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This rewarding trail on Cima Dome,
approximately three miles round-trip,
gives the hiker an intimate look at
the planet’s most extensive forest of Joshua
trees. It is of moderate strenuousness with
700 feet in elevation gain, though almost
all that is restricted to the last half-mile of
trail, which angles up the northeast face of Teutonia Peak. If you turn around before
the trail gets steep this is a very easy two-
mile out-and-back hike that despite the
avoided exertion is still quite rewarding.
You leave your vehicle at the trailhead
on the west side of Cima Road in the
Sunrise Rock area, eleven miles south of
the Cima Rd. exit on Interstate 15, or about
six miles north of the Cima Store, if you’re
approaching from the south. The well-
marked trail weaves through an open forestof Joshua trees interspersed with occasional
Utah junipers, the latter a sure sign that
we’re up above 5,000 feet. Broad outcrops
of Cima Dome’s bedrock quartz monzonite
speckle the landscape.
As you walk, spend a little time watching
your feet. Depending on the time of day,
tiny side-blotched lizards may choose
exactly the last possible moment to dart
across the trail in front of you. They’re far
too quick for you to worry about stepping
on them, so relax and enjoy their daredevil
antics.
Other small animals you may see in
this stretch of trail are night lizards, the
smallest lizard in North America, whose
preferred habitat is beneath fallen Joshuatree limbs, and night snakes, which prey
on the night lizards. Despite their names,
neither reptile is nocturnal. Night snakes are
“rear-fangers” – they’re venomous, but that
venom is delivered through fangs in the rear
of the snake’s mouth, reducing the snake’s
danger to humans to about nil.
Other snakes aren’t as risk-free: there are
rattlesnakes here, including the notorious
Mojave green, which is more venomous
and less shy than other rattlers. If you seea rattler don’t panic; merely admire the
animal from a respectful distance.
Birders will nd black-chinned and
sage sparrows, piñon jays and loggerhead
shrikes, Scott’s orioles in summer,
ladderbacked woodpeckers and ickers,
and three species of thrasher: the Crissal,
LeConte’s and Bendire’s. Golden eagles are
MNPC
News
The newsletter of the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy • Summer 2010 • Vol.1#1
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Featured Outing: Teutonia Peak
continued on page
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Dennis Schramm,NPS
Superintendent’sMessage
Welcome to the inaugural issue of
the Mojave National Preserve
Conservancy newsletter! I
am excited and proud to be part of the
initiation of a friends group for the Preserve.
After 15 years as an NPS unit it is great to
see our edgling friends’ group get up and
running. We have a board of directors that is focused and ready
to lead this new organization and do good things on behalf of the
park.
I hope you will plan to join us on our scheduled activities
this year in the park, and continue to follow our progress on our
website, appropriately called preservethemojave.org. Thanks for
joining and supporting our group!
Dennis Schramm, Superintendent
Mojave National Preserve
David Lamfrom
Welcome to theConservancy!
Iwant to thank you for joining the
Mojave National Preserve Conservancy,
and for your dedication to protecting
and improving our Mojave National
Preserve. The Preserve is a last refuge for
imperiled and wide-ranging species like
desert tortoise and golden eagle, and desert bighorn sheep. We
are proud to partner with Mojave National Preserve and our local
communities to steward this land of abundant open space, quiet,
stunning scenery, and spectacular wildower blooms.
This is an exciting time to be a Conservancy member! We are
supporting the addition of imperiled National Park quality lands
to the Preserve, an action that stands up for rare plants, animals,
ecosystems, history, and ancient migration corridors. This topicis explained in greater detail in this newsletter. Thanks to your
membership, we have co-sponsored an overnight eld trip to the
Mojave National Preserve for 52 local students. For many of these
students, it was their rst National Parks experience, one that may
foster a deeper understanding for and pride in their desert home.
I can’t stress enough how your contribution is directly translating
into opportunities to protect our Preserve, and to empower the next
generation to do the same.
David Lamfrom is President of the MNPC’s Board of Directors.
MNPC News
The newsletter of theMojave National PreserveConservancy
Summer, 2010Volume 1 Number 1
preservethemojave.org
400 South 2nd Ave #213Barstow, California92311(760) 219-4616
Our Mission:
• Preserve, protect, and promotethe unique natural beauty,ecological integrity, and richcultural history of Mojave NationalPreserve
• Build a community dedicatedto the enduring stewardship of Mojave National Preserve
Contributors: Mike Cipra, Chris Clarke,David Lamfrom, Dennis Schramm,Linda Slater
Wildower photo on pages 1 and7, featuring Calochortus kennedyi ,courtesy Laurel Williams, California
Wilderness CoalitionGila monster photo, page 3 by Gary
Nas, californiaherps.comSoda Mountains photo, page 4 by
Mitchell HowardVermilion ycatcher photo, pages 1 and 4
by Mike BairdRestored Kelso Depot photo, pages 1 and
6 by “Bossco.”All other photos by Chris Clarke or
National Park Service
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Among Native American tribes, the Gila
monster (Heloderma suspectum) has
a erce and mysterious reputation.
The Apache believed its breath could kill a
man, and the Tohono O’odham and the Pimabelieved that the lizard possessed a spiritual
power that could cause sickness. In contrast,
the Seri and the Yaqui identied the Gila
monster with healing properties.
These contrasting viewpoints of sickness
and health are reected in current scientic
knowledge of Heloderma suspectum as well.
The Gila monster produces a neurotoxic
venom in its modied salivary glands as
powerful as that of a coral snake, although
North America’s largest lizard lacks the
muscles to inject this venom. Instead, the
Gila monster must conduct venom to its
victim by chewing. Contrary to desert tall
tales, there are no conrmed mortalities
from Gila monster bite.
A protein called exendin-4 in Gila
monster saliva has recently led to a
breakthrough treatment for type 2 diabetes.
The synthetic lizard protein remains
effective much longer than a related protein
human stomachs secrete, helping diabetics
keep their blood sugar levels under control.
Native to Arizona, Nevada, and northern
Mexico, Heloderma suspectum’s presence in
California has sometimes been in doubt.
In 1956, Mojave naturalist Edmund Jaeger
declared that there were no Gila monsters
in California because the Colorado River
formed a natural barrier to the species.
However, recent discoveries and a United
States Geological Survey (USGS) study
have proved beyond a doubt that the Gila
monster roams California. The MojaveNational Preserve contains some of the best
habitat in California for the elusive lizard.
A 2007 California Academy of Sciences
article by Drs. Jeffrey E. Lovich and Kent
R. Beaman of USGS made the case for 26
credible Gila monster sightings in California
since 1857. Seven of those sightings took
place within the boundaries of Mojave
National Preserve, including the areas of
Piute Spring, Clark Mountain, and the
Providence Mountains.
In May 2009, a group of Cuesta College
students and faculty members on eld study
in Mojave National Preserve observed a Gilamonster in the Providence Mountains.
April and May are the most likely
months to spot Heloderma suspectum cinctum
(our subspecies, the banded Gila monster)
in its native California habitat. The Gila
monster is a stout-bodied lizard with a black
body, with orange or pink blotches, bars
and bands extending onto its blunt tail.
Heloderma suspectum feeds infrequently,
but when the lizard does sit down to dinner,
it may consume up to one-third of its body
mass. Gila monsters have an extremely
acute sense of smell – the animal’s forked
tongue is its extended nose, and by icking
it periodically, the Gila monster collects
olfactory information in order to locate food
or a mate.
If you come across a Gila monster,
please observe it from a safe distance. If
you are lucky enough to see a Gila monster
in the Preserve, please note your location,
take a photo, and share it with a park
ranger. Information about these animals
is valuable to scientists and to Preserve
managers as they attempt to maintain the
rare and elusive California population of
Gila monsters.
– Mike Cipra
“I have never been
called to attend a
case of Gila monster
bite, and I don’t want
to be. I think a man
who is fool enough to
get bitten by a Gila
monster ought to die.”
– Dr. Ward, Arizona
Graphic, September
23, 1899
Banded GilaMonsterHeloderma suspectumcinctum
Size: 18-24 in. long
Diet: primarily birdand reptile eggs;
occasionally small
birds, mammals,
lizards, and insects.
Conservation
status: IUCN “Near
Threatened,”
protected by state
law in AZ and NV.
Below: Banded GilaMonster. Photoby Gary Nas,Californiaherps.com.
Featured Animal: Gila Monster
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W
hen Mojave National Preserve
rangers visit classrooms in
Barstow and other desert towns,they are often reminded that few area
students have ever been to a national
park… not even those in their own
backyard, like Mojave National Preserve.
Mojave rangers want to change that,
by hosting local students on eld trips.
Dormitory facilities Zzyzx Desert Studies
Center make overnight trips possible. Last
June, rangers partnered with school teacher
Cheryl Marino from Barstow and eld tested
our rst overnight eld trip to Zzyzx.
Mrs. Marino manages Cameron
Elementary’s program for Gifted and
Talented students, and it was this
group of third- and fourth-graders
that participated.
An overnight eld trip requires a
lot of support. Staff and volunteers from
National Parks Conservation Association,
Barstow College, the Bureau of Land
Management, and the Desert Discovery
Center came along as well, providing
instructors, aides, and assistance with foodpreparation.
Students learned about and practiced
Chemehuevi crafts such as rope making,
seed roasting, and weaving blankets from
rabbit skin. Desert Studies Center manager
Rob Fulton pulled out microscopes, and
students examined butteries, stink bugs
and other insects up-close. The second day,
everyone boarded the bus to Cima Dome
where students hiked Teutonia Peak Trail.
The highlight of the adventure was
Preserve Rangers HostField Trips to Zzyzx DesertStudies Center
Left, The SodaMountains andranges beyond fromZzyzx. MitchellHoward photo.
Zzyzx Facts:
The name “Zzyzx”was coined in 1944by Curtis HoweSpringer, whoclaimed it was thelast word in theEnglish language.
Springer establishedthe Zzyzx MineralSprings and HealthSpa, which operateduntil 1974.
People have usedSoda Springs, thesource of freshwater at Zzyzx, forcenturies. The areawas a prehistoricquarry site, andprojectile pointsand rock art aboundhere. The MojaveRoad ran past thespring as well.
“Lake Tuendae,“ thepond at the DesertStudies Center,was once the onlyremaining habitatfor the endangeredMohave tui chub.The sh has sincebeen reintroducedto other locations inthe Mojave.
The Centergenerates its ownelectrical power witha 10 kilowatt solarpanel array.
Many birds such as this vermilionycatcher stop at Zzyzx to rest
and rehydrate.
Mike Baird photo.
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the nighttime scorpion hunt. Armed with
black lights, students hiked in the sandy
areas west of Zzyzx. Scorpions have a
phosphorescence that causes them to glow
like jewels under a black light, so they are
easy and fun to nd.
Field trips cost money for food, buses,
and overnight accommodations. This year,
the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy
graciously agreed to fund a eld trip.
Other grants from Western National Parks
Association are providing us with enough
funding to complete three eld trips this
spring. Thank you for your support!
– Linda Slater
Field trip participants from Cameron Elementary’s gifted and talented students program in Barstow, Californiastrike a happy pose in the shade at the California Desert Studies Center.
Below: studentslearn how to grindseeds in the mannerof the MojaveDesert’s nativeinhabitants. NPSphoto.
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An Historical Treasure:Preserving the Kelso Depot
I
f you were to try to choose the nest
natural feature of the Mojave National
Preserve, you might have troublechoosing from dozens of possibilities. But
it’s not nearly as hard to choose the nest
of the Preserve’s historical features. As rich
in history as the Preserve is, from its native
rock art to its legacy of migration, mining,
and ranching, the Kelso Depot is the crown
jewel of the Preserve’s human history.
Seeing the Depot today, with its
comfortable and stylish Mission Revival
interior, it’s hard to believe it was almost
torn down. The building was only spareddemolition after preservation activists got
together to work to save it.
The Union Pacic Railroad built the
Depot in the 1920s. Ore shipments from the
nearby Vulcan Mine and routine service on
“helper engines” that pushed trains up the
long grade to Cima kept the Depot busy,
especially during World War II. The Vulcan
Mine closed in 1947, however, and during
the 1950s diesel locomotives were developed
that needed no help getting to Cima. Union
Pacic discontinued passenger service and
the station agency at Kelso in 1964, and for
two decades the building served only as a
lunch counter. In 1983, fearing the unused
depot would be “a target for vandalism,
unauthorized entrance, and a legal
liability,” UP Division Superintendent G.R.
Jenson proposed the Depot be demolished.
In response, a group of environmental
and historic preservation activists organized
the Kelso Depot Fund, which succeeded
in preventing demolition. The costs of
restoration turned out to be more than the
private group could afford. They turned tolocal politicians and the federal government
for assistance. In 1992, the BLM – which
owned the surrounding land as part of the
East Mojave National Scenic Area – took
title to the building. With the passage of the
California Desert Protection Act of 1994,
title passed to the National Park Service as
part of the Mojave National Preserve.
Restored as a visitor center in 2005, with
stunning exhibits detailing the Preserve’s
natural and cultural history, the Depotnow welcomes thousands of visitors to the
Preserve each year. With the re-opening
of the Depot’s historic lunch counter – the
“Beanery” – the Depot is once again a
welcome rest stop for the tired, hungry
Mojave traveler.
The Kelso Depot Visitor Center is open
daily (except Christmas Day), 9–5.
– Chris Clarke
Above: Theabandoned KelsoDepot. NPS photo.Below: Restored andready for visitorsin 2007. Photo byBossco.
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Tucked into a corner of the Mojave
National Preserve, just outside its
boundaries, is a remote, nearly
unvisited desert grassland that stretches for miles. It is an area of surpassing quiet, of
true wildness, which we have a chance to
protect permanently. The Castle Mountains
area is a critical wildlife corridor between
the Piute Mountains and the New York
Mountains. Surrounded on three sides by
the Mojave National Preserve, this area is
the last part of the 340-mile Lanfair Valley
watershed that is not part of the Preserve.
The California Desert Protection Act
of 2010, SB 2921, would add the 29,221-
acre Castle Mountains area to the Mojave
National Preserve, including old-growth
creosote, Joshua tree forest, piñon and
juniper, and a native desert grassland
recognized as a
Above, L to R:Calochortus kennedyi ,Laurel Williamsphoto. Petroglyphnear Hart Peak,Mojave yucca clone.Below: The NewYork Mts as seenfrom the Castle Mts.area
The area is criticalto desert bighornsheep as habitat andas a wildlife corridorbetween the dry
Piute Mountainsand the wetter NewYork Mountains.For more info visitcaliforniadesert.org
Saving the Castle Mountains“unique plant assemblage” in 1980.
The area has signicant Native
American and settler-era history, including
an obsidian source that provided materialfound throughout the Mojave, the historic
town of Hart, and both the Hart and Viceroy
mines. But most of what the area has, in
abundance, is space. There’s room in the
Proposed Castle Mountains Addition for
wide-ranging species such as the pronghorn
that once lived here – a candidate for
reintroduction.
This land is being eyed by renewable
energy developers, with several projects
proposed for the area. The land deservesbetter. The MNPC gladly endorses the Castle
Mountains Addition provisions of SB 2921.
– Chris Clarke
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Mojave National Preserve ConservancyMembership Form
Name_________________________________________
Address_______________________________________
City, State, Zip________________________________
Phone_________________________________________
Email_________________________________________
Membership Level (please check)
Life $500.00 one time
Regular Membership $25.00 annually
Additional Gift of $_________
Please make checks payable to: MNPC
Mail to: 400 South 2nd Avenue #213, Barstow, CA 92311
Consider Becoming a Life Member for $500
Does your love for Mojave National Preserve run deep?
Please consider becoming a Life Member of the MNPC. You’ll
receive a Life Membership Card and a signed work of art from
Mojave National Preserve’s Artist-in-Residence Program at the
Desert Light Gallery. All donations are tax-deductible.
seen frequently here, as are, of course, the
ever-present common raven.
Botanical wildlife along the trail
includes the Joshua trees’ cousin banana
yucca, shrubs such as blackbrush and
endishly spiny Menodora, and cacti – most
prominently a few species of cholla andprickly pear, but also including a half dozen
kinds of mound and small column cacti.
Half a mile from the trailhead, the trail
crosses an old dirt road. The continuing trail
is prominently signed on the other side.
Juniper becomes somewhat more common
as the trail climbs slowly to the Teutonia
Mine about a mile from Cima Road. The
trail weaves among a few old open pits – if
you examine them, do so without entering
them – and crosses another old dirt road justbefore it begins to climb Teutonia Peak.
The trail angles up in loose switchbacks
as it climbs the wall of a broad
amphitheater, providing increasingly ne
views of the landscape to the northeast:
Kessler Peak, Striped and Clark mountains,
and the Dome’s vast expanse of Joshua
tree forest between. At length, after a few
steps that test your knees’ exibility, you
arrive at the trail’s summit – though not the
actual summit of Teutonia Peak. To reach
Teutonia’s triple summits, you’ll need some
technical climbing experience. But even
with the true summits still forty feet above,
the top of the Teutonia Peak trail is well
worth reaching all by itself. – Chris Clarke
Teutonia Peak (cont.) Please note:The desert presentsthe hiker withopportunities forinjury not presentin other climates.Bring plenty of water, wear sturdyclothing, and refrain
from botheringvenomous wildlife.