197109 Desert Magazine 1971 September

8/14/2019 197109 Desert Magazine 1971 September

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SEPTEMBER, 1971 50


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D e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k S h o pCALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray At-keson. Two of the West's greatest color pho-tographers have presented their f inest worksto create the v ibrat ions of the oceans, lakes,mountains and deserts of California. Theirphotographic presentat ions, combined wi th themoving tex t of David Toll, makes this a classicin Western Americana. Large 11x14 f o rmat ,heavy sl ick paper, hardcover, 200 4-colorpho t ographs , 186 pages , $25 . 00 .NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WEST by The Editorsof Sunset Books. A pic tor ia l in terpretat ion ofth e 23 scenic preserves that encompass withintheir 12 mill ion acres most of the nat ion's f inestmountain and desert scenery. Contains 247photographs wi th 32 pages in 4-color , 43 2-color maps, drawings, geological d iagrams, his-tory and other informations. Large 9x11 f o rmat ,heavy sl ick paper, hardcover, 286 pages $1 1 .75.NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS byStanley W. Paher. Direct ions to and his tory about23 of Arizona's most famous ghost towns. His-tor ical photographs and artist sketches enhanceeditorial content. Large, 11x14 format, sl ickpaperback, 48 pages, $2.95.GREENWATER by Harold Weight. Called the"monument a l sw ind le of the century" th is isthe story of the 1906 stampede to the BlackMount a ins and how $30 , 000 , 000 d i sappeared .Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00.1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Up-dated edi t ion of one of the best of the bott lebooks. $4.50.NEVADA'S TURBULENT YESTERDAYS by Don Ash-baugh. The best book about Nevada's ghosttowns and the rugged indiv iduals who bui l tthem. 346 pages, $7.95.LOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by HaroldWeight. This is a new approach to the enigmaof Death Valley Scotty 's l i fe and legends andgives addi t ional ins ight into the Lost Gunsightand Breyfogle bonanzas, p lus other Death Val leymysteries. Paperback, historic photographs, refer-ence mater ia l , 86 pages $2 . 50 .TRAVEL GUIDES TO BAJA CALIFORNIA by Kenand Caroline Bates. Published the Editors ofSunset Books, this is a useful book on Baja andshould be a companion piece to Gerhard andGulick's Lower California Handbook and Clif fCross's Baja by Road, Airplane and Boat. TheBates' book takes the reader to the people wi thtex t , photographs and maps. Anyone going toBaja should have all three books. Large 8x10format , heavy paperback, 80 pages, $1.95.LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edward Arthur.Facts and how- t o -do- i t on prospect ing are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in Cal i f o rn ia .For those who think there are no more valuablesleft in Cal i forn ia, they wi l l f ind a new f ie ld inth is informat ive book. Inc ludes market ing data,maps, potent ia l buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format , i l lus t rated, heavy paperback, 84pages , $3 . 95 .LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by JohnD. Mitchell. The f irst of Mitchell 's lost minebooks is now avai lable af ter hav ing been out ofpr int for years. Reproduced from the or ig ina lcopy and contain ing 54 art ic les based on ac-counts from people Mitchell interviewed. Hespent his ent ire adult l i fe invest igat ing reportsand legends of lost mines and t reasures of theSouthwest. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 175 pages,$ 7 . 5 0 .

HAPPY WANDERER TRIPSVOLUME II

By SLIM BARNARDInteresting trips through Arizona, Nevadaan d Old Mexico are presented by Slimand Henrietta Barnard. Book was com-piled from trips they took for their HappyWanderer television travel shows. De-tailed maps, history, cost, what to wear,what to see, etc. Excellent referenceguide for family vacatioins. A similarbook, Volume I, is on California. Bothhave approximately 55 trips, large, 9 x11 format, heavy paperback. When order-ing specify which volume number.

$2.95 EACH

OVERLAND STAGE TO CALIFORNIA AND THEPONY EXPRESS by Frank A. Root. A f i r s t h a n daccount of a mai l agent who l ived and foughtw i t h the men who settled the West throughtheir ef forts to establish communicat ion acrossthe wi lderness dur ing the 1 800's. First publish-ed in 1901 and just republished. Heavy stockand hardcover, original art ist i l lustrat ions, two1800 maps, 645 pages, this is a book forhis tory buf fs , $15.00.RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of ShortyHarris, Ernest Cross, Bob Mont gomery , M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-ished the famous mining town near DeathValley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages.$1 . 00 .SPEAKING OF INDIANS by Bernice Johnston.An author i ty on the Indians of the Southwest,the author has presented a concise well-writ tenbook on the customs, history, crafts, ceremoniesa n d w h a t the American Indian has cont r ibutedto the whi te man's c iv i l izat ion. A MUST forboth students and t ravelers touring the IndianCountry. Heavy paperback, 10x7 format, i l lus-t rated, 112 pages, $2.50.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailingCALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO

ADD 5 PERCENT SALES TAXSend check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert , Cali fornia92260. Sorry , but we cannot accept chargesor C.O.D. orders.

GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by NormD. Weis. The ghost - town count ry of the PacNorthwest including tr ips to many l i t t le-knoareas, is explored in th is f i rs t -hand fac tual ainterest ing book. Excellent photography. Bebook to date on ghost towns of the NorthweMaps. Hardcover, heavy sl ick paper, 319 pag$ 6 . 9 5 .MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOK by Henry aBeverly Mockel. The wel l - known pa in t e rdeser t w i ldf lowers has combined his four-cosketches and black and whi te photographsdescribe in detai l so the l ayman can eaident i fy w i ldf lowers , both large and smMicroscopic detai l makes this an outs tandbook for ident if icat ion. Special compressed f ipaper which wi l l not stain. 54 ful l-color i l lustt ions wi th 72 l i fe-s ize drawings and 39 phographs, 316 pages, $5.95.PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIARandall Henderson. The beaut i fu l palm canyand isolated areas of Baja California are scribed by the late Randall Henderson, founof DESERT Magazine. Although these are personal adventures many years ago, l i t t lechanged and his v iv id wr i t ing is al ive todayit was when he f irst saw the oases. Paperbai l lus t rated, 72 pages , $1 . 95 .LOST MINES & BURIED TREASURES ALONG TOLD FRONTIER by John D. Mitchell. The secof Mitchell 's books on lost mines which was oo f -p r i n t for many years is ava i l ab le aga in . Mof these appeared in DESERT Mgazine yag o and these issues are no longer avai laNew readers wi l l want to read these. Contthe or ig inal map f irst published with the ban d one pinpoint ing the areas of lost miMitchell 's personal research and invest igahas gone into the book. Hardcover, 240 pa$7 . 50 .WEST OF DAWN by Hugh D'Autremont.author's account of his life of adventure wstarted in the 1930s dur ing which he loofor lost mines, prospected for gold in Meand hardrock mined in California. Reads l ikf ic t ional w i ld west novel . Hardcover , 187 pa$5 . 00 .INYO MONO JEEP TRAILS by Roger MitcAuthor of DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS, veexplorer Mitchell takes you on 18 di f fe4-wheel -dr ive t r ips into the Sierra NeMountains , where he explores ghost townsdian terr i tory and scenic canyons and mtain passes. Paperback, 36 pages, i l lus t . , $1DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOK by Don Holm. Wlife editor of the Port land Oregonian, the auhas spent his l i fe explor ing and wri t ing athe outdoors, so his recipes for prepar ing in a Dutch Oven come from experience. If haven' t had food cooked in a Dutch Oven,haven't l ived . . . and if you have youfind these recipes new and excit ing culadventuresas wel l as his style of wr iHeavy paperback, 106 pages, $3.95.LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene ConrBrief resumes of lost mine art ic les printeback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a foeditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00.A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RTory Peterson. The standard book for f ie ldt i f icat ion sponsored by the Nat ional AudSociety. 2nd edi t ion, enlarged wi th new seon Hawai ian bi rds . 658 in ful l color. Hardc$5 . 95 .


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WILLIAM KNYVETT, PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER, EDITOR

MARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorGLENN VARGAS, Lapidary EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistJACK DELANEY, Staff Writer

DatnLMAGAZINE

Number 34, Volume 9 SEPTEMBER 197

CONTENTSFEATURES

THE COVER:Not all sand dunes are toohot during the summermonths. The cool CoralPink Sand Dunes nearKanab, Utah make a giantplayground for childrenand are a challenge top h o t o g r a p h e r s . D a v i dMuench, Santa Barbara,California, captured thismood. For Muench's back-ground see Book Reviewsin this issue.

HAVILAH . . . LAND OF GOLDRECREATION IN THE SKY

MISLEADING MOURNING DOVEGOLD RUSH IN THE SAN GABRIELS

ARIZONA'S WALNUT CANYONIDAHO'S BRUNEAU DUNESNOSTALGIC DOWNIEVILLE

RETREAT IN THE SANTA ROSAS

Mike EngleMary Frances StrongK. L. BoyntonJohn W. RobinsonMilo BirdMike MisnerHelen WalkerWalter Ford

D E P A R T M E N T SA PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE

BOOK REVIEWSNOTES FROM THE FIELD

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS

DESERT LIFERAMBLING ON ROCKS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

William KnyiettJack PepperInformation from ReadeClub ActivitiesHans BaerwaldGlenn and Martha VargReader's Comments

ELTA SHIVELY, Executive Secretary MARVEL BARRETT, Circulation ManagerEDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea St., Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.0C; 2 years%$9.50; 5 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this is:>ue. Allowfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Secondclass postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1971by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photo-


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P u b l i s h e r ' sIMPORTANT NOTICE! !

S T E D M A N A R E A C L O S ED !

DESERT MAGAZINE is made up twomonths before the cover date and,in order to provide our readers with abalanced magazine, issues are plannedmany months in advance.Due to the necessary planning andproduction time, it sometimes takes aslong as three months to process anarticle before it appears in print. Thisis true of all monthly publications.

W h e n an article is held this long, wemake a last-minute check to see if con-dit ions are the same as when the authororiginally visited the area.

In last mo nth's issue (Augus t 7 1 )there was an article titled Riding TheRails To Stedtnan, by Mary FrancesStrong. At the t ime she wrote thearticle the area was open to the public.Before going to press, as is our rule,we checked with outside sources (notthe- author) and were told the area wasstill open.

Unfortunately, we were given thewrong information and have discoveredthat now both the road to, and the Sted-man mining area, are closed, posted, and

NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. I t i snow private property.It has been many years since an inci-dent l ike the above has happened hereat DESE RT M agazine. We wi l l takeextra care to see it does not happenagain. Our apologies to Mary FrancesStrong, who is a very factual and con-scientious writer and to those readersw ho made a futile trip to Stedman.

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R e v i e w sARIZONA ARIZONA>:""" 11

ByDavidMuench

It would be impossible to determinethe millions of color photographs takenin Arizona by amateurs, let alone thethousands by professional cameramen. Itcertainly is one of the most photographedstates in the Union.The vast majority of the pictures ap-pear as "slides" on screens for admiringneighbors after the family has made awhirlwind trip through the Grand Canyon

State, usually stopping only for a fewseconds as they "snap a shot" of a countrywhich took millions of years to form.Material by professionals appears inmagazines, post cards, brochures and ina few books, which range from poor toexcellent. Few have succeeded in captur-ing even a semblance of the moods ofthe 48th state.Now there is a masterpiece on Arizona.With a background of comprehensivetraining at New York's Rochester Insti-

tute and the Los Angeles Art Center fol-lowed by 25 years experience in the field,David Muench knows his profession. Butit takes more than technical proficiencyto be a creative photographer.There are other factors. First, Davidhas an encyclopedic knowledge gatheredduring the 25 years he has explored theWest. Second, during his field trips hehas learned that time means success. Ifthere is not the right combination ofclouds, light, wind and feeling, he willclose his camera, only to return day after

him to spend a week in one spot forfive minutes of shooting time.Third, and probably the most impor-tant, is composition and his ability toactually see the picture in his mind's eyebefore exposing his film. (He generallyuses a 4x5 Linhoff with many differentkinds of lenses and filters.) This ability,coupled with his concept of time is a

result of experience and his own person-ality.He does not see a photograph as aslice out of timea frozen moment with-out past or future. Rather he explains itas "to me it seems that a good landscapephotograph includes the sense of on-moving time, that it captures the earth. . . between breaths."The more than 160 four-color photo-graphs are augmented by the movingtext of David Toll whose presentation of

the geological and historical picture ofArizona is also superb. Toll is a veteranwriter and a long-time explorer of theWest.When I reviewed a photographic pre-sentation by David Muench and Ray At-eson entitled California in the February'71 issue of DESERT I felt it could notbe surpassed. Arizona is even a greatermasterpiece. We are very proud thatmany of the covers of D ESERT Magazine,including the current one, are works byDavid Muench.Hardcover, 11x14, large format, 200beautiful heavy slick pages. A book youwill be proud to own, or give as a gift.$20.00, until Jan. 1, 1972; $25.00 after.

WHE RE T OT AKE YOURCHI L DRE NINSOUT HE RNCALIFORNIAByDavis Dutton andTedi Pilgreen

Although not always silent, anotherminority group has finally been recog-nized by the "older generation." Theback seat is the logical place for childrenwhen traveling, but that position is dis-criminatory when planning a trip.Now the kids have their own book so

they can help mother and dad plan the

fascinating to parents as they will be tthe youngsters.The authors, both of whom have chidren, based the theme of the book on"Where can I go and what can I do witthe kids that's new, that's fun, that's diferentand how much will it cost?"To answer their own question thehave listed more than 300 places an

activities in Southern California. (Athough this reviewer has been explorinSouthern California for 15 years, manof the places listed are new to me aneven though a bachelor, I have put theon my travel list.)The listings are preceded by a chapton "When and How" which breaks ttravel adventures down into the best timof the year, the best methods of tranportation and suggestions on how keep the kids occupied during the long

trips.Places and activities are listed undeach of Southern C alifornia's 11 couties, thus making it easy to determine holong the trip will take from the readehome, or how to combine several placwithin one trip.Each listing gives complete detasuch as location, cost (if any) hours opehistory and what to see and do. The bois also well illustrated with interestiphotographs and detailed maps. As t

authors state:"You don't need to spend a lot money to have a good time with kiOften, you and your young ones chave as much fun in a free city or counpark as in a highly commercial attractio"The secret of a good time with tkids lies in developing a sense of aventure: trying something new and oof the ordinary, keeping your scheduspontaneous and flexible, using yoimagination. For this reason we haincluded a generous sampling of lopriced and free activities."If there is a generation gap, this bowill certainly help close it. Slick papback, 121 pages, 1.95.

Books reviewed may be orderefrom the DESERT Magazine BooShop, Palm Desert, Calif. 92260Please include 50c for handlingCalifornia residents must add 5%sales tax. Please enclose paym en


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/ ^ \ U R TOW N has been unusuallyV - / lively this week," reported theHavilah Weekly Courier in April 1867."A man was committed to prison on acharge of murde r . . . an Indian chiefwas ' jugg ed' for stealing horses . . .there was an attempt to break jail onThur sday af te r noon . . . a dance a t theBella Union in the evening . . . andThursday morning the sum of $450 wasforwarded to San Francisco for the South-ern Relief Fund."

Lively, reckless and wild! That wasHavilah more than a century ago. Todaythis sleepy community straddles a pavedroad a few miles south of Lake Isabellaand stubbornly refuses to die.

Once bus t l ing with a populat ion of

of Southern California's newly establish-ed Kern County until 1874. Today thereare only a handful of residents.In July 1864, prospectors panningalong the streams south of the KernRiver discovered placer gold in the grav-els of Clear Creek near Copperas Basin.Word of the find quickly spread intothe camps along the river and other pros-pectors swarmed into the basin. Amongthem was Asbury Harpending, a civilwar rebel who had been convicted of at-tempting to hijack California's rich goldshipments that were destined for the eastcoast.When word of the new discoveriesreached Harpending, he was eager to

find a safe retreat from the northern

The original Kern Countycourthouse was built in 1866.This replica of the original onMain Street now is the Havilahmuseum housing many historicalobjects from the town's past.


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HAVILAH...L A N C I of G o l d

Francisco to Whiskey Town (now Kern-ville) on the Kern. The placers of ClearCreek beckoned invitingly, and Harpend-ing was on his way. He prospectedthroughout the area and successfully filedclaims on several rich ledges. As he pros-pected, he saw another possibility foreasy wealth. In 1865 he laid out and es-tablished a townsite, and chose its namefrom the book of Genesis, "the land ofHavilah, where there is much gold."In a short time, lots were selling foras high as $20 a front foot, and hun-dreds of eager buyers were grabbingthem. Before he left Havilah, Harpend-ing had made over a half million dollarsin real estate. Later, when he sold his

mining claims, he profited by another$800,000. For Asbury Harpending, Havi-lah was indeed a land "where there ismuch gold."During the early months of 1865, onlya few temporary shanties were built toserve the needs of the growing popula-tion, but as soon as wealth of the mineshad been established, Havilah boomed.In 1872, a newspaper reported that Havi-lah "sprang into existence and became thelargest and most flourishing town in thecounty. In less than a month over 600mining locations were recorded."In December 1864, the first ore mill,a five-stamp battery, was hauled into thebasin from Inyo's Coso district. Within

Weathered gravestones and markers,some sinking intothe ground, in thelittle cemeterysouth of town aresilent reminders ofHavilah's pioneers.

a few months, other mills were eibrought into the valley or built on site. Soon the mountains were echoto the ceaseless pounding of more t25 different stamp mills.During the summer of 1866, buildwere hastily erected along both sidesMain Street. Tenants were begging houses to rent, but in spite of exorbirates, there were no vacancies to be At this time, there was a permanent polation of 500 residents which includeleast 25 families. Serving their needs wnine lawyers, four physicians, a surveweekly newspaper, photographer three blacksmiths. The commercial buings included several stores, drug sto

boot shops, livery stables, bath houbreweries, bakeries, billiard saloons, ber shops, fruit stores and a paint sThere were numerous bars and saloas well as four hotels. One of these,elegant Bella Union, had been built fstaggering cost of Si6,500.The Bella Union was the center ofphisticated living in Havilah. Visicame from as far away as Walker's BaKernville and Linn's Valley to attendgala holiday festivities; dances and oexciting events that were regularly in the hotel's spacious public rooms.Havilah's many saloons, as well astwo breweries, kept the sheriff busy mof the time. Each saloon had its sharedrunken brawls, knifings and gunfigShortly after Havilah became the coseat in 1866, a $1,600 contract wasfor the construction of a courthouse,and sheriff's office.The courthouse and jail were in stant use. By spring of 1867, a lacourthouse was required. When finis


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Street on the north edge of town, a re-cently constructed replica of the court-house serves as a county historicalm useum .

Havilah's merchants and saloon keep-ers prospered and they were naturallyrankled by the passing of the "NewCode" or "Sunday Law" in the 1870s . Afew of them got together and, withtongue in cheek, decided to do away withthe law forever. Unfortunately, their ef-forts were to no avail, and the law re-maine d in effect for some time. Th eHavilah Miner repor ted in 1873: "Acoffin was procurred, a copy of the NewCode was land within it, pall-bearersselected and the funeral cortege in sol-emn procession marched down to thelower part of town. Then the sexton, wholed the procession and carried a copy ofMar k Twain ' s Roughing It, com m andeda halt. 'This, ' said he, ' is the most appro-priate place to bury the great innovationon our time honored custom of 'gettingeven on Sunday! ' The funeral song(Father Gr imes) was sung and the ser -vice (Twain) was read by the sextonwhile those who composed the funerals tood with bowed and uncovered heads ."

F R E E19 71140P A G E

C A T A L O G

Not all of Havilah's funeral serviceswere held in jest. On the south edge oftown, on the east side of Main Street, isa small fenced cemetery which is the finahome of many of Havilah's early pioneers. Here, leaning marble slabs androt t ing faded wooden headboards s i lently pay tr ibute to a livelier era.

This silent cemetery, a few crumblinwalls along Main Street, and here andthere a basement.cavity or mine shaft arall that remain of the Havilah of th1860s. Most of the buildings that stanin Havilah today were erected during thlast 50 years. The community was cons tan t ly th r ea tened by wind- whippeflames that often swept unexpectedldown Main Street . The Courier's pagewere f illed with reports of the damagwrought by devastating f ires.

In January L867, the Havilah WeekCourier reported a fire that "nearly laithe town in ruins." A year later a disastrous f ire swept through five builings. In 1869, a similar disaster wdescr ibed by the edi tor as : " . . . leavinan unsightly amount of rubbish wheonly a short time ago all was bustle an


9/44

Of the originalstructures of theonce lively goldrush town inCalifornia's KernCounty thereremain only a fewcrumbling walls.For back countrytravelers, it's agreat trip into thepast and a funpastime.

and the decline of the mines marked theend of Havilah's exciting times. Shortlybefore the end of 1869, the editor ofthe Havilah Weely Courier, with all ofhis printing facilities, followed a generalmigration to the growing city of Bakers-field. In 1874, a popular election movedthe county seat to Bakersfield and thedemise of Havilah became inevitable.

Though Havilah sprang into existencein 1865, blossomed forth in the late1860s, and faded in the early 1870s, anoccasional report from out of the paststill filters into the metropolitan news-papers. A few years ago, the BakersfieldCalifornian reported an old safe that hadbeen blasted open, was uncovered in thebasement of Havilah's early blacksmithshop. Nearby was found a cap and ballpistol, a bullet mold, spurs, horseshoes,perfume vials, whiskey bottles and medi-cine flasks. The charred bones of a manand heat damaged glass were nearby. In-side the rusted safe, the remains of woodand paper ash were evident.

We can only wonder at what mysterywas uncovered with this find, or whatmay yet be hidden by the fences andhouses of Havilah today. Q

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\OUR HiqkiqHT-byHElicopTERA helicopter flight is always a thrill, but to see the world famous Grand Canyon from one can be best described as"cinerama at its greatest." BRIGHT ANGEL FLIGHT: From the heliport we fly across the South Rim, and makeour grand entrance to tfiis spectacle inone magnificent sweep. No matter howseasoned a traveler you are, it is a momentthat you will really find difficult explain-ing to your friendsthey will have to seeit for themselves! You get an intimateview of the canyon walls, and as you seeeach change in rock coloration you willbegin to appreciate this vast chasm in atotally different manner. You fly overthe Colorado River at a pace that allowsyou to study its form, its flow, and itsmajesty. You get a feel for the GrandCanyon that is unique.HAVASUPAI FLIGHT: We land atHavasupai Falls, see Supai Indian village,the Inner Canyon, Indian ruins and manywaterfalls.LITTLE COLORADO FLIGHT: ViewCape Solitude where the Little Coloradoenters Grand Canyon, Cape Royal, HanceRapids and Desert View.Remember: WE OPERATE ALL YEAR!


10/44

RECREATIONby Mary Frances StrongPhotography by Jerry Strong

The San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest in LosAngeles County are only a few hours driving time from the metro-politan areas, but are rich in recreational facilities and great for rockhounding as described in this month's trip by DESERT Magazine's

Field Trip Editor.

There are many camping, recreational and vista sites in the San GabrielMountains. Photos above, from left to right: Cabin Flat Cam pgroundsis away from the more populated camping areas; Jackson Lake offersswimming, fishing and picnic sites; the two highest peaks in the SanGabriels, as seen from Inspiration Point, are Pine Mountan on the left

and Mt. San Antonio on the right.

WHEN TH E hot breath of summehovers over the land, desertdwellers and city folk, too, begin to dreamabout lofty mountains, tall pines, coolakes and murmuring streams. Even themost devoted of desert enthusiasts needsa cooling-off period in mid-summerMother Nature's Wisdom took this intoaccount by conveniently bordering theGreat Mojave and Colorado Deserts witha series of high mountain ranges.Abruptly separating the eastern Mojave Desert from the Los Angeles Basinare the rugged San Gabriel Mountainsand the Angeles National Forest. Thicombination of 9,000 foot peaks anddeep, forested canyons provides unlimitedactivities for everyone who enjoys thegreat outdoors.


11/44

IN THESKY!swimming, photography, painting, bird-watching, botany, exploring, rock collect-ing or just plain relaxingthe Big PinesRecreation Area has it! Located less than80 miles from Los Angeles, you willseem to be a thousand miles removedfrom the hubbub of suburbia. The nexttime you long for cool climes and thefragrance of pines, pack up the old camp-ing gear and head for some "Recreationin the Sky."The San Gabriel Mountains sweepfrom border to border across northernLos Angeles County. This east-west trendis unusual for a major mountain range onthe North American continent. Unusualtoo, is the deceptive steepness of therange with over half of its slopes at orbeyond a 70% grade. This is the angle

they are loose.Geologists refer to the San Gabriels asa gigantic hor.it (an upstanding mass be-tween two faults ) that is transected bynumerous shear, fault and shatter zones.No other large mass of crystalline rock inSouthern California is believed to havebeen subjected to such thorough fractur-ing. The result of this faulting and at-tendant metamorphism is visibly evidentin the talus slopes and the faces exposedby road cuts.

The Big Pines Recreational Area lies,for the most part, along Blue Ridge atthe eastern end of the San Gabriel Moun-tains. Here, the jagged backbone of therange reaches its zenith at 10,000-footMt. San Antonio (Old Baldy). Lyingbetween two great faults, the San Andreas

high, very narrow, ten-mile wedge btween two 9,000-foot peaks.Its southern flank is a sheer, 2,00foot escarpment marking the head-wateof the east fork of the San Gabriel RiveIt is this striking culmination of geolog

forces which gives the area its divertopography and recreational value.The hub of the Big Pines Area is tVisitor's Center; a short distance east the junction of Angeles Crest (2) anBig Pines (N-4) Highways. The centis ably manned by U. S. Forestry personel. We found Ranger Frederick Mashall most accommodating.A stop at the center will provide tvisitor with maps and nature trail guibooks. Information regarding the spec

programs being offeredSaturday eve


12/44

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Actinolite crystals are foundthroughou t this area near the

huge scarp on WrightMountain at the head of

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conducted auto tours on weekendswillbe available. Trail conditions should bechecked here by anyone planning backcountry hikes. A very interesting exhibitof trees inthe Angeles National Forestis on display inthe lobby.

From the center, roads lead in alldirections to the many points of interest.Immediately west, a paved road goesnorth one mile to Table Mountain Camp-ground. A short distance beyond, itendsat the ski area and the amphitheater. Theconducted auto tours also start from thispoint.Table Mountain Campground (el.7,000') isthe largest inthe Big PinesArea. It iswell laid-out among the treesand each unit has a table and stove.Water and restrooms are within areason-able distance ofevery campsite. This isthe only campground having adequatetrailer space. Trailers may be taken to

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Blue Ridge (el. 8,000') and Guffy (el8,000') via avery narrow, dirt road andto Grassy Hollow (el. 7,300'), thoughthere is limited space for them . ForestryService does not permit trailers in Lake,Peavine, Appletree, Lupine or Cabin Flatscampgrounds.

Highlights ofthe many things to seeand do during a visit to this area includswimming and fishing atJackson Lake.A nice picnic site is also provided.Three self-guided nature trails will takeyou on interesting tours through the for-est. There is one leaving Table Mountaincampground, another takes offnear In-

spiration Point and travels along Light-ning Ridge. The third and longest trailbegins near theVisitor's Center andclimbs up to the Blue Ridge campground.A drive west on Highway 2to Vin-cent's Gap follows along Blue Ridge. Youwill see spectacular views ofthe GreatMojave Desert and the deep valley of theEast Fork of the San Gabriel River. Stopat Inspiration Point for an"airplane"view of this mountain country. A dioramaidentifies the various peaks.Vincent's Gap is anarrow rib joining


13/44

slopes of the San Gabriels is well illus-trated from this vantage point.Two popular trails begin at the Gap.One leads up to steep, switch-backs to thesummit of Mt. Baden-Powell. AncientLimber Pines will be observed along thetrail. They are believed to be over 2,000years of age and the Forestry Serviceproudly points out, "They are the oldestliving things in the Angeles NationalForest."

A second trail leads outand around theeastern flank of Mt. Baden-Powell to theold BigHorn Gold Mine. This is not adifficult hike1.8 miles with a gradientof a little over 1,000 feet. The breath-taking views are reward enough; thoughthe ruins of themine operation arephoto-genic and will cause wonder at the diffi-culties men can overcome to obtain thegolden treasure.Th e Big Horn Mine's greatest periodof activity was from 1903 to 1906 whena reported $40,000 was taken from sixadits driven into a 25-foot quartz vein.There was a resurgence of mining in the

30s. The oreaveraged $2.55 per ton andvalues were recoveed with a 50-ton flo-tation mill. Themill haslong been idle.

5r-Fine cabinet specimen of actinolitecrystals from Blue Ridge.A number of bottle collectors have triedtheir luck around the old camp withoumuch success. Thebottles were probablytossed over the mountainside and didn'survive the steep drop.

For an off-pavement trip, try the dirroad just north of Inspiration Point .Iwanders east along the Blue Ridge forfive miles then rapidly drops, viaswitchbacks into Prairie Fork. Spring comes latein thehigh country andJune should findIndian Paint Brush, yellow compositesScarlet Bugler, Yucca and Elderberryamong themany flowers in bloom. BluRidge (el. 8,000') and Guffy (el. 8,300campgrounds will provide visitors an al

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14/44

How to Travel. .. and Get Paidfor doing it!How would you like to spend your future inthe exciting, romantic, rewarding business ofTrav el as ":i Trave l Agen t or T our Guide'.'Pictur e yourself plann ing trips . . . discoveringthrilling new places . . . traveling to far-offlands to sec for yourself if the glowing picturesin the travel folders are true. Imagine seeing,exploring and telling others about "The Won-derful World of Travel"and getting hand-somely paid for doing it, too!How Travel Agents Get Free TravelPeople who work full or part t ime in the TravelIndustry enjoy privileges not available to the gen-eral public. Travel Agents, for example, representairl ines, steamships, t rains, buses and resorts . Theyare encouraged to try out travel services they canrecommend to their customers. They usually travelfree, or at greatly reduced rates with transporta-t ion, accommodations and food often included.Tour Guides, on the other hand, escort groups ofhappy people al l over the world. Not only do theyenjoy being part of a fun group seeking travel andadventure in fun p laces , bu t they can cam t op 'money and travel free with al l expenses paid toboo t. Isn't this the most ideal future you canimagine?How Can You Quali fy?Now you can turn these dreams of travel andadventure into excit ing reali ty. North AmericanSchool of Travel 's 52-lesson home-study course(appro ved for Veteran s under the new ( J. 1. Billand accredited by the National Home Study Coun-cil) has trained hundreds of beginners at home inspare t ime for rewarding careers as Travel Agents.Tour Guides or for hundreds of other big moneycareers in Travel .

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Good graded roads provide easy access into the wilderness a reas of the San Ga -briels where high elevation and pine trees make for cool weekend trips during the

hot summer months.pine vacation site bathed in the splendorof spring.The rapid descent into Prairie Forkbrings warmer temperatures due to thelower elevations (5,300'). A clear, rush-ing stream will be forded, Lupine camp-ground and the Native Son Mine passed,before the road ends at Cabin Flats camp-ground. A hiking trail leads west alongthe creek to the main trail down the EastFork of the San Gabriel River.Rockhounds will find good mineralcollecting in an exposure of Sierra Pelonaschist along the eastern end of Blue-Ridge. The location is one mile east ofGuffy Campground. A huge scarp on thenorthern side of Wright Mountain is theresult of intense shattering and rapidweathering along the fault zones. Thebedrock eventually breaks away and formsgreat talus slopes in the canyon below.Actinolite crystals occur on the ridge andin the talus slopes.

Actinolite is one of a series of complexsilicates of magnesium, iron, calcium and

found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.It is abundant at this location where it isgenerally found as well-worn, rounded,dull-greenish boulders' of intertwiningcoarsely-bladed crystals. When brokenthey reveal the good color and crystalliza-tion typical of this location. Needle-likegroups and single crystals may also becollected. Of particular interest are thespecimens with bright-green actinolitecrystals deposited upon milky quartz.Bird watchers will find the Arch Pic

nic Area an excellent locale for observa-tions. The number of species which maybe seen during the morning and late afternoon hours is surprising.These are but a few of the numerousrecreational experiences to be enjoyedwithin the Big Pines area. Each year theregion's popularity increases as more andmore people escape the confinement ofcity and urban life. A few hour's drivebrings them to the soft quiet of a pineforest so naturally fragrant it is intoxicating. Embraced in the comforting arms of


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M i s l e a d i n gM o u r n i n gD o v eTHE SOBBING notes of themourning dove, trembling outinto the desert's vast desolationsound like the last farewell of apoor, lonely bird whose brave battleagainst terrible odds is about to

e n d . Indeed, it would seem so, forhow could so frail a creature sur-vive in this torrid land of sunscorch-ed sage and whirling dust devilsso far, far from water?But then there's a stir across theface of the desert; a whir of strongwings as dove after dove rises fromthe sage swiftly skyward, droppingfantailed to vanish into the brushagain. Far from being about to handin his dinner pail, the lamentingmourner is obviously hale and hear-

ty, very much at home in the opendesert, and with plenty of company.He is also a great believer in tribalincrease with broods produced earlyand often. Mo urning dove housekeep-ing jumps the gun in the spring, get-ting off to a start in early March andcontinues with vigor well into Sep-tember. At least three, and perhapsas many as six batches of offspringare turned out in one season. Mostof the youngsters therefore hatch in

the peak heat and worst of the

ed successfully even far from water.This is a most astonishing situa-t ion, for while the adult birds canfly to distant water holes, the hatch-lings and nestlings can't and theyneed even more moisture if they areto survive and grow.Research shows the mourningdove's association with arid condi-tions must be a very ancient one toaccount for the exceedingly durableproduct around today. For here is abird unusually well equipped, bothphysically and psychologically, tocope with the worst the desert has tooffer.Mourning doves, first of all, aretemperamentally a calm, collectedlot, relaxed of mien, with a life styleexceedingly offhand. Why make acomplicated nest, for instance, whena plain old platform made of a fewsticks or coarse grass is all that isneeded to keep the eggs from roll-ing off? And why make a big deal ofbuilding even this? Mr. Mournerbrings a few odds and ends of mater-ial for mother to arrange after afashion. What with frequent timesout for cooing, preening and eating,the pair may take three to six days tobuild a flimsy structure that could

by K. L Boynton 1971

utes if they put their minds to it.Eventually Mrs. M. gets around tdepositing a couple of white eggand then the calm but highly effcient incubation of 14 days gets underway. She handles the sitting joduring the night. Late in the morning her spouse arrives to begin hlong stint of eight hours, not to brelieved until late afternoon wheshe takes over again. The eggs arthus sat on constantly for the entirtime, protected from the nightcold and the heat of day. Papa's yefor such long egg-sitting is a suprise, since broodiness of such pronounced nature is not common gentlemen birds. Biologists checing into this have found that hframe of mind is produced by thsame hormone that promotes egsitting in the female: prolactin, maufactured by the pituitary gland.

Nor is broodiness all that prlactin does to these birds. As the incubation period draws to a close, thhormone becomes increasingly busin their crops. It enlarges their sizconsiderably and works on the celining. A milky secretion begins come, chemically quite close to thmilk of mammals, which incidental


17/44

action of this same hormone. This"cro p mil k" manufactured by thedove parents will serve as food forthe soon-to-hatch young until theyare old enough to take on the tribaldiet of seeds.Feeding begins a few hours afterhatching. The two youngsters arefed at the same time. The adult birdopens its beak, the youngsters puttheirs in and the crop milk is liter-al ly pumped into them in a kind ofbowing motion. All the moisture thesquabs need is supplied by this liq-uid diedcompliments of their par-ents' interiors. This is the basic rea-son why the young can be raisedanywhere in the open desert, farfrom water. Composed of some 13to 18 percent protein and 6 to 12percent fat, crop milk is so nutritiousthat the youngsters develop at as-tonishing speed. Ten days fromhatching they can fly, and in anothercouple of days leave home for good.The whole time needed from egg tofarewell is only thirty days, when theparents can then check off this

batch as done, and commence allover again.Key to the mourning dove's re-markable production schedule liesin the ability of the adult birds tothrive under hot and arid conditionswhile under the strain of egg-making,egg-sitting, crop-milk production andfeeding the young. It isn't easy. Pa-pa, for instance, sitting on the nestin the heat of day, can't leave theeggs exposed to the sun for a min-ute. Yet he has to keep his own tem-perature within safe bounds, hiswater balance adequate, and do itwithout food or water for eight longhours. To be sure, his being a seed-eater is an advantage, for a twice-a-day feeding schedule is all he needs.Stuffing his crop full while he's offwork he's set to let his digestiveworks process the food while he'ssitting. But how does he keep coolenough to make it through the hotday without leaving his post of duty?

Desert biologists Bartholomew andDawson put them through theirpaces in the laboratory. Attaching

temporary thermometers, they recorded how the bird's deep bodtemperature and that of various locations on its body responded to diferences in air temperatures. Normafor them is about 106 degrees daytimes which they maintained easilin air temperatures up to 97 degrees. As the heat increased, thtemperature of their feet and legwent up with it. When the temperature fell, these bare areas coolequickly, helping to unload excesheat from the whole body. Pantinand throat fluttering gets rid of heavia the respiratory system, and whefast action is needed, the doves holtheir wings out exposing places otheir sides which are very thinlfeathered, and through which morheat is lost quickly. All in all thesbirds have excellent tolerance fohigh temperature, and keep thebody temperature below that of thair for as long as two hours, at verlow humidity, even though the suis making the air 113 degrees arounthem.


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So much for temperature control.But howabout water loss? Bartholo-mew and Dawson found the mourn-ing dove has a fancy anti-dehydra-tion system of its own. It can suffera body weight loss of 17 percent ingoing without water in high tempera-tures for 24 hours with no ill effectssimply by taking its f irst drink ofwater, dove style. It seems that whilemost birds can only take a bil l ful lof water at a t ime andmust then tiltback their heads and let these fewdrops tr ickle down their throats, thedove-pigeon tribe can leave theirbills in thewater, and with thepump-ing mechanism in their gullets, pullin quantities fast. Within minutesthe body weight lost in previous de-hydration is restored. The mournersalso have now tanked up enough toget them safely through the nextday a physiological setup much likethat enjoyed by burros. For thedoves, thequick loading system is agreat advantage since they maynestas far as thirty miles from a waterhole, and must make a daily roundtr ip to drink. Extra water is needed

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out to attract the ladies, coo aboutthree times a minute. Mated males,busy with household chores, get outa coo every six minutes or so, unlessit is between batches when they dosomewhat better. (Mourners pair forthe season at least, so there's noneed for added wooing song,which helps make up for the workinvolved in dove fatherhood.) Highwinds discourage cooing as it is hardfor a fellow to keep his balance on acooing perch. Time of day is import-ant. Mackey noted that in a two and

for egg production and making cropmilk during the breeding season,and since doves are such avid familyraisers, this is most of the time.The song season is likewise mostof the time; one big coofest fromMarch 1 through September. Cooing,it seems, according to ZoologistMackey's findings, varies in frequen-cy depending on a number of factors.Marital status is one. The bachelors,Lowest Photo Prints Price

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a half hour period just before sun-rise, a mourner may deliver as manyas 309 coos without half tryingthelast one sounding just as dejectedand mournful as the first.Aside from the bachelors who maybe lonesome but expect to correctthe s itua tion imm ed ia te ly , th emourning dove has little to lamentabout. Nor is his song in reality asad one. It is an ancient melody, tell-ing of the close harmony that hasevolved through the ages betweenhis clan and the timeless desert.

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20/44

GLD MINING, both placer and lodevariety, has played a long andprominent part in the saga of man inthe San Gabriel Mountains of SouthernCalifornia. Stories of gold in the moun-tains go back as far as the 1770s, al-though most of these early reports arc-vague and undocumented.

The first real gold rush in the rangewas in Placerita Canyon, near present-day Newhall, in 1842six years beforeMarshall's famous discovery on theAmerican River.The largest gold strike took place onthe East Fork of the San Gabriel River.The precious metal was discovered in thecanyon gravels in 1855, and for the nextseven years the East Fork was the sceneof frenzied activity, an estimated two

afterward, smaller strikes occurred in BigSanta Anita Canyon and on Lytle Creek.During the next half century, pros-pectors rushed into the mountains atevery rumor of bonanza, tearing upstream beds and hillsides in their franticsearch for wealth. Few other SouthernCalifornia mountain ranges have felt thetrod of miners' boots and the thud of histools as have the San Gabriels.

Of all man's prospecting in the SanGabriels, none were as spectacular noras harrowing as the high altitude lodemining, far up on the rugged slopes ofthe highest peaks in the range, under-taken around the turn of the century.The Hocumac and Gold Ridge on Baldy,the Allison and Stanley Miller above thegorge of the East Fork, the Baldora,

Despite the high elevation,rugged terrain and vulnerabilityto the elements, miningengineers constructed buildingshousing heavy equipment (left)and dug extensive tunnels intothe moun tains (opposite page)in their search for gold.

Antonio Ridge, the Big Horn on MtBaden-Powell these were incrediblefeats when you consider the elevationrugged terrain, inaccessibility and vulnerability to the elements.Most of these gold mines had a stampmill perched on a mountain shelf nearbywith heavy machinery for crushing oreThe task of lugging this machinery up

steep slopes and hauling out the tons ofcrushed ore required a high degree ofortitude and strenuous work.The most famous and longest lastingof these high-altitude lode mines was thBig Horn, perched at almost 7,000 feeon the precipitous east slope of MtBaden-Powell.Charles "Tom" Vincent (after whomVincent Gap and Vincent Gulch arnamed) discovered the Big Horn i1896, the climax of a long search for thlode that fed the rich placers of the lower East Fork. A mountain man, prospector and big game hunter, Vincent livefor years alone high up in Vincent GulchHis rustic log cabin, which he hand-hewed, was filled with the heads of big horsheep, grizzly bear, black bear and deeHe discovered the promising quartveins while tracking big horn sheep higon the mountain slopes, and for this reason named his prospective mine "ThBig Horn."Vincent formed a partnership with twother prospectors named Delaney anLockwood to develop the mine. Severtunnels were dug deep into the mountainside and some paying ore was recovereBut the need for expensive crushinequipment and the difficulty of transporing the ore out was more than these thrprospectors could handle.In 1902 Vincent and his partners sotheir holdings to the Lowell and Califonia Mining Company.It was under Lowell and Californ

that the Big Horn Mine went through i


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olil Rush illtlie San Gabrielsroad was hacked out of the mountainside,traveling from Valyermo in the MojaveDesert up Big Rock Creek, across Vin-cent Gap and around the steep slopes ofBaden-Powell to the mine. The road wascompleted in 1903.Then a 10-stamp mill for crushing orewas erected on precipitous slopes outsidethe diggings, and a series of tunnels andshafts reaching far into the bowels ofthe mountain were gouged out, follow-ing the discontinuous quartz veins. Orewas hammered from the veins deep inthe mountain, then loaded onto small orecars and rolled out to the stamp mill forcrushing. Large horse-drawn wagonsthen carried the crushed ore down fromthe mountains.

For a decade the Big Horn prospered,employing over a hundred men at its peakof activity (1903-08), yielding severalhundred thousand dollars in gold. Then,the rich veins petered out or became lowgrade, the company began losing money,and the effort was abandoned. Mininggold has always been an enterprisewrought with risk; feast one month canbe followed by famine the next, and thereis no sure way of predicting the courseof events.There was a brief renewal of activityin the 1930s, when the American MetalCompany leased the Big Horn and put ina 50-ton flotation mill operated by power

brought from the Southern CaliforniaEdison Company. But the returns werenot worth the expenditure, and the minewas given up in 1936. One last minorflurry occurred in 1941, then the BigHorn shut down completely.Today it lies crumbling and forgotten,a slowly fading monument to man'squest for mineral wealth in the SanGabriels.You can walk to the Big Horn Minefrom Vincent Gap on the Angeles Crest

Highway. From the Vincent Gap parking

wagon roadcontours around the mas-sive east flank of Mt. Baden-Powell tothe mine ruins. The route, shaded bystands of Jeffrey pine and white fir, of-fers an almost continuous panorama downinto the East Fork of the San Gabriel,with Old Baldy and its sister peaks risingas a massive backdrop.In two miles of walking you pass an

old mine building, round a bend, andreach the old stamp mill, clinging pre-

by Jo hn W . Robinsoncipitously to the rocky hillside. The bimill building is dilapidated and dangeous to enter. Above and behind thmill is the entrance to the main tunnedark and watery. The walk to the BHorn makes an ideal afternoon jaunt foboth history buff and photography enthusiasts. You can not but marvel at whman once did high on this lonely mountainside.


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flRIZBNfl'SColor photograph of the ruins of the Sinagua

Indians at Arizona's Walnut Canyon NationalMonument on opposite page was taken byRobert F. Campbell, Concord, California.

W f l L N U T E f l N Y Q Nby M ilo A. BirdON NOVEMBER 30, 1915, PresidentWoodrow Wilson proclaimedWal-nut Canyon, seven miles east of Flagstaff,Arizona, a national monument. He wasnot a bit too soon for vandals were rapidlydestroying the only heritage left by theSinagua Indians when they deserted theircanyon somewhere around 1250 A.D.

Fortunately, the establishment of a na-tional monument ended thevandalism andpreserved about 400 cliff-dweller homes.Archeologists called the Indians Sinaguasfrom two Spanish words meaning "with-out water" because they were masters ofdry farming.About 200 million years ago that partof Arizona was a vast sea-level plain cov-ered by wind-swept sand dunes. Even-

tually, it submerged and for millions ofyears was the bottom of an ancient seawhere silt and sediment covered the an-cient dunes to a depth of several hun-dred feet. Then during an uplift erasome 3 million years ago it was raiseduntil it became a high plateau covered bydense vegetation.

Rivers meandering across the plateaugradually cut canyons through it, ofwhich Walnut Canyon is but one. Whilethe river was cutting Walnut Canyondeeper, massive erosion widened it andrain water running down its sides washedsofter layers from between harder onescreating a series of limestone overhangswell below the rim and somewhat abovethe Toroweap Formation.

Prehistoric Sinagua Indians lived in structures such as this in Walnut Canyon forcenturies until, for some unknown reason, they abandoned their homes around1250 A.D. Note limestone overhang which made natural roof. Black and white

During the early part of the TwelfthCentury1120 A.D. by tree ring dat-inga group of Indians moved into thecanyon and built their homes by erectingrock walls along thefronts of the recesses,and cross walls to separate one homefrom another.

Since the boulders used in the wallswere of odd sizes the Indians did noattempt to lay them in rows like bricksbut set them haphazard fashion using clayfor mortar and for inside plaster. Inevery case the front walls were set farenough back under the overhang thatwater running down over it would notwash out the clay mortar. Furthermore,those walls had to be erected far enoughback from the edge of the precipice toleave a path over which they could travelTwo things made this location attrac-tive to the Indians. Food and edibleshrubs abounded in the canyon and insurrounding forests while deep soil amile or two north of the rim was covered with volcanic ash which retained whalittle moisture fell upon it, thus makingit an ideal place to practice their dryfarming techniques.

On this ash-covered land, they hadlittle difficulty raising corn, beans, andsquash, although they had to maintainconstant vigil during their 115-daygrowing season to protect their cropfrom animals.Another important consideration wasa constant supply of water which wasavailable in the river below their homesThe young women, those with strong legsand good climbing ability, could go tothe river and return with clay pots filledwith water whenever necessary.

Living on such a precipitous hillsidehowever, had one serious drawback


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Ruins under the ledges on theeast side of the canyon are shownin the top of the photo with theprecipitous cliffs helow.teeth sharp enough to cut through theshells. Black walnut husks were used tomake a golden-brown dye.

Normally, food was plentiful alongthe canyon, but judging by bones foundin kitchen middens, there were timeswhen the Indians were forced to eat any-thing they could get . Whether i t sl i ther-ed, walked or flew, if they could get theirteeth into it, they ate it.

Archeologists believe the Sinagus de-serted the canyon about 1250 A.D., pos-sibly because of a drought which pre-ceded the great drought of 1276 to 1299.They also believe that some of themjoined other tribes for certain Hopilegends deal with life in Walnut Canyon.

Although the homes in Walnut Can-yon are not as large as Montezuma'sCastle or as those in Canyon de Chellythey are easily accessible from Highways66 and 40, seven miles east of Flagstaff,and are well worth a visit. Q

I n t r o d u c i n g t h e b r a n d n e wFisherExplorer IIT h e m a k e r s o f t h e f ir s t m e t a ld e t e c t o r g i v e y o u 1 6 r e a s o n s w h yi t ' s t h e " C a d i l l a c " o f a l l t r e a s u r eh u n t in g i n s t r u m e n t s . Y e t i t s b a s icc o s t is o n ly $ 2 2 9 . 5 0

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Bruneau SandDunes are reflectedin the clear watersof the lake createdin 1952 by theconstruction of theStrike Dam onIdaho's SnakeRiver. Some of thedunes are evenhigher than Africa'sSahara D esert.

W ITHIN TH E boundaries of Idahoare desert lands with a spell thatseem to compress all eternity into a smallbit of time. The Bruneau Dunes is sucha land.For three and one-half million years,streams have borne sand and gravel fromthe nearby snow-capped Owyhee Moun-tains to the Snake River Valley. South-

westerly winds, sweeping across the val-ley floor, have picked up the depositedsand particles and over the countless cen-turies have formed a range of dunestowering 468 feet above the desert floor.This spectacular display of Nature'shandiwork is in Idaho's remote south-west desert near State Highway 51, be-tween Mountain Home and the town ofBruneau, (the nearest place to purchasefood, gasoline and other supplies).Considering the uniqueness and the

height of the dunessurpassing even the

feetit is not surprising that the Stateof Idaho recently acquired 2,800 acres ofland here for a major state park.The parched grasses, bent by the wind,reflected the fading afternoon sunlight aswe entered the area. Our first stop was atthe recently completed Visitor Centermanned by the Idaho Department ofParks. In addition to offices and rest

rooms, the Center contains several ex-cellent exhibits and illustrations. ThePark Manager described the area's plantsand animals and related some of itshuman history.The campground is located a mile orso inside the park. This modern camp-ground is open from about April 15 toOctober 15. It has 48 developed unitscomplete with fireplaces, tables, drink-ing water and a centrally located utilitybuilding containing flush toilets and hot

showers. Sixteen of the units have elec-

by Mike MisnerIn the campground we asked one of thePark rangers about the origin of the im-possible seaside-like scenery of the park"The Bruneau Dunes are unique in several ways," he explained. "They are com-posed of fine basalt and granite sandwinnowed from the surrounding deserfloor by a process known as deflationremoval of the loose particles from the

desert floor by the wind. As you travethrough the park you will note that thesagebrush and other plants appear to begrowing on sand pedestals. The wind removes the sand where it is not held downby the roots.""The absence of vegetation growingon the dunes indicates that they maymove," I said."They are shuttling dunes. They traveonly a few feet each year," he replied"During the winter months the largest of

the dunes migrate a few feet to the south


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As it has been forcenturies, man's

footprints in thesands of time arequickly erased bythe desert winds,

leaving only aconfiguration of

sun and shadows.Black and whitephotos and map by

the author.

i Bruneau Dunesu M il State Park

Bruneau

: V&F pf BruneauDunes


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1 1

northwest since the prevailing winds re-verse direction as the seasons change.These reversible aircurrents keep movingthe sand towards the top of the dunes

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from both sides. This accounts for theirworld record height.""Still another unusual feature of theBruneau Dunes is thevortices or conical-shaped depressions insome of the dunes,"he continued. "The largest of these is be-tween thetwo highest dunes in thePark.Here, a small depression wasformed asthe wind direction changed. The whirling

action of the wind enlarged the depres-sion by scooping out sand. As the cratergrew, thewind action became more vio-lent until the vortex reached the old desertfloor. As one looks down into this massivehollow, sagebrush can be seen growingwhere the olddesert floor is exposed."After securing a campsite, wedrove tothe Dunes Lake for a little fishing. Itscrystal water, over 40 feet deep in somespots, abounds in bass, perch andblue-gill. The 140-acre lake appeared myster-iously in 1952after the construction ofC. J. Strike Dam located nearby on theSnake River. Geologists report that twosmall isolated springs were present wherethe lake nowstands. As the water levelrose behind the Dam, the discharge ofthe springs increased noticeably, formingsmall ponds. In the fall of 1959, thenorthern-most lake broke through a nar-row neck and the two small lakes became

one.A pyramid-shaped sand dune near thelake shore beckoned tous. We scrambledLip the steep side of thedune, thefishing

Giant sand dunesstop short of the lakemaking the locationideal for familypicnics. The 2800acres of land formIdaho's newest state

, \- '"" park.the top. Theview from the summit wasuperbthe sea-green lake lay directlbelow; the blond and grey quartz sand othe dunes rolled away to the brown desefloor, and 30 miles to the south, on tIdaho-Nevada border, the magnificesnow-capped peaks of the Owyhee Moutains thrust skyward.

A new bathhouse and dressing roomfacility, located on the northwestern sidof the lake, was an invitation for a rfreshing swim after our romp in the sanSwimming can be a bit daring, howeveAt certain times of theyear the ake habors a skin fluke which causes a rascalled "swimmer itch." The Idaho ParDepartment periodically treats the lake tcontrol the fluke. Inquire about the itcbefore swimming.

Several dune buggies and motorbikechurned up long plumes of sand nethe campground as we prepared the eving meal. The picturesque dunes offtremendous sport for off-road vehicleThe bike riders prefer the late wintwhen themoist sand provides good tration. Then, bikes can climb even the highest dunes.

Wheeling across the rolling dunes i4-wheel-drives and sand buggies is grefun, too.Most buggies can't master thsteep slopes when the sand is dry. Ewhen the sand is wet, rigs usually spiout far below thedune crests. As a resu


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The moderncampground has

paved parking, tables,drinking water, hotshowers, fireplaces

and rest rooms. It isopen from April 15to October 75.

Bruneau Dunes, the Park Department hasrestricted motorcycles and dune buggies tothose areas not frequented by the generalpublic.The following morning a brisk windrippled the unstable surface of the mi-grant dunes as we hiked along the naturetrail on the west side of the Park to asmall square-edged bluff rising out of the

sand.The sediments of the bluff were de-posited in what was once an ancient lake.At the foot of the bluff are several hori-zontal beds with scalloped edges. Thescallops are ripple marks left in the sandby the wave action of the old lake. Manyprehistoric animals visited here, includ-ing the otter, rabbit, peccary, camel, horseand mastodon. Their remains, in the formof petrified bone fragments, are foundscattered around the area. Fresh watermollusks inhabited the lake during thisperiod. Snail, clam and mussel shells maybe found in the beds that were depositedin deeper water.

On our return to camp we stumbledacross the rotted hub of an old wagonwheel half buried in the sand. The earliestmention of this Bruneau country wasfrom the diaries of the first pioneers whoentered the area in their narrow-wheeledwagons. Now the caravans of weekendnomads appear along the desert highwaydriving truck-mounted campers, buses,

Some even arrive as early as March. Theweather favors those who visit BruneauSand Dunes State Park in the spring orlate fall because the desert shimmers inthe searing heat of summer.When we drove away from the areathat evening the dune crests, subjected tothe whims of the wind, trailed longstreamers of flying sand. And as we look-

ed back on the great serpentine ridges ofsand we vowed to return another day tothe timelessness of the Sahara-like Bru-neau Dunes of Idaho. Q

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'Mrich strike along the Yuba spread farand wide. Consequently, when the menand supplies did return to camp, thecurious were following close behind.

The newcomers pitched tents andmade camps on every gravel bar andpiece of flat land available. Now that thesnow was melting, and the waters againbegan to flow in the Yuba River, theearth exposed her ore and yielded hernuggets. Men picked it, panned it andshouted their good fortunes. By summerthe banks of the river were so crowdedwith prospectors that news was said tohave traveled 70 miles by word ofmouth, in just a mere 15 minutes.

Soon permanent cabins were built toreplace earlier tents. One side of theriver was called Durgan's Flat theopposite flat where Downie and hismen had wintered was called Jersey Flat.Together they were referred to as the"Forks."

Stories told by miners that experienc-ed those first incredible days of dis-covery would fill volumes. Jim Crowtold how he killed a 14-pound salmonoil the bank of the river. He boiled itfor a feastthen picked gold from thebottom of the kettle. Men working Zum-walt Flat bragged they were able to pro-duce 5 ounces of gold working only athree-hour day. The Tin Cup diggin's

topped that by filling a tin cup withgold each night before quiting.On Durgan's Flat, a crew of threemen working a 6()-foot square claim tookout just under $13,000 worth of ore in11 days. Over a period of six months,their take amounted to $80,000. An-other party sunk a hole five feet deep,and panned coarse gold amounting to

. tffl

$2,500 in a short two hours.Newcomers were pushed both nand south of the Forksbut vast discoveries continued to be made in bdirections. The honor for the larsingle take went to Gold Bluff miles north of the Forks. It was a sgold nugget weighing in at 25 pounBefore the first frost settled on gravel beds in 1850, miners along banks topped 5,000. A city was bornnecessityit was named Downievillrespect of its first mayor, Major WilDownie. Restaurants, hotels and a tter vied for space along with saloand gambling houses. Mountain schers and colorful pack trains risked perils of narrow mountain trails to bin supplies. Their hazards reflected inprices they charged for the goods were hauled in.Whiskey sold for $16 a bottle, scost $4 a pound and flour brought pound. Miners were outfitted with shovel and pan for $200. Other cmodities followed the same patternPayment for materials was in gdust. A pinch of dust, or what couldheld between a thumb and forefinwas equal to a dollar. A whiskey gheld $100 worth of dust, and $1was measured into a wine tumbler.Crime had not been a major issue a


32/44

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Downieville asitappeared around

1856. Photo courtesyof theCalifornia

State Library.Downieville. A gigantic celebration wasplanned. It was to be the first Fourth ofJuly since California hadbeen made the31st state. Miners from all settlementsup and down the river collected. Speecheswere given, old friends tried to out-bragand out-drink each other.

Fred Cannon, a popular miner on theriver, and histwo buddies left thesaloonlate that night. Arm in arm they zig-zaged their way down dimly lightedstreets. As they walked past the housewhere a young Spanish woman lived,Cannon fell against the front door of herhouse and knocked it off itshinges. Earlythe next day,Cannon returned to makehis amends. An argument resulted, andthe Spanish woman, Juanita, stabbed him.Cannon died!

The incident hadaquick sobering effecton thetown. Thewoman was taken intocustody, a jury selected, a judge appoint-ed, and a trial washeld. It took place onthe same platform where thespeeches ofthe previous day had been delivered.Everyone turned out for theevent, whichlasted most of the day.When the juryreturned their verdictJuanita was foundguilty. Friends of Cannon's improviseda gallows on thebridge that spanned the

death had been "avenged."Miners continued towork the river andits banksthe harder they worked, themore gold they found, and themore im-patient and greedy they became. Onegroup managed to flume theentire YubaRiver from its bed between Downievilleand Goodyear's Bar.Their efforts cameto a disastrous end when the winterflood waters swelled theriver andsweptthe flumes awayleaving only splinteredwood and disappointment!Downieville's spirit has survived sevendecades without a great deal of change.Electric lights have replaced whale oillamps; silver coins are exchanged inplaceof gold dust, and the boardwalks alongmain street have weathered and creakunder foot. Houses, reflecting the quaint-ness of their day, peer down from steepmountain sides - time seems to havestood still.The county courthouse, built on Durgan's Flat in 1855,still serves ascountyseat of Sierra County. Resting on its frontlawn is an old arrastra. Alongside thecourthouse stands the old gallows usedfor executions after theyear 1857.Main Street winds quietly through the

business area of Downieville. Many of


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in use today. The theater where onceLola Montez, Edwin Booth and othersgave performances and were rewardedwith gold coin and pokes of dusttodayshows a weekly movie.The Mountain Messenger Neivspaperbuilding still stands on the left side ofthe main street. Its first issue came offthe press in 1853. Near the end of thequiet street stands the first building tobe erected in Downieville. Its walls aretypical of substantial mining camp con-struction where stones laid one atop an-other in a horizontal fashion. Todaythis building houses a museum displayingmany artifacts of those exciting days ofyesteryears.Today the Mother Lode Highway, State

4 9 , skirts the Yu.ba River and intersectsthe business area of Downieville. Thereare hotels and motels along the river.There are also several campgrounds, bothnorth and south of the town. Summervisitors amuse themselves by sight-seeing,fishing, or panning the banks andstreams. Gold is still bought at Costa'sstore in Downievilleand who knowsthere may be a still larger nugget laying inwait along the shoreperhaps for you.Good luckwhether it be fishing or gold

fr o m t h e F i e l dARIZO NAApache TrailRoosevelt LakeEDITOR'S NOTE: In the March 71issue we published an article and map onfollowing the Apache Trail from Phoenixto Roosevelt Lake. At the time of thearticle this was a good graded road. How-ever, since then, it has badly deteriorated.It has not been graded and there arewashouts and heavy dust sections. Also,Roosevelt Lake is very low with no camp-ing facilities. This road should NOT betraveled until it has been improved and

the lake is once again up to normal.CALIFORNIA

Gil's Oasis, Inyo CountyThere is always a feeling of nostalgiaand deep regret when another desertlandmark falls to the progress of civili-zation. Gil's Oasis on U.S. 395, sevenmiles north of Little Lake, has beenrazed to clear the route for freeway con-struction. Gil's was not a pretentiousplace but on a warm summer day it wasa pleasant stop for a cool drink or lunchunder the shady elms.

Charcoal Kilns, Inyo CountyMembers of the Eastern CaliforniaMuseum Association have erected a shel-ter to protect the eroding CottonwoodCreek Charcoal Kilns (see June '71issue). The Museum Association is veryactive in preserving historical sites in theOwens Valley. The kilns are located amile east of U.S. 395, seven miles northof Cartago. A marker and sign identifythe road.

San Bernardino County, WildhorseCanyonA road has been completed into a newrecreational area in the Mid Hills andProvidence Mountains region. The Bur-eau of Land Management has two camp-grounds under constructionMid Hilland Hole-in-the-Wall Recreation Siteswhich were scheduled to be ready for useby July.This region is one of the most pic-turesque on the great Mojave Desert.

tions, old Indian campsites, former badit hideouts, ruins of an army fort anextremely fine stands of desert flora icluding the Joshua tree and Mojayucca.The Wildhorse Canyon road lies miles north of Essex or 2I/2 miles souof Cedar Canyon road.

Mitchell Caverns State ParkFrank L. Fairchild, area manager, avises the Caverns have recently beclassified as a State Park instead of Rserve. The park encompasses 5,300 acand two caverns are now open to tpublic. A completed tunnel makes twalk-through tour continuous. A neself-guided nature trail "Overlook Poinhas also been added for the enjoymeof visitors.

The park and caverns are open tyear-round. Tour hours are weekda1:30 P.M.; Saturday, Sunday and Hodays, 10:00 A.M., 1:30 P.M. and 3:P.M. Special tours for groups can be ranged by writing to the park offiP . O. Box I, Essex, Calif. 92332. Tofees are: 18 years and over, 50(; through 17 years, 25(; 5 and under, frCamping is $1.50 per car.

197109 Desert Magazine 1971 September

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Transcript of 197109 Desert Magazine 1971 September