selection of recipes thatemphasize their edible or potable qualities.Also includes chapter on Food Preservation.Paperback, 127 pages, $2.00.

SOURDOUGH COOKBOOK by Don andMyrtle Holm. How to make a sourdoughstarter, and many dozens of sourdough re-cipes. Paperback, 136 pages, illus., $4.95.CITRUS COOK BOOK by Glenda McGlllls.An unusual and outstanding treasury ofcitrus cookery. Includes tips on freezing,juicing and shipping. Paperback, spiralbound, $2.00.

CALIFORNIA COOK BOOK by Al and Mil-dred Fischer. Recipes divided into "EarlyCalifornia," "CaliforniaFruits," "CaliforniaProducts," "Sea Foods" and "Wine Cook-ing." 400 more unique collections by theFischers. Paperback, 142 pages, $3.00.

Please add 50c per total .orderfor postage and handling

California residents please add 6% Sales tax

Send check or money order today to

Magazine Book Shop

P.O. Box 1318Palm Desert, California 92260

Desert/July 1978

GaptttitaSunshitieA marvelous new book about

John W. Hilton"The Dean of American Desert Painters"

byKatherine Ainsworth

Just one of the many beautifully reproduced Hilton paintings included in the book.

The Man Who Captured Sunshine is a biography of aremarkable, modern day, Renaissance Man — John W. Hilton.

Though John Hilton is best known as the "Dean of American

Desert Painters," he is also a distinguished botanist, gemologist,

and zoologist. Hilton also is a noted writer and linguist, a guitarist

and singer.

The author, Katherine Ainsworth, makes no apology for the

"lack of objectivity" in writing this book... she has been a friend

and admirer of John Hilton for over thirty years. Katie's late

husband, Ed Ainsworth, was John Hilton's best friend for almost

as many years. This "labor of love" has resulted in a magnificent

book about a magnificent man.

The Man Who Captured Sunshine is inspirational... a

book which inspires one to overcome adversity, to achieve

excellence, to strive for a genuine joy of living. The reader will cry,

but more often will find himself/herself enjoying the pleasure of

hearty laughter, of grand adventure. The significance of this book,

above all else, lies in an impelling force which inspires the reader

to live a fuller, more meaningful, more joyous l i fe. . . to be a doer, a

creator, a giver.

TO PLACE ORDER:Please send check or money order ($12.95 per copy)

DESERT MAGAZINE BOOK SHOPP.O. Box 1318Palm Desert, California 92260

California residents add 6% sales tax, and please enclose50C for postage and handling.

«5 AN ETC PUBLICATION

"Booksfor

TDesertTraders

All books reviewed are available through theDesert Magazine Book Shop. Please add 50c

• per total order for handling and Californiaresidents must include 6% state sales tax.

THE AUDUBONSOCIETYFIELD GUIDE TONORTH AMERICANBIRDS

Western Region

By MiklosD. F. Udvardy

This guide covers the birds of westernNorth America, with the chain of theRocky Mountains serving as a conven-ient natural division of the vast NorthAmerican continent. Altogether, 508species are described and illustrated; inaddition, a small number of "acciden-ta l " or marginally occurring species arelisted in the back of the book.

No matter how a bird guide is organ-ized, its illustrations must form the basisof bird identification. This book usesphotographic illustrations rather thanpaintings or drawings common in tradi-tional guide books because photographsadd a new dimension in realism andnatural beauty.

This guide also departs from the stan-dard grouping of birds by scientificfamilies, that is, according to structuralfeatures. It does so simply because anovice would probably not know thefamily of a bird seen in the wild andwould have to search at random throughthe pages of a conventional guide untilhe hit upon a picture that looked like thebird he had glimpsed.

The illustrations in this book have thusbeen organized not by families but by

WE'VE GOT IT ALL

Rancho Off-Road Center can supply all your 4x4 needs, from a push bar to aBlazer . . . and everything in between. If you're in the market for a 4x4 rig,Rancho Chevrolet is right next door with a lot full of new and used 4x4pickups and Blazers.

We've got it all!

EOUMIZML J

BANCHQ7028-DM Reseda Blvd.

Reseda, California 91335(213)345-5854

clearly visible characteristics. They havebeen grouped according to an obvioussimilarity in shape or appearance amongcertain birds, as for example, in thegroup called "Cull-like Birds," or ac-cording to a shared behavior pattern, asin the group called "Tree-clingingBirds." Although these categories arehardly perfect—nature does not alwayslend itself to neat classifications—theywill surely prove very useful as a firststep in identifying a bird.

So the bird-watcher using this guidecan see at a glance the typical shapes ofthe birds in each category, silhouettes ofthose shapes are shown on the pages im-mediately preceding the entire section of627 color plates. Most of these beautifulphotographs are of adult males, sincethey are generally the most colorful andconspicuous and thus the easiest toidentify.

This guide is definitely a new function-al format that should be a treat for everybird watcher. Covered with a sturdyvinyl, this guide contains 627 four-colorphotographs, 853 pages, and is priced at$8.95.

It is often said that a bird in the handis worth two in the bush. Well, with thisbook in the bush, you've got all the birdsin your hand.

DesolationWilderness

DESOLATION WILDERNESSa complete guide to over 200 miles oftrail and 140 trout streams and lakes

By Roberts. Wood

Desolation Wilderness must surelyoffer as much beauty per square mile asany alpine region in the world. But theattributes that keep it the most popularroadless area in the state—and the thirdmost heavily used Wilderness in Amer-ica—are its compactness and its ease ofaccess. No wild section of the Sierracrest is friendlier, more easily reached or

Desert/July 1978

easier to travel. This combination ofwildness, popularity and beauty sug-gests why Congress, in October 1969,conferred upon it full Wilderness statuswhile expanding its boundaries by nearly50 percent.

In outline, The Wilderness looks likean irregular oval, with its long axis fol-lowing the Sierra crest. It ranges six toeight miles in width, about 15 miles inlength, and comprises just better than100 square miles. Topographically, thearea is most easily envisioned as twoback-to-back glacially excavated valleyslying between two parallel ranges ofmountains.

The region covered by this book-about 150 square miles —includes theWilderness proper (just 100 squaremiles) plus the buffer zone that lies be-tween it and the roadheads that provideaccess. Generally speaking, this regionis bounded by Highway 89 along LakeTahoe in tile east, Highway 50 in thesouth, the Wrights and Loon Lakes roadsin the west, and the Miller Lake JeepTrail to Wentworth Springs in the north.

Ease of travel within the Wildernessregion will amaze habitues of the mightysouthern. Dayhikers can easily visit halfa dozen lakes in several watersheds be-fore returning to camp or car. It is evenpractical to make an east-west traverseof the region in a single day.

Desolation Wilderness, because of itscompactness, its small size and compar-atively low elevation, is justly famous asthe gentlest, friendliest, most invitingsection of the Sierra Nevada crest. Butvisitors should not be lulled by any falsesense of security. The land is wild andcan be hazardous, even to the experienc-ed and prepared. Newcomers to back-packing often come poorly prepared forwilderness survival, and Desolation'sfriendly reputation may cause many tounderestimate its potential dangers.

The least menacing aspect of the en-vironment is its wildlife. There are norattlesnakes or scorpions (or poison oak)and the relatively docile black bear rare-ly ventures into such open, unshelteredcountry. The shy coyote, like the deer,makes himself scarce during the summermonths, but moves freely through thecountry during the winter, spring andfall.

This new revised edition of the Desola-tion Wilderness country gives a shorthistory of the area, and then divides it

Desert/July 1978

into eight separate regions. Each ofthese regions constitutes a chapter in thebook. The chapter is further divided intosections, and each section is a separatetrail. Numerous maps, drawn by theauthor, show many miles of trails and

cross-country routes not found else-where. With this book, even a strangerto the area can find his way with easethrough the 150 square miles of moun-tain wilderness described.

Paperback, well illustrated, $4.95.

Off the Beaten Track with Summer Reading ...

THE BLACK ROCK DESERTby Sessions S. Wheeler

The unknown people who, thousands of years ago, lived beside a largelake and left behind puzzling evidences of their cultures; the first whiteexplorers; the forty-niners who followed Lassen's "Death Route"; thedesert's vicious Indian war; lost mines; and the history of the basin's bigranches are included in the fascinating story of an unusual part of ourearth, Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

"Buck" Wheeler is widely known as an authority on Nevada history andgeology.

Paperbound, Illustrated with Photographs

Paintings by Craig Sheppard

The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.Box 700

Caldwell, Idaho 83605

$4.95

Whether you see Lake Powell aboard one of our boats, or yours, you'll never forget this"Grand Canyon with water" Plan your vacation with us.

• Houseboat & powerboat rentals • Guided boat tours • Restaurants• Accommodations: RV hook-ups & rooms • Fishing guides & charters• Backcountry four-wheel guided trips • Lake fly-overs • Supplies

• Boat docking, storage, servicing^ • 1 • • • HM ••§ MB BB1 • • • • •

Please send color brochure and rates on one or more of the following:

III

• WahweapLodge & Marina

(602) 645-2433P.O. Box 1597'Page AZ 86040

Name

• HiteMarinaTelephone'

Hanksville UT 84734

• BullfrogResort & Marina

Telephone"Hanksville UT 84734

'For Bullfrog & Hite,call Toil-Free.

In Utah, 1-800-662-1754.From other states,

1-800-453 1700.

Address.

City - S t a t e . . Z i p .

III

Phone DM

Long abandoned railsto nowhere [above] and

weather-worn skeletons ofonce sturdy structures

[right opposite] are all thatremain of Blind Spring Hill.

Two ©•

ghosts.^ ^ ^ by ROGER MITCHELL ^ ^ T

Desert/July 1978

m HE CIVIL WAR was well underway.o While the forces of blue and grey• were locked in mortal combat in theEast, out West there was a different kindof excitement. The gold rush of '49 hadquieted down and it was now silver thatwas getting all the attention. In a remotecorner of California, just west of the Ne-vada State line in Mono County, the min-ing camps of Montgomery City and BlindSpring Hill were just becoming known,as was Benton, their major supplycenter.

The founding fathers of Montgomeryhad no doubt of that camp's potential forsuccess, so they named it "MontgomeryCity." And a city it was, for a whileanyway. Unfortunately for those optimis-tic souls, the cycle of birth, boom andbust was a short one. The ore failed tolive up to the promising surface show-ing, and a flash flood roaring out of theWhite Mounains wiped out the town.Montgomery City never recovered.

Blind Spring Hill, on the other hand,never developed into a town as such, butthe mountain was much more generousto its residents. In fact, it supportedseveral thousand miners in its heyday.Although the total production was notaccurately recorded, an estimated four tofive million in silver bullion is thought tohave passed through the Wells Fargooffice in Benton between 1862 and 1888,and total production from the hill couldbe near six million.

If your vacation plans take you alongHighway 395 this summer, in that popu-lar vacation land east of the High Sier-ras, you might consider a side trip tothese two remote and little-known ghostcamps of eastern Mono County.

The jumping-off place to visit eitherMontgomery City or Blind Spring Hill isBenton Station, once a stop on the Car-son and Colorado Railroad. This is whereState Route 120 and U. S. Highway 6meet, just south of the Nevada state line.It is 48 miles west of Lee Vining, Califor-nia on State Route 120, or 34 miles northof Bishop on U. S. Highway 6. Do not,however, confuse the Benton Station oftoday with the Benton of yesteryear.Benton is four miles west of the presentBenton Station.

The road to Montgomery City starts atthe only intersection in downtown Ben-ton Station. Here turn east away fromHighway 6. Go past the Cal Trans high-way maintenance station. In 0.2 miles

Desert/ July 1978 g

you will be in the community dump.Turn left here. After a tenth of a mile,these tracks will turn eastward againheading towards the White Mountains.The road turns rough and rocky as itheads up the sage-covered alluvial fan. Iwould not recommend the road for heavi-ly laden passenger cars, but, with care,those with vans or pickups should beable to make it. It is only a couple ofmiles to the site of Montgomery City.You can recognize it by the ruins of lowstone walls scattered throughout thesage. Time and the elements have takentheir toll on what was left by the flashflood of the 1860s. The ruins of only tenrock walled structures, and one woodencabin remain. The dim outline of awagon road still bisects the site, pointingthe way to the diggings on up on the hill.

Today Montgomery is a far cry from thecity that once boasted on having twonewspapers.

Blind Spring Hill is on the west side ofHighway 6. From Benton Station takeState Route 120 west four miles, whereyou will find a half dozen scattered build-ings which mark the site of Benton.Benton was originally known as WarmSprings, but the name was changed toBenton, which lasted through its heyday.After the turn of the century, it becameknown as Benton Hot Springs and todaylocal residents often refer to it simply as"Old Benton."

By whatever name, Benton prosperedwith the mines of Blind Spring Hill. In1879 William Barnes, the editor of theBorax Miner, shut down his paper innearby Columbus, Nevada, and moved

S

Be

nto

nR

an

ge

L e e V i n i n g

~~ c e m .

I

/ f\tcem C

Nevada

\

' f

A/ ''

~\ {j)

- 4 }. ~

\ *

3.0

BENTONISTATION

B

- i

s>= - ' 'SITE ""•-'•-, »' of MONTGOMERY

CITY --"

-

t

\ " '"

to Benton, where he started publishingthe Mono Week/y Messenger. Thispaper was soon succeeded by theWeekly Bentoman. Ads in these paperswere purchased by such businesses as

the Cosmopolitan Saloon, the Old CornerSaloon, the Benton Brewery, the Fash-ionable Tonsorial Saloon (which offeredtooth extracting as well as a shave and ahaircut), Prow's Variety Store and Bath-

BISHOP"GATEWAY TO THE EASTERN SIERRA"

FISHING • HUNTING • GOLFRIDING • HIKING • BOATINGPACK TRIPS • ROCK HOUNDINGSWIMMING • PHOTOGRAPHYHISTORIC SITES • LAKES ANDSTREAMS • LAWS RAILROADMUSEUM • BOTTLE COLLECT-ING AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

FROM BRISTLECONESTO PETROGLYPHS

Excellent accommodations for the needsof every sportsman and traveler!

For FREE Vacation Kitcall or write: 714 872-4731CHAMBER OF COMMERCEBishop, California 93514

10

house, attorneys L. E. Tubbs and J. C.Mitchell, and J. B. Badger and GeorgeRowan, whose stores sold everything —dry goods, groceries, liquor, grain, hay,drugs and general merchandise. The Ex-change Hotel advertised accommoda-tions unsurpassed by any house outsidethe great cities of the coast, presumablyincluding another of Benton's hostelries,the California Hotel. There was also apublic school with an enrollment, in1879, of 24 pupils.

Many of the mines were worked byChinese and Indians, some of which haddrifted in from other nearby camps likeAurora, Silver Peak and Columbus.These two ethnic groups had their owncommunities, as was the custom of theday, and there was some animosity be-tween them. The Chinese had nowomen, and on occasion, trouble erupt-ed when a Coolie would woo an Indianmaiden. On the whole, however, Bentonwas a much more law-abiding commun-ity than its sister-city, Bodie, just up theroad.

Most of old Benton is gone now, butseveral century-old buildings remain.One of those early structures is a com-bination store-cafe-gas station which isstill in use and open to the public. InBenton's heyday it was the Wells FargoOffice through which much of the bullionpassed.

From Benton take the graded countyroad south 3.3 miles to a point where itcrosses a cattleguard. Before goingthrough the fence, however, turn left fol-lowing the dim tracks leading backnorth-easterly away from the fence. Soonthe road becomes rough and steep as itclimbs Blind Spring Hill. Again, the roadis not recommended for passenger cars,and four-wheel-drive may be necessaryin places until the top of the mountain isreached. Once on top, the road getsmuch better as it traverses the gentlerolling terrain to the north. If your ve-hicle won't make it, don't be discour-aged; get out and walk. It is only 1000feet in elevation difference from thebottom of the hill to the top, and most ofthe mines are within a mile or two.

Old diggings and ruins are to be foundeverywhere. Most are low stone wallswhich once were cabins sheltering theminers. The elevation here is bout 7000feet. Even the ubiquitous tent found inmost western mining camps was not ade-quate shelter to protect the hardy resi-

Desert/ July 1978

dents from the cold bite of the winterwind. Some of the ruins offer a clue as totheir original use and occupancy. Hun-dreds of broken crucibles near one sitesuggest strongly that it was the local as-say office. An abundance of bones, someobviously cut, near another, suggeststhe local butcher set up shop there.

Interest in Blind Spring Hill began in1863. By 1865 the main mines were theElmira, Eureka, Cornucopia, Kerrick,Diana, Comanche, Kearsarge, Laura andModoc. Production during the earlyyears of 1863-1871 is said to have been$1,500,000. The lodes became betterwith depth, however, for the productionin the ten year period of 1871-1881 wasrecorded at $2,853,967. In 1875 one minealone, the Diana, was said to be shippingfive silver bars a month, each weighing94 pounds and each with a purity of94%. In the period of 1881-1883, theCarson and Colorado Railroad was builtstarting at Mound House, Nevada, nearCarson City, to the southern end of theOwens Valley. Its narrow gauge tracksran just a mile east of Blind Spring Hilland gave the miners easier transport forincoming machinery and outgoing bul-lion. Not everything moved by rail, how-ever, as an 1884 edition of the Inyo Inde-pendent said "the stage from CarsonCity was making good time, 25 hours,and Sunday's Chronicle couid be had onTuesday by the citizens of Benton.

As you follow the parallel tracks north-ward along the mountain top, you willsoon pass the unmarked ruins of the Cor-nucopia Mine, one of the larger pro-ducers in the district. If you keep to theleft at the fork in the road, you will cometo the Diana Mine, another of the hill'smajor mines. At one time wagons rolleddown Comanche Gulch, which was themost direct route to Benton, but thatroad was washed out years ago and re-mains impassable today to all but thehiker.

If you are interested in old bottles,bring a shovel and a rake. Most of theeasily found dumps have been pickedover, but I know for a fact that there arestill century-old bottles to be found onBlind Spring Hill.

Whether your visit amounts to a fewhours or a few days, Montgomery Cityand Blind Spring Hill offer a goodglimpse into a forgotten moment of his-tory overlooked by most ghost townguidebooks. •

Desert/July 1978

GOKDON'S& Mineral

5555 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90805Phone (213) 428-6496

Open Monday thru Friday, 9 to 5:30—Saturday 9 to 5

Headquarters for:• Lapidary Supplies • Jewelry Making • Rockhound Supplies• Silver & Gold Casting Machines • Cut Stones • Rough Rock

Write for FREE ALL NEW GEM SHOPPER

An oasis in the red rock and canyoncountry of southeast Utah—

RECAPTURE LODGE§ TOURSBluff, Utah

3jj • Nightly slide shows - geologist-guided' tours - heated pool - automatic

laundry - lawn games - group accomo-dations. San Juan river trips arranged

Gene and Mary Foushee / Bluff, Utah 84512 / [801 ] 672-2281

POTTERY TREASURESThe Splendor of Southwest

Indian Art.

Photography by Jerry Jacka,Text by Spencer Gill.

Masterpieces of Maria andNampeyo, creations of

contemporary pottery makersand treasures from prehistoric

villages and centuries-oldpueblos. 85 inspiring

photographs in rich color.

POTTERY TREASURES

$9.95Please add 50c

for postage/handling

Calif, residents please add6% state sales tax

Desert Magazine Book ShopP.O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260

11

Left: Flatsbetweendunes aretemporaryhome to smallanimals thatwill

eventually beevicted by theadvancingsand.Below:IndianRicegrassdingstenaciouslyto life in ahostile worldof gypsumsand.

10 0 K AT all the snow, Dad!" mysix-year-old son exclaimed as we en-tered the dunefield at White Sands

National Monument in southern NewMexico. I'll have to admit that had I beenplaced there without knowing where Iwas, I might have reached the same mis-taken conclusion. This sand just doesn'tlook like normal desert or beach sand-it's the wrong color. Being 97% puregypsum, it has no color at all. It is simplywhite, with a capacity to reflect light sogreat that the dunefield is among themost clearly visible landmarks on Earthfor astronauts in space, identifiable fromhalfway to the moon.

The best place to begin a visit to theworld's largest gypsum dunefield is atthe visitor center. Located 15 milessouthwest of Alamogordo on U. S.Highway 70-82, the center has good ex-hibits explaining the geology, historyand plant and animal life of the region,and a 10-minute recorded interpretiveslide program.

12

From the visitor center it is one-quar-ter mile to the entrance to the "heart ofthe dunes drive," allowing you to pene-trate to the very center of the duneswithout leaving your car. The entrancefee is $1 for private vehicles or 50 centsper person for commercial buses. Alongthe eight-mile drive there are numberedposts where you can stop and see someof the natural attractions of the park andread about them in a leaflet with entriescorresponding to each post.

Initially the drive parallels the edge ofthe dunefield, where the constantly ad-vancing sand encounters the chaparral-covered floor of the Tularosa Basin. Asthe road enters the dunefield, the abun-dant plant life is left behind and theworld suddenly reduces to sparklingwhite sand and deep blue sky. A closerlook reveals a few hardy plants dottingthe dunes, while short grasses and smallbushes thrive in the flats between dunes,where the water table is often just belowthe surface and the soil is fairly fertile.

Desert/ July 1978

byEDWIN D.

ANTHONY

A virtual seaof snow-white

sand awaitsthe visitor toWhite Sands

NationalMonument.

\w V

Several plants, like the soaptreeyucca, have met the challenge of the un-stable and infertile white dunes in a re-markable way. As sand accumulatesaround the plant, the growth rate of thestem speeds up, in a desperate race forlife, allowing the plant to remain firmlyrooted in the fertile soil beneath thedune, while stretching its crown abovethe surface of the encroaching sand.

Some of the animals living in thedunes have also developed specialmeans of survival in the white setting.The earless lizard and the Apache pocketmouse, for example, have evolved whiteprotective coloration which makes themdifficult to see, even for sharp-eyedSwainson's hawks and great horned owlswhich patrol the dunes day and night.

Don't spend much time looking foranimals at White Sands, though. It's notthat there are none living there, but, likemost desert animals, they tend to be noc-turnal. The most important exceptionsare birds, of which there is a great vari-ety, ranging from small songbirds to the

Desert/July 1978 13

TREASURE HUNTERSPROSPECTORS

Metal-Mineral DetectorsDREDGES

DRY WASHERS MAPSBOOKS TOOLS ASSAY KIT

SLUICE BOXES MINERAL LIGHTSLAPIDARY EQUIPMENT

Send 25c for catalog to:

AURORA6286 BEACH Bl VD.

BUENA PARK, CALIF. 90620[714] 521-6321

COE PROSPECTOR SUPPLY9264 KATELLA

ANAHEIM. CALIF. 92804[7T4] 995-1703

RIVERSIDE COUNTY'S LARGEST4-WHEEL-DRIVE HEADQUARTERS

Accessories for All Makes

n JeepJOHNSON'S 4WD CENTER, INC

7590 Cypress [at Van Buren]P.O. Box 4277

Riverside, California 92504Telephone [714)785-1330

PARADISE LODGETravel Trailer

& Camper ParkCOMPLETE HOOKUPS

15 MILES NORTH OF BISHOPON LOWER ROCK CREEK

• Fishing at your Campsite

• Overniters Welcome

• Daily, Weekly, Monthly Rates

• Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

• Housekeeping Cottages

• Hiking — Nature Trails

• Storage Area - Low Rates

• Secluded Area

M I L E S T O . . .

Pleasant ValleyReservoir 3

Tom's Place 8Crowley Lake 12Mammoth 25

How To Get ThereDrive North of Bishopon Hwy. 395 for 12miles - lake LowerRock Creek Road ailoot of Sherwin9rade - then 3 miles

Paradise Lodge.

For Reservations, write, phone or drop in:

P A R A D I S E L O D G E

Route 2, Bishop, California 93514

Phone (Area Code 714) 387 2370

desert cuckoo, or "roadrunner," and anoccasional golden eagle.

Among the night creatures, small ro-dents are plentiful, including the pocketgopher and several species of mice andrats. Coyotes, kit foxes, skunks, jackrab-bits and cottontails are the most commonof the large animals. About a dozentypes each of snakes and lizards are alsopresent, but rarely seen. In terms ofsheer number of species, the insects winhands-down, with over 370 identified todate.

Man is a newcomer in the dunes, as hehas generally avoided them over the cen-turies. Pre-Columbian Pueblo Indian set-tlements, 19th-century cattle ranchesand modern military installations haveall been established on the doorstep ofthe white sand, but none of these activ-ities seems to have directly involved thevast dunefield to any great extent.

So, until the last century, nature hadlittle interference from man in theTularosa Basin. Geologists believe thatnature flooded the area on several occa-sions over a span of hundreds of millionsof years with an arm of the sea reachingup from the Gulf of Mexico depositingenormous amounts of minerals, includ-ing a 650-foot-thick layer of gypsum,called the Yeso Formation. About 70 mil-lion years ago the Laramide Revolutionbegan, a major upheaval of the entireRocky Mountain region which produceda dome-like bulge in the present area ofthe Tularosa Basin. Some 10 millionyears ago two fault lines running northand south gave way and the land be-tween began to sink, creating great cliffson either side of the broad, flat basin andexposing the old sediments deposited bythe sea to erosion. With no outlet to theocean, precipitation in the highlands randown into the basin, carrying tons of se-diments, among them gypsum from theYeso Formation. The water collected toform Lake Otero, a large prehistoric lakethat reached its peak about 30,000 yearsago. Then about 20,000 years ago the cli-mate began to change from cold and wetto warm and dry, and Lake Otero starteddrying up, a process which took 15,000years, leaving 2,000 feet of sediments onthe floor of the basin, thoroughly satur-ated with gypsum.

Water still accumulates after rain-storms in the lowest part of the basin ofLake Lucero, a remnant of old LakeOtero, where it soon evaporates, leaving

14

new deposits of dissolved gypsum andother minerals from the surroundingmountains encrusted on the barren lakebed. As the wind whistles across the drybed of Lake Lucero, it neatly separatesthe gypsum particles from clays andother materials, sending the latter alofthigh into the atmosphere, while theheavier gypsum grains flow along theground until they strike an obstacle, likea plant or rock, where they begin to col-lect to form an embryonic dune of almostpure gypsum sand. Moving out in ranksfrom Lake Lucero and an adjoining alkaliflat, the dunes march relentlessly towardthe northeast, up to 30 feet per year,driven by the prevail ing southwestwinds. Two dozen millennia of this haveleft some 300 square miles of TularosaBasin blanketed with glistening whitesand dunes.

Since becoming a national monumentin 1933, the once forbidding dunefieldhas been enjoyed by thousands. Mostfind it impossible to resist the urge topark next to an inviting dune, where afew seconds' climb puts them on top ofthe 30-foot-high mound with an unfor-gettable 360 degree view of a rollingwhite sand sea against an incredibly bluesky and high purple mountains.

Children and adults alike delight inscrambling up and down the dunes.

Desert/ July 1978

Some attempt sledding down the steeplee sides on a motley array of craft, mostwith limited success in the soft sand.Many prefer a short walk to a quiet perchatop an untrammeled dune, where theymay experience a type of peace andgrand silence found in few places onEarth.

The National Park Service has provid-ed a one-mile self-guided nature trail,called Big Dune Trail, with an accom-panying pamphlet, keyed to numberedposts beside the path, identifying andexplaining some of the distinctive fea-tures of the park. There are also regular-ly scheduled monthly auto caravans toLake Lucero conducted by a park ranger,requiring reservations in advance. Ac-cess is via a military highway across theArmy's White Sands Missile Range,along the base of the rugged San AndresMountains. The scenery on the way ismagnificent, and special treats of thethree-quarter-mile hike down a sandy ar-royo from the road to the lake bed in-clude the ruins of the north unit of theold Lucero Ranch and spectacular bedsof selenite, a beautiful reddish-browncrystallized form of gypsum found in gul-lies and along the shore of the dry lake.For dates and reservations, write to theSuperintendent, Box 458, Alamogordo,New Mexico 88310, or call (505)437-1058.

Desert/July 1976

MajesticSoaptree Yucca,New Mexico'sstate flower,stands ready tochallenge anon-coming dune.

No overnight facilities are available inthe national monument, except for aback-country campsite requiring regis-tration at the visitor center and a one-mile hike carrying all provisions. Thereare many moderately priced motels anda KOA campground in Alamogordo. Thenearest public campgrounds are in Lin-coln National Forest, 35 miles east in theSacramento Mountains, and AguirreSprings in the San Andres Mounains, 30miles to the west.

White Sands National Monument canbe enjoyed by young and old any time ofyear. The opportunities for hiking, pho-tography and nature study are many andvaried. Kids have no problem entertain-ing themselves, providing harried par-ents a welcome chance to catch up onsome reading, sunbathing or napping.Picnic tables, fireplaces and comfort sta-tions are located near the end of theheart of the dunes drive, but the onlydrinking water is at the visitor center.Driving off the road or parking areas isprohibited.

Because of its southern location and4,000-foot altitude, the climate is gener-ally moderate, but be prepared for hotsummer days, an occasional cold spell inwinter, and early spring gales. But most-ly, be prepared to enjoy an enchantinglydifferent desert adventure. •

111[Now... %I Good things \Wore happening at...

DeathVallcyJunctionStay at the historicAMARGOSA HOTEL

This lovely 50-year-old hotel is Ibeing restored. 20 rooms openyear 'round. All carpeted. Allbeautifully furnished. Electricheat and air conditioning. Makethe Amargosa Hotel your head-quarters while in the Death (

Valley area.

Telephone Death Valley Junc-tion #1 for information or reser-vations.

Visit Marta Becket's famousAMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE.You've read about this beautifuland unique attraction in Desertand National Geographic. SeeMarta Becket's program ofdance-mimes. See her fabulousmurals inside the Opera House.Performances Friday, Saturdayand Monday Through April.Saturdays only in May, Septem-ber. 8:1$; doors open at 7:4$.Telephone Death Valley Junc-tion #8 for reservations. Tours

elcomed.

The General Store, Filling Sta-tion and Pottery Shop are open.RV Park coming. Space avail-able for development.

For further information about!DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION^please write:

Death Valley Junction, Inc. !|(P.O. Box 675

Death Valley Junction,California 92328

III ((Ml*

NO. 20 IN A SERIES ONCALIFORNIA PALM OASES

Seventeenfilms

• M E HAVE NOW reached the half-MW way point on our desert Odyssey.H i Seventeen Palms, within the Anza-

Borrego Desert State Park is an appro-priate spot to mark the occasion, for it isone of the most alluring of California'spalm oases. The little grove, long a focalpoint of lost mine lore and the romanceof the desert, has happily retained theunspoiled solitude which gives life tolegends. Sitting in the shade of the rus-tling palms on a warm winter's day, thewayfarer can easily conjur up the ghostsof Pegleg Smith and the old-time burroprospectors.

The oasis is growing, and today thereare 29 Washingtonias — a dozen of themyoungsters no more than 12 feet tall — at

Mileage Log

0.0 Christmas Circle In community ofBorrego Springs. Drive east to-ward Salton Sea on San DiegoCounty Road S22.

6.8 Pegleg Smith monument to left ofroad.

11.0 Enter Anza-Borrego Desert StatePark.

15.8 Junction. Turn right off S22 ontoTruckhaven Trail (dirt road). (Fortravelers coming from the east,this junction is 11 and one-halfmiles west of Salton City.)

16.0 Arroyo Salado Primitive Camp.Four-wheel-drive advisable be-yond campground.

18.0 Junction. Truckhaven Trail turnsleft. Continue straight ahead(right) down Arroyo Salado.

19.5 Tributary wash. Turn right.19.7 Seventeen Palms. Elevation 410

feet above sea level.

asisby DICK BLOOMQUIST

"Seventeen" Palms. The trees form aliving colonnade along the edge of thearroyo, taking advantage of moistureprobably made available by fault action.Brackish water surfaces in one or twoplaces on the right side of the grove.Stubbiness characterizes the veteranpalms, which have trunk diameters of upto three feet; the tallest tree is between30 and 35 feet in height. With the ex-ception of four that have been burned,all the Washingtonias wear long, shaggyskirts.

Between two palms at the center of theoasis is a modern version of the old"prospectors' post office" — a woodenkeg filled with the comments of visitors,some of whom leave jugs of water forlater travelers who might be in need.

Fragments of Indian trails survive onthe mesas near Seventeen Palms.Beginning in the late 1800's, prospec-tors — some of them seeking the cele-brated Lost Pegleg — followed the samepathways to the palms. Several versionsof the Pegleg legend exist, with varia-tions in names, dates, and places, butmany searchers believe the golden hoardlies in the Badlands of Borrego. In onetelling of the tale, Thomas L. ("Pegleg")Smith, trapper, set out from the site ofpresent-day Yuma for the coastal settle-ments of southern California. This was in1829. Three days out from the Colorado,he found three hills covered with blackgold, that is, gold coated with a blackoxide. But Smith could never find thespot again.

16

Other lost mine stories have beenlinked with the Pegleg tale. There wasthe Yaqui Indian — for whom YaquiWell along San Felipe Creek southwestof Seventeen Palms was named — whowould disappear in the Badlands and re-turn with gold. There was Jim Green, ablack porter at the Julian and Bannerhotels who became rich, supposedly by

Desert/July 1978

following a trail that led him some-where beyond Yaqui Well. There wasthe prospector who helped an Indianwoman bury her husband near the Nar-rows on San Felipe Creek and was re-warded with gold. And there was the In-dian woman who came out of the Bad-lands almost dead with thirst, but withseveral gold nuggets she had found onDesert/July 1978

*-.

\ w

.Qi

Color photo by George Service, Palm Desert, Calif.

three small hills.While the Pegleg Mine is the best-

known legend of the Badlands, it is by nomeans the only one. What of the LostShip of the Desert, the Spanish galleonstranded in the Salton Sink? What of thelost Indian emerald mine in the SantaRosas? And what of the strange lightseen in the Badlands, a light described

by some as a drifting " f i rebal l " and byothers as a lantern inside of, or held by,a gigantic skeleton? Prospectors havesworn it is old Pegleg himself, searchingnow in ghostly form for his long-lostgold.

Such are the will-o'-the-wisps thatpervade Seventeen Palms, oasis of athousand dreams. •

17

DavSL GHOSTS by HOWARD NEAL

Bear Valley, California

A Bear Valley building [above], which is obviously near collapse, was identified by a localresident as a former hotel, "with four rooms upstairs and four rooms downstairs." BearValley's Bon Ton Saloon and a former boarding house [below] stand on Highway 49. One isabandoned, the other serves, today, as a restaurant. Photos by Edward Neal.

JohnC. Fremont wasfurious. In 1847 he had givenhis friend, Thomas O.Larkin, $3,000 and preciseinstructions. Larkin was tobuy, in Fremont's name,Rancho Santa Cruz, south ofSan Francisco Bay. Thebeautiful ranch, with itsorchards and maturevineyards, was to be Johnand Jessie Fremont'spermanent home. Instead,Larkin bought Rancho SantaCruz for himself.

For Fremont, Larkinpurchased a 45,000-acretract of land in the foothills ofthe Sierra NevadaMountains. Fremont'sproperty was 100 miles fromthe closest settlement andwas considered, by most, tobe worthless. It was knownas Rancho Las Mariposas.

Within two years,Fremont's anger had turnedto joy and excitement. Coldhad been discovered in theSierra foothills andforty-niners, panning thestreams of Rancho LasMariposas, had found thesands rich with the preciousmetal.

In August of 1849 thesource of the placer gold inthe streams and rivers hadbeen discovered. It was thefirst discovery of a vein of thefabulous Mother Lode.Named the Mariposa vein, itwas on Fremont's land.Indeed, Fremont owned therichest ranch in California,and it had not one orchard,vineyard or head of livestock.

John C. Fremont hadalready earned fame and

18 Desert/ July 1978

public acclaim as an explorerof the American west and forhis part in the conquest ofCalifornia during theMexican war. With wealth togo with his well known namehe turned to politics. As anabsentee-owner of theMariposa mines he, in 1850,became one of the firstSenators from the new Stateof California. In 1856, he wasthe Republican Party's veryfirst nominee for the office ofPresident of the UnitedStates.

Following his defeat as acandidate for President,Fremont realized that hisabsence from his propertywas harmful. Nearly all of hismining profits were beinglost because of badmanagement. In 1857, Johnand J essie Fremont decidedto make the Mariposa ranchtheir home and to make BearValley, a small communityon the ranch, headquartersfor the Fremont empire.

At Bear Val |ey theFremonts seemed to try andcreate the kind of home andlife they might have had atRancho Santa Cruz. Amagnificent residence,known locally as The WhiteHouse, was built. It wasstaffed with French servantsfor Jessie and the children. Ahotel was built, with lumberbrought from the Eastaround the Horn, to housethe Fremont family guests.The population of BearValley, almost all Fremontemployees, rose to nearly3,000.

There were other towns onthe ranch, too. To the northof Bear Valley was thecommunity of Bagby, the siteof the Fremont mills. To thesouth were Mt. Bullion(named for Jessie's father,Senator Thomas Bentori,who was known as "OldBullion") and Mt. Ophjr, siteof California's first privatemint.

All was not well, though,with the Fremont empire.Huge overhead andtremendous family expensesseemed to take all of themine profits. By 1863,Fremont decided that thetime had come to sell.Rancho Las Mariposas, a$3,000 "worthless"investment in 1847, sold for$6 million just 16 years later.Yet, Fremont is said to havesold the property for a smallfraction of its true worth.

Today, both the WhiteHouse and the Oso House,Fremont's sumptuous guesthotel, are gone. The mills atBagby are under the watersof Lake McClure, and the oldmint at Mt. Ophir is only acrumbling stone foundation.Bear Valley still, though, hasa number of interestingstructures and ruins thatdate from gold mining days,and a few miles north oftown, you can see theremains of the Pine TreeMine, one of John C.Fremont's most profitableholdings.

Bear Valley is located onCalifornia State Highway 49,12 miles north of Mariposaand 50 miles northeast ofMerced. •

What appears to have once been a ladder climbs the wall of oneof the structures [above] at the Pine Tree Mine, one of John C.Fremont's most important holdings. Photo by Edward Neal. Allthat remains [below] of the Carbarino Store, Bear Valley's"General Store" during the gold rush days, is a weatheredadobe wall and an iron door. Photo by Leonard Hunsicker.

Desert/July 1978 19

DESERT WILDERNESSLATEST BA1

Old Woman Mountains,from the foothills of the ClipperMountains, is a potentialwilderness study area.Photo by Harold O. Weight.

THE COMBAT over the future use andprotection of the California desertcontinues, mainly among the same

protagonists as before—environmental-ists of all types on one side and advo-cates of multiple use on the other, withthe U.S. Bureau of Land Managementstill in its unwanted role as the umpire,or more accurately, the federal agency inthe middle.

The field of battle is still the 12.5 mil-lion acres of desert in the public domain,also known by BLM as National Re-source Lands, but the target this timeisn't the Desert Plan alone, but also in-cludes the desert portion of the all-en-compassing National Wilderness Sys-tem. Desert Plan and Desert Wildernesslands are all part of the 12.5 million acresof California desert administered by

20

the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.Where the difference comes, however,

is contained in the legalistic jungle of the1964 federal Wilderness Act, particular-ly in Section 2(c). Therein are the high-sounding and sincere words of humanphilosophy that so often are difficult totranslate into workable rules and regula-tions. For example:

" A wilderness, in contrast with thoseareas where man and his own worksdominate the landscape, is hereby recog-nized as an area where the earth and itscommunity of life are untrammeled byman, where man himself is a visitor whodoes not remain."

To spell out the lofty language, Sec-tion 2(c) sets forth four conditions underwhich federal land meets the criteria setforth for wilderness. To paraphrase the

act, the conditions are generally asfollows:

First, land which generally appears tobe affected primarily by natural forces,with man's impact virtually absent.

Second, land that offers ample oppor-tunities for solitude, primitive or uncon-fined types of recreation.

Third, plots of at least 5,000 acres insize, OR of sufficient size to make itspreservation practicable, and its usetherefore.

Fourth, sites that may also containecological, geological or other features ofscientific, educational, scenic or histori-cal value.

These conditions also share anothercharacteristic that has caused consider-able semantics debate during initialpublic meetings BLM has been holding

Desert/July 1978

TLECROUNP FOR BUMby BILL JENNINGS

this spring and early summer concerningimplementation of wilderness areas,namely, what is a road?

In the interim period of the DesertPlan's development, BLM, its friendsand foes alike have been tied into a roaddefinition that recognizes the commonqualities of California desert roads astracks and trails that have evolved intoestablished routes due to heavy or con-tinuous travel over the years. The Wild-erness Act—as implemented in 1976 byanother federal law commonly calledFLPMA, makes it more precise. FLPMAstands for: Federal Land Policy andManagement Act of 1976.

A road, according to these laws, is:" . . . an access route which has been

improved and maintained by using handor power machinery or tools to insure re-Desert/ July 1978

latively regular and continuous use. Away maintained solely by the passage ofvehicles does not constitute a road."

This precise definition, which at leasthas the merits of being clear and incap-able of being misunderstood, eliminatesmany hundreds of miles of unimproveddesert roadways which are found on U.S.topographical maps, and also on BLMmaps and those supplied to the public bya host of other agencies.

The problem, therefore, is that wilder-ness areas may now be carved out of oldmining districts, for example, becausetheir roads do not meet the definitionstandards, and, in addition, such areasare covered under the fourth criterion ofSection 2(c) of the Wilderness Act be-cause they contain "features of educa-tional, scenic or historical value."

By definition, under the WildernessAct, uses permitted within wildernessareas will remain somewhat the same asunder previous designation. That is, ifthere are existing foot and equestriantrails, entry will be permitted for horse-men and hikers. If there are previouslyexisting primitive or improved camp-sites, they may be used under wilder-ness classification. The major restrictionwill be against motorized vehicles, justas it is now in wilderness lands adminis-tered by the U.S. Forest Service and theNational Park Service.

During the interim inventory andstudy period, uses currently permittedmay continue, provided they do not in-terfere with the area's potential wilder-ness status.

Although the general criteria for con-

21

Clyde Forsythe's Famous . . .

(fold StrikeSeries

Four Mining Camp Scenes

All In 4-Color

Each 14"x l7 " with white marginson high quality paper suitable for

framing.

No lettering or folds.

•5DOMail all orders to:

DESERT MagazineBox 1318

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260

Preserve your copies in thesevinyl binders that hold 12issues. Gold-stamped on thecover and spine, and dated ifyou desire.

ONLY

DESERT MAGAZINEBox 1318

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260

Postpaid

The Turtle Mountains areincluded in the 80 potential

wilderness study areas.

sideration as a wilderness area includesa size of 5,000 acres or more, smallertracts, if considered roadless by defini-tion and provided they meet the othercriteria, may be listed as candidates forwilderness status.

Thus far, the BLM effort to inventorythe 12.5 million acres of California Na-tional Resource Land has been in con-junction with the public land users,through a series of sometimes stormy,sometimes unproductive but alwaysinteresting public meetings. Sites haveincluded Bishop, Indio, Anaheim, Bar-stow, Riverside, Ridgecrest, Baker, LosAngeles, Bakersfield and even San Fran-cisco. Attendance has ranged frompacked houses to a few curious specta-tors but the interchange of ideas, at leastopinions, has always been brisk.

As the final version of the Desert Plan,the Wilderness Plan must be in a finalform and ready for consideration by Con-gress by September 30, 1980.

Yet this year, another period of publicparticipation is ahead, from August 12through September 30—after the BLMstaff prepares an interim inventory re-port packet. This will be mailed to all in-dividuals requesting them from theagency's Riverside district office, 1695

Lauten'sOPEN

24 HOURS

Goffee ShopF e a t u r i n g

GOOD FOOD

AND FAST SERVICE

Just south of the Dow Villain beautiful Lone Pine, California

22

Spruce Street, Riverside, California92507, or by telephoning there, AreaCode 714 787-1462. The same material isalso available at the Bakersfield districtoffice, Federal Bldg., Room 311, 800Truxton Avenue, Bakersfield, California93301. The phone number there is AreaCode 805 861-4191.

The next major public meeting on theprovisions yet this year will be held byBLM's California Desert ConservationArea Advisory Committee in San Bernar-dino on September 27-28. Site and timesfor the meetings may be learned by call-ing either the Riverside or BakersfieldBLM offices.

After that meeting a 60-day public re-view period will be held from November1 through December 31. Additionalpublic meetings are planned during thatperiod, at Anaheim, November 1, and inBarstow on November 2.

By January 31, 1979, the bureau willdesignate Wilderness Study Areas forthe California desert—but bear in mind,these recommendations will not have theforce of law until much later, after pro-tracted examination, public meetings,evaluation and publication of a draft of

Desert/July 1978

. 4

•

candidates for wilderness classificationother than vaguely cross-hatched areason preliminary maps. Their impact isfurther minimized by being designatedas only "potential" sites.

In the Inyo-Kern counties northernarea of the California Desert Plan theserange from pockets in the White Moun-tains on the Nevada border to manyareas on the perimeters of Death ValleyNational Monument.

Farther south, in the San Bernardino-Riverside-Imperial counties southernhalf of the desert region under study,sites range from Red Mountain, the ElPaso range and southerly almost to theMexican border, in the Fish Creek andCoyote Mountains adjoining Anza-Bor-rego Desert State Park.

Interestingly, several of these "poten-t ia l " sites—designated as roadless areasand areas of high potential wildernessvalue—are close to, or actually includepreviously developed BLM campgroundand recreation areas.

The battle goes on, with several yearsof high anxiety yet ahead for adherentsof both basic points of view—protectionor preservation and multiple use. •

the Desert Plan, January 1, 1980. All ofthis is preliminary to the actions ofCongress.

It has taken Congress several years toact on merely the first wave of recom-mended wilderness area designationssubmitted to it by the National Park Ser-vice, the U.S. Forest Service, Fish andWildlife Service and other federalagencies which serve as custodians offederal public domain land. The backlogof reviews, reassessments and rejectionshas put this phase of the overall processsome years behind schedule—meaningthe BLM input is a long way from becom-ing law.

In the meantime, uses of Californiadesert land continue to be examined andapproved by BLM on an individual basis.This means some lands will remain openfor multiple use at least through 1980,even though they are slated to becomewilderness. If that doesn't confuse you,stick around, it may become evenfunnier.

Pending the accumulated input fromthe initial workshop meetings held inMay, BLM staff members are under-standably reluctant to designate their

Desert/ July 1978

"RELAXES "FOOT MISERY-AMAZING FOOTCARE THERAPY

TREATMENT LOTIONOnt bottle eliminate* using dangerousrazor blades, knives, sandpaper discs,pumice stones, gadgets, harmful Sali-cylic Acid corn patches, callous pads,acid creams, lotions, salves, powdersand sticks. Moisture activates awaycorns, callouses, soreness In bunions,Ingrown nails, burning, tired, achingflakey skin, cracked heels. Stopsodor , lungus, sweatlness. Wear anynew shoe style. 4 II. oz.MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!Send $3.98 In check or money order to]

A. J. I. PRODUCTS, INC.1555% WEST 85th STREET

LA., CA 90044

Subscriptions as Gifts

P R E S E N T I N G T H E T W E L F T H S E A S O N O F . . .

A SPECTACULAR SOUND AND LIGHT PRODUCTIONTHAT RIVALS FAMOUS EUROPEAN SHOWS

Our season is Easter Sunday through October

Canyonlands By Night

Canyon walls come to life under 40,000watts of controlled illumination.

is a unique two-hour cruise on the Colo-rado River at dusk, as twilight fades intonight.Along the way, a startling variety of light-ing effects bring to life the darkened redrock cliffs of the Colorado River gorgeduring an inspiring program dramatizingsouth-eastern Utah's unusual natural andhuman history.

Canyonlands By NightCruises leave our dock at the highwaybridge near scenic Moab, Utah, every

>i? evening throughout the travel season.

Group Rates Available

For detailed brochure,- reservations orexact departure times, write or call theCANYONLANDS BY NIGHT office at:

SLICKROCK COUNTRY CAMPGROUNDOne-half mile north of Moab

Mailing address: P.O.Box 328D,Moab, Utah 84532

(801) 259-5261WELTON B. WINN,

' General Manager

23

* < • • ;

,

• • •

24

by MARY FRANCES STRONG

photos by Jerry Strong

A LAKE THAT ONCE PLAYED A PROMINENT PART INCALIFORNIA'S EARLY DEVELOPMENT NOW PROVIDES ASCENIC AREA FOR HISTORY AND RECREATION BUFFS.

BORN EONS ago in the glacial heightsof California's mighty Sierra-NevadaRange, the Wakopee River was but a

mere stream cascading down the greatmountain's eastern slope. As it hurtledsouthward, numerous streams contribut-ed to its size until the designation"r iver" was deserving. This additionalvolume gave the river power. It nowbegan cutting, grinding and sweepingaway any material in its path until it hadcarved a magnificent gorge before reach-ing the broad basin between the Sierra-Nevadas and the White Mountains.

Here, the gradient diminished and thetopography changed. The river mean-dered almost aimlessly along a 75-milecourse before entering a lake at thesouthern end of the basin. Verdant mea-dows surrounded the river; trees linedits banks and game flourished. Prehis-toric Indians came to hunt, then settledwhen it seemed life might be less harshin this environment.

It was a time of abundant moistureand eventually Lake Pacheta was over200 feet deep and occupied a surface ofsome 240 square miles. Waves lappedthe base of the imposing mountains thatflanked her east and west shores. Whenfilled, the overflow drained south theneasterly and finally a chain of three

Sierra reflections.Owens Lake andSierra Nevada east side.Photo byDavid Muench,Santa Barbara, Calif.

y1978

beautiful desert lakes formed in the deepbasins of Searles, Panamint and DeathValleys.

Gradually, the glaciers melted and aclimatic change began which broughtperiods of abundant moisture followedby periods of drought. The lakes in Pana-mint, Searles and Death Valley desiccat-ed and large accumulations of salineminerals were left behind in the lattertwo. While Lake Pacheta diminished insize, it remained an entity, thanks to theflow of the Wakopee River.

During the last 4,000 years, the brinesof Owens Lake have concentratedthrough evaporation and a sizable, crys-talline body of commercial importancehas been deposited. As expected, Pache-ta Lake and the Wakobee River haveplayed important roles in the history anddevelopement of the region.

Today, one name "Owens" is appliedto the basin, river and lake. Known col-lectively as the Owens Valley Region,the area has become a year-round recrea-tional playground. Almost any outdoorhobby can be practiced here from activesports to passive bird-watching. As a re-sult, the Owens Valley and its immediateenvirons play host to hundreds of thous-ands of visitors annually. Yet, because ofthe immensity of the valley, it does notappear to be crowded.

A great deal has been written aboutthe Valley's recreational pleasures be-tween Lone Pine and Bishop. Lesserknown, perhaps, but of considerable in-terest to those who enjoy visiting histori-cal sites, is Lake Pacheta—now known asOwens Lake. John C. Fremont encoun-

25

tered this large body of water during histhird expedition in 1845-46. Not know-ing, and possibly not caring what the In-dians called the lake, he promptly namedit "Owens" in honor of expeditionmember Captain Richard Owens.

Fremont's party was not the firstthrough Owens Valley. While searchingfor a new route from Salt Lake City toCalifornia, Captain Joseph ReddefordWalker camped at the southwesternedge of the lake in the spring of 1834. Anhistorical marker at the junction of High-

ways 395 and 160, just south of Olancha,commemorates this first visit by a whiteman. Peter Skene Ogden and JedidiahSmith were also early visitors.

A non-stop, circle tour of Owens Lakecould be made in just a few hours butsuch a superficial sampling would dolittle to satisfy the devotee of the past.The rewards received when followinghistorical trails take time to reap. Explor-ing the sites; conjuring visions of "how itwas;" savoring the magnificent scenery,as well as admiring the "remains" are

Keeler was "end-of-line" for the Carson& Colorado Railroad. Its townfolk weremighty proud of their two-story station.The large chunk of dolomite at rightcenter embraces an historical marker.

the necessary ingredients for the enjoy-ment of such a tour. A little knowledge ofthe region's history is also important.

The trails established by Ogden,Smith, Walker and Fremont were soonutilized by many white men who headedfor distant bonanzas. Some liked whatthey saw and returned. Others told ofthe beautiful valley with its lush mea-dows and ample water. As a result, a fewcattlemen came with their herds. One ofthem, A. Van Fleet, erected the firsthouse in 1861 —a stone and sod cabin.Other ranchers soon followed.

The permanent residence of whitemen did not set well with some of theIndians and a "war of sorts" began.Renegade Indians raided mines and iso-lated ranches and it became necessary tostation a Company of the U.S. Cavalrynear what is now Independence. The up-rising was eventually quelled, but notbefore there was wanton bloodshed byboth sides. With the Valley proclaimed"safe," homesteaders and prospectorsbegan arriving en masse. Ore bodieswere discovered—towns sprang up andthe settl ing of Owens Valley wasunderway.

The region around Owens Lake re-mained in its pristine state, even thoughhundreds of people hurriedly traversedthe narrow shelf of land separating lakeand mountains. Lone Pine, on the north-west, was the nearest settlement exceptfor the Shoshonean village of "Olan-ches" on the lake's southwestern shore.This tranquility was due for an abruptchange when Pablo Flores and two com-panions discovered rich silver-lead orenear the crest of the Inyo Mountains in1865.

The Mexicans filed claims and weresoon smelting exceptionally rich ore incrude rock ovens called "vesos." Whennews of the strike reached Virginia City,Nevada, the stampede was on. In a few

The C&C Railroad provided muchneeded transportation for miners andranchers. Operations ceased in 1960 andall narrow-gauge track was removed ex-cept this short section at Dolomite Siding.

26 Desert/ July 1978

months, over a thousand people hadclimbed the torturous trail to the 8500-foot level in the Inyos. A road did potexist, nor was there a drop of water!

Quick to see the potential of the de-posits, Mortimer Belshaw and his part-ner, Abner Elder, began buying upclaims. Then, in 1886, they developedthe famed Union Mine near what be-came the camp of Cerro Gordo.

The Owens Lake Silver-Lead Furnaceand Mil l was one of the first develop-ments along the lake shore. Built byColonel Sherman Stevens in 1869, JamesBrady assumed its operation in 1870 andbuilt the town of Swansea. Over the nextfour years, the daily output, in combina-tion with one mill at Cerro Cordo, was150 bars of bullion — weighing 83pounds.

Freighters hauled the bars from CerroGordo to the refineries at Los Angeles. Itwas an arduous journey, three days ofwhich were spent negotiating the sandywastes along the southern end of OwensLake. James Brady, Swansea's mentor,came up with an idea to eliminate thisgrueling section of the route by freight-ing the bullion across the lake. An 85-foot steamer, the "Bessie Brady," wasbuilt. She made her maiden voyage toDaneri's Landing (now Cartago) carrying30 tons of bullion. The idea proved agreat success and the little steamerplied her trade daily.

Fuel for the furnaces had become aproblem. For miles around Cerro Gordo,the mountains had been stripped of pin-yon pine and juniper. Colonel Stevenscame to the rescue. In 1873, he built asawmill and flume on the upper reachesof Cottonwood Creek. Its purpose was tosupp|v lumber for building at CerroGordo, as well as wood for charcoal.

The new enterprise was so successfulthat, three years later, it was incorporat-ed as the Inyo Lumber and Coal Com-pany. The flume was extended to thelake shore where two kilns had beenerected for the production of charcoal.To transport their products from Cotton-wood Creek, another steamer was need-ed. The "Moll ie Stevens" made hermaiden voyage in June 1877 carryingtimber for the Union Consolidated Minesat Cerro Gordo.

On the "Fat Hill," the ruthless, high-handed methods used by Belfast werenot being tolerated. Owens Valley Silver-Lead Company sued when Belfast delib-

NYO

CO

Inyo County, Calttomio_ Mojove

erately let his toll road deteriorate untilwagons could only haul half as much oreto the smelter at Swansea. They wontheir suit but were financially ruined.Operations ceased early in 1874 and thedemise of Swansea was quick. Duringthe summer, a heavy cloudburst almostburied the town and smelter with mudand debris.

The 1880s brought about considerabledevelopment in the Owens Lake Region.This was largely due to the constructionof the Carson & Colorado Railroad,scheduled to run between Mound

House, Nevada and Fort Mohave, Ari-zona. By 1881, the track had been com-pleted to Hawthorne, but unexpectedlythe C&C announced a change in itsroute. The railroad would now turn westover Montgomery Pass; then souththrough Owens Valley to a possible junc-tion with Southern Pacific at Mojave,California.

This news was warmly received by theValley's merchants, farmers and miners.Not only would freight charges be less,delivery and pickup would almost be totheir doors. "End-of-line" was later

Desert/ July 1978 27

changed to Hawley (now Keeler) on theeastside of Owens Lake. The "Slim Prin-cess," as the little, narrow-gauge linewas affectionately known, successfullyserved the many communities and minesalong her route for over three-quarters ofa century.

About this same time, the Inyo MarbleCompany began developing an immensedolomite deposit along the base of theInyo Mountains five miles north ofKeeler. State Mineralogist Henry Hanks,in his 1889 Report, described the mater-ial as dolomite of the highest dualitywhich, when freshly broken, was as pureand white as the famed Carrara Marbleof Italy. Some of the first "Inyo Marble"mined was used in the construction ofSharon's Gate in San Francisco's GoldenGate Park. More recently, a millionsquare feet of Inyo Marble was used inthe floors of Los Angeles InternationalAirport. It was also used in the famousHollywood Boulevard terrazzo sidewalkwhere the names of stars are cast inbronze and placed on a surface of InyoMarble.

Owens Lake now came under the scru-tiny of miners interested in obtaining theminerals from its brine. The lake bedcovered an area of 97.2 square miles andconsisted of a porous, brine-filled, crys-tal bed about nine feet thick. It was richin soda and potash.

The Inyo Development Company wasthe first to exploit the brines in 1885. Itsevaporative ponds and plant were locat-ed a mile north of Keeler. Soda and pot-ash were harvested. From 20 to 150 men

28

were employed until 1920. At that time,operations ceased when the brine be-came so concentrated that only trona,instead of ash, was precipitated.

An ambitious project was undertakenin 1911 to recover salt from a dry lake inSaline Valley. To mine and market thesalt profitably, a proposal to stretch atramway over the 9,000-foot crest of theInyo Mountains was conceived. Therewere many skeptics but work began.Two years later, 13 miles of steel cable,carrying an ore bucket every minute,was in operation and hauling up to 20tons of salt per hour. At the time, thenew salt tram was not only the world'slongest but had the highest lift.

Four stations along the tram wereequipped to control the electricallydriven, traction ropes which supplied thethrust for each bucket's two-hour trip.Operators were comfortably housed ateach station. A sizable camp was estab-lished at the "discharge terminal," onemile north of old Swansea. Here, the saltwas crushed before being loaded ontorailroad cars for shipment.

Unfortunately, many problems wereencountered. Two years later, miningceased and the tram shut down. Duringthe next 40 years, salt was mined inter-mittently by several companies. The lastwas Saline Valley Development Com-pany, which stockpiled about 2,000 tonsof salt in 1954.

During 1917, Natural Soda Productsestablished a large plant two miles southof Keeler. Using a more sophisticatedmethod than Inyo Development, 120 tons

One of several buildings remaining atthe Salt Camp north of Swansea hasstood the ravages of time and climatequite well. This was the terminal for thetramway that hauled salt over themountains from Saline Valley.

of dense soda ash were produced daily.A sizable quantity of this was shipped toJapan. There was also a yearly produc-'tion of 10,000 tons of trona.

A standard-gauge railroad, SouthernPacific's Jawbone Line, was completedin 1917 along the western shores ofOwens Lake between Owenyo andMojave. Inyo Chemical Company quicklyestablished a soda plant on the westshore and operated until 1932. At thesouthern edge of the lake, California Al-kali Company erected a plant at Cartago.Seven years later it sold out to InyoChemical. The plant was enlarged and acamp was built to house the 100 men,and their families, who were employed.

Several other companies operatedalong the western shores from time totime. Permanente Metals had a plant atMarilyn Siding and Pacific Alkali set upshop at Bartlett Siding in 1929. The lat-ter employed a new process for the re-covery of soda ash. Fifteen years later,Columbia-Southern took over the Bart-lett operation. Research improved theprocess and a fine, modern plant wasbuilt. It operated successfully until 1966—the last of the active mines on OwensLake.

A 10-inch rain on December 6, 1966,resulted in a 22-inch accumulation ofwater on the lake bed. Columbia-South-ern's ponds and salt beds were so dilut-ed it was no longer feasible to operateprofitably. Once again, Nature had de-feated the best laid plans of men.

We talked with Wally Dugan, Main-tenance Superintendent, when he wasoverseeing the dismantlement of theplant. At that time, 1968, the companyplanned to move all equipment and re-turn the site to its natural state. He alsotold us rockhounds would be able to lookfor crystals on the old ponds when theplant was gone. Evidently, the companychanged its plans, as the plant and officebuildings still remain at the site.

Due to the railroad, Cerro Gordo, thesaline mines on the lake, numerousmines in the surrounding area, as well asa talc mill, the little settlement of Keeler(formerly Hawley) remained a busy

Desert/July 1978

supply center, while many of her compe-titors became "ghosts." Loss of the rail-road in 1960 was a tough blow forKeeler. Nevertheless, her residents aretenacious and the old town lives on.

"Touring Owens Lake" will take youto the former sites of mines, camps,towns and historical points of interestaround the lakeshore. Where you beginthe tour will probably depend upon thedirection from which you came to theregion.

Along the eastern shore, PremierMarble now owns and operates the InyoMarble deposits. They have preservedsome of the original buildings from theghost town of "Dolomite." In fact, theiroffice is housed in one of the old build-ings. They have always welcomedvisitors but be sure to-obtain permissionto browse around the old town. The siteis very photogenic and has been used asthe setting for a number of moviesincluding "Nevada Smith," "Oil for theLamps of China" and "How the WestWas Won."

As you drive south on Highway 136(see map), watch for rock ruins on thehillside to the left. They blend into thebackground and are difficult to see. Thiswas a temporary, dynamite storage siteduring the construction of the railroad.The ruins of a former mill site can beseen on the opposite side of the hill.

Farther south, five buildings invarious stages of collapse remain at SaltCamp. Park near the base of the hills andlook up on the crest. You will see one ofthe few remaining salt tram towers. Thislocation makes a good overnight camp-site offering a fine view of the lake andSierra-Nevadas.

The site of Swansea is privately ownedand one of the original buildings is usedas a residence. Across the highway, anhistorical marker identifies the brickruins of Swansea Smelter.

There is little to indicate the site of thefirst saline mining on Owens Lake— InyoDevelopment's operation. A few founda-tions lie almost hidden in the sand.

The talc mill at Keeler was operatingon a small scale when we were there lastsummer. Browse around and feel thecharm of this 96-year-old community.Note the former prestigious "KeelerSwimming Club" on Maud Street andthe little church on Old State Highway.These, and the two-story railroad stationon Malone Street in the middle of town,

Desert/July 1978

Only a few graves are readily visible at the old Keeler Cemetery. Many other lieunmarked among the sand and brush.

will warrant capture by your camera'seye.

Across the highway from Keeler, agraded road leads up the mountains toold Cerro Cordo and its silent mines. Atone time, visitors were permitted tobrowse around for a fee. However, Ihaven't received a reply to my inquiryregarding its status. The road to CerroGordo is the original toll route Belfastbuilt. It is very steep and many stockcars have difficulty making it to the top.Inquire at Keeler about road conditionsand status. The tram has been disman-tled but some of the buildings remainnear the highway.

Less than a half-mile south of Keeler,the old cemetery lies among sand dunes.It is signed and contains a number ofgraves, but only a few are marked.

Farther south, the former site of Na-tural Soda Products is readily visible;though the plant has been dismantled. Ahuge dump, numerous foundations andweathered lumber cover the area. A roadleads onto the lake to a small miningoperation. The assorted rubble here isfascinating and "browsing" is great fun.

Follow Highway 190 west across thesouthern end of Owens Lake and you willbe traveling, in part, the route originallyused by the freight wagons. Along theway, you will be treated to a majestic,two-fold view—the great expanse of lakebed and mighty mountains on bothsides. Stop at Dirty Socks Spring. If yourbones are weary, you will enjoy a dip inthe mineral pool. The campground and

pool (no fee) are maintained by InyoCounty who, I am sorry to say, are notdoing a very good job. I hope the areahas been cleaned since we were there.

The small community of Olancha, atthe junction of Highways 395 and 190,has several gas stations, a post officeand well-stocked market. This area wasthe site of the Shoshonean village of"Olanches." Nearby, we came across anIndian chipping ground. There is otherevidence of early Indian occupancy onthe shores of Owens Lake, such as camp-sites and petroglyphs. Artifact collectingis not permitted under the "AntiquitiesLaw." This law is now being strictlyenforced.

North on Highway 395 at Cartago, theruins of Inyo Development Company'soperation lie east of the little settlement.Sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate(soda ash) and crude trona were minedhere. The site, with its many buildings,is very picturesque. It is private propertyand permission to visit must be obtainedfrom the caretaker.

Farther north, at Marilyn Siding, liethe gigantic concrete ruins of Permanen-te Metals Corporation. This location ison a high bench above the lake bed andoffers a fine view and interesting "brow-sing" area.

Continuing toward Lone Pine on High-way 395, an historical site, former mineand a recreation area are of interest. Thetwo charcoal kilns used to supply fuel toCerro Gordo and other smelters lie a

Continued on page 39

29

An overhanging ledgeon the cliff face high above

the Escalante River protectsan 800-year-old Anasazi granary

from the elements.

AnasaziIndianVillage

by BETTY SHANNON

T HE ANASAZI Indian Village His-torical Monument is far from thebeaten path. But this little gem of a

museum and state park is well worth theside trip necessary to visit it.

It is located in the tiny farming com-munity of Boulder, Utah, some 75 mileseast of Bryce Canyon. State Route 12 vir-tually ends at the museum's doorstep.While there are two dirt roads whichcontinue on beyond Boulder eventuallyto connect with other highways, neithercan be considered an all-year, all-vehicle route.

The park, which is the first in Utahdedicated to preserving an archeologi-cal ruin, occupies the site of the largestknown Anasazi village west of the Colo-rado River. The Anasazis, or AncientOnes, were ancestors of the Pueblos. Atone time these people were spreadthroughout the vast area known as theFour Corners, where Utah, Arizona,

New Mexico and Colorado join.The village at Boulder is believed to

have been in existence for approxi-mately 150 years — from A.D. 1050 to1200. It probably served a maximumpopulation of 200. The site seems idealfor the semisedentary Anasazi way oflife. Streams flowed from the nearbyAquarius Plateau. Crops of corn, beansand squash flourished in the fertile soilof the open valley. Small game could behunted in the immediate vicinity; largeanimals such as deer and mountainsheep roamed the canyons and plateausof the surrounding area. Wood andstones were readily available for build-ing materials. Clay, plant fibers, and

30

other natural resources also were handyand contributed to the villagers' dailyneeds.

All of which raises the inevitable ques-tion. Why did he Anasazis abandon thesettlement? As with other Anasazi sites,the possibility of long term drought or achange in the growing season cannot bediscounted. However, archeologistshave uncovered evidence at this site in-dicating that the village was razed by afire which also killed many of its in-habitants. Whether or not the settle-ment was deliberately destroyed, eitherby its occupants or outsiders, remainsunanswered. Whatever happened, thesurvivors never returned.

Desert/July 1978

The village was excavated by Uni-versity of Utah archeologists in 1958 and1959. The following year the site wasdesignated a state park. The modern,sandstone structure which houses themuseum exhibits was completed in 1970.One Anasazi dwelling has been re-constructed on the village site. A self-guiding trail winds throughout the site,which, to protect it, was reburied afterthe initial excavation. In the future,when funds become available, thevillage will be re-excavated and stabiliz-ed. In the meantime, a diorama displayin the museum depicts the village and itsinhabitants at the height of its devel-opment.

The museum is open all year. Hoursare 8 to 5. Picnickers are welcome butovernight camping is not permitted. TheBureau of Land Management maintainsan excellent campground along CalfCreek, about 12 miles west of Boulder.

Before the state park was estab-lished, Boulder's main claim to distinc-tion was the fact that it was the lastoutpost in the U.S. to receive mail de-livery by mule train. Happily, for thoseseeking a 'glimpse of the slow, pastorallife of generations past, l i t t le haschanged. There are but two generalstores with gas pumps, and as an amen-ity for tourists, one home offers lodgingand home cooked meals.

Not far from Boulder the narrow can-yons of the Escalante River drainage

Numerous granaries are found in the narrow canyons of the Escalante River drain-age. A stone slab was used to seal the structure to protect its contents from animals.

contain other artifacts of the Anasazi oc-cupation. The Calf Creek Falls hikingtrail, which begins at the Calf Creekcampground, leads past both petro-glyphs and several granaries tucked intoniches high on the canyon walls. Thesestorage structures, built of sandstoneslabs and mud mortar, protected theAnasazis' harvest from animals and the

elements. Another granary can beviewed at the point where State Route 12crosses the Escalante River. Its loca-tion is indicated by a BLM sign andmarker. Hiking trails extend along theriver in both directions from the .highway. A sharp-eyed hiker can spotadditional granaries and ruins high onthe cliffs. •

An Anasazidwelling has been

reconstructed at thevillage site. The

one-room structure,built of willow poles

and masonry,features a storage

bin at the side.

Desert/ July 1978 31

AVE YOU ever walked along a desert| wash and found a strange, pale as-

paragus-like plant pushing throughthe sand? If so, then you probably havestumbled across one of the most amazingand unusual flowering plants of thedesert

These are the root parasites whichconsist of a scaly, fleshy stalk that ex-tends down into the sand several feetwhere it attaches to the lateral root of a

nearby shrub. These plants do not havethe green leaves typical of other plantsand are unable to carry on photosynthe-

host shrub vital nutrients.

mass of small purplish flowers that arequite spectacular, especially when view-ed with a magnifying glass.

Desert plants have developed all sortsof methods of conserving water, such as

reduced leaves or no leaves, water stor-age in stems, hairy or resinous layers forinsulation, and waxy, waterproof stems.However, the parasites have developedperhaps the most ingenious method ofall —simply tapping in on their host!

In the Colorado Desert of San Diegoand Imperial Counties there are at leastthree different species of root parasites.Probably the most common species isgiven the peculiar name of broom-rape.

WAYNE P.ARMSTRONG

Left: Althoughthey belong tocompletely differentfamilies, thepurplish-red flowersof krameria

resemble smallorchids. Note theunique "hitchhiker"fruits covered withslender, barbedspines.Oppposite page:Some plants, suchas Indian paintbrush,are partially parasiticon the roots ofnearby host shrubs.Photos by author.

32 Desert/July 1978

It is also called cancer-root andburro-weed strangler. The de-rivation of the name broom-rapeis somewhat plausible if youstretch the definition of rape toinclude parasitizing another in-dividual.

Also many shrubs, particular-ly those with leafless stems orsmall leaves, are called brooms.The scientific name is Oroban-che cooperi (or-oh-BANK-eeCOOP-er-eye). Orobanche isderived from two Creek wordsmeaning a strangling vetch Dr.J C. Cooper was a geologiston the Geological Survey ofCalifornia who collected plantsin the Mojave Desert in the1860s. There are actually sever-al species of broom-rape in Cali-fornia, including some thatgrow in the higher mountains.

Our common desert species isparasitic on several shrubs, in-cluding creosote bush, cheese-bush and burro-weed or bur-sage, a grayish, low, roundedshrub bearing clusters of spinydry fruits or burs. In ImperialValley this little parasite alsolikes tomato plants!

The fleshy flower stalk is ableto push through hard, compactriver bottoms and washes with^mazing force. Often you canfind cracks developing andchunks of clay and sand beinglifted up. There are also reportsof this juicy plant actually push-ing its way up through pave-ment!

The flower stalk gets to beabout six to ten inches tall withnumerous fleshy scale-likeleaves and purplish flowers.The flowers are remarkablysimilar in general appearance tothose of snapdragons and mon-key-flowers. In fact, the Broom-Rape Family is actually ratherclosely related to the Snap-dragon Family. The flower stalk and un-derground part is apparently edible,

was eaten by several tribes of South-western Indians. A decoction of thestems was applied to open sores by theNavajo Indians.

During spring of 1977 broom-rape was

very abundant along Coyote Creek drain-age north of Borrego Springs. It was alsoabundant in several other sandy washes,presumably because of the heavy rainsand flash floods of the previous fall.However, in some years the [scarce in these areas. Although it is aparasite with a rather sinister common

name, it doesn't appear to be doing anyharm to the vigorous and ubiquitous bur-sage.

The next two root parasites belong to avery small plant family native to westernNorth America. Both species are listedas rare and endangered by the CaliforniaNative Plant Society Although their

Desert/July 1978

4

\ \ ,*<range is rather limited, they may bequite abundant in a local area, especiallyafter sufficient rainfall. One species issometimes called scaly-stemmed sandplant or pholisma (Pholisma arenarium).Pholisma (foh-LIS-ma) is derived from aCreek word meaning scaly, and arena-rium (ar-e-NAY-ree-um) is from the La-tin word meaning sandy. The fleshy,scaly stem is somewhat like broom-rapeexcept the flowers are produced in a verycompact rounded or oval cluster. From adistance it looks more like a stalkedfungus than a flowering plant. Each tinypurplish flower has a neat little whiteborder.

The flower stalks may be four to eightinches tall and often occur in clusters of adozen or more. The plant is parasitic onthe roots of several shrubs, such as bur-sage, cheese bush, rabbit-brush and yer-ba-santa. This curious little plant wassurprisingly abundant in March 1977,along the edge of a large sandy wash justsouthwest of Ocotillo in Imperial County.This is the area where the tremendoustropical storm Kathleen and flash floodof September 1976 completely washedout Interstate 8, the San Diego-EasternArizona Railroad track and cut an enor-

34

mous swath through the town of Ocotillo.Certainly one of the strangest looking

of all desert plants is sand food or sandsponge (Ammobroma sonorae). Ammo-broma (ammo-BRO-ma) is derived fromtwo Creek words meaning sand food,and sonorae (son-OR-ee) refers to Son-ora, Mexico. The common name sandfood is very appropriate since the plantwas an important and highly-prized foodfor the local Indians.

This very unusual little root parasitegrows on the sand dunes betweenClamis and Algondones, west of Yuma,Arizona. The gray, fuzzy flower clusters(up to five inches across) look like big flatbuttons or powder puffs on the sand. Infact, they are difficult to spot unless youknow what to look for. Embedded in thegray, woolly mats are many tiny purplishflowers. The fleshy, scaly, brittle stemmay extend two to five feet below thesurface where it attaches to the lateralroots of a nearby shrub. The host shrubis usually either of two species ofColdenia, a low rounded or mat-likeshrub with small oval leaves.

Another common host shrub is desertbuckwheat. According to the eminentauthority on desert plants, Dr. Edmund

Desert/July 1978

Left: Several mush-room-like sand foodflower heads on thetiny surface of a sanddune. Each fuzzy headcontains numerous tinylavender flowers.

Right: Individual sandfood plant showingfleshy, scaly stem thatextends several feetinto the sand where itattaches to a nearbyhost shrub. Severaltiny flowers are visiblein the expanded head.Below: A broom-rapeflower stalk pushing upthrough a sandy washafter a flash flood. Thefleshy stems and com-pact flower clusterssuperficially resemblea stalked fungus. Eachtiny flower is purplishwith a white border.

C. Jaeger, the number of plants branch-ing from the host is usually four to eight,and their combined weight may be manytimes that of their host! The fleshy stemswere apparently eaten raw, cooked orroasted. According to Dr. Jaeger, when

roasted they resemble, in flavor, well-browned yams!

The primary purpose of the above-ground parts of these essentially subter-ranean root parasites is to produceflowers and ultimately seeds. In fact, theflowers are apparently pollinated by in-sects (presumably bees and perhapssome flies or beetles). One very perplex-ing problem exists, and that is how dothe seeds germinate and eventually findtheir way to the host root system deepwithin the sand?

Any discussion of root parasites wouldnot be complete without mentioning alow, intricately branched, grayish shrubwith dense, stiff, thorny branches andgreatly reduced leaves. The shrub iscalled krameria or ratany (genus Kra-meria) and belongs to the little-knownKrameria Family (Krameriaceae). Thefragrant, purplish-red flowers superfi-cially resemble certain members of thePea Family, and may appear in greatprofusion during late spring. One of themost peculiar and distinctive features ofthis bush are small, oval, one-seededfruits covered with long slender spineswhich stick out in all directions like astrange miniature space satellite. InKrameria gray/ each slender spine ter-minates in four minute hooks, somewhatresembling a tiny harpoon or grapplinghook. These elaborate barbed spinesDresumablv aid in seed dispersal, likethe weli-Known and sometimes obnox-ious hitchhiker fruits of bur-clover anHcocklebur! Like some of the colorful In-dian paintbrushes, krameria is apparent-ly only partially parasitic on the lateralroots of nearby shrubs. In fact, futurestudies by botanists will undoubtedly re-veal other parasitic or semiparasitic as-sociations between desert shrubs.

Two species of Krameria are fairlycommon on the rocky alluvial slopes andcanyons of the Mojave and ColoradoDeserts. Krameria grayi can be foundthroughout the Borrego Springs area andalong many of the excellent nature trailswithin Anza-Borrego State Park. Toreally appreciate this shrub you mustlook closely at the delicate flowers andespecially the unique l i t t le f rui ts.Through a hand lens the flower is as in-tricate and beautiful as any orchid!

Desert Parasiteswill be continued

next month.Desert/ July 1978

FINESTSIERRAVACATION!Convict Lake Resortand Pack Stationis the place to start

Full housekeeping cabins, IUStaurant w/cocktail lounge, gen-eral store. Back country packtrips our specialty—fish 10 lakes, numerousstreams for golden s, rainbows, brook ies!

CONVICT LAKE RESORT35 mi. north of Bishop. 714 935-4213.

Rf. 3, Box 204-D, Bishop, Calif. 93514

GENUINEDOMESTICATED

GOLDEN CHIA SEEDS(SALVIA COLUMBARIAE)

Sufficient for four 50-foot rows. Completeinstructions. Packet: $2.00.

HARRISON DOYLEP. 0 . Box 785

Vista, California 92083

ORNAMENTAL

AUTHENTIC, BUILT TOSCALE. TURNS INSLIGHTEST BREEZEALL STEil CONSTRUCTION

Unique lawn decora-tion. Adds rustic charm.41/2 ft., 8 ft., and 10 ft.sizes. Boxed. Send 50cin Soin or stamps forcolorful literature to:

ORNAMENTALWINDMILL SALES

10336 DeSoto AvenueChatsworth, Cal. 91311

213-341-2672

Right: The Bureau of Indian Affairs ad-ministers the spacious and modern SantaRosa School, located near the Papagovillage of the same name.

GRANDETO QUUOTOA by DICK BLOOMQUIST

BOWN IN THE sun-drenched Papagocountry of southern Arizona there'sa lightly traveled byway that links

two dissimilar communities. At the northend of this paved but unpublicized routeis Casa Grande, a farming and ranchingtown that had over 10,000 people in thelast census. At the south end is Quijotoa,a tiny village in the heart of the PapagoIndian Reservation. Between the two lie60 miles of beautiful Sonoran Desertdotted with saguaros, palo verdes andremote Indian settlements.

Case Grande, "Big House" in Span-ish, takes its name from the aboriginalCasa Grande ruins — now a nationalmonument — several miles to the north-east. Our route, however, heads duesouth, crosses over the Interstate 8way,and soon enters the immense PapagoReservation, which extends to the Mexi-can line. On the west the reservationtouches Organ Pipe Cactus National

36

Monument and on the east it approachesTucson

For most of its miles through Papagoland our road follows the Santa RosaValley, a long north-south troughdrained by Santa Rosa Wash. Thisnormally dry arroyo is tributary to theSanta Cruz River, which in turn joins theGila up near Phoenix. The bajadas — thesloping outwash plains between themountains and the valley floor — aregreen with saguaro and palo verde,while down on the flatlands, mesquiteand creosote are dominant. Dirt tracksbreak off frequently from the pavement,leading to drowsy Papago settlementswith names like Kohatk, Sil Nakya, Hick-iwan, Anegam, and Vaya Chin.

The mountains bordering Santa RosaValley may conceal a fabulous Indianarms cache. A prospector named W.E.Bancroft supposedly stumbled upon thearsenal in the 1880's while traveling

from Casa Grande to his claims nearQuijotoa. Bancroft said the cache waslocated in an adobe building in moun-tains on the west side of the valley; itconsisted of an incredible collection ofSpanish and American firearms hangingfrom wooden pegs or supported byforked sticks. Bernard L. Fontana toldthe story in the January, 1960, issue ofDesert.

About 45 miles out of Casa Grande,and a short distance to the left of the.road, is the large Papago village of SantaRosa, or Gu Achi as it is shown on somemaps. Several of the homes are flat-roofed adobes, and round outdoor ovensand ocotillo-stalk fences are much inevidence. Nearby, the giant silver watertower of the modern Santa Rosa Schooldominates the landscape.

It was in this sector of the Papago res-ervation that archeologists made one oftheir most rewarding Southwest digs.

Desert/ July 1978

Ventana Cave (ventana means"window" in Spanish) was the name ofthe site — a shelter under an over-hanging cliff used by men for more than10,000 years. Displays at the ArizonaState Museum in Tucson reconstructwhat life was like at Ventana 10,000years ago, when the camel, bison, ante-lope, mammoth, ground sloth, dire wolfand primitive horse roamed the thenmoist grasslands of southern Arizona.

South of Santa Rosa our roadwayclimbs gradually to Quijotoa. This islush, arboreal desert, with palo verdeand giant saguaro growing in densestands. Staunch ironwood trees, mes-quite, creosote, prickly pear, cholla, andconsiderable grass also cover the landhere. Sixty miles out of Casa Grande wereach the southern end of our trail at thePapago village and trading post of Qui-jotoa, or Covered Wells as it is some-

The beautiful Santa Rosa Valley in thePapago Indian Reservation of southernArizona. Santa Rosa Mountains in back-ground border the valley on the east.

times called. Here, too, is the junctionwith State Highway 86, which can be fol-lowed west to Ajo (about 50 miles) andOrgan Pipe Cactus National Monument,or east of Tucson (80 miles). For most ofits length Highway 86 lies within thePapago reservation. The elevation atQuijotoa is a bit over 2000 feet, some 600feet higher than our starting point atCasa Grande.

The Papagos have lived here formany, many years. Father Kino noted asettlement in this vicinity when he trav-eled the Santa Rosa country back around1700; his maps showed it as "La Mer-ced" ("The Mercy"). Far off to thesoutheast from Quijotoa, mystic Babo-quivari Peak, steeped in Papago legend,breaks the skyline. It was there that thegreat being I'itoi dwelt in a cave andwatched over his people, coming down tohelp them when he was needed. Once hedescended to slay Eagle Man, a monsterwho was devouring the people.

The Quijotoa Trading Post sells gro-ceries and gasoline as well as Indianbaskets, pottery and jewelry. The frontof the building is white and yellow,

colors which bring to mind the short-

lived gold and silver excitement of the

1880's, when mining men like W.E. Ban-

croft, mentioned earlier, were active

nearby. A plaque two miles to the east

along the Tucson road (Highway 86) de-

scribes the boom: "Quijotoa. This is a

Papago word meaning mountain shaped

like a carrying basket. Discovery of a

pocket of gold and silver ore led to a fab-

ulous boom development here in 1883.

The desert has reclaimed the original

site and its suburbs of Logan City, New

Virginia, Brooklyn, and Allen City. The

mine was a complete failure — a tiny

pocket of riches on the mountain."

The Papago country is quiet and

peaceful today. The face of the land has

changed little since the coming of white

civilization, and along the Casa Grande-

to-Quijotoa road a feeling of harmony

still prevails between man and the

desert. •

Calendar of *Events

B I S H O P

Ulestatw Motel

BeWestern

'Lodging at its Best'

COLOR TV

DIAL PHONES

and COFFEE

IN ALL ROOMS

POOL

(714) 873-3564

150 E. Elm St., Bishop Calif.

This column is a public service and there is nocharge for listing your event or meeting—so takeadvantage ot the space by sending in your an-nouncement. We must receive the informationat least three months prior to the event.

JULY 4, Laws Railroad Museum Celebration,Bishop, California. Music, entertainment,barbeque. Sponsored by the Bishop Museumand Historical Society. Adults $1.00, children50c.

JULY 14-16, Northwest Federation of Miner-alogical Societies 38th Annual Conventionand Gem and Mineral Show, Evergreen StateFairgrounds, Snohomish, Washington. Host-ed by the Snohomish Lapidary Club, Inc. Dis-plays, demonstrations, lectures, field trips.

JULY 15 & 16, Reno Gem and Mineral Soci-ety's Annual Show, Centennial Coliseum,4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nevada.

AUGUST 19 & 20, Nature's Crown Jewels,sponsored by the Simi Valley Cem and Miner-al Society, Larwin Community Center, 1692Sycamore Dr., Simi Valley, Calif. Demonstra-tions and dealers.

AUGUST 25-27, Sixth Annual Big BrotherRun, organized and sponsored by the SanDiego Four Wheelers. This event provides anopportunity for the Big/Little Brothers to en-joy an off-road adventure in safe vehiclesoperated by experienced drivers. Four-wheel-drive clubs and individual owners are encour-aged to participate in this worthy cause.Contact San Diego Four Wheelers, Box 2396,La Mesa, Calif. 92041.

Bobo's BonanzaBURGERS SHAKES DINNERS STEAKS

HOMEMADE MEXICAN FOODFRIED CHICKENChildren's Menu

CENTER OF TOWN—LONE PINE, CALIFORNIA

38

SEPTEMBER 23 & 24, Centinela Valley Cemand Mineral Club's "Harvest of Gems"show, Hawthorne Memorial Center, El Se-gundo Blvd., and Prairie Ave., Hawthorne,Calif. Dealers, displays, demonstrations,prizes. Ample free parking.

SEPTEMBER 23 & 24, 38th Annual Show ofthe Los Angeles Lapidary Society, "March ofGems" at the Brentwood Youth House, 731South Bundy, south of San Vicente. Dealerspacefilled.

SEPTEMBER 23 & 24, Carmel Valley Gem &Mineral Soceity, Monterey Co. Fairgrounds,Monterey, Calif. "19th Jubilee of Jewels."Dealer spacefilled.

SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1, "Nature'sJewel Box," sponsored by the Napa ValleyRock & Cem Club, Inc., Napa Town andCountry Fairgrounds, 575 Third St., Napa,Calif. Dealers, demonstrations, drawings.Donation 50c. Easy parking and camping fa-cilities on the grounds.

OCTOBER 7 & 8, Mohave County Cemston-ers 8th Annual Gem and Mineral Show. Mo-have County Fairgrounds, Kingman, Ariz.Dealers. Chairman: John Sourek, Kingman,Arizona 86402.

OCTOBER 14 & 15, Annual Show "RockTrails West" sponsored by the CampbellCem and Mineral Guild, Santa Clara CountyFairgrounds, San Jose, California. Dealers.Chairman, Ralph Quain, Box 552, Los Gatos,California 95030.

OCTOBER 14-22, 3rd Annual Cem andMineral and Handcraft Hobby Show, Sports-man's Club of Joshua Tree, 6225 Sunburst,Joshua Tree, California. For information,write P. O. Box 153, Joshua Tree, Calif.92252.

OCTOBER 28 & 29, Convair Rockhounds'Annual Show; 1978 San Diego County Gem-boree, "Earth's Hidden Treasures." Al BahrShrine Temple, 5440 Kearny Mesa Rd., SanDiego, California. Retail Dealers and Whole-sale Room. Programs scheduled daily.

NOVEMBER 4 & 5, Bear Gulch Rock Club's16th Annual Gem and Mineral Show, Mason-ic Hall, 1025 N. Vine, Ontario, Calif. 91761.Dealer space filled. Exhibits, demonstrations.Free admission and parking.

NOVEMBER 18 & 19, Lake Havasu Cem &Mineral Society's Ninth Annual Show, JuniorHigh School, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.Dealers, Chairman: Harry Kilb, P. O. Box990, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Desert/July 1978

OWENS LAKE LOOPContinued from page 29

mile east of the highway. Watch for asign. An historical monument has beenerected which gives a brief history of theovens' use. This is a good overnightcampsite—one we have used often.

Next stop is at Columbia-Southern'splant. A caretaker was living there andmight give permission for collectingcrystals. Unfortunately, the heavy rainsof this past winter make it doubtful thatany crystals remain.

A few miles north of Bartlett, InyoCounty maintains a recreational area atDiaz Lake. Camping, boating, waterskiing, fishing and swimming are avail-able. There are 200 campsites. No hook-ups but cold showers and sanitary facili-ties are provided. Portugee Joe, LocustGrove and Tuttle Creek Campgrounds,west of Lone Pine, offer good campingareas for overnight or a couple of weeks.Supplies are available at Lone Pine.

A Visitor Center is now open at thejunction of Highways 395 and 136, southof Lone Pine. Maps and Information onrecreational activities throughout theOwens Valley are available. The Centeris new but there are plans to have manyinteresting exhibits on display.

Owens Lake has played a substantialrole in the development of Inyo County.Perhaps, more importantly, it gave itslife to benefit man. In 1907, in whatOwen's Valley residents will alwaysthink of as "the dastardly rape of theirresources," Los Angeles citizens voted a23 million dollar bond issue to financethe construction of the Los Angeles-Owens Valley Aqueduct. The OwensRiver was diverted to supply thirstySouthern California and Owens Valleywas left without control of the water herranchers and residents needed. Itssource of life removed, the great lakebegan to dry up. The fight over water be-tween the people of Owens Valley andLos Angeles is a story in itself.

This beautiful, lush valley, that hadpromised so much, began to decline andthere were many dark days. Eventually,a new resource—recreation—was en-couraged. The glorious scenery, histori-cal sites and recreational areas now lurethousands of visitors annually.

The immense, white salt crust—theresidue of Owens Lake—radiates in the

Desert/July 1978

Columbia-Southern's plant at Bartlett was shut down in 7966 when heavy rainflooded Owens Lake and inundated their ponds and salt beds.

brilliant sun. Here and there, algae hascolored the crust a rose-pink and a fewdeep water holes still exist. There arestories of lost bullion in the lakebed,and, not too long ago, parts of a wreckedsteamer were recovered.

The Owens Lake Region has many

treasures to offer those who love West-ern Americana and the great outdoors.Come—and "Tour Owens Lake." Youare sure to find new insight of the peoplewho, through austerity and hardship,opened the doors to the recreationalregion we now enjoy. •

FOR SALE

THE AmbersRESTAURANT

F I N E D I N I N G C O C K T A I L S

970 NORTH MAIN STREET IN BISHOP, CALIFORNIA

[714] 387-2701

Tours in or nearCanyonlands National Park•ISLAND IN THE SKY 'WASHERWOMAN•WALKING ROCKS 'MONUMENT BASIN•ARCHES NATIONAL PARK•ONION CREEK 'HURRAH PASS•GEMINI BRIDGES 'ROCKHOUNDING

Half Day, Full Day and SpecialTours at Reasonable Rates

Unfolded, framable 16"x22" stereoflraphic map ofCanyonlands and Arches National Monuments

and Monument Valley$1.50 each, Postpaid

LIN OTTINGER'S TOURSMoab Rock Shop, 137 N. Main, Moab, Utah 84532

Phona [801 ] 259-7312 for Reservation. Walking Rocks in Canyonlands

What's

on tlieDesert?

by STELLA HUGHES

Deep PitItarbeciie!

r DR INFORMAL entertaining, noth-ing beats a barbecue! The great en-thusiasm for barbecues today is a

revival of the world's oldest, simplestand most delicious way of preparing food— by direct heat or by burying in a pitand letting the meat steam in its ownjuices.

The Southwest has the greatest herit-age of outdoor-and-barbecue cookinglore than anywhere else in America. Tothe old-fashioned methods of our pioneersettlers, we have added the wonderfullyand varied approaches of our goodneighbors south of the border.

In this article I'm going to give in-structions for deep-pit barbecue for largequantities, enough to feed from 50 toseveral hundred people.

For barbecueing one-half beef, or 250pounds (allowing three-fourths poundper person, no less), dig a hole four feet

deep, three feet wide and six or sevenfeet long. Select your site for the pit withcare. Stay away from low ground orsandy soil. Sand, when hot, will cave in,covering the coals. Keep the pit awayfrom large trees in order to avoid trou-blesome roots. And, remember, the firewill scorch leaves of nearby trees if thepit is too close. If you dig the pit severaldays ahead you can keep it dry by cover-ing with tin, or a tarp, or sheets of heavyplastic. Just be sure the pit doesn't getwet.

Now for the wood. If you don't have an• abundance of good hardwood, forget it!You can't barbecue with resinous woodsuch as pine, spruce, fir, cedar, juniperor pinon. Nor will you be successfulusing cottonwood, aspen, poplar or syca-more. In the Southwest, the very bestwood is mesquite or oak. Some fruitwoods are O.K., such as well-curedapple or cherry; also wild walnut. How-ever, walnut isn't my favorite wood forbarbecueing. Anyone living where thereis hickory wood is in luck, as hickory isimpossible to beat for hot, long-lastingcoals. If I don't have a good supply of dryoak or mesquite, I refuse to do anybarbecueing.

40

You have to start the fire in the pit atleast five hours before putting in themeat. If logs are very big, six or sevenhours burning time doesn't hurt. Don'tfill the pit chock full of wood at first, butburn a layer of smaller logs, and whenthey are nice red coals add another layerof wood. J ust remember, it's impossibleto have too many coals, but it's a majordisaster if you don't have enough.

After you have some 18 inches (24inches is even better) of good red coals,remove any charred chunks of wood thatmay not have burned completely. Along-handled shovel or pitchfork will dofor this purpose. It's best not to add reallarge logs the last hour or so of burning.J ust don't skimp on the amount of wood.It's better to have a few too many coalsthen to end up with raw meat.

When there are no longer any flames,lay down a strip of tin or corrugated iron,directly on the coals. The tin must be justslightly narrower than the pit. Twopieces of tin can be used, overlappingthem. Don't put the tin in place until thevery moment you are ready to put in thebags of meat.

This is the way to prepare the meat:Cut roasts of beef, using front quar-

ters, hind quarters, ribs, neck—any partof beef except the T-bones, which you'llwant to save for grilling. No need to trimaway the fat, nor do you want to bone theroasts. Cooking with bone and tallowgives cheaper cuts of meat wonderfulflavor. Just be sure the meat is notfrozen. Cuts should weigh close to 15pounds and not less than 10. Flavor anyway you like. If you are simpfy a salt andpepper person, well, then use just saltand pepper. I go a little wild and scatterthick onion slices, slivers of fresh garlicand crumpled bay leaf on mine. I usecoarse black pepper and salt, sprinkle onAccent (monosodium glutamate) andseveral dashes of liquid smoke. Go easyon the smoke—just a hint will do.

Each roast must be wrapped in heavyaluminum foil. Stockinet or toweling willdo. The foil helps retain the juicesaround the meat and it is easier tohandle when removing from gunny sackto serve.

Put the foil-wrapped meat into aburlap bag (gunny or toe sack), fold overuntil it is a tight bundle, and tie withwire. Baling wire (hay wire) serves best.Leave a twist or handle in the center ofthe bundle so removing from the pit can

Desert/July 1978

be done by hooking a gonch-hook orpitchfork onto the wire loop. Dampen thesacks. They should not be sopping wet sodon't soak them in a tub of water. Justrun the hose over the bottom of the bun-dles lightly. The burlap only needs to bedamp enough to keep from scorchingwhile you are putting the meat onto thehot t in.

Now the meat is ready for the pit. Putthe bundles of meat in quickly. Haveseveral people to help if you have morethan 10 bundles. Arrange them a fewinches apart or merely touching. J ust besure you don't have to pile them on topof each other. Keep the bundles to thecenter of the tin, avoiding the extremecorners if possible.

Lay a strip of tin over the bundles ofmeat, being sure all are covered. Thenstart filling the pit with dirt as fast as youcan. Several husky helpers won't hurt atthis stage. You want to get the air cut offfrom the coals as soon as possible. Besure no air pockets remain after you haveat least a foot of dirt packed down. Checklater, and if even a wisp of smoke is es-caping add more dirt.

The meat takes seven to 12 hours tocook, depending on the size of theroasts. Leaving it in the pit longerdoesn't hurt. I've often left it in 12 to 14hours and dug it up just prior to servingthe meal. The very minimum length oftime is seven hours, even for those wholike their meat pink.

In barbecueing beef for 2,500 Apachesat San Carlos, Arizona in 1972, we hadthe pit dug by backhoe machine. It wasover 30 feet long, three feet wide andfour feet deep. We used 1,600 pounds ofbeef with bone intact. We used theentire beef (four heifers) except for theneck meat I used for making stock for mybarbecue sauce. We burned almost twocords of well-cured mesquite wood, cutin four-foot lengths. The fire burned forseven hours before we put in the meat.The meat remained in the pit for 11hours. When removing from the pit thebundles were laid on the corrugated ironand not unwrapped until needed.

By all means, never let rain seep intothe pit while barbecueing. If it-rains, digtrenches around the pit and cover withwater-proof sheeting during the time themeat is cooking.

Now, it stands to reason if you live inan area where hardwood costs $50.00 to$75.00 a cord, this method of barbecue-

Desert/ July 1978 41

ing meat would be quite expensive.However, if you can go out and gatheryour wood free, this is a great way toprepare barbecue for several hundredpeople.

Continued on page 46

Right: Burn good hardwood in pit for fiveto seven hours. There should be 18 to 24inches of red coals. Below: Cut roasts to12-15 pounds, season to suit and thenwrap with heavy duty foil. Bottom: Foil-wrapped meat is then placed in burlapbag and folded into a tight bundle. Tiesecurely with wire, being sure to leave aloop to make it easy to handle when plac-ing in or removing from the pit.

• BOOKS-MAGAZINES

ROCK CREATIONS for Fun and Profit. Bookhas color photos and instructions. Colorful littlefigures from ordinary rocks. Have fun and makemoney! $2.95 plus 30c shipping. The OwlsRoost, 1 Corral Lane, Space 17, Ashland, Ore-gon 97520. Dealer inquiries invited.

• GEMS

SHAMROCK ROCK SHOP, 593 West La Ca-denaDr., Riverside, California92501. Parallel toRiverside Freeway. Phone 686-3956. Come inand browse; jewelry mountings, chains, sup-plies, minerals, slabs, rough material, equip-ment, black lights, metal detectors, maps, rockand bottle books.

• REAL ESTATE

ROCKHOUNDS PARADISE . . . Outstandingcollection with home, shop, cabin, fruit, nuts,plentiful water (2 ponds), 2 acres, County Roadfrontage, beach combing, fishing, nearby. Op-portunity for self-sufficiency. Shown by appoint-ment. Details from Mrs. Don Graham, StarRoute, Ferndale, Calif. 95536. 707-629-3374.

DESERT MAGAZINES #1 to 1950 complete,about 100 thereafter, $250. Arizona Highways,December 1941 to 1976 complete, $500. Manyduplicates. 6839 N. 14th St., Phoenix, Arizona85014.

UPPER MISSISSIPPI, Lower Mississippi andOhio River travel guides available. All worth-while scenic, historic, economic and recreationalsights are described. Send $2.95 each plus 40cPPH to AML, 2099 La Crosse Avenue, St. Paul,Minnesota 55119.

FOR SALE, Desert Magazine, 1946-47-48-49-50.Write for details to: Viola Hoffstot, 99 RiverLoop 1, Eugene, Oregon 97404.

OWNING & SELLING Desert Land in MorongoBasin—Facts and events that affect the value ofyour land and the use of your land in Hi-Desertcommunities of San Bernardino County. Learnfrom a man with over 20 years experience indesert property investments. Please send $5.30to author: Jon A. Baker, 2032A Loreto Place,Placentia, California92670.

• BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

HOW I MADE over $7,000 in 4 weekends; youcan, too. No capital outlay. Full detailed instruc-tions $1.00. Yellowhan, P. O. Box 13164, St.Petersburg, Florida 33733.

MAPS

OLD STATE, RAILROAD, COUNTY MAPS.70-110 years old. All States. Stamp for catalog.Northern Map, Dept. DM, Eagle River, Wise.54521.

MINING

ASSAYS—Gold and Silver $9.00. High qualityspectrographic analysis for 65 metals $7.50.Free price list. Reed Engineering, 2166 CollegeAve., Costa Mesa, California 92627.

• PROSPECTING

LEARN GOLD PANNING from 38 years of ex-perience. Packet of black sand and generoussample of gold and instructions, $2.00. Alsosmall jagged desert nuggets $1.00 to $12.00sizes. Prospector Jack Ward, Box 380, SandiaPark, N.M. 87047.

DRYWASHERS! GOLD CONCENTRATORS!Guaranteed to recover minerals, gold. A hobbythat pays for itselfl Write to: Nick's Nugget, P.O. Box 1081, Fontana, Calif. 92335. (714)822-2846.

RANCHERS—MILLIONS are available to youand rural land owners. Free grants and loansavailable for as low as 1 % interest. Low incomeno problem. Get the facts. Send $5.00 andS.A.S.E. to: Globe-UU, Box 6568, Chas., W. Va.25302.

ROCKHOUNDS

PRINEVILLE ROCKHOUND POW WOW. TheFriendly Place. June 24 through July 2, 1978.503-447-6760. Prineville Rockhounds Pow WowAssn., P. O. Box 671, Prineville, Ore. 97754.

• SEEDS & PLANTS

JOJOBA plantation planning. Seedlings, infor-mation. Send $1.50 for packet 10-15 nuts and in-structions for growing, prepaid. Natures Nur-sery, 213 E. Merced, Avenal, Calif. 93204.

LINDA GOODMAN'S Sun Plants—1978 illus-trated catalog 50c. Free catalog and GrowersGuide with assortments: 10 cacti $9.00, 10 suc-culents $7.00, both $14.00. Box 20014D, River-side, California 92516.

• TREASURE FINDERS

CARTOON INSTRUCTION

"CARICATURING, CARTOONING, Here'sHow!" By professional cartoonist K. O. "Kayo"Harris. Learn how to draw to sell now! Three dif-ferrent issues $2. K. O. Harris, P. O. Box 1567,Portland, Oregon 97207.

BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA Feather River goldnuggets. Among the world's finest grade. $3.00to $700.00 sizes. Send for price list. ProspectorJack Ward, Box 380, Sandia Park, New Mexico87047.

• REAL ESTATE

INSTANT RICHES—Explore ghost towns. Findburied treasure, coins, relics, antiques, andmore. Goldak—the finest "Metal and TreasureLocators since 1933." Send for free catalog.Goldak, Dept. D, 626 Sonora Avenue, Glendale,California 91201.

TREASURE—Locate quarter mile away with ul-trasensitive locator — brochure free. Box 13441-BUC, Tampa, Florida 33611.

EQUIPMENT

PRECISION LAPIDARY Abrasive Compoundsfor tumbling, polishing and grinding. Ssnd forfree catalogue and price list. MDC Industries,400 West Glenwood Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.19140. Dealer Inquiries invited.

HOW TO PLACE YOUR ADMail your copy and first-insertion remittanceto: Trading Post, Desert Magazine, PalmDesert, Calif. 92260. Classified rates are 25cper word, $5.00 minimum per insertion.Deadline tor Classified Ads is 10th of second

month preceding cover date.

BUY LAND!!!! Learn how to find and purchasegood country land . . . Detailed report gives factsyou need to know before buying land . . . Only$2.00. Capricorn, Box 728-B2, Lomita, Calif.90717.

THE "LONE STAR" Gold Mine—12 acres, 29Palms area. Call Larry Knight, 714-328-1380.Broker.

REACH A SELECTIVE audience with a Classi-fied Ad In The Trading Post section of DesertMagazine for as little as $5.00 monthly.

42

MISCELLANEOUS

TV & MOVIE SCRIPT Analysis will help polishyour material into a salable property. Write fordetails. W & D Enterprises, 10525 HillhavenAvenue, P. O. Box 580 DM,' Tujunga, Calif.91042.

FREE KOREAN GINSENG! $1.50 Value! Guar-anteed Best! $1.00 literature, postage, handling:Ginsengco, Box 1056, Suite 4534, Paramount,California 90723.

Desert/July 1978

MISCELLANEOUS

BELLEW MEMORIAL ARTHRITIS MedicalClinic, D.H.S., Calif. Practice limited to the

.Bellew Vaccine Method of treating arthritis.Desert sun and climate. Phone 714-329-8723.Write P. O. Box 305, D.H.S., California 92240.

MEGAVITAMINS FOR ARTHRITIS. Try For-mula " N " with Vitamin B-3. Three Week Supply$8.54 postpaid. R.A.F., 2411 Calle Linares,Santa Barbara, California 93109.

CALIFORNIA R.N.'s Guide to Natural Healthand Beauty at Any Age. Facts, formulas, re-cipes. $3.00, R.N., Box 1066, Downey, CA 90240

"PET"-ROGLYPHS—Reproductions of prehis-toric Mojave Desert petroglyphs hand-carved innative rock. Dealer setup includes 15 "Pet"-roglyphs, display rack and brochures, only$35.00. Dealers send Inquiry on your letterhead.Desert Sun, Rt. 1, Box 3816c, Ridgecrest, Call-f o r n i a 93555.

WANTED: ALUMINUM advertising or politicalsewing thimbles. Give condition, wording andprice. J. C. Steen, 2368 Hartline Dr., Dallas,Texas 75228.

EXPLORE THE COLORADO RIVER in a Kayak.Group Discounts. Information and reservationscall: Huckleberrys, Box 100, Earp, Calif. 92242.Phone 714-665-2007.

KNOW YOUR DOCTOR! How to obtain qualifi-cations, malpractice history. Send $2.50 toDeserderia Services, P. O. Box 3878, Anaheim,California 92803.

$10 Orders Filled FREE. Powerful all-profit cir-cular pulls $10.00. You keep entire $10.00. Rushstamped addressed envelope to Thrifty Needsand Gifts, 4322 Clifton, El Paso, Texas 79903.

PERSONALIZED LIFETIME GIFTS under$10.00. Send Stamped Envelope for brochure.Paris Mountain Press, 7631 Juliette Low Drive,Huntington Beach, California 92647.

Preserve Your IssuesFor Travel Guides and

Reference in a

BINDEREach library-style brown vinylbinder holds 12 issues of DesertMagazine. An ideal gift for friendswho constantly refer to Desert asa source of information on all ofthe West. - .

Postpaid V j f l l yBE SURE TO STATE WHAT YEAR YOU WANT

PRINTED IN GOLD ON THE BINDER

Send check or money order to

~B**i£L MAGAZINE

Palm Desert. California 92260

MAPS!DESERT OVERVIEW MAPS Using topo-graphic maps as basic underlays, are two ex-cellently detailed maps for back country explor-ers of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. Mapsshow highways, gravel roads, Jeep trails, plushistoric routes and sites, old wells, which are noton modern-day maps, plus ghost towns, Indiansites, etc Mojave Desert Overview covers fromU.S. 395 at Little Lake to Boulder City, Nevada,to Parker Dam to Victorville. Colorado DesertOverview covers from the Mexican border toJoshua Tree National Monument to Banning tothe Arizona side of the Colorado River. Becertain to state which map when ordering. $3.00each.

MAP OF PIONEER TRAILS. Compiled by VarnaEnterprises, this is their new large map onpioneer trails blazed from 1541 through 1867 in'he western United States. Superimposed in redon biack and white, 37" x 45". $4.00.

Desert Magazine Book ShopP.O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260

Please add 50c for postage/handling Calif, residents please add 6%state sales tax

ROADMAP TO CALIFORNIA'S PIONEERTOWNS,. GHOST TOWNS AND MININGCAMPS. Compiled by Varna Enterprises, 38" x25" and scaled Southern California on one sideand Northern California on the other. Containsdetailed location of place names, many of whichare not on regular maps. $3.50.

ROADMAP TO CALIFORNIA'S LOST MINESAND BURIED TREASURES. Compiled byVarna Enterprises, 38" x 25" and scaled. South-ern California on one side and Northern Cali-fornia on the other. Contains detailed location ofplace names, many of which are not on regularmaps. $4.00.

ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARKTOPOGRAPHIC MAPS. A set of 7 maps cover-ing the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 8Vz" x1 1 ' " format, bound. $5.50.

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENT UP-DATED TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS A set of 12maps covering the Joshua Tree National Monu-ment, 82"x11" format, spiral bound. $7.95.

Order maps ioaay from

REPLACEABLE SUBSCRIPTION FORM July 1978

DattiL D Check here if youwish this issue replaced.

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

ENTER A NEW SUBSCRIPTION I ] RENEW MY PRESENT SUBSCRIPTION

NAME

ADDRESS

I I SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO:

NAME

ADDRESS

Sign Gift Card: "From

[ I SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO:

NAME

ADDRESS

Sign Gift Card: "From

One Year $7.00_ v . . . . r.l PAYMENT ENCLOSEDTwo Years 13.00(Or 2 One Years)

BILL ME LATER

Three Years 19.00(Or Three One Years)Foreign'subscribersadd $2.00/year postage.' Date Binder(s) with Year(s)

D ALSO SEND DESERT'S 12-ISSUEHANDSOME BROWN VINYL BINDER FOR$4.50 (Includes tax and postage)

• Undated

Desert/ July 1978 43

Send orders toBox 1318

Palm Desert, California 92260

ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANGRY GOD byC arobeth Laird. A fascinating true story of theauthor's marriages to anthropologist John Pea-body Harrington, the "angry god," and to theremarkable Chemehuevi Indian, George Laird.The appeal of this amazing memoir Is so broad Ithas drawn rave reviews throughout the countryand is being hailed as a classic. Hardcover, 230pages, $8.95.

TREASURE HUNTER'S MANUAL #7 by Karlvon Mueller. Treasure, or treasure trove, mayconsist of anything having a cash or convertiblevalue; money in all forms, bullion, jewelry,guns, gems, heirlooms, genuine antiques, rareletters and documents, rare books and much,much more. This complete manual covers everyfacet of treasure hunting. Paperback, 293 pages,illustrated, $6.95.

howler's LAKE POWELL BOAT AND TOURGUIDE. This Revised Third Edition contains de-tailed maps based on USGS topos which givecanyon rating for angling, camping, house-boat-ing, photography and walking-hiking. Alsoincludes marina tourist facilities, places of his-torical and scientific Interest, mileage tables andpertinent data on the flora and fauna. Excellentmaps in color are an asset for both the noviceand experienced visitor. Large format, beautiful-ly illustrated, $4.95.

THE WESTERNERS by Dee Brown. The authorfollows the frontiersman into his heroicworld —tells the story of early explorers,trappers, fur traders, Forty-niners, builders andoperators of stagecoach and mall services, tele-graphs and railroads—through the experience ofa few influential, representative Westerners-white men, white women and Indians. Hard-cover, beautifully illustrated with color and blackand white photos, 288 pages, originally publish-ed at $17.95, now priced at $7.98.

CACTUS IDENTIFIER Including succulentplants by Helmut Bechtel. This gem of a littlebook contains 119 beautiful color photographs ofcacti and succulent plants. Detailed descriptionsof each, plus where they are to be found, andhow to care for them. 256 pages of informativereading, hardcover, $4.95.

HISTORICAL ATLAS OF CALIFORNIA by War-ren A. Beck and Ynez D. Hasse. Extensive docu-mentation and pertinent detail make this atlas avaluable aid to the student, scholar and every-one interested in the Golden State. 101 excellentmaps present information on the major faults,early Spanish explorations, Mexican landgrants, routes to gold fields, the Butterfleld andPony Express routes, CCC camps, World War IIInstallations, etc. Hardcover, extensive Index,highly recommended, $12.50.

100 DESERT WILDFLOWERS by Natt Dodge.Each flower is Illustrated with a 4-color photo-graph and described in detail, where found,blooming period, etc. Habitats from sea level to4000 feet. Slick paperback, 64 pages, $2.50.

100 ROADSIDE WILDFLOWERS by Natt DodgeA companion book and with the same format as100 Desert Wildflowers, this book lists 100flowers found from 4000 to 7000-foot levels. Alsohas 4-color photographs. Slick paperback, 64pages, $2.50.

.HE NEVADA DESERT by Sessions S.Wheeler. Provides information on Nevada'sstate parks, historical monuments, recreationalareas and suggestions for safe, comfortabletravel in the remote sections of western Amer-ica. Paperback, illus., 168 pages, $2.95.

44

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE COMMON AND IN-TERESTING PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIAby Jeanette Coyle and Norman Roberts. Over250 plants are described with 189 color photos.Includes past and present uses of the plants byaborigines and people in Baja today. Scientific,Spanish and common names are given. Excel-lent reference and highly recommended. 224pages, paperback, $8.50.

PHOTO ALBUM OF YESTERDAY'S SOUTH-WEST compiled by Charles Shelton. Early daysphoto collection dating from 1860s to 1910 showsprospectors, miners, cowboys, desperados andordinary people. 195 photos, hardcover, fine giftitem, $12.50.

INDIAN JEWELRY MAKING by Oscar T. Bran-son. This book is intended as a step-by-stephow-to-do-it method of making jewelry. An in-triguing all-color publication that is an asset tothe consumer as well as to the producer of Indianjewelry today because it provides the basicknowledge of how jewelry is made so one canjudge if it is well made and basically good de-sign. Paperback, large format, $7.95.

NEVADA OFFICIAL BICENTENNIAL BOOKedited by Stanley W. Paher. Many hours ofreading enjoyment for ghost towners and citydwellers alike. Over 200 authors are represented,Including Nell Murbarger, Harold Weight andStanley Paher who have been contributors toDesert Magazine. Chapters on agriculture, min-ing, banking and Industry and transportation af-ford a cross-section on the Silver State. 247original stories, 430 illustrations, maps, 528pages. Large format, hardcover, $15.00.

CACTUS AND SUCCULENTS by the Editors ofSunset. This book gives growing requirementsfor over 150 varieties of these exotic, easy-to-grow.plants. They adapt to dry, warm tempera-tures, require little water, are fairly resistant toinsects, and can withstand poor care for weeks.Many have unusual shapes, sizes and spinybristles, along with colorful flowers. Largeformat, many beautiful color photos, 80 pages,$2.95.

FROSTY, A Raccoon to Remember by HarriettE. Weaver. The only uniformed woman on Cali-fornia's State Park Ranger crews for 20 years,Harriett Weaver shares her hilarious and heart-warming experiences being a "mother" to anorphaned baby raccoon. A delightful book for allages. Illustrated with line-drawings by JenniferO. Dewey, hard cover, 156 pages, $5.95.

DESERT WILDLIFE by Edmund C. Jaeger is aseries of intimate and authentic sketches deplet-ing the lives of native animals of our South-western deserts, from mammals to birds andreptiles, as Well as many of the lesser desertdenizens such as land snails, scorpions, mille-pedes and common insects. Paperback, well Il-lustrated, 308 pages, $4.95.

GOLD AND SILVER IN THE WEST by T. H.Watklns. Over 200 photos, Illustrations andmaps, many in full color. Complete story of goldand silver mining in the American West, Alaskaand British Columbia, including sagas ofconquistadores chasing myths in Old Mexico,speculators chasing profits in North Americanmining camps, instant towns, the evolution fromsimple placering to major industry, etc. Largeformat, hardcover, originally published at$17.50, now priced at $10.95.

TOURING THE OLD WEST by K. Ruth. Ghosttowns, forts, pony express stations are locatedand described in this inspiring guide to the his-torical sites throughout the West. Photos, mapsand travel tips. Hardcover, $2.95.

GHOST TOWN: El Dorado by Lambert Florin.The colorful, outrageous characters of the West-ern mining towns come to life on every page ofthis fascinating volume crammed with photos ofghost towns in Colorado, California, Arizona,Utah, etc., plus exciting history and anecdotes.246 photos and illustrations. Large format, hard-cover, originally published at $12.95, now pricedat $5.95.

OLD FORTS OF THE SOUTHWEST by H. M.Hart. The crumbling adobe walls of the south-west forts are filled with forgotten memories,tense moments, hardship and pathos capturedhere in extensively researched text and excitingillustrations. Originally published at $12.95, nowonly $5.95.

OLD FORTS OF THE NORTHWEST by H. M.Hart. Over 200 photos and maps. Exciting pic-torial history of the military posts that openedthe West—the forts, the generals like Custerand Sheridan, the soldiers and their lives, theIndians, etc. Originally published at $12.50, nowpriced at $5.95.

1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tlbbltts.Updated edition of one of the best of the bottlebooks. $4.95.

SOUTHWEST INDIAN CRAFT ARTS by ClaraLee Tanner. One of the best books on the sub-ject, covering all phases of the culture of the In-dians of the Southwest. Authentic in every way.Color and black and white illustrations. Beauti-ful large format, hardcover, 205 pages, $15.00.

GOLDEN CHIA by Harrison Doyle. The only ref-erence book on the chia plant and seed. Thisbook illustrates the great difference between thehigh desert chia, and the Mexican variety sold inthe health food stores. If you study, practice andtake to heart, especially the last ten pages of thisnutritionally up-to-date, newly revised book, youwill find many answers you've been searchingfor to the achievement of health and well being,lengthen your life expectancy measureably, andbe 99% less susceptible to disease of any sort.Fourth printing, 105 pages, illustrated. Paper-back, $4.75; cloth, $7.75.

OWYHEE TRAILS by Mike Hanley and EllisLucia. The authors have teamed to present theboisterous past and intriguing present of thisstill wild corner' of the West sometimes calledthe I-O-N, where Idaho, Oregon and Nevadacome together. Hardcover, 225 pages, $9.95.

VANISHED ARIZONA: RECOLLECTIONS OFTHE ARMY LIFE OF A NEW ENGLANDWOMAN, by Martha Summerhayes. First pub-lished in 1908, this is a new edition. A first-hand account of frontier army life; a true classic.New Publisher's Preface. New map. New index.Hardcover, 293 pages, $10.00.

Desert/July 1978

Please add 50c per total orderfor Handling/Postage

Calif, add 6% state sales tax

DESERT COUNTRY by Steve Crouch. Ninetyphotos, 60 In full color. Handsomely Illustratedtribute to the land that lies from the Big Bendcountry of Texas across New Mexico and Ari-zona, to Death Valley and Baja. Large format,hardcover, published at $20.00, now priced at$10.95

ROCK DRAWINGS OF THE COSO RANGE byCampbell Grant, James Balrd and J. KennethPrlngle. A Maturango Museum publication, thisbook tells of sites of rock art In the Coso Rangewhich, at 4,000 feet, merges with the flatlands ofthe northern Mojave Desert. Paperback, ilus-trated, detailed drawings, maps, 144 pages,$3.95.

Don Holm's Bookot FOOD DRYING, PICKLINGAND SMOKE CURING by Don and MyrtleHolm. A complete manual for all three basic me-thods of food processing and preservation with-out refrigeration or expensive canning equip-ment. Also contains instructions and plans forbuilding the equipment needed at home. An ex-cellent publication and highly recommended forthe homemaker, camp cook or the expeditionleader. Paperback, well illustrated, $4.95.

THE MAN WHO CAPTURED SUNSHINE, ABiography of John W. Hilton by Katharine Alns-worth. Although John Hilton is best known asthe "Dean of American Desert Painters," he Isalso a distinguished botanist, gemologist, zoolo-gist, noted writer and linguist, guitarist andsinger. Anyone who seen or heard of Hilton'smarvelous talent will want to have this delight-fully written biography. Hardcover, Includeseight beautiful four-color reproductions of hispaintings, $12.95.

DEATH VALLEY: Geology, Ecology, Archaeo.-O0y< by Charles B. Hunt. Death Valley has longbeen a place of fascination for people the worldover, and much has been written about It. Now,however, all aspects of this famous (or Infamous)desert have been brought together in this book.Lavishly illustrated with 163 photos and linedrawings, paperback, 234 pages, $6.95.

EDIBLE AND USEFUL PLANTS OF CALIFOR-NIA by Charlotte Bringle Clarke. This uniquebook Is a guide to identifying more than 220plants used by both American Indians and pio-neers for food, fibers, medicine, tools and otherpurposes. It also tells how to prepare, cook andotherwise use them. Plants are organized byhabitat communities. Descriptions, photos,drawings and distribution information are given.An excellent reference. Hardcover, 280 pages,$10.95.

HELLDORADOS, GHOSTS AND CAMPS OFTHE OLD SOUTHWESTby Norman D. Wels.The author takes you on a 7,000-mile tour of theOld Southwest, visiting some 67 ghost towns andabandoned mining camps, one never beforementioned in written history. 285 excellentphotos. Hardcover, 320 pages, $9.95.

OREGON'S GOLDEN YEARS by Miles F.Potter. Men in search of treasure opened thegates to the wilderness. Oregon's Golden Years— with affection and good humor — honorsthese men and their Imperishable lust for gold.Paperback, large format, lavishly Illustrated,extensive Bibliography and Index, $7.95.

THE COLORFUL BUTTERFIELD OVERLANDSTAGE by Richard Pourade and Marjorie Reed.With 21 stagecoach paintings by Miss Reed, thetext concentrates on the Fort Yuma to San Fran-cisco run of the tough Butterfield route. Albumformat, heavy art paper, $6.50.

Desert/ July 1978

THE LIVES OF DESERT ANIMALS IN JOSHUATREE NATIONAL MONUMENT by Alden H.Miller and Robert C. Stebbins. An indispensablesource and guide for everyone with an Interest Inthe desert life of Southern California. In additionto the actual faunal analysis of 141 residentanimals of the desert, there are 149 Illustrationsincluding 74 photographs, 58 black and whitedrawings, 9 maps and 8 color plates. Hardcover,452 pages, $28.50.

CHUCK WAGON COOKIN' by Stella Hughes.Recipes collected straight from the source—cow-boy cooks. Contains Mexican recipes, instruc-tions for deep-pit barbecue and the art of usingDutch ovens for cooking everything from sour-dough biscuits to Son-of-Qun stew. Paperback,170 pages, $4.95.

TURQUOISE, The Gem of the Centuries byOscar T. Branson. The most complete and lav-ishly illustrated all color book on turquoise.Identifies 43 localities, treated and stabllzedmaterial, gives brief history of the gem and de-tails the individual techniques of the SouthwestIndian Tribes. Heavy paperback, large format.68 pages, $7.95.

TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF MEXICO: InBaja California and Around the Sea of Cortes,1825, 1826, 1827 and 1828, by Lt. R. W. H.Hardy, R.N. An oldie but a goodie, an alltimeclassic for the library of any Baja buff, written asa journal by one of the first non-Spanish visitorsto this wild region. A faithful reprint with all theflavor of the original 150-year-old English edi-tion. Hardy supplied many of the place namesstill used in this area. Hardcover, an excellentmap, 558 pages, $20.00.

THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by LaVan Mar-tineau. The author tells how his interest in rockwriting led to years of study and how he haslearned that many — especially the complexpetroglyphs — are historical accounts of actualevents. Hardcover, well illustrated, glossary,bibliography, 210 pages, $10.95.

EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY, Third Edition,by Ruth Kirk. A completely revised andup-to-date comprehensive guide to the wondersof Death Valley National Monument. Details onwhere to go by car, by jeep and on foot, whattimes of day are best, possible side trips. Illus-trated with maps and photos, 96 pages, paper-back, $3.45.

CAMP AND CAMINO IN LOWER CALIFOR-NIA: Explorations and Adventures on the Baja;1908-1910, by Arthur W. North. A handsomenew edition of an old favorite of many Baja Cali-fornia travelers, with new illustrations and all ofthe author's original photographs. A classicaccount of land and sea travels In a raw territorywritten after travels 70 years ago. Modernwriters use North as a starting place. Hardcover,130 photographs, 346 pages, $20.00.

NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MININGCAMPS by Stanley W. Pahar. Covering all ofNevada's 17 counties, Paher has documented575 mining camps, many of which have beenerased from the earth. The book contains thegreatest and most complete collection of historicphotographs of Nevada ever published. This,coupled with his excellent writing and map,creates a book of lasting value. Large format,700 photographs, hardcover, 492 pages, $17.50.

GHOSTS OF THE ADOBE WALLS by Nell Mur-bargar. A reprint of Arizona history by one of thedesert's outstanding reporters. Old mines,towns, army posts, people and areas are reborninto vivid life by an expert writer who knows herareas and subjects. With handy locator mapsand many photographs. Paperback, $7.95.

SOVEREIGNS OF THE SAGE by Nail Murbar-gar. A collection of previously told tales aboutthe people and the places of the great AmericanSouthwest by the original author, a longtime re-porter of the desert. Many photographs, some ofthem now lost, several excellent Norton AllenMaps. Paperback, $7.95.

BROKEN STONES, The Case For Early Man InCalifornia by Herbert L. Minshall. "The BrokenStones" peels back some of the story of man inAmerica, back beyond the longest racial mem-ory. Author Minshall pulls together all that hasbeen learned or suggested by amateurs as wellas experts, including his own discoveries. Tothem the broken stones are beginning to speak— and they speak of the presence of man on theAmerican Continent many thousands of yearsbefore he shaped the first bow and arrow. Largeformat, beautifully illustrated, hardcover,$16.50.

WELLS FARGO, Tha Lagand byDale Robertson.In his own personal narrative style, without de-parting from known fact, Dale has recreated theWells Fargo legend. Entertaining reading in ad-dition to excellent illustrations by Roy Purcell.Paperback, 154 pages, $4.95.

SUCCESSFUL COIN HUNTING by Charles L.Garrett. An informative study of coin hunting,this is a complete guide on where to search,metal detector selection and use, digging toolsand accessories, how to dig and the care andhandling of coins. This new revised edition is aclassic book in the field. Paperback, 226 pages,$5.95.

ISHI IN TWO WORLDS by Theodora Kroabar.Ishi was perhaps the most remarkable personal-ity of this century. A Yahi Indian, and lone sur-vivor of a doomed tribe, he was found In thecorral of a slaughter house near Oroville, Calif.For the rest of his life, Ishi lived under the careand protection of the staff of the University ofCalifornia's Museum of Anthropology. An in-credibly sad but beautifully told story. Hard-cover, many excellent photos, both color andblack and white, 262 pages, $14.95.

LAND OF POCO TIEMPO by Charles F. Lum-mis. A reprint of the famous writer and historianof his adventures among the Indians of NewMexico. Lummis was one of the foremost writersof the West. Paperback, 236 pages, $2.95.

RAILROADS OF ARIZONA VOL. I by David F.Myrlck. More than 30 railroads of Southern Ari-zona are presented, together with 542 nostalgicillustrations, 55 special maps and an Index. Avaluable travel guide and a reliable historicalreference. Large format, hardcover, 477 pages,$19.50.

45

*Lettersto the

•EditorLetters requesting answers mustinclude stamped self-addressed envelope

Outhouse Patrol . . .Regarding the jerky recipe by Stella

Hughes in the May issue, for my herd of des-cendants who are hiking scoutlets, I buyflanks (steaks) and cut across the grain (noright thinking prospector would ever cut withthe grain). Then I split each one-inch strip,cutting only one end so the folded meat willhang naturally from the wire (coat hangershung in the patio). When salting I use a saltshaker for both sides. I also add black pepper.

When I was a lot younger, I watched theYaquis at our mine hang a quarter of venisonfrom a branch of a tree by the hoof, and slicestrips with the grain.

We always had venison jerky when I was aboy. Dad would string a clothes line from theporch of our adobe to the peak of the out-house, and I can't remember seeing it withoutsomething hanging from it—jerky, peppers,and occasionally clothes. As a 10-year-old, myjob was to sit in the shade of the porch withmy 22 and discourage the hungry buzzardswho had spotted the prime jerky. Payment-one centavo per buzzard.

CUYCIFFORD,Los Angeles, California.

New "Hoodoo M u d " F a c t s . . .I have read Desert for 30 years and thor-

oughly enjoy it. As an ex-prospector I can ap-preciate the stories of Ken Marquiss. Hisarticles are excellent.

There is one small error in his article of"Hoodoo Mud . " The man who was shot inSam Ball's cabin was named Ed McSparrin.He was killed by J im Madden alias J im Clay-bourne during a drinking bout in Sam Ball'scabin July 17, 1932. McSparrin was buriednear the cabin. Claybourne was tried in Inde-pendence, California in November. The jurywas out 77 hours and was finally dischargedas hopelessly deadlocked, 11 for acquittal andone for conviction.

Anyone intersted in this can look it up inthe back files of the newspaper at the CountyLibrary at the Court House at Independence.

BURRELLC. DAWSON,Lone Pine, California.

Anonymous Query on Mission . . .

During the late fiftys, two men had a frienddrop them off for a hiking expedition in a re-mote area of Southern Arizona. A week later,at a rendezvous, the hikers explained theyhad photographed what they believed werethe ruins of a lost mission.

Agreeing to meet again in a week, the filmwas taken to Gila Bend for developing. Thetwo men failed to appear at the appointedtime and were never heard from.

I am enclosing a photo of the still lost mis-sion. Do you recognize these ruins?

ANONYMOUS.

Editor's Note: Perhaps some of our readerscan clue us in on the identification of theseruins.

46

DEEP PIT BARBECUEContinued from page 41

A few words of caution to the amateur.If you barbecue only one or two bundlesof meat, the pit must be smaller, butalmost as deep. Too much heat is lostaround only one or two bags of meat,besides being wasteful of wood.

If the meat is not cooked done and leftin the pit over 14 hours, it can spoil whilein the pit. It's impossible for meat tospoil in the pit this length of time if youhad enough good coals in the first place.Spoilage can only occur when there hasnot been enough heat.

Before the beginner goes into barbe-curing on the grand scale, it might beprudent to try one large roast in yourbackyard for a trial run.

BARBECUE SAUCE(makes about one gallon)

Take one juicy shank soup bone, or se-veral pounds of neck meat, put in a largekettle, cover with cold water and boiluntil all meat falls freely from bones.Strain, and use two quarts of this brothfor base. By using rich beef stock youdon't need to add butter or other fats.

Add:2 cans tomato sauce or tomato paste1 can El Pato brand chili sauce or hot

enchilada sauce (either, but not both)1 cup catsup1 cup fresh lemon juice or 1 cup vine-

gar. I prefer the lemon juice.1 large onion, diced

Several cloves garlic, finely diced1 cup pure chili powder (coarse ground)1 cup brown sugar

A few drops of liquid smokeSalt to taste after sauce has simmer-ed several hours.Add black pepper if desired

This is no panty-waist barbecue sauce.It's hot and spicy (if you have been ableto obtain the El Pato chili sauce).

The kids won't like this sauce unlessthey were weaned on a chili pod. If youwant to go a little easy on the "ho t " youcan experiment with less chili powder,omit the El Pato sauce and increase theamount of catsup. This sauce will freezewell and keeps for days in the refrigera-tor. It's delicious served piping hot ongrilled hamburgers. You can add severalcups to an otherwise blah pot of chilibeans. •

Desert/July 1978

Comevisit us...

PALM SPRINGS

A GREATSELECTIONOF BOOKS

ON THE WEST

MAGAZINEBOOK SHOP

tINDIO

STOREHOURS:

10:00-3:00MONDAY

THRUFRIDAYCLOSED

WEEKENDS

WESTERN ARTNOTES PRINTS

MAPS GOLD PANSGREETING CARDS

ANDA LARGE

ASSORTMENT OFCURRENT AND

OLD BACK ISSUES

ff

MAGAZINE BOOK SHOP74-425 Highway 111 at Deep Canvon Road Palm Desert. California

3 GREAT BOOKS!INDIAN

JEWELRY MAKINGFor the first time Indianjewelry makers, whetherexperienced or novice, haveat their disposal a full-colorphotographic essay of basicIndian designs. The bookutilizes a sequential, step-by-step approach for thecraftsman. In addition tobasic designs, a short pic-torial history of Indian jew-elry making as well asmodern day techniques andtools are presented. Valu-able information on how toset up a work bench, gaugewire, know the weight ofsilver, etc.

64 PAGESALL COLOR

INDIANJEWELRY

MAKING

$795%r EACH

plus 50 cents handling

Calif, res. add6% sales tax

64 PAGESALL COLOR

ORDER FROM

TURQUOISE, The Gemof the Centuries

Beautiful illustrations inaccurate color can help youidentify the turquoise inyour jewelry. Pictures ofturquoise from 43 localitiesfrom U.S. and around theworld. A must for anyonepossessing even one pieceof turquoise.

FETISHES And Carvingsof the Southwest

A vivid pictorial account ofthe use and beliefs associ-ated with fetishes and thehistory of popular fetishnecklaces since prehistorictimes. This book presentsthe wide range of fetishesand carvings from severalSouthwestern Indian tribesas well as the outstandingworks of several knownfetish carvers.

64 PAGESALL COLOR

Desert Magazine Book ShopP.O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, California 92260