197112 Desert Magazine 1971 December

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B o o k s M A I < E LA S TJN q G i f i sOUT FROM LAS VEGAS by Florine Lawlor. Onlya few miles from the gambling casinos andneon l ights of Las Vegas are four-wheel-drivetrai ls and passenger car roads rich in historyand scenery. Paperback, i l lustrated, 36 p. $1.00LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by JohnD. Mitchell. The f irst of Mitchell 's lost minebooks is now available after having been out ofprint for years. Reproduced from the originalcopy and containing 54 art ic les based on ac-counts from people Mitchell interviewed. Hespent his ent ire adult l i fe invest igat ing reportsand legends of lost mines and treasures of theSouthwest. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 175 pages,$ 7 . 5 0 .OVERLAND STAGE TO CALIFORNIA AND THEPONY EXPRESS by Frank A. Roof. A f i rs t -handaccount of a mai l agent who l ived and foughtwi th the men who set t led the West throughtheir ef forts to establish communicat ion acrossthe wilderness during the 1800's. First publish-ed in 1901 and just republished. Heavy stockand hardcover, original art ist i l lustrat ions, two1800 maps, 645 pages, th is is a book forhis tory buf fs , $15.00.GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by Norm anD. Weis. The ghost-town country of the Pacif icNorthwest inc luding t r ips to many l i t t le-knownareas, is explored in this f irst-hand factual andinterest ing book. Excellent photography. Bestbook to date on ghost towns of the Northwest.Maps . Hardcover, heavy sl ick paper, 319 pages.$ 6 . 9 5 .BACKPACK COOKERY by Ruth Dyar Mendenhall.Full of good ideas for making the most of de-dehydrated foods. Paper. $1.00.LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edward Arthur.Facts and how-to-do-it on prospect ing are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in California.For those who think there are no more valuableslef t in Cal i 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 ial buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format , i l lus t rated, heavy paperback, 84pages , $3 . 95 .LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene Conrotto.Brief resumes of lost mine art ic les printed inback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a formeredi tor . Hardcover , 278 pages. $7.00.BARBED WIRE HANDBOOK by Thomas E. Turner.Contains 418 di f ferent k inds of barbed wireand associated items, described and i l lustratedwith l ine drawings. Current value prices. Paper-back, 102 pages $3.95.

DEATH VALLEY BOOKSPublished by the Death Valley '49ers thesefive volumes have been selected by '49ersas outstanding works on the history of DeathValley. All are durable paperback on sl ickstock.A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revised edi-t ion] by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.5 0MANLY AND DEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des-t iny , by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY! The story of theJayh awke r Party, by L. Burr Belden $1.5 0CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEYBy Arthur Woo dward $2.00DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 di f ferent au-thors $1.25

ARIZONA

ARIZONABy DAVID MUENCH

Undoubtedly the finest pictorial presen-tation of Arizona ever published. Thereare more than 160 four-color photo-graphs by David Muench, whose worksare among those of the best creativephotographers in the world. Muench'sillustrations are augmented by the text ofDavid Toll who presents the historical andgeological picture of the Grand CanyonState. An ideal Christmas gift that willlong be remembered. Hardcover, large11x14 format, 200 heavy slick pages.

Only $20.00 until Dec. 31,1971$25.0050 YEARS IN DEATH VALLEY by Harry P. Gower.First hand account of the dramatic mining yearsby a man who spent his l i fe in the mysteriousvalley. Describes the famous characters of DeathValley, Paperback, i l lustrated, 145 pages, $2.95GREENWATER by Harold Weight. Called the"monumental swindle of the century" this isthe story of the 1906 stampede to the BlackMountains and how $30,000,000 disappeared.Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00.RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of ShortyHarris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery, M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-ished the famous mining town near DeathValley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages.$1 . 00 .MY CANYONLANDS by Kent Frost. A vivid account of the early explorat ion of Utah's Can-yonlands by the author who spent his ent irel i fe exploring America's new nat ional park andwho present ly runs a guide service through thescenic country. Hardcover, artist illustrations,160 pages, $6.95.EXPLORING CALIFORNIA'S BYWAYS by RussLeadabrand. The ninth in his excellent series ofCalifornia guide books, the author explores the"l i t t le mountains" such as the San Gabriels,Kern Plateau Country and Greenhorn Country.One of his best. This is VOL. # I V , so pleasestate when ordering. Slick paperback, well i l -lustrated with maps and photos, 142 pages$1 . 95 .MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY by Ruth Kirk. Goodphotos and maps with t ime est imates from placeto p lace and geology, natural h is tory andhuman interest information included. Paperback.$1 . 95 .

A LIGHT HEARTED LOOK AT THE DESERT byChuck Waggin. A del ight fu l ly wr i t ten and i l lus-trated book on desert animals which wil l beappreciated by both children and adults. Thesketches are excellent and, although factual,descript ions make the animals seem l ike humanbeings. Large format, heavy quali ty paper, 94pages, $1.95.DESERT GEM TRAILS by Mary Frances Strong.Field guide to gems and minerals of the Mo-have and Colorado deserts and adjacent areas.Paperback, $2.00NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPSby Stanley W. Paher. Covering al l of Nevada's17 count ies, Paher has documented 575 miningcamps, many of which have been erased fromthe earth. The book contains the greatest andmost complete collect ion of historic photographsof Nevada ever published. This, coupled withhis excellent writ ing and map, creates a bookof last ing value. Large 9x1 1 form at, 700photographs, hardcover , 492 pages, $15.00.WHERE TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN IN SOUTH-ERN CALIFORNIA by Davis Dutton and Tedi Pil-green. Now the kids have their own book sothey can help mother and dad plan the nextsafari to unusual places which are of interestto both generat ions. Slick paperback, i l lustrated,121 pages, $1.95.HELLDORADO by William Breakenridge. One ofthe most famous law enforcement off icers ofthe Old West describes his life and gives first-hand accounts of the famous out laws and law-men he knew. First published in 1928 andlong out -of -pr int , now avai lable. Hardcover ,i l lustrated, 1883 map of Arizona Territory, 255pages, $7.50.MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOK by Henry andBeverly Mockel. The wel l -known painter ofdesert wildf lowers has combined his four-colorsketches and black and white photographs todescribe in detai l so the layman can easilyident i fy w i ldf lowers , both large and smal l .Microscopic detai l makes this an outstandingbook for ident if icat ion. Special compressed f ibercover which wil l not stain. 54 ful l-calor i l lustra-t ions wi th 72 l i fe-s ize drawings and 39 photo-graphs, 316 pages, $5.95.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.GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James E. andBarbara Sherman. Well i l lustrated and including13 maps, book describes 130 ghost towns withexact locat ions. Well-writ ten and researched.Excellent historical photographs. Large format,heavy paperback, 208 pages, $3.95.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASEAdd 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)for handling and mailing

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSOADD 5 PERCENT SALES TAXSend check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, California92260. Sorry, but we cannot accept chargesor C.O.D. orders.

FOR COMPLETE BOOK CATALOG WRITE TO DESERT MAGAZINE, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260


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WILLIAM KNYVETT, PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER, EDITOR

MARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorENID C. HOWARD, Utah Associate EditorGLENN VARGAS, Lapidary EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistJACK DELANEY, Staff Writer

Volume 34, Number 12 DECEMBER, 1971

ONTEFE A TU RE

THE COVER:For our Christmas Issuew e s e l e c t e d D a v i dMuench's brilliant photo-graph of a Joshua Treesilhouetted against a desertsunset. The tree is namedaf te r the successor ofMoses as it appears to belifting its arms to Heavenas it may well be in aplea to the Higher Au-thority to help protect thebeauty of our deserts.

ELICS OF RATTLESNAKE CANYONPARKER STRIP

SANTA'S LOVE MISSILEHIKING THE CANYONS OF ANZA-BORREGO

MONO MILLS TO BODIERESTLESS COLORADO RIVER

DESERT BULLDOZERHIGHLANDS OF BAJA

THE ROYAL BOTTLE BONANZA

Van P. WilkinsonMary Frances StrongWilliam KletteErnie CowanRobert C. LikesHarvey GrayK. L. BoyntonBill MackAdele Reed

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

BOOK REVIEWSDESERT LIFE

RAMBLING ON ROCKSNEW PRODUCTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITORCALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS

William KnyvettJack PepperHans BaerwaldGlenn and Martha VargasItems of InterestReader's CommentsClub Activities

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, $5.00; 2 years,$9.50; 3 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allowfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresies 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-graphs WILL NOT BE RETURNED unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.

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P.D.QA Complete Miniature Lapidary Shop, themost versat i le unit on the market today. For&42.50 you get the basic unit .adding the items you need, for the workyou intend to do; you can d r i l l , saw, gr indand polish. Cut al l types of cabochons, bothcarved and plain. Working star rubies andsapphires is a natural with this machine. Dovarious types of carving in gemstone, woodor glass. You can etch or inlay glass, stone,wood or metal. Do facet ing or make buttons.The bead and marble attachment wil l soone available. There are buff ing attachmentsFor the go ld or silvers mith . The splitting andwafe r ing saw is the answ er to the op alcutter's dream.The P.D.Q. Gem Drill is ideal for the personwith l imited space in the home, camper ortrai ler. There is a battery inverter availablethat enables you to take your P.D.Q. familywith you on vacat ion. The P.D.Q. Lapidaryequipment is compact, sturdy and inexpen-sive. A booklet of instruct ions and a guaran-tee card comes with each machine.

IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFTSAT WAM P UM W IGWAM

Indian Jew elry is an item of beauty todayand a priceless treasure of tomorrow. It isgett ing more scarce and higher priced as eachyear goes by and as older silversmiths passto the "Great Beyond. " Wampum Wigwamoffers you authent ic Indian-made items fromthe reservat ions and trading posts of ourSouthwest. May we send you a select ion ofIndian jewelry? This enables you to'see themerchandise before you buy it . Pay for theitems you keep and return the rest. Pricesrange from $2.00 t ie tacks and up, depend-ing on amount of si lver and turquoise in thei tem. State what i tems you would l ike to seegiving ring sizes or other information. Feelfree to ask for a select ion. We wil l do ourbest to help you.SHIPLEY'SMINERAL HOUSEOn Hwy. 160 in southwest Colorado, 18 mileseast of Durango or iy 2 miles west of Bayfield.Mail ing Address:SHIPLEY'S MINERAL HOUSE, Gem Village ,Bayfield D, Colorado 81122

Phone: 303-884-2632Postage charges not includedSEND FOR NEW CATALOG # 9

A P e e ki n t h eT HE DESERT TORTOISE ; which has sur-vived for thousands of years but to-day is in danger of being destroyed bythe white man's civilization, is gettinga helping hand in his struggle for sur-vival.

A novel experiment is being conductedin California's Mojave Desert where thereptile's ancestors once roamed duringthe dinosaur era and where several hun-dred tortoises are believed to live atpresent.

Four tortoises have been capturedand outfitted with electronic beepers andthen relocated in an isolated section of the U.S. Navy's nearby China Lake Station.The operation is being carried out by the California Division of Highways in coopera-tion with the Navy, State Department of Fish and Game, University of Californiaand local Boy Scouts.

It resulted when construction of a freeway was started. Biologists say theincreased tortoise mortality rate is due to them being run over on the freeways whichthey continually cross in search of sparse dietary vegetation.Initial plan was to build a tortoise fence along the freeway but it was dis-carded when research proved the reptiles have an uncanny way of either climbing overor digging un der obstacles in their way. So the white man decided to round up allthe tortoises in the area and transport them to a safer environment.The four tortoises outfitted with electronic gear are the advance party ofthe major migration.Armed with homingdevices Navy personnelwill tune the reptiles inperiodically throughoutthe winter to check ontheir welfare and abil-

ity to adapt to theirnew location. The bee-pers affixed to the shellsof the tortoises are sen-sitive to light and willnot transmit when theirbearers hibernate, bur-row in during the day,or even when they roamat night. This factorwill extend life of themicro - battery poweredsystem until next spring.Meanwhile, the search continues for other tortoises which are being taggedand transported to the safety of China Lake Naval Sation. So, thanks to the whiteman, we may continue to quote that "the voice of the turtle shall be heard through-out the land."

One word of caution. Because they are an endangered species, it is unlawfulto remove a tortoise from his habitat. If you find one on the highway, take a strollthrough the desert and put him back in a safe placeaway from the highwaybutdon't take him home.And, to see how tortoises settle their differences refer to Hans Baerwald'sDesert Life photo feature on page 33.

The staff of Desert Magazine wishes each and every one of you a MostMerry Yuletide Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

John Dow and Peter Goodman whose parents are em-ployees at China hake Naval Station assist in puttingelectronic devices on two tortoises before releasingthem at their 'home away from home."


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tjow Lost thorn

V 2 . times a ue tAwith a

MAGAZINE GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONDE SER T Mag azine gives Easterners a first-hand and vivid description of our Southwest and providesW esterners with new horizons and adventures. Do your last-minute Christmas shopping the easy waytoday by using the postage-pa id Gift Subscription envelop e in this issue. W e will send a h and-signedHappy Holidays Gift Card in your name and start the subscription with the January issue (in time forChristmas delivery). Every month when the magazine arrives you will be remembered for your thoughful-ness. You will be playing Santa Claus 12 times a year! If it's more convenient, we will bill you in January.

1 Y e a r S 5 0 0 2 Y e a r s ' 9 5 0 3 Y e a r s S 1 3 0 0OR TWO 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS OR THREE 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS

EITHER ENCLOSE YOUR REMITTANCE OR WE WILL BILL YOU LATERWhether East or West, another ideal gift is DESERT'S handsome brown vinylbinder which holds 12 issues. ONLY $3.50, including tax and postage.

Send till correspondence to:MAGAZINE PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260


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I N B O W ' SE N D . . .'begins with a

T R E A S U R E L O C A T O R !

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When i t comes to find-ing your pot of gold, gowith the leadergo withGoldak!E F F E C T I V E D E P T H R A N G E

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B o o kR e v i e w sby Jack Pepper

GHOST TOWNSOF THE WESTBy the Editorsof Sunset Books

Chapters on subjects such as boardinghouses, land grabs, mining camp finances,newspapers of the era, violence and civicorder, transportation, relations with theIndians and even the cost of living com-plete the overall picture of those "rowdy,reckless and raucous boom years."Detailed maps along with artist illus-trations of the types of mining equipment

with descriptions of how they were usedenhance the graphic presentation. Wil-liam Carter and the editors of SunsetBooks are to be congratulated for creat-ing this living portrayal of one of Ameri-ca's most exciting eras which changedthe history of the world.Large 11x9 format, heavy slick paper,hardcover, 255 pages. Special advanceprice of $9.95 until D ecember 31 . Regu-lar price after December 31 will be$11.75.

This reviewer does not often use su-perlatives, but after reading Ghost Townsof she West, I can state it contains themost comprehensive and finest collectionof both historic and present-day photo-graphs of America's dramatic mining eraever published.The book has been three years in themaking during which time the editors ofSunset Books examined an estimated

50,000 historical prints before selectingthe ones published.As the historical photographs werebeing selected, Writer-photographer Wil-liam Carter, in a special camping vehicle,traveled more than 30,000 miles andtook more than 10,000 photographs forthe present-day presentation. His blackand white photographs with his accom-panying text, coupled with the historicprints, creates a living testament to themen and women of this exciting era of

Western Americana.The book employs a unique editorialstructure that compares the past withthe present and provides a detailed aswell as an overall picture of this period ofour history. The value of the book is notin listing all of the ghost towns of theWest, but in selecting those which bestmirror the rise and fall of the miningcommunities.Another factor which contributes tothe publication is the way the editors

describe the cause and effect, motivationand way of living of the protagonists.

SELDOMSEENSLIMBy Tom G. Murray

Seldom Seen Slim, last of the DeathValley single-blanket jackass prospectors,died in 1968 and was buried in a littlecemetery near bleak Ballarat, which hadbeen his home for most of his 81 years.

Although during his latter years Slimliked to show the casual visitor aroundBallarat, he was very selective as to his"friends" which could be numbered onthe fingers of his two gnarled hands.One of these was Tom G. Murray whoalso knew Shorty Harris and Death Val-ley Scotty. (See Murray's famous pic-tures of "Scotty" in the November '71issue.)

Like the other single-blanket jackassprospectors, Slim drifted into Death Val-ley from the east via other mining areaslooking for gold and silver. Some foundbonanzas and - - like Shorty Harris -then sold them for a pittance, whileothers merely eked out a meager living.But they all stayed and died in the landthey loved. Few retained their legalnames. Slim's was Charles Ferge.Although titled Seldom Seen Slim andgiving an intimate view into the pros-


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pector's life, the book covers much more.It is a potpourri of vignettes, poems,tales and photographs of the Death Val-ley old-timers. Included are tales of theWildrose Kid, Jim Sherlock, Chris Wicht,Silent George, Shotgun Mary and HarryOliver, "the old mirage salesman" whopublished the famous Desert Rat Scrap-book.These tales could only be told by a manwho knew the old-timers by sittingaround their campfire or in their "homes"swapping yarns over tin cups filled withcoffee that only an old prospector coulddrink. Murray says one of the finest com-pliments Slim ever paid to him was oncehe drove to Ballarat to see his friend whowas not at home but left the followingsign on his door:"You S.O.B. don't take anything. Imight be watching."Slick paperback, exclusive photos bythe author of the old-timers, 56 pages,$3.00.

glyphs, geological features, scenic areasand areas for exploration. Boundariesare from the Mexican border to thenorthern part of Joshua Tree NationalMonument and from Banning and Ra-mona east to the Arizona side of theColorado River.

C O L O R A D O D E S E R T O V E R V I E W.

COLORADO DESERT OVERVIEWBy Wes Chambers

Two years ago Wes Chambers com-piled an "overview" map of California'sMojave Desert area which proved to beextremely popular with back country ex-plorers. Now he has published a similarmap on the Colorado Desert.He uses a topographic-type back-

ground showing the general layout ofthe mountains and deserts over which hehas placed in detail places and roads asguides to points of interest. He desig-nates highways and paved roads and un-paved roads and jeep trails.What makes the map valuable is theoverlay of historic routes and trailssuch as the Butterfield, Bradshaw andGovernment Routesand the locationof wells (most of which are now dry)and historic sites along these trails which

are not shown on regular maps.The map features ghost towns ancmining camps, Indian sites and petro-

As the author states, the map does nottake the place of topographical maps,but armed with both, the explorer shouldhave an excellent shot at arriving at hisdestination or following the trails of theOld West. Heavy paper, folded to fitin glove compartment, $3.00.

T w o G r e a t L o s t M i n e B o o k sb y J O H N D . M I T C H E L L

B U R I E D" T R E A S U R E S

A l o n g t h e O ld F r o n t ie r

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8/44

by Van P. Wilkinson

A 4-Wheel-Drive-Adventurel

R ELICS LURE as many folks into Cali-fornia's wilderness today as didthe precious ores of the 1800s. To getpiece of the action then, the needswere demanding and basic: a weather-proof disposition, an impenetrable faithagainst stark wilderness, and an inventivecraftiness to second-guess nature. Today,it's a mite simpler: a topographical map,an off-road vehicle, and a slight case offrenzied persistence.Rattlesnake Canyon is a handy one-dayhunting ground for the slightly-more-than-motivated. Here, you'll find note-worthy mining remains, a scattering ofsolder-top-age cans and purple glass, andmany short 4WD excursions to seldomvisited wild areas-

Historically, the San BernardinoMountains were prospected and minedover a hundred years before the goldmigration to the Mother Lode in 1849.


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Indians and Spanish found in the SanBernardinos not only beauty and shelter,but trading commodities such as fursand minerals.Holcomb Valley gold, discovered inthe early 1860s, created some new geo-graphical problems peculiar to this north-easterly mountain location. The great Mo-jave Desert trough of Victor, Apple, Lu-

cerne and Johnson valleys was closerthan the southwesterly mountain slopesinto the "civilized" basins of San Ber-nardino, Redlands and Riverside.While selecting appropriate shippingroutes from the Big Bear Lake vicinity,trailblazers and last-chance prospectorsjoined forces in the 1860s and beganserious exploring and mapping of thecanyons east and north down to the des-ert flatlands.Like all venturers, these men named

areas as often by whim as by rationale.Rattlesnakes are common in high desertcanyons leading into the mountains, andthere are no less than three canyons andthree springs in this region which stillbear that viperous name. The Rose Mineis located in another Rattlesnake Canyon(Burns Canyon to Pioneertown); theBalanced Rock Mine east of the OldMormon Trail is located near anotherRattlesnake Spring (between Apple Val-ley and Fawnskin).By 1870, the Black Hawk and SilverReef Mining Districts had been establish-ed just a few miles west of Old WomanSprings. It is safe to assume that the ini-tial digs in our Rattlesnake Canyon weremade between I860 and 1880. Generoussamples of pre-automation cans and shal-low tunnels marked with hand-hewnprimitiveness hint at this.Getting into Rattlesnake Canyon todayis not altogether simple. The westerlyentrance, via Old Woman Springs, isthrough private property and prohibited.

On Old Woman Springs Road towardYucca Valley a set of telephone polesflanks the road on the north side. At onepoint about three miles east of Old Wo-man Springs there is a support pole onthe south side of the road, where the as-phalt curves. At this bend, where a tautcable crosses over the road, is the dirtroad leading southwesterly into the Big-horn Mountains.Gentle, dipping and dusty, this roadcovers some four miles across the alluvial

fan toward the mouth of RattlesnakeCanyon. The trail narrows and winds

Once used to haul ore from the wooden chute (above) the old wagon road is nowcovered with weeds and shouts of the wagon masters are no longer heard. Look-ing west toward the Bighorn M ountains (below) are seen the shaft, h eadframeand tailings of the mining operation. Photos by the author.


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Scattered debris is all that remainsof what was once a prospector's home in

Rattlesnake Canyon.near two private corrals at Two HoleSpring. Then, abruptly, the road divesinto the rocky, sandy wash of the can-yon. From here to the major mining area(some five miles), it's either high-clear-ance 2WD with non-slip differential or4 W D . Why? Because the tracks followthe granular riverbed and at times overbreadbasket-sized boulders.

You'll know you're on the right pathwhen you reach a cattle gate at the canyonmouth. A sign reads, "Close Gate."Please do sostray cattle yield lost reven-ue and irate ranchers.Not more than 200 yards on up thesouthwesterly side of the canyon is Rattle-snake Spring, surrounded by a cattle shed

and feed supplies. It was in this area thata couple of glaring bulls blocked the pathof our truck while protecting a wary herd-Be careful.The road dodges and cuts along thewide canyon floor for about two miles,narrow and sandy enough in many placesto prohibit campers. Great banks of

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quartz sediment andloose conglomeratechoke thecanyon's south side in a fewplaces as theBighorn Mountain slopesbegin to near the road. Thenortherlycanyon banks show random mineral pros-pects anddune-buggy scars.Mica, quartz-veined granite andschistare common ingredients along Rattlesnake

Canyon's steep sides. Multi-colored quartzspecimens lay eroded in various sizes,good for rock gardens or therock tum-bler.Some three miles from thegate, thecanyon walls move in and the roadworsens. The tracks bend in severalS's;in this spot, rainfall or flooding woulderase thepath and trap avehicle.Then, thecanyon widens at a gentlecluster of desert willows. Up thenorth-east canyon bank is a narrow 4WD trailleading to several shafts tunnels andcollapsed out-buildings of the centralmining activity. Onequarter of a milefurther up thecanyon, another, almostidentical trail (but wider) leads in thesame direction to a flattened prospector'sshack.About onequarter of amile alongthecanyon the road ends for all but the

bravest with avery narrow 4WD vehicle;it is past this "road's end" about 200yards that a tunnel strikes west into thecanyon wall. Here, in thetailings, is acollector's "relic'in reward."The tailings of the80-foot tunnelaresmall, but theabundance of undisturbedcans amidst thedebris is amazing. Evi-

dently, those whomade it this far in thepast were notafter relics, just cattle oradventure.However, thedumps anddiscards atthe area ofmajor activity have been par-tially investigated. Theshafts were prob-ably started in this region before 1900,but have been worked on and off sincethendeepened and reinforced. The tun-

nels at this site are relatively new, and anearby claim indicates that someone wasstill investing money inRattlesnakeCan-yon as late as 1967.A steep trail leads south from theflattened prospector's shack, presumablyparalleling the canyon trail to MoundSpring and theRose Mine region. Thisis the direction from which explorerscame in the1860s. Another trail, mark-ed onthe map, heads southwesterly fromRattlesnake Canyon up a subsidiary wash

toward Granite Peak. Neither of these isfor amateurs.Whether you find in the BighornMountains a chance totest your off-roadnavigation, or whether youfind a relicto add to your collection, there's onecertainty: you'll bebitten by thelure ofRattlesnake Canyon. FJ

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A good road leads through a varietyof country (left) along the easternedge of the Whipple Moun tains nearLake Havasu and Parker Dam. Photosby Jerry Strong.

Desert Magazine's Fitor explores the b'the 15-mile segmentrado River known asStrip. Rugged moucountry roads, bottcollecting and year-rmake it an enjoya

safari.

;ld Trip Edi-rways alongof the Colo-

The Parkerntains, backle and gemound climatejle weekend

12

by Mary Frances Strong

E XITING FROM Havasu Lake via ParkerDam, the mighty Colorado Riverflows placidly to Headgate Dam whereits waters are impounded to form LakeMoovalya. This 15-mile segment of riveris known as the Parker Strip and pro-vides one of the finest recreational areasin the southern desert.The opportunity for excellent water-skiing, boating and fishing have madethe Parker Strip a busy and popular placeduring its long season which begins inMarch and reaches a grand climax over

the Thanksgiving holidays.As winter approaches the river isquiet; the camps and parks uncrowded.

At this time, the Parker Strip shows itsmany other faces and proves to be anoutstanding area for winter vacations.With a home base at one of the severaldozen resorts along both sides of theriver, the visitor can enjoy several inter-esting tours, explore the back country andold mines, ride trail bikes, fish, bird-watch or go rock collecting.

Trailer and camping accommodationsare a matter of choice with facilitiesranging from the simple to luxuriousall fronting on the River. We have stayedat private camps and found them friendlyand helpful.Being completely self-contained, we

usually camp in a favorite spot along theriver where we park our trailer under agiant, old tamarisk tree. This is permis-


13/44

Havasu (above) is a completeaquatic recreational center. One ofseveral interesting arches (right) whichcan be seen on the road through theWhipple Mountains.

sable with S/C units.At the present time, there is only onepublic campground on the StripEm-pire Landing at the Crossroads. It isbeing developed by the Bureau of LandManagement and, currently, providesonly primitive sanitary facilities.A circle tour up the California (orArizona) side of the River, crossingParker Dam and returning along the op-posite shore, will treat you to some spec-tacular scenery. Through eons of time,the Colorado River has cut deep into theiron-red sediments and formed a pictures-que canyon between Arizona's BuckskinMountains and California's Whipples.Subsequent erosion has scoured an arrayof chimney, fortress and castle-like for-mations along its length. The contrast of

rich, red-brown mountains and deep bluewater will keep your color camera busy.At Parker Dam, stop and view thelower end of Havasu Lake. This area ispart of a National Wildlife Refuge andyou will see numerous waterfowl whichhave journeyed south to spend the win-ter. You will also enjoy taking the self-guided tour of the power plant whichis informative and educational.An interesting back country tour viapaved road will take you through thenortheastern fringes of the WhippleMountains. A wide variety of scenerywill be enjoyed as the route windsaround mountains and drops into deepcanyons. Begin the trip by turning westfrom the Parker Dam Road at the sign"Black Meadow Landing" which is lo-

cated just south of Parker Dam on theCalifornia side.In just eight-tenths of a mile you willsee dirt tracks leading off to the left amidsome trees. Follow this short detour andyou will be rewarded with a palm oasis,waterfall and stream. It is a delightfulspot for a coffee break or lunch.Back on the paved road a half-mile be-yond the oasis, look left into the canyonas you near the summit. You will see anarrow, rocky gorge filled with palmtrees.Beyond the summit, the road skirtsthe Department of Water and PowerField Office Headquarters, then skipsalong the edge of Gene Wash Reservoirthe beginning of the Colorado RiverAqueduct. The paving narrows, rides

13


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The Parker StripC a I i f o r n i a

roller-coaster hills, accomplishes switch- the few locations where they occur onbacks and descends into a small gorge. the California Desert. They will be seenWatch carefully and you will see the for the next two miles.first of a small stand of giant saguaros The paved road ends at Black Mea-many resembling prickly telephone poles. dow Landing, a commercial resort onThey are notplentiful and this is one of Lake Havasu, 11 miles from theDam.

Rock collectors will enjoy a trip upWall Canyon on a good, graded dirtroad. Less than a mile from the ParkerDam, fine specimens of "ruby-lace" jas-per may be collected on the steep hill-sides to the east. This material is foundR o t h

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in float as reddish boulders- When anedge is chipped it appears to be granu-lar, red jasper with veinlets of white orblue chalcedony. However, it is a "fool-er" as most of it will take a good polishwith the lacy-pattern effect making at-tractive cabochons. Several nice speci-mens of palm wood have also beenfound here. Hike over the first hills tothe east and try your luck.A three-mile-plus drive up Wall Can-yon will bring you to the aqueduct andits Whipple tunnel. Dirt tracks leadtwo miles north (see map) to the oldBlue Cloud Mine. Turquoise has beenreported from the mine, but we saw noevidence of it. Thin seams of chrysocollaoccur here and, possibly, have been con-fused with turquoise.

Old mines are always interesting tovisit. This area was not posted whenwe were there; but this is always sub-ject to change where private propertyis involved.

A graded dirt road leads west alongthe aqueduct through the Earp Bad-lands. Wyatt Earp, the famed westernmarshall, lived in this area for manyyears. His small gold mine, long idle,may be seen south of the road, approxi-mately 41/2 miles west of Wall Canyon.The drive can conclude by taking oneof the graded roads south to the high-way.Another rock collecting area lies lessthan a mile north of the highway, 4.5miles west of Earp. Th e turnoff is intoa wash a short distance east of a "BigRiver" sign. Sometimes, storms erasethe tracks crossing the wash but theywill be visible on the higher groundLowest Photo Prints PriceHighest Quality

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a short distance beyond. The material,jasp-agate and jasper, will be found .8of a mile north. If the wash is impass-able, an alternate route is shown onthe map.This locale is unusual in that, althoughspecimens are not plentiful, we alwaysseem to find one or two outstandingpieces. On our most recent trip, I picked

up a beautiful lavender, pink, blue andwhite jasp-agate weighing about twopoundsjust 50 feet east of the road.The Bureau of Land Managementhas ambitious plans for the recreational

development of the Lower ColoradoRiver including the Parker Strip. Acamping complex of several thousandunits is underway. The first one, Em-pire Landing Campground at the Cross-roads, is due to be ready about March,1972. It seems probable that this regionwill become one of the largest recreation-al developments in the United States.

The next time you have a weekend orlonger for a winter trip and want to getaway from the crowdshead for theColorado River. You will find fun in thesun along the Parker Strip. Q

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SftNTft'i L0YEONCE UPON a time a maiden whowished to know her lot in marriagewould spread a white cloth beneath anoak tree at night, and in the morningshe might find a little golden dust. Apinch of this dust placed beneath herpillow would create dreams of the faceof her future husband. The dust wasthe pollen of the mistletoe.It isn't known how many young ladiesstill practice this old custom, but thereare few plants that can boast of such acheckered past as Phoradendron villosum.Since the beginning of history, its dullgreen leaves and white berries have beenregarded as a symbol of love, friendshipand good luck.

In Sweden, mistletoe is tacked overbarn doors much the same as Westernershang up a horseshoe, while in rural Ire-land, a spray is placed in the crib of anew-born babe to keep it from beingchanged into an elf-bairn by the fairies.Closer to home, hunters in this countryoften wear a bit of mistletoe tucked intheir caps for good luck.For the more scientific-minded, mistle-toe is a woody parasite growing chieflyon oaks, and forming bushy growths upto four feet in diameter. Although it canmanufacture its own food from the chlor-ophyll in its thick, fleshy leaves, it de-pends upon its host for minerals andwater. When the host dies, the mistletoe,although it will remain bright and heal-thy to the end, will die too.Mistletoe reproduces by its sticky seedswhich are spread from tree to tree bybirds. Although it is easily germinated,propagation is on a strictly hit or missbasis, for it will only remain growing onthe same type of host as on which themother plant grew. A seed from mistle-toe growing on an oak might germinateon an apple branch, but it will usuallydie within a few months.The European species of mistletoe,and actually the only true "kissin' kind,"goes by the name of Visctim album,

while that in North America is eitherPhoradendron villosum, found on oaks;16

Although mistletoe is a source of fun alove for people during the Christmas Hdays, it is actually a parasite which kills trsuch as the oak (below) and the ironwo(right) by sapping minerals and water

or macrophylliim, a river-bottom varietythat grows on willows and poplars. Athird variety and one that annuallycauses millions of dollars in damage totimber, is dwarf mistletoe, Arcenthobiumpusillum, a small, yellow plant withneedle-like leaves that attacks evergreens.Control of mistletoe is best accom-plished by cutting off the infected limb.However, the cuts must be made at least

a foot beyond the edge of the growingplant or a new growth will start againfrom its highly specialized root struc-ture. Because such severe pruning oftenruins the shape of an ornamental tree,attempts have been made to kill the pestby removing the growth and then cover-ing the limb with black paper. Becausemistleoe needs light to grow, this hassometimes proved successful.


17/44

M I S S I L E by William Klette

Herbicides such as 2,4-D have alsobeen tried, but to be truly effective, aspray must be so strong that it oftenskills the host.

Other than man, mistletoe has fewenemies and will live as long as itshost. Neither extremes of temperaturenor insects seem to have any effect, nordo there seem to be any disease organ-isms that attack it.

It is probably this toughness thatmade our early ancestors attribute itwith magical powers. For doesn' t itgrow high above the ground, seeminglyrootless? And when the host tree haslost its leaves, isn't the mistletoe stillgreen and living?

Ancient monks thought that for everyillness there existed in nature a plantsimilar in appearance to the afflicted

organ that would serve as a cure. Be-cause mistletoe grows downward fromtall trees, attached so securely that itcannot be blown away, it was thought tobe a sure cure for "falling sickness" orepilepsy. An epiletic couldn' t fall downas long as he carried a bit of the plantin his pocket.

But most of mistletoe's medicinalpowers lie in the realm of wizardryand, although a drug known as Proton-eratrine was once extracted from the ber-ries and used as a treatment for highblood pressure, today it is an infrequentvisitor to the pharmaceutical shelf.

One warning, however . Mis t le toeshould be considered poisonous as severaldeaths have been directly traced to youngchildren eating the berries. And the Na-tional Clearinghouse for Poison Controlrecently reported a fatality follow ing thedrinking of a tea brewed from its leaves-Death occurred within ten hours. I t isalso known to be somewhat toxic to ani-mals and western ranchers claim that cowsheavy with calf sometimes abort follow-ing a heavy windstorm. They blame thison fallen branches of mistletoe.

For some reason, mistletoe has beenneglected by most North American In-dian tribes. The plant plays little or nopart in any of their legends, and there isno mention of its use in any of the majorworks of the early Amerind anthropolo-gists.

In today's complex world of rocketsand computers, and tr ips to the moon,such simple things as magical plantsseem to be almost archaic. No longer dowe think, as did the ancient Druids, thatmistletoe was caused by lightning hittinga tree, or that there is a homeopathicaffinity between its leaves and gold. Butthere is one thing for sure. There is nobetter cure for "kisslessness." As longas there is a difference between sexes,sprigs of mistletoe will continue to behung over doorways where they retaintheir magic, serving as little green f lir-tatious amule ts. Q

27


18/44

Tra/7 0/ //> 15-mile hike led through Salvador Canyon (above) and into unmark-ed areas (right) where the hiking party (left to right, Huie, McKinnie, Scharnand Hesem eyer) checked their topographical map, and finally to the end and awell-earned rest at Coyote Canyon. Photos by the author.

TUCKED INTO the extreme northwestcorner of the half-million acreAnza-Borrego Desert State Park in Cali-fornia's San Diego County is a vest-pocket wilderness area nearly tracklessand unexplored by modern man.So when Park Supervisor Jack Hese-meyer called me one spring morningand suggested we take a hike in a re-mote area, this area came to mind."How about hiking down SalvadorCanyon?" I asked Jack."Why don't we hike up?" he count-

ered. "That would be more of a chal-lenge."78

HIKINOF

After much discussion, and my per-suasive and naturally lazy nature, Ifinally convinced him it would be mucheasier to hike down canyon."After all it's 90 degrees out therenow and hiking uphill in that heat wouldkill us," I told him. So plans were madeand the date for our hike was set for afew weeks later.Th e big day of the expedition arrived,but the warm weather had disappeared.A steady west gale was blowing and thetemperature hovered just around thegoose pimple mark.In addition to Hesemeyer and myself,

our party consisted of Fish and Gamebiologist Harold McKinnie, and friendsJim Huie and Hal Scharn.We began our adventure near WarnerSprings on State Highway 79 in SanDiego County. Our plan was to coverabout 15 miles in the two days ahead.The trip would take us from the pinebelt, down through oak-studded mea-dows, lower into brush-covered hills,then into gradually more arid canyonsuntil we would end up on the desertfloor in Coyote Canyon-Our purpose in hiking this wildernesswas not only to explore a untouched area


19/44

H E C A N T O N SA N Z A - B O R R E G Oby Ernie Cowan

There are m any inte res t ing hikin g and back country trai l s through A nza-BorregoState Park in Cal ifornia's San Die go and Imper ial Count ie s . For a free m ap show-ing th e area of this hike and the e nt ire park, send a se l f -address ed, s tam ped en-velope to Anza-Borrego State Park Headquarters , Borrego Springs , Calif. 9 2 004 .

ourselves, but to relive the experience ofearly traveler J. Smeaton Chase.Those familiar with historic accountsof California's deserts will recognizeChase. He is the author of several bookswritten about his experiences on horse-back up and down and around the Gold-en State in the early years of this century.Chase's "California Desert Trails" isa classic as it describes in detail his jour-ney on his faithful mount, Kaweah,through the Colorado Desert. But it wasa chapter entitled, "A Desert Ride: LosCoyotes to Warner's Springs," thatcaught my interest. c o n t i n u e d


20/44

In this chapter, Chase describes climb-in g out of Coyote Canyon andpassingthrough what is now this northwest cor-ne r ofCalifornia's largest park. His vividdescription of this area paints a wordpicture of this rugged, but scenic wilder-ness.

"Though this t ra i l is little known andnot given onany map, it is plain fromthe depth towhich it isworn that itha s

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Jim Huie holds the main piece of abroken olla found along the trail. Indianpottery isno w ondisplay inthe park museum. Under the Antiquities Act of1906 private individuals are prohibited from removing artifacts, solook andphotograph, but do not remove artifacts.

slippery mountainong been used by the Indians inpassingbetween their desert andmountainvil-lages," Chase recorded.

He also mentions the f inding of pot-tery scraps, beads and deep holes insolidrock "where generations of squaws hadground their f lour."

Chase continued: "The trail now be-came yet steeper, one of the steepest,in-deed, that I ever tackled. W e mad e pro-gress by scrambles of40 or50 yards at atime, sometimes in thebouldery creek

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bed, sometimes onside."

Soon Chase found a spring with wild-flowers blooming around theabundantwater source.

"The ground here was ablaze with thesuperb cardinal f lower, a plant whichsurely represents nature's last effort inintensity of color. Even more charmingwere a few wild roses," hewrote.

Our tr ip began by fol lowing a rem-nant trail for the first few hours. Perhapsthis was thetrail used byChase. Nearnoon we found a pleasant oak-studdedmeadow that had once been an Indiancampsite. Therocks were pocked withgrinding holes and the ground was black-ened from ancient cooking fires. Nearbya clear spring bubbled fresh water intoa creek.

Thoughts ofChase and his descriptionof the region came quickly to mind.

W e decided toeat lunch here and takea mid-day break. But shortly after lunchit began torain so we decided to move on


21/44

since it appeared we might hike out ofthe storm by continuing east.

I t wasn' t long before I noticed around object half-buried in the sand ona hillside we were crossing. Closer exam-ination showed that it was an Indianolla, broke n, but complete. W e carefullydug out the pieces and weighed the de-cision of should we carry it out, or leavei t behind.W e didn ' t know what ter ra in wasahead. But Chase had described it asrough . W e knew we had at least 10 milesto go. On the other hand, we weren ' tsure we could ever f ind this unnamedspot again. W e decided to carry our deli-cate treasure with us.

Moments later , Jim Huie peered be-hind a bush and spotted another ollaturned face down ag ainst a rock. W e dugthis perfect pot out and examined it. Itwas complete and s turdy. W e would haveto carry this fine artifact out, too.

Th e ollas added a new dimension to ourtr ip. In addition to the rain, pea-sizedhail and eventually snow, we were f ight-ing shoulder-high brush, cactus and nowthe constant fear of falling or droppingthese delicate earthen jars. But we pushedon.

Ahead we could see our objective, arazorback r idge of bare desert hills thatformed the south wall of Salvador Can-yon. We knew if we could reach the can-yon by nightfall we would be somewhat,cheltered from the storm that was be-coming more intense.

By 5 p.m. we had made it to a shelter-ed spot in the canyon and we felt safe inmaking camp. The ra in had s topped and,besides, none of us could have walkedanother step.

Jt wasn' t a half hour before the rainresumed its rhythmic patter . This kindof weather wasn't enjoyable, so after aquick dinner we were all in the sack. Itrained most of the night.

I t seemed like a week later , but morn-ing finally came. More accurately it ex-ploded as a huge ball of sun burst frombehin d a mou ntain and spread its warm thinto our little canyon home.

By mid-morning we had reached themo uth of Salvador Canyon. W e all smil-ed with pleasure at having accomplishedour goal. W e had hiked a total of 20milesa few more than plannedcarry-ing two treasures from another culture,another time. They had weathered thetrip safely and will someday be on dis-

play when the state park gets a museum.W e had learned why this corner of

Anza-Borrego is still an unexploredwilderness. I t is rugged, virgin country,not designed for the ill-equipped orcasual hiker. There are no trails, no signposts or trail markers. An injury or illnesswhile in this area could mean disasterunless someone knows where you are.

For this reason park rangers stronglyurge anyone entering this area to registerat park headquarters.

But for the adventure seeker, this areaoffers a unique experience to the ruggedoutdoorsman. I t is untouched by thetrash-splashing tourist. As yet no oneplans to put a road through the regionand destroy its natural assets-

Along a route through this area thehiker can expect to see deer, bighornsheep, tall pines, stately oaks, the proudblooming yucca, delicate Indian paint-brush, colorful beavertail cactus, and anendless rainbow of other wildflowers.

Many of the canyons of the areasuch as Salvadorare choked with na-tive palm trees, a natural wonder moreunique than the coastal redwoods.

But our trip was over and at trail'send we all shed our boots and enjoyedsoaking tired feet in the cool waters ofCoyote Creek. W e were pleased with ouraccomplishment, impressed with the mag-nificent terrain we had seen, and gladthat J . Smeaton Chase had given us anidea to hike this area.

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Often called "the Dead Seaof America" M ono Lake, California,has no marine life and is surroundedby wierd formations as shownin this color photo by David Muench,Santa Barbara, California.

by Robert C. Likes

S ITUATED IN A tranquil setting on thedesert side of the Sierra Nevada,Mono Lake has been referred to as "theDead Sea of Am erica." This large brack-ish body of water contains a high per-centage of sodium sulphate, two smallislands, no marine life, and very littlevegetation on its shoreline. Th e soil ofthe surrounding terrain is largely volca-nic sand and pumice which barely sup-ports the growth of sagebrush, and in23


23/44

, f fl :*/


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places, is devoid of any growth,The paradox tothis picture isthe for-ests ofJeffrey and Lodgepole pine a fewmiles south ofMono Lake. It issurpris-ing that this country could bear trees, andincredible that they would mature to fourfeet in diameter. However, thecountrydoes, and thetrees did,andtherein liesthe birth of a railroad.Huddled in the sagebrush-coveredmountain, 30miles north ofMono Lake,was the brawling, boisterous, gold miningtown of Bodie, California. W ith a soar-ing population of nearly 12,000, thetown's need for lumber tobuild homes,timber forshoring mines, andwood forfuel was tremendous. Teamsters could notbegin to meet the enormous appetiteBodie had for consuming wood. Thestage wasset for theobvious answer tothe problembuild arailroad tothe largetimber stands south ofMono Lake.The Bodie Railway &Lumber Co. wasorganized on February 18, 1881, andshortly afterwards, J. T.Oliver surveyedthe route from Bodie tothemill site fivemiles south ofthe lake. When completed,the proposed 31.7 miles of roadbedwasto descend the2,000-foot drop ineleva-tion and traverse thealkali flats on theeastern shore of Mono Lake. Thomas

Holt, anengineer, was selectedtoram-rod th e project. In addition to this task,Holt wasoperating a five-ton steamshipand several barges on which materials andsupplies were transported across MonoLake to therailroad construction crews.While the sawmill wasbeing built,grading for the roadbed was started at thetop of Bodie Bluff inMay, 1881. With

the aid of twoswitchbacks, many cuts,and a 260-foot trestle, the steep and cir-cuitous grade down tolake elevation wasaccomplished, and bymid-July, the first20 miles of roadbed hadbeen graded.The first shipment of rails arrived inAugust, and as they were being spikedinto place, thefinal five miles ofgradingwas completed to thenewmill. In all,some 2,000 tons of rails, spikes and othersupplies were used. Th e total cost of theroad reached $450,931. In addition,$81,390 was spent forequipment that in-cluded 4 engines, 12service cars, 51 flatcars, andonecaboose. The"last spike"was driven onNovember 14,1881, anda two-car lumber train arrived afterwardsto officially open theroad.The following weeks saw thenew rail-way quite active with a scheduled trainleaving Bodie each day at6:30 A.M. andarriving at Mono Mills at 10:00A.M.

T h e t r a i n d e p a r t e d the m i l l at 1 o ' c l o c keach afternoon, andarrived back atBodieby 6:00P.M.The ten- to twelve-cartrain wasbroken up into three sectionsprior to the final approach toBodie inorder to negotiate the switchbacksand3.8% grades. Inaddition tothe problemscaused by the sharp turns and steep grades,the rolling stock "was notequipped withair brakes. Two brakemen w ere kept busyhopping from cartocarsetting thehandbrakes whenever thetrain began togainmomentum. There were many derail-ments, butnofatalities among thecrew-men were ever recorded.

The southern terminus atMono Mills,while not a large settlement, wasabusyone. There were 200 menemployed inthe wood andlumber business, and thearoma of fresh sawdust waseverywhere.Two large boarding houses and sixsmaller dwellings were located near themill. Thesingle store supplied all thenecessary goods required by theresidents,and wasoperated byGilchrist, Sharp &Company, whoalso had40mules pack-ing wood, and two large ox teams haulinglogs tothemill.

The well-equipped mill was one of thebest inthe state. Located in asmall ravine,the second floor was level with the sur-

MONO MILLS

ENGINEHOUSE

HOUSING - ^

GENERAL STORE -QHOUSING

MACHINE SHOPLOG CARUNLOADING

fiovo MILL. - LooKllVG- SOUTH f M {.vmaex Lo&DiNaTO LOGGINGAREA


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rounding country so the heavy logs couldbe easily rolled into the mill where 54-inch circular saws quickly reduced theirsize. One 44-inch "pony" and two small-er cut-off saws completed the task oftransforming logs to lumber. Themachinery was powered by a steam en-gine, and water was obtained from springsand transported to the mill by 2-inchpipe. The mill had the capacity for turn-ing out 80,000 board feet every ten hours.The greatest portion of Mono Millsoutput was in cordwood. This relativelypoor quality of wood was used as fuel toproduce steam power for the hoists andstamp mills at the Bodie mines. This de-mand kept the flat cars loaded to capa-city and helped offset the low yield ofonly .8,000 board feet per acre for con-struction lumber. The "last run" of theseason was made on January 7, 1881,after which the railroad closed down forthe winter.

While the snow covered all traces ofthe railroad, its board of directors wereevaluating the future. It was decided thatconditions were good enough to start ex-panding. A new line was to be gradedinto Benton, California, with hopes ofconnecting to the forthcoming Carson &Colorado narrow gauge- With this con-nection to the outside world in mind, thename of the railway was changed to theBodie & Benton Railway & CommercialCo., and the following spring broughtrenewed activity.

On May 12, 1882, grading for the"Benton Branch" began at the WarmSprings station, midway between Bodieand Mono Mills. During the same month,four more miles of track was added southof the sawmill to help facilitate the log-ging operation. Turntables were installedat both Bodie and Mono Mills. Theywere the Armstrong "gallows" type, andrequired man-power to "walk" the en-gines around.After nine miles of grading throughAdobe Meadows had been completed,work on the Benton extension was sud-denly called to a halt. Although no rea-son was given at the time, it could havewell been an early warning of future con-ditions, for toward the winter months of1882 and during 1883, many of the minesat Bodie closed down, and the railroadwas operating only intermittently. Th eentire railroad, including the timberacreage and sawmill, was leased in 1884,and for the next six years operated on a

"as required" basis only. By 1890, con-ditions at Bodie reached a low ebb, andthe railroad was inactive for three years.Tom Legett, superintendent of Bodie'sbiggest producer, the Standard Mine, con-vinced the owners that electric powerwould greatly reduce their operating costs.Since Bodie did not have a stream onwhich to base a power plant, the StandardMine purchased the necessary ground onGreen Creek, fourteen miles away. Al-though crude by today's standards, theGreen Creek plant would develop 6,500volts and was the "shot in the arm"Bodie needed to get back on its feet. In1893, Legett turned on the main switchand the electric motors at the StandardMine began humming.

The sleeping town of Bodie woke witha shout, and once again the railroad wasdoing business as usual. Two years later,a new cyanide process was developed torecover gold from the huge mounds oftailings formerly thought worthless. Thisoperation further aroused activity in thearea and nine such plants were construct-ed in short order. By the turn of the cen-tury, Bodie's population had leveled offat 500, and mining activity became steadywithout the ups and downs of the "boomyears."Charles Knox of Tonopah, Nevada,and Jim Cain of Bodie, formed a syndi-

cate to purchase the railroad in 1906. Thistime the railway was doing business underthe name of The Mono Lake Railway &Lumber Co. The new company acquiredadditional timber lands, bringing theirholdings to 23,000 acres- The stockholdersexpected to do a flourishing business ascontracts for large quantities of wood andlumber were already signed. Many propo-sitions for an outside rail connection weremade over the next few years, but the onlyrail expansion was more trackage into thewoods.

Mining activity in Bodie suffered asteady decline after 1912. The grand-daddy of them all, the Standard Mine,closed down in 1914 after contributingto an estimated 90 million dollars in goldextracted from the district. By 1916, thepopulation of Bodie had decreased to 200,and it was becoming apparent that thetown was soon to join the ever-increasinglist of "ghost towns."

The story of Bodie's narrow gauge tonowhere came to end in 1917, when therailroad was sold for scrap. The townthat the B&B Railway helped build is to-day preserved as a California State His-toric Park. On a hill overlooking thisrelic of California's bonanza era, standsthe old railroad station, a weatheredmarker for this chapter in the fabuloushistory of narrow gauge railroads. Q

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R E S T L E S SR I V E R

by Harvey GrayAre millions of acre-feet of water being lost from the lower part of the Colo-rado by a mysterious underground channel? How much more fertile cropland in the United States and Mexico could be saved if we plugged the hole?

THE DAMMED Colorado: is it slippingout the back way? If so, it isn't adiversion you'd care to follow throughits long dark tunnel, with only one sky-light between Yuma and the Gulf ofCalifornia.An old map by Padre Eusebio Kino,the earliest explorer of Mexico's Pina-cate lava fields and the Sonora Desert

region in 1698-170 1, is intriguingly dif-ferent than the modern charts of the26

north of the Gulf. It shows the Colora-do delta reaching almost to the U.S.border, and entering the gulf near thenortheast corner rather than the north-west where it is todaynearly 65 mileseast of its present location.In studying his diaries and the worksof various writers such as H. E. Boltonand many of the early Jesuits of NewSpain, it is obvious that Kino was muchtoo experienced as an explorer and car-

3 0 * -


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by an arid desert, a mysterious, 20 miles southeast of San Luis,

azine's exploration team (right) slowly

(below) of the Pinacate area firstin the 1700s by Father Kino whosewas followed by an expedition fromDesert Magazine.

Shoreline of Baja andColorado Delta in 1698

Dune Buggystuck in sand

SONORA

Photo by Michael Sager

n i'


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tographer to have made such a grosserror in locating themouth of theColo-rado River.Assuming Kino to have been correct,that nowbarren and desolate region onthe western edge of the Pinacate lavafields surely supported human habita-tion when the river, or its delta, waslocated nearby. A map of 1774shows

the mouth of the Colorado to be nearits present site, yet all earlier maps lo-cated it as Kino did, and show thenorthern gulf to be much narrowerthan today.Why was it that shortly before 1774the river decided to go back to its an-cient course of hundreds of centuriesearlier when its estuary closed off thenorth end of thegulf andcreated an in-land sea where the Imperial and Coa-chella valleys are now located? Then

ages later, after thedead sea hadevapor-ated, wandered back into theSalton Sinkand created Lake Cahuilla, then againchanged is course to flow back into thegulf!

Eventually it abandoned its channelwest of the confluence with the GilaRiver and headed out on a generally

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Aerial photo of Adair Bay in Mexico'sGulf of California showing sand dunesand terrain indicating howwater fromthe underground river is flowing intothe "Sea ofCortez."southeastern course; only to return to itsoriginal course centuries later. Whatcaused such restlessness of the lowerColoradoif that many changes over aperiod of millions of years can be term-ed restless?

Ou r Desert Magazine exploration teamdecided to see what evidence we couldfind of that period in prehistory whenthe river flowed past the Pinacates andon down to thegulf so far east of whereit enters today.The first indication we came acrosswas thepattern of recent arboreal growthnot yetcovered by theencroaching sands.Then along what was once the easternshore of the delta and its tidal flatsthere were numerous sites where Indianartifacts were found; pottery shards, me-tates and manos, fire rings and councilcircles, arrowheads and middens of sea-shellsitems uneffected by time. Manyof the shells were amply decalcified tobe hundreds of years old.

It was when we got onto the bigdunes, 300 feet high, or higher, thatwebegan finding conclusive evidence. Thefirst clue was found by accident whenour dune buggy became stuck on the leeside of a crest. As we dug down intothe dry blow sand to free thebuggy weencountered moisture within 18 inches ofthe surface.

Checking our reconstructed mapshow-ing thegeneral course of theoldchannelsand the delta wewere not too surprisedto find this great dune was directly overwhere webelieved thedelta tohave been,possibly over one of thechannels. Therehad to be water below and it was beingbrought to thesurface by capillary actionand thus creating the big dunesmoistsand does notdrift with thewind.

These dunes might best be describedas sand hills, continuously growing onthe same site for years. Thedrydunes inadjacent areas were theso-called walkingdunes, slowly moving in aneasterly direc-tion as the winds carry the sands fromthe up-wind side over to the lee; theyare crescent-shaped and sharply crested,dished in on the lee side.The next clue wasa real surprise. Farout in the dunes, about 20 miles south-

east of SanLuis, Mexico, there is a lakecovering an estimated ten or twelve acres.There is no surface inlet or outlet to beseen, yet, judging by the shoreline andthe vegetation bordering it, the waterlevel remains constant. Thelake lies at apoint where, according to the pattern ofthe big dunes, we believe there was abend in the old channel swinging itmore to the east.

On a later expedition we found themost conclusive evidence of all. Wereached the coast of Adair Bay, a clearvestige of the ancient delta. Extendingout from the shoreline, in the floor ofthe bay, are several deep channels. Astrong current is required to keep thesechannels open against thepowerful tidesand their burdens of sand. There is ob-viously a considerable underground flowcoming down the old river channels fromthe Colorado.

Not having seen thearea north of theborder we canonly guess at thepoint ofdivergence from the river. Judging bythe dunes pattern and our estimatedcourse of the oldchannels, it appears tooriginate somewhere in the vicinity of

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^

Yuma; above the Morelos dam and prob-ablybut not positivelyfrom belowthe Imperial dam.After seeing this vast area below theborder, both from the ground and theair, we were able to arrive at a theory asto how and why the river shifted itscourse sometime in the late 1700s Inthose early days the gulf tapered to thenorth, so that as the tides progressed upits 750 mile length from south to norththey became higher and advanced morerapidly as the surface area narrowed.Tidal bores in excess of 20 feet are a

matter of record. These great bores weredissipated when they reached the northof the gulf and spread out over thetidal flats where the desert and dunesnow lay, and at ebb tide would deposittheir vast burdens of sand. Surface tem-peratures in the area have been report-ed at 180 degrees in the summer months.The blistering sun dried out the topsands in a matter of minutes after thetide receded, and they would be driftedby the prevailing westerly winds formingthe great dunes as they now exist.Where the force of the incoming tides

met the current of the river huge sandbarswere formed and were enlarged by thedebris and silt carried by the river.Francisco de Ulloa, one of the earliestexplorers to sail to the mouth of the Colo-rado in 1647 reported, "A recent down-pour to the north had put the river inflood so that down the estuary camefloating great clots of grass-matted soil,trunks of trees and other light debris.Sometimes it was the color of limethecolor of a river in flood, then yellow,then dark brown, and again the color ofchocolate or nearly black from the vol-canic contents of the soil."With the formation of these bars ofsilt and sand, the channels of the deltawere choked and eventually dammed.The river became deeper and its watersbacked up to the confluence with theGila River, or farther up both rivers, andspread across the tidal flats surroundingthe delta. Finally a trickle overflowedthe once-high west bank of the Colorado.While the bank washed away the tricklebecame a flow, and the flow a torrentas the river rushed out into the lowerlands to the southwest. Several hundredsquare miles were flooded before therampaging river once again settled downin its ancient stream bed to the west.The water flowing over the west bankcut deep to a ledge of bedrock where itcould go no deeper. This, however, wasnot as deep as the bed the river had fol-lowed for several centuries. A greatlyreduced flow continued as it had before.With the diminished volume of watergoing down the channel toward AdairBay the river and the flood waters inthe delta gradually stagnated and couldno longer carry away the blowing sandsas they settled. Over a period of timethe channels became filled to the top of

their banks. Capillary action carried themoisture upward, dampening the sandsas fast as the winds deposited them, firstforming ridges and then dunes that con-tinued to grow into great sand hills. Asthe moisture reached the top of the sandit evaporated where the arid desert airreached it-Waters gradually drained from theflood plains of the delta, joining the flowstill coming down the old channels. Bitby bit the water built up pressure whenthe capillary action and evaporationcould no longer handle it. The flow be-came more concentrated and its velocityincreased as seepage broke through underthe old barriers and soon became a freeflowing underground river into AdairBay.The last inhabitants who might haveseen this all take place were the AreneroIndians. Most of them left while thewaters were disappearing; the last ofthem were run out or killed by a Mexi-can posse nearly a century agothey hadbeen responsible or were so accused, formore than 50 murders and robberiesalong the Camino del Diablo. They leftno written records and their legends diedwith them. Consequently the "how" and"why" the river changed is course is amatter of conjecture based on existingevidence, with a few educated guessesto fit the pieces together.The amount of irrigation water beinglost before it reaches the Alamo Canaland possibly, but not probably, from theAll American Canal is also a matter ofconjecture until the comparative flowscan be measured.In any event, if you're boating downthe lower Colorado take the right handbranchthe other has a very low ceiling.

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D e s e r tAMONG LOCAL desert rodents, the ar-r i v a l of a badger in their midst isvery bad news. No welcome mat is hungout for this heavy-set, low-slung charac-ter in the greyish fur and white facemarkings. Indeed, his advent is markedby a frenzied fleeing in all directions, a

tumbling head over tail into burrows toescape.Not that it does much good. The bad-ger, inviting himself for dinner, putsBul ldoz er

by K. L Boynton 1971his renowned earth moving machineryinto action. His power driven claws rakeand tear the hardbaked desert soil, send-ing it flying. Working at top speed, hebulldozes his way deep into a burrowand in a matter of seconds, is dining onits owner who, fastfooted as he may be,


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rThe wily badger alwaysplaying the badger game isonly vulnerable to mountainlions, bears and man.Photo below by Adrian Atwaterand, right, by G. E.

Kirkpatrick.never makes it out his back exit.Furthermore, if this particular tastyitem is the last course on the evening'smenu, the badger may not bother to gohome. The burrow he's in at the momentis good enough for temporary layoversince it takes only a few lazy strokes ofhis big clawed hands to enlarge it to fithis broadbeamed body more comfortably.In no time he's fast asleep, thus fed andlodged by the rodent now reposing inhis stomach.

With a sharp nose to tell him wherefood is and the digging tools to get atit, the desert badger lives high on theland. Kangaroo rats, pocket mice, groundsquirrels are eaten with gusto and inquantity. Lizards are also fancied as areturtle eggs, scorpions, beetles, grasshop-pers and other insects in season, one bad-ger being seen digging industriouslyaround cactus plants where cicada pupaewere hatching and stuffing himself onthem. Ground-nesting birds are caughtoccasionally but this bad record is morethan offset by his high rodent removalscore, particularly of ground squirrelswho are known to be great little eatersof bird eggs. The badger's moisture needsare well supplied by prey he eats, andhence his ability to exist in the desert farfrom water. Yet, given an opportunity,he will drink copiously, and unaccustom-ed to water as he may be, he is a goodswimmer, a skill that comes in handy insudden desert flash floods.

An old hand at the hunting game, thebadger knows a few labor-saving tricks.Zoologists Knopf and Balph, studyingUinta ground squirrels in Utah, foundthat the local badgers likewise were giv-ing the same ground squirrels consider-able attention. It was obvious to thescientists from the first that their squatfour-footed fellow investigators alreadyknew more about the subject than theydid, and that by watching the badgersthey could learn a lot.Now it seems that it is the wont ofUinta ground squirrels to congregate inan open habitat, living closely together,each in his own den- Consequently with-

' / f', M . t i

in such an area there are a great manyholes which are the front doors andemergency exits of these private burrows.In the course of the season, some bur-rows contain females with their young.Others have only one occupantan oldmaid, or a male living bachelor style.The watching zoologists saw that timeafter time when a badger came foraginghe looked the holes over, passing up anumber of them, before making his selec-tion. Single animal dens were ignored,and each time the burrow finally chosenwas one occupied by a female and heryoung. Once the burrow was selected,the badger located its one or two exitsand plugged them shut. He then pro-ceeded to dig leisurely into the main en-trance, trapping the entire family within.

The payoff of all this was apparentwhen subsequent investigation showedthat the badger, for the same amount ofdigging, thus netted some 700 grams offood as opposed to a maximum 340grams from a singly occupied burrow.But how, the zoologists wondered, withall the den holes here, there and every-where, did the badger always pick theones that contained the jackpots?

The upshot of a lot of study was theconclusion that these Utah badgers cer-tainly knew their squirrel behavior. Itseems that among ground squirrels theladies are highly territorial during thefamily raising season, spacing their bur-

rows at regular intervals with plenty ofelbow room between them. While extraexits are opened from these nurseries,the youngsters tend to cluster around themain entrance during .the first few weeksof their lives above ground, and hencethe front door gets a lot of wear andtear and shows it. A smart badger cantell a busy burrow just by looking.Balph also encountered a badger whocapitalized still further on his knowledgeof squirrel psychology. It seems that byJune or July the ground squirrel wooingseason tapers off. Boundary lines arelifted, territorial disputes forgotten andthe squirrels frolic anywhere they please-Running and playing or alarmed, theymay dash into any handy hole. This par-ticular badger, having carefully enlargedone of their burrows to fit himself withplenty of turn-around space, partially

plugged up its two entrances until theywere only ground size. Escounced com-fortably therein, he had only to wait ashort time before some silly squirrel,chasing and fooling or frightened atsomething, whisked ino one of the en-trances. Nor would the catch be limitedto only one. These squirrels, being alight headed and giddy lot, the froliccontinued above ground despite the one-by-one disappearance of their numbers.The badger is a firm believer in mind-

ing his own business, avoiding troublewhen he can by retreating forwards or31


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backwards into his burrow. Caught inthe open, he cannot escape by runningfor 10-15 miles-per-hour is about topspeed his short legs can manage, andthat for only a short distance as he issquat and heavy. But given a minute ortwo, he can dig a burrow where he is.One zoologist witnessing an encounter be-tween a badger and a dog saw the bad-ger fend off his attacker and at the same

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time dig a hole into which he shortlydisappeared to safety.Alcorn reports trying to dig out a bad-ger who had a two or three foot start,and while he could hear the animalworking away through the sand anddesert rubble couldn' catch up with him.Another report tells of 10 men all equip-ped with shovels trying to dig a badgerout of sandy soil. After four hours ofdigging they had gone down six feetand had a 30-foot passageway. The bad-ger was still ahead of them. At this pointthey gave up, ready to admit that once abadger gets into the earth his unbeliev-able digging ability plus his trick of fill-ing in behind him as he goes makes fol-lowing his route and catching him im-possible.Forced to fight, the badger puts every-thing he has into it, fired by a never-give-up spirit and supreme confidencein his weapons- Crouching flat with hislegs doubled up under him, he shakeshis long coarse hair outward as protec-tive armor. Where in all that mop isthe right spot for a killing bite or lethalgrip? An attacker is very apt to get onlya mouthful of fur, or if he's lucky enoughto connect with the hide underneath, he'slittle better off. The badger's skin is sotough it is hard to keep hold of. It is soloose that the animal can turn and twistwithout shutting off his own wind, and

bring his own teeth and raking claws in-to the act. A dog twice his weight can'tlick him, and is liable to be a very deadone if he tries.Coyotes are usually far too smart totangle with a badger, so in most of hishauntsthe low desert, intermontane val-leys, creosote-sage areasonly the moun-tain lion and possibly the black bear areleft as potential enemies. The badger'smain trouble comes from man, a fellowwho seldom gives an animal a fair fight,

and who ought to know a friend whenhe sees one. For the badger is a valuablecog in desert machinery.He is an important check on rodentoverpopulation, a prodigious digger ofholes that, later abandoned, provideshomes and p

197112 Desert Magazine 1971 December

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Transcript of 197112 Desert Magazine 1971 December