196911 Desert Magazine 1969 November

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D e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k S h o pA GUIDE FOR INSULATOR COLLECTORS by JohnC. Tibbitts. Long time collector and author ofseveral bottle books, the author has wr i t ten twovolumes on insulators, covering 90 percent ofth e f i e ld . Insulators in Vol. 1 (127 pages] aredifferent than those in Vol. 2 (119 pages).Paperbacks, wel l i l lustrated. $3.00 each. OR-DER RY VOLUME NUMBER.DESERT GARDENING by the editors of SunsetBooks. Written exclusively for desert gardeners,this book is cl imate zoned wi th maps p inpo in t-ing f ive diverse desert zones. Calendar pre-sents plans for care of plant ings throughoutthe year. I l lustrated, 8 x 1 1 heavy paperback.$1 .9 5 .ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE by Horace Par-ker. Thi rd ed i t ion of th is we l l - i l lustra ted anddocumented book is enlarged considerably. Topsamong gu idebooks, it is equal ly recommendedfor research material in an area that was crossedby Anza, Kit Carson, the Mormon Batta l ion ,49crs, Rai lroad Survey parties, Pegleg Smith, theJackass M a i l , Butterf ield Stage, and t o d a y sadventurous tourists. 139 pages, cardboardcover, $3.50.THE MYSTERIOUS WEST by Brad Williams andChoral Pepper. Rare book examines legends thatcannot be proven true, nor untrue. New evi-dence presented in many cases which maychange the history of the West. Hardcover.$5 .9 5 .THE WEEKEND GOLD MINER by A. H. Ryan. Anelectronic physicist "bi tten by the gold bug,'the author has wr i t ten a concise and in fo rmat ivebook for amateur prospectors tel l ing where andhow go ld is found and how it is separated andtested, all based on his own practical ex-perience. Paperback, 40 pages, $1 .50.THE WEEKEND TREASURE HUNTER by A. H.Ryan. A companion book to his Weekend GoldMiner, this volume is also concise and packedwi th in format ion on w h a t to look for and w h a tto do with your treasure after you have foundit . Subjects range from Beach Combing to Sunk-en Treasures. Paperback, 76 pages, $1 .95 .G E M , MINERAL AND 4-WHEEL-DRIVE MAPS com-piled by Dale Hileman. Maps showing gemand mineral col lecting areas, roads for passen-ger cars and 4WD roads on ly. Map No. 1 is onLast Chance Canyon, Mesquite Canyon andIron Canyon in Kern County. Map No. 2 coversthe Opal Mounta in and Black Canyon areas inSan Bernardino County. Map No. 4 is on theRandsburg - El Paso Mountains area. All are on16xl7- inch parchment paper . $1.00 per map.

DEATH VALLEY BOOKSPublished by the Death Val ley '49ers thesefive volumes have been selected by "49ersas outstanding works on the history of DeathVal ley. All are durab le paperback on slickstock.A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revised edi-tion) by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.50MANLY AND DEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des-t i n y , by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY! The story of theJayhawker Par ty, by L. Burr Belden. . . . .$1.50CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEYBy Ar thur Woo dward $2.00DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 di f fe rent au-thors $1.25

DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILSBy ROGER MITCHELL

Although a system of paved roads coversthe Death Valley National Monument,there is an even larger network of backcountry trails leading to old miningcamps, stamp mills and other little-knownareas of interest. For owners of backcountry vehicles this book opens an entirenew field of exploration. Paperback, illus-trated, packed with information.

$1.00SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA by the Editors of Sun-set Books. An i l lustrated guide to Southern Cal i -fo rn ia , th is is another in Sunset Books series. Itpresents in capsule form most of the interestingplaces to visi t in the Southland. Heavy paper-back, 8 x 1 1 f o rma t , 128 pages , $1 .9 5 .S U N , SAND AND SOLITUDE by Randall Hender-s o n . For more than 50 years Randal l Hendersonhas traveled across the deserts of the West unti lt oday he is known as the voice and prophet ofthis region of mystery, sol i tude and beauty.Founder of Desert Magazine in 1931 , he has de-voted his l ife to understanding the great out-doors. His second and latest book is a cu lmin-a t ion of his experiences, thoughts and phi loso-phy. Hardcover, deluxe format, deckle-edgedpaper, 16 pages ful l color, excel lent i l lustrations,$ 7 . 9 5 .LOWER CALIFORNIA GUIDE BOOK by Gerhardand Gulick. The authors have revised the th i rded i t ion to br ing it up to date . Veteran t rave lersin Baja Cal i fornia would not venture south ofthe border wi thout th is author i ta t ive vo lume. Itcombines the fascinating history of every loca-t i on, whether it be a town, miss ion or aban -doned ranch, wi th d eta i led mi leage maps andlocations of gasol ine suppl ies, water and otherneeded in format ion on Baja. 243 pages wi ththree-color folded map, 16 deta i led route maps,4 ci ty maps, 22 i l lustrations. Hardcover $6.50.TREASURE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO THE LAW byClair Martin Christensen. Answers all of thequestions relative to the legal aspect of f i nd -ing treasure trove. Subjects include AntiquitiesAct, Mining Claims, Gold Regulations, Trespassand Salvage, Claim Recordings, Tax Aspect andmany others. Concise and factual. Paperback, 46pages, $2 .75 .MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.

BOTTLES AND RELICS by Marvin and HelenDavis. This latest bottle book has more than 30pages of fu l l -co lor i l lustra t ions wi th the bottlesshown in natural settings. In add i t i on to thecolor there are also dozens of black and wh i tephotos of more than 500 bottles. It also includessections of col lection and disp lay of relics suchas guns, horns, cooking utensi ls and other col-lectors' i tems. Sl ick paperback, 155 pages, four-color cover. $4.50.MAPS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA from the LowerCalifornia Guidebook by Gehard and Gulick.Slightly smaller than those in the book but con-venient to carry in glove compar tment. $1 whenpurchased wi th the book; $1.50 when purchasedseparately.MEXICAN COOK BOOK by the Editors of Sun-set Books. Mexican recipes for American cooks,thorough ly tested and suited for products ava i l -ab le in the United States. Includes comprehen-s ive shopp ing gu ide, all cooking techniques andrecipes from soups to desserts and drinks. Largesl ick paper fo rmat, we l l i l lustra ted, 96 pages,$ 1 . 9 5 .1000 MILLION YEARS ON THE COLORADO PLA-TEAU by Al Look. For 40 years the author hashiked over and exp lored the Colorado Plateau.Ci t ing the area as a typ ica l example of theear th 's overa l l evo lu t ion , he gives a v i v i d ac-count of the geology, pa leonto logy, archeo logyand uranium discoveries starting back 1000mi l l ion years. Wr i t ten for the l a yman , the non-f iction account reads l ike a journey throught ime. Hardcover , i l lustra ted, 300 pages, $3 .75 .GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS OF CALI-FORNIA by Remi Nadeau. The on l y good , hard -cover book on the Cal i fo rn ia ghost towns. Werecommend it h igh l y . $5 .9 5 .CAMPING AND CLIMBING IN BAJA by John W.Robinson. Contains excel lent maps and photos.A gu idebook to the Sierra San Pedro Martir andthe Sierra Juarez of upper Baja Cal i f . Muchof this land is unexp lored and unmapped still.Car routes to famous ranches and camping spotsin pa lm-studded canyons wi th t rou t s t reamstempt weekend tourists who aren ' t up to h i k i ng .Paperback, 96 pages, $2 .95 .FANTASIES OF GOLD by E. B. Sayles. Duringhis search for archeo log ica l f inds for more than30 years, the author was exposed to the rumorsand legends of lost gold and treasures. Afterhis retirement as curator of the Arizona StateMuseum, he classif ied and delved into thesesti l l unsolved mysteries. An interesting and in-fo rmat ive book on lost bonanzas and legends,many of which have never been publ ished.Hardcover , we l l i l lustra ted, 135 pages, $6 .50.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailingCALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO

A D D 5 PERCENT SALES TAXSend check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, Cal i fornia92260. Sor ry, but we cannot accept chargesor C.O.D. orders.

FOR COMPLETE BOOK CATALOG WRITE TO DESERT MAGAZINE, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92 26 0


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WILLIAM KNYVETT, PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER, EDITORJACK DELANEY, Staff WriterBILL BRYAN, Back Country EditorJOLEEN ROBISON, Woman 's Viewpoint Editor

Volume 32, Number 11 NOVEM BER, 1969

Against a snow-cappedbackground, photographeravid Muench of SantaBarbara, Calif,, catches themajesty of Scotry's Castlein Death Valley Nationalonument.

MONORAIL TO OBLIVIONA TRIP TO RAINBOW BASINGEOLOGICAL YESTERYEARS

DESERT DESPERADO15 DEATH VALLEY TRIPS

DEATH VALLEY 49ERS ENCAMPMENT PROGRAMTHE LEGEND OF CHIMNEY ROCK

RANDSBURG REBORNTHE CAGEY CACOMISTLE

EXPLORING THE KEANE WONDER MINE

by Helen M clnnisby Al Pearceby Helen Walkerby K. L. Boyntonby Roger Mitchell

by Raymond Bradleyby Frank Taylorby Allen Remingtonby Betty J. Tucker

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

BOOK REVIEWSNEWS AND VIEWS

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTSDESERT SHOPPER

WOMAN'S VIEWPOINTLETTERS

by William Knyvettby Jack PepperEditorial PotpourriClub Ac tivitiesNew Productsby Joleen A. Ro bisonReader's Comments

ELTA SHIVELY, Executive Secretary MARVEL BARRETT, Business

EDITORIAL AN D CIRCULA TION OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, Palm Desert, California 92260, AC 714 346-8144. NA TION AL ADVER-TISING OFFICES: 8580 Melrose Street, Los Angeles 90069, AC 213 653-5847. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. Subscription rates:United States, Canada & Mexico, 1 year, $5.00; 2 years, $9.50, 3 years, $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 currency for each year.See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allow five weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codesDesert Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act ofMarch 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1969 by Desert Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing.Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs WILL N OT BE RETURN ED unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.


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

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i T H A P P E N E D ! The day just had tocome when we realized that thereare just some things in this world thatmen can't do and one of them is howto successfully produce a woman'spage. With this issue we're introducingthe ne w Woman's Viewpoint Editor,Joleen Robison of Salt Lake City,Utah. All queries and correspondencehowever, should be addressed to PalmDesert, Calif. 92260. We are also in-creasing the column to a full page andlet's hope it doesn't turn out to be acase of give an inch and take a mile. Seriously, girls, let's pitch in and make this intoone of the most interesting and informative pages of its kind.

This November issue is basically a Death Valley edition to commemorate thethe historic events of yesteryear. Last year we did a photographic essay on DeathValley and this year we take you behind the scenes with a special article by RogerMitchell, long-time Death Valley explorer and author of the popular book, DeathValley Jeep Trails. Check pages 2 and 6 for additional books about Death Valley.For those who want to stay on the paved roads, Helen Walker takes you through thevalley in an interesting geological tour dating back some 2 billion years and bringingyou up to the present. From the cover of the legendary Walter Scott's beloved castleto Allen Remington's account of a four-legged camp bandit in Darwin Falls, we feelthere should be som ething of interest for everyone.

The Valley will be the scene of the 20th Death Valley National Encampmentwhich originated in 1949 when a group of civic and business leaders and personsinterested in commemorating the history of the valley formed the Death Valley '49ersand met in the valley to celebrate the heroic efforts of the pioneers in 1849- Sincethen the gathering has become larger each year with attendance reaching thousands.The sole income of the non-profit organization is the sale of memberships and pub-lications and from donations. Single membership is $3.00, family membership $5.00,and a Life Membership $100.00. Memberships may be obtained by writing to theDeath Valley '49ers, Death Valley, California 92328 or if you plan on attendingthe Encampment memberships can be purchased at Information Booths or from '49erDirectors who will be attending all events.

One of the key things to remember when attending the Encampment, beingheld this year from November 6 through 9, is to make reservations early. Over-night camping can be real fun but be sure to bring your own firewood as it is avail-able at stores only and keep in mind that the nights can get chilly so take amplebedding and clothing. Folding chairs or camp stools are handy for attending thevarious activities that have become so much a part of the Encampment. (See page 22for a resume of the program). There are several locations in the valley where mealsare available and groceries, dairy products and meats are obtainable at Furnace CreekStore and Stove Pipe Wells Village. So why not join the fun of the Encampmentand plan to live it up under the stars in one of America's most unique valleys.I'll guarantee you one thing: When the first rays of light strike the silent valleyfloor you'll want to rewrite a lyric that Al Jolson made famous in footlights manyyears ago, "Nothing could be finer than to be a '49er in the m orning!"


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Order FREE CatalogueDESERT MAGAZINEBOOK STOREPalm Desert, California 92260

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

TRAVEL GUIDE TOARIZONABy the Editors ofSunset Books

A completely revised edition, thistravel guide toArizona is a clear look atpeople, theway of life and thescenicat-tractions of the western state.New maps, photographs anddescrip-tive material provide travel data on theGrand Canyon, Navajo-Hopi Indiancountry, Southwestern Arizona, all of thestate's many lakes and rivers and the maincities.Like California, Arizona is dividedinto two sections; the northern part wherethere aremountains andforests, and thesouthern section with its deserts, mesasand arroyos where Spanish explorerssought thefabled Seven Cities of Cibola.Today there is still much gold andsilver under thesurface of Arizona, butthe recreational wealth is on the surfacewith its myriad of year 'round scenic

attractions. Large format, four-colorcover, heavy paperback, 96pages, $1.95.

TWO GUIDES TO COLORADO'S COLORFUL PASTF o r t h e Je e p E n t h u s i a s t . . .JEEP TRAILS TOCOLORADO GHOST TOWNSby Robert L. Brown.

An illustrated guide to the mining camps deep in the almost inac-cessible Colorado Rockies. Important during thegold andsilver rushes,the camps now stand deserted onforgotten back trails passable only byfour-wheel drive vehicles, foot, or horseback. 103 photographs and end-sheet map, 245 pages - $5.50For a Family Outing . . .GH O S T T O W N S OFTHE COLORADO ROCKIESby Robert L. B r o w n .

Now, fortheperson who doesn't own a four-wheel drive vehicle, hereis a guide to 60easily accessible ghost towns in the Colorado Rockies.Accompanied by a unique collection of early andcontemporary photo-graphs of the sites to aid in identification, and with explicit traveldirections. 154 photographs andendshee t ma p, 401 pag es $6.25The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.Caldwell, Idaho 83605

DEATH VALLEY U.S.A.By Kenneth AlexanderMany years agoDeath Valley was aremote, lonely, magnificently beautifularea. Itwas a vast wasteland that shelteredIndians, that became a haven for daringadventurers whosought and found thewhite man's precious gold, andthat some-times brought death tothose who tried tosurvive intheblazing heat.Today Death Valley is a national monu-ment commemorating the foolhardy, thecourageous, the knaves and scoundrelswho once made it, for a brief period, anexciting, dangerously glamorous goldrush center.An excellent photographer andwriterwho hasspent most of hislife exploringthe area and researching Death Valley,Kenneth Alexander has written a fascinat-ing history of this great American phe-nomenon.The author separates fact from fictionas he describes the ill-fated Jayhawkerparty and their days of despair in theburning valley as they waited for rescue.They were finally rescued by twoheroicmen, William Manly and John Rogers,who walked outof the valley andbroughtback food andwater to their party.The author tells of the discovery ofborax andMarion "Borax" Smith whoplayed such an important role in the de-

velopment of both Death Valley andCalifornia. Included in this episode isthe history of Aaron andRosie Winters,whose discovery of borax is a story of"rags toriches."Other interesting pioneers broughtalive in thebook areJean Lemoigne, thereclusive silver miner who survived yearsin theValley, only toperish on the firstlap of hisjourney toreturn to hisnativeFrance. Others include Shorty Harris,the rugged prospector, and Bill Parkin-

son, mule team driver.An d no book on Death Valley wouldbe complete without the fabulous andcontroversial story of Death Valley Scot-

Books reviewed may be orderedfrom the DESERT Magazine BookOrder Department, Palm Desert,California 92 26 0. Please include50c for handling. California resi-dents must add 5% sales tax.Enclose payment with order.


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ty. "What manner of man was this Walt-er Scott, eccentric, Death Valley Midas,charlatan, promoter, lunatic, publicityhound, cheat or fool?"

The author, who has personally listen-ed to many of the stories told by Scottybefore the latter's death in 1954, givesan intimate insight into Scottys personal-ity and history.

In speaking of his favorite area, theauthor states "in this 3000 square-milearea lie manifold scenic wonders. Each,when viewed in a light best suited to itsindividuality, unveils a particular qualityof imposing grandeur. The focus alwayscenters on that august gem, Dante'sView. Around it the other scenes con-verge to form a resplendent mosaic ofrocks, mountains, boulders and sand."

In his book, Death Valley U.S.A., theauthor presents this mosaic in both litera-ture and photography. Large 9x 1 1 for-mat, hardcover, quality paper, profuselyillustrated, $8.50.

GUIDE FOR INSULATORCOLLECTORS, Volume ThreeBy John C. Tibbitts

Volume Three of A Guide For Insula-tor Collectors not only has sketches anddescriptions of dozens of rare insulatorsnot covered in the two previous volumes,it also has a revised price guide and indexto insulators in all three volumes.

The first two volumes were reviewedin our July '69 issue. To our knowledge,

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIPStatement of ownership, management and cir-culation (Act of October 23, 1962 Section 4369,Title 39, United States Code).1. Date of f i l ing: September 15, 1969.2. Title of publication: DESERT Magazine.3. Frequency of issue: Monthly.4. Location of known office of publication:Palm Desert, Calif. 92260.5. Location of the headquarters or generalbusiness offices of the publishers: Palm Desert,California 92260.6. Names and addresses of publisher andeditor: Publisher: William Knyvett, 79-890 Horse-shoe Rd., Indio, California 92201.

Editor: Jack Pepper, 73-170 Tumbleweed Lane,Palm Desert, California 92260.7. Owners: Jack Pepper and William andJoyce Knyvett.8. Bondholders, mortgagers, security holders:None.9. Re No. 8: None.10. Average over 12 month period of issuesfrom November 1968 to October 1969: 44,500copies printed; paid circulation: 21,000 news-stands, 23,000 mail subscriptions, 44,000 totalpaid. 300 free distribution, 44,300 total distri-bution, 200 office use, spoiled, etc.

these are the only books published deal-ing strictly with the collection of insula-tors.

Author of seven books on bottle andinsulator collecting, Tibbitts has spentmost of his adult life digging for andresearching the history of these items.Each volume is paperback, averaging 120pages, well illustrated. Each volume is$3.00. BE SURE TO STATE WHICHVOLUME WHEN ORDERING.

HISTORY OF THE SIERRA NEVADABy Francis P. Farquharn

Approximately 400 miles long andfrom 40 to 80 miles wide, the Sierra Ne-vada range towers above the valleys inCalifornia along the Nevada border. Tothe geologist it "constitutes a magnificentunit, one of the finest examples on theface of the globe of a single range."

To the thousands of fishermen, naturelovers and back country enthusiasts itprovides unlimited recreaiton during thesummer and during the winter it is thefavorite area for hunters and snow sports-men.

However, to the first Spaniards, Ar-gonauts, pioneers, military troops andrailroad builders it was a mountain to beconqueredand many died in a futileattempt to do so. This is a history of thosepeople and their experiences. Paperback,illustrated, 262 pages, $2.65.

CHRISTMAS DECORRanch - GrownC U T' D e s e r tH O L L Y

Unique long-last-ing festive foliagefor a true desert Christmas

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tax, postage includedORDER BY M AIL FRO M :

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SACRIFICE SALE

"A FINE PAIR" an original oil paintingby EDMUND HENRY OSTHAUS

(inside measurements 221/2x291/4)Inquire: ROBERT MacDONALD27 1 Mesquite, Palm Springs, Calif. 92262

DEATH VALLEY U.S.A. ByKenneth AlexanderKenneth Alexander has explored Death Valley, photographedit, and studied its history and legends. In this book the authorbrings to the reader a wealth of knowledge about this greatAmerican phenomenon so that others too may find the excite-ment, mystery, and adventure that he found. With dozens ofoutstanding photographs which display the spectacular sceneryof the Valley, and in stories about this magnificent land, theauthor captures a view of America's past that is "with greatrapidity disappea ring." $8.50BODIE: Ghost Town ByThomas W.MooreThis book is an experience, a gripping and dramatic glimpseinto an exciting chapter of America's history. What was once"The Wildest Town in the West" is now a California StatePark, and with the expert help of photographer-writer ThomasW. Moore you now have the opportunity to visit it. Maybeyou, too, will hear the tinkling piano, the squeal of one of those"ladies," and feel the Bodie presence brought to you from thepast by the sighing West wind. $8.50

atTO: A. S. BARNES & COMPANY, INC.CRANBURY, N. J. 08512Please send copy(ie s) of DEATH VALLEY U.S.A.$8.50 percopy.copy(ies) of BODIE: Ghost Town at $8.50per copy.Enclosed is mycheck or money order for $ .Name ,AddressCity State Z ip


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MonorailtoOblivionby Helen Mclnnes

:

F AR DOWN on the southwestern sideof Death Valley in the hilly areaaround the Wingate Wash there is ahuge deposit of Epsom salts, a glitteringfield of white forming a perfect contrastwith the soft colors of the surroundinghills.

Years ago a man prospected the area,and in view of the high quality and vastamount of salts in sight, he believedthat a full-scale mining operation wouldprobably prove to be a profitable enter-prise. Epsom salts was an impo rtant andwell established product so he had notrouble in getting together a group ofmen who were interested, and willing toinvest money in the venture.The men formed a company and planswere made to begin the project. Theyacquired a small plant at Wilmington,California to refine and prepare the saltsfor market. A dozen or so men werehired and taken to the mine site to beginthe initial development work.A camp, consisting mostly of tents andjokingly called Epsom City was set up ashort distance from the salt field. The

mining materials and supplies for the

workers were trucked in from Rands-burg, 60 miles southwest.The road between Epsom City andRandsburg was rough, and in some placesit was almost impassable; the trucks ofthat era were not what they are today andthe company was faced with constanttrouble along their supply route. Theyknew they would have to find anothermethod of transportation before anyactual shipping of the salt could begin.A railroad was the obvious solution tothe rough roads and balky trucks, andwould also be fairly economical to con-struct and main tain. They could build aline east and connect with the Tonopah& Tidewater tracks at a point near Te-copa, or they could build west and connectwith the Trona Railroad at a point some-where around Searles Lake.The western route would have to crossover two high mountain ranges andwould require a good deal of labor, whilean eastern route, though longer, wouldcross over relatively flat country and couldbe built with a minimum of labor.Finally they chose the shorter one toTrona, and decided that instead of build-


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The monorail was used tocarry lumber and material forthe uncompleted line. Laterthese lumber carriers werechanged to ore buckets thatheld 21/2 tons of Epsom salts oneach side of the rail. Opposite page:The monorail during constructionas it snaked its way throughLay ton Canyon.ing a standard type railway they wouldconstruct an elevated monorail. Thuseliminating the many problems of cross-ing over the mountains with a standardtwo-track line.

Surveys were made and the rail bedstarted. It began at a point a few milessouth of Trona, called Magnesium Siding,crossed the south end of Searles Lake andup Layton Canyon over the summit ofthe Slate Range . Dow n through a steepnarrow canyon into the Panamint Valley,and across the south end of the valleyfloor, up the slopes of the Wingate Washand over the summit at Wingate Pass and

Continued on Page 35

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10/44

AT R I P

T HIS is one of those stories that couldeasily begin with "Once upon atime." It started 50 million years agowhen Mother Nature got mad and startedheaving the earth; flat land became jag-ged peaks; horizontal-geological forma-tions became vertical and tons of dirtshifted position.Then, perhaps in way of apology, shesprinkled the area with a splash of colorand put the elements to work that turnedthe havoc into a beautiful recreational

area. What work she failed to completewas added in June of 1968the U.S.Bureau of Land Management built acampground.The area is known to many as the Bar-stow Fossil Beds, but the Bureau of LandManagement changed this to RainbowBasin. Either name is appropriate. Fossilsof prehistoric rhinoceros, camel, andhorse have been found in abundance.There are also fossils of numerous insects,some of which have been extinct for mil-

lions of years.

TO

R A I N B O W


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-2>T.NSC I

Opposite page: Driving through R ainbow Canyon on theway to the campsites in Owl Canyon and Rainbow Basin.Above: The author's wife and Evelyn Mott dig for fossils.

by A l PearceThe entire area is a maze of color.Anywhere you look, the jagged peaksand confused geological formations arebrightened by nearly every color of thespectrum. There are pinks and greens,reds and oranges, enough to almost re-semble an artist's pallet.The campground is in Owl Canyonand Rainbow Basin. Take the paved FortIrwin Road north from Barstow whichintersects State 58. Approximately fivemiles north of State 58, turn left on the

graded Fossil Bed Road and proceedseveral miles to a sign which designatesthe campground. Turn right here and trav-el over the graded dirt road. It is accessi-ble by passenger car, although drive slow-ly if you have a low-center vehicle.The dirt road, seemingly in the middleof nowhere, suddenly turns onto pave-ment. The pavement winds between tow-ering canyon walls, over which redtailhawks can usually be seen hunting.There are 32 campsites many of

which had not been used at the time of

this writing. The caretaker complainedthat nobody ever came here. Some of thecampsites have covered tables. The camp-ground was built as a part of the currentBureau of Land Management programwhich calls for the construction of camp-ing sites throughout the nation. Otherswill soon be developed in Afton Canyonand near several dry lakes in SouthernCalifornia.From the campground, a road carriesthe visitor through the heart of Rainbow

Basin. Here, the colors that are vsiiblefrom miles away become truly impressive.Even more so is the view from on top ofseveral of the towering peaks. Climbingis difficult because of loose earth and rock,but the effort is well rewarded by spec-tacular views that seem to reach endlesslyacross the Mojave Desert.Rainbow Basin is just a short drivefrom the famous, colorful Calico Moun-tains, which at one time was noted forits output of silver; but, now, better

known for having produced the ghost

town of Calico. This ghost town has beenalmost completely restored and has be-come a popular tourist center where thehistory of a past era slowly unfolds.Also from the mountain peaks in Rain-bow Basin the visitor can easily see thatmost of the Mojave Desert was onceunder water. This was millions of year?ago. Geologists tell us that the MojaveRiver, which runs near here, is one ofthe few "wrong way" rivers in the world.It is blocked to the south by the San Ber-

nardino Mountains, which is the onlymajor mountain chain in the UnitedStates that runs east and west.The Mojave River spills from thesemountains and runs across the desert to-wards the northeast where it graduallydisappears except following a heavyrain when it enters Soda Lake. It is alsoone of the few rivers that begins at alake and ends at a lake instead of goingto the sea.In a small brochure, available at the

Continued on Page 3911


12/44

DeathValley'sG e o l o g i c a lYesteryears

by Helen Walker

T T HAS not been easy for the g eologistof today to piece together the DeathValley of yesterday. The surfaces of the.valley have been distorted by folding andtilting, swallowed by sea invasion, wornby wave action, eroded by wind and rain,and its skeletal remains exposed to theperils of extreme temperatures. But forwhat Death Valley lacks in order, shemakes up for in the beauty she utilizes tocamouflage her scars.

At the foot of the geologic time scale,is a unit of time referred to as the Arche-ozoic Era. It dates back two billion yearsto a time when no life existed on earth.Consequently, no fossils are found in therocks of this era. Death Valley, duringthe Archeozoic Era was submerged undera warm sea. Currents brought aboutabrasive action, which constantly woreaway at the surfaces with the resultingsediments deposited to great depths.These deposits became the foundationfor the limestone and sandstone rocks.At later periods, and under great pres-sures, they became metamorphisedandwere characteristically changed into quart-zite, micashist, and some marble.

Land contours were recast when greatenergy from beneath the surface pressedupward and created mountains. Duringthe folding and tilting, the earth yielded,forcing molten material to be ejected12

their substances being scattered atop thenew heights. As the new mountainsemerged, the seas withdrew and the cycleof erosion began anew.Excellent examples of this period arefound in the Black Mountains in thesouthern part of the valley. Also in thewestern part of the Panamint MountainRange. Look for rocks of muted shadesof gray and soft buff color, which, forthe most part, are strata layers in variousdimensions. They will be integrated withthe dark porous basalt of the molten ma-terial that was ejected. Their affect doesnot create a sensation of beauty, but theydo demand respect for their agedatingback to the Archeozoic and ProterozoicEras of 1500 million years ago.A step forward on the time scale, butstill 500 million years back on our cal-

endar, brings us to the exciting age oflife. Our newly formed mountains, bythis time, were worn down by the expos-ure to time and weather. Warm seasagain invaded Death Valley, as they didin most of the Northern American con-tinent. In this sea, the first marine life

Standing alone on the floor ofButte Valley, Striped Butte presentsa dramatic exampleof sedimentary intrusion.


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developed. Trilobite, a three lobed swim-mer, measuring 2 or 3 inches in length,developed in great abundance. It becamerecognized as the guide fossil of thetime. He swam in the company of thebrachiopod, a two shelled animal; the ce-phalopod, a snail shaped shell fish;sponges, coral and crinoids. Their fossilremains, along with those of calcareousalgae, are found in the limestone depositsof Death Valley today.

Deposits accumulated during this seainvasion are seen in the grays and yellowsurfaces in Titus Canyon, and also in theTucki Mountains. Fossil impregnated de-posits are also noticeable around StovePipe Wells, and in the canyons to thenorthwestDry Bone, and CottonwoodCanyons.Butte Valley on the east side of thePanamint Range is richly endowed with

Paleozoic geology. You may enter in thefamily car from Warm Springs Canyon,or by the more rugged four-wheel-drivevehicle through Goler Wash, on the west-

ern slopes of the Panamints. On thegentle sloping floor of Butte Valleystands a mound of vertical sedimentarystripes, deposited during this era, but up-lifted during an upheaval of, a.later date.It is logically called Striped Butte.Evidence points to the probability thatthe seas remained in Death Valley longerthan in most other areas. The fact is

proven by the more advanced fossils ofthe Triassic Period, or early MesozoicEra, found in Butte Valley explorations.During this prolonged submergence, avolcanic action caused an intrusion ofAndestic Lava to flow and spread on thefloor of the sea. Some theorize this wasthe prelude to the eventual volcanic acti-vity responsible for creating the trough weknow as Death Valley of today. Impov-erishment of the land resulted from thelava flow, and today the area lies lifelessunder its cover of volcanic debris. Duringthis activity, the seas withdrewand havenot returned to date!

Early prospectors gambled their lives

and grubstakes, as they roamed the drywashes in search of the granitic intru-sions, that meant pay dirt to them. Th earea was laced with these intrusions near-ly 200 million years ago, during the Me-sozoic Era. The identity of the graniticis easily recognizable by the whitesthrough gray exterior color, added tothe fact that the surface is usually roughedby abuse from weather.Once famous mining towns of Harris-burg and Skidoo, located near Aguere-berry Point, owe their existence to theproximity of this granite. Look for spec-imens along the highway to Wildrose,and from Aguereberry Point throughTrail Canyon. The latter is an interesting,drive, if you have a sturdy vehicle. Tail-ings from many old mine diggings makeexcellent rock hunting.

As we progress up the ladder of geo-logic time, there are no cut and driedlines of where one era begins and anotherends. Her e in De ath V alley, they hav "literally been shuffled and restacked. Timeoverlaps, in seciuences of millions ofyears, and occurrences are co-mingled. To-day we are living in the Cenozoic Era,which has been in existence some 70 mil-lion years. The first 68 million years ofthis era geologists consider to be theTertiary Period. The remaining time,they call, the Quaternary. This last ess-ence of time brought two important fac-tors to the earthwarm blooded mam-mals, including man, and the great IceAge. Both helped write Death Valleyhistory.

Our entire Northern Hemisphere wasinvolved in the Ice Age. It is the run offthat occurred when the weather conditionsbegan to shrink the glaciers that we aremost concerned with. Basins elsewherebegan to fill, as the ice melted. It trig-gered a chain reaction that brought wateras far south as Owens Valley, formingOwens Lake. And then overflowing intoLittle Lake, which in turn followed thepattern and emptied into China Lake,now a dry bed within the boundaries ofNaval Weapons C enter. Th e water con-tinued its inundation through canyons,and finally created a body of water almost150 miles long and 600 feet deepLakeManly. It enveloped Dea th Valley.

Scars and terraces were cut into the re-strictive boundaries of the lake. W ind sfunneled between the mountain ranges,dashing waves and debris against rocky


14/44

shores. Best examples of these actionsmay be seen along the foothills of BlackMountain upward from MushroomRock, in a distinguished line, is ManlyTerrace. Again at Shoreline Butte, youmay see where successive water levels leftbehind water marks. Beach gravel fromthe shores of Lake Manly may be inspec-ted a short distance from Beatty, Nevada.Watch for smooth water-tumbled andpolished pebbles.

Evaporation of the lake began approx-imately 20,000 years ago. It left behindsilty deposits on the valley floorrem-nants of the Pleistocene Epoch.Exciting discoveries recently, of handtools along the ancient shore line hasaccelerated interest in correlation of factand artifact, with the hopes of placingman in this vicinity during this earlyPleistocene Epoch, a million or so yearsago.Basic outlines of Death Valley, as wesee it today, was begun many steps backon the ladder of time. But, one migh tventure to say, the finishing touches wereadded within a relative recent one or twomillion years ago. From Dan te's Point,atop the 550 foot peak of Black Moun-tain, much of the drama is unfolded. Theplaya below dips to 282 feet below sealevelthe lowest point in the UnitedStates, in contrast, Telescope Peak (11,-049 feet), and Mt. Whitney (14,495

feet, highest point within the boundariesof the United States), are outlined againstthe skyline. The random w hite groundcover below, is a saline crustcomprisedof common salt and cottonball ulexite.The latter being mined in the early daysas borax. Devil's Golf Course, just northof Badwater, is another salt and graveldeposit. An aftermath of the evaporationof Lake Manly.Sudden summer storms in Death Val-ley strike with violence and destruction.

Water, finding no resistance on the nakedhills, runs off and accumulates in thenarrow canyons. In its constriction, itgathers forces and moves mud, bouldersand brush forward in its frenzy to es-cape. Finally it spews out at the mouthof the canyon, building its alluvium intoa fan-shape pile of debris. Han aupahFan, directly across from Dante's View,is one of the valley's most spectacularillustrations of an alluvial fan in theDeath Valley of today.The contrasts in color are telltale

1 4

wrinkles of age. Old er materials arerepresented by the darker color, havingbeen exposed long enough to take on adesert varnish, while the younger, orlighter material, is deposits of more re-cent stormsperhaps yesterdayperhapsages ago.Self-guided tours in Death Valley arevery popu lar. Beginning in a split pat-tern at Furnace Creek Inn, one sees themost, in the least time and mileage. Theright hand road skirts the western flankof the Black Mo untains. Num erous rir'eentries direct you to Desolation Canyon,Golden Canyon, Devils Golf Course,Artist Palette, and finally Badwater.Ground surface, for the most part, is ofthe Tertiary Periodperhaps the mostcolorful part of the landscape in DeathValley.The soil consists mostly of alluviumfrom ancient seasonal lakes, with portionof volcanic material intermixed. Th ecolors range from somber grays of theconglomerates, to light shades of yellow

and buffs in the siltstone formations.These are picturesquely contrasted againstblues, greens, reds, and oranges of thevolcanic intrusive rocks. Weather hasworn their surfaces into figure-like fea-tures that challenge your imagination.

Top photo: M arine fossils foundin Dry Bone Canyon. They inhabitedDeath Va lley during the timeof the w arm seas. Right: Dante'sView from atop Black Mountain.

Early mammals visited the intermittentlakes. Footprints were pressed into themoist exterior. Each layer was preserved,as mud washed in to fill the voidthen,in the same mannerthey were revealedduring a sudden storm and run off. Onemight have watched a few of the largerdinosaurs, camels, small ancestor to the


15/44

horse, and a distant relative to the catfamilyjoined with the smaller varietiesof birds and rodents. Some came toquench their thirst, others to satisfy theirhunger.A sight not to be missed along the mainhighway, travelling toward Stove PipeW ells, is the sand dunes. These migrat-ing dunes cover a wide area, and, by fol-

lowing the road signs, you are able todrive safely into their depths. They arecreated by a flow of wind currents thatsweep down the Death Valley troughfrom the north, picking up particles anddebris along their route. Their path wasdiverted by the Tucki Mountains, and theeddies were forced to veer off at a re-duced speed. Change of course andvelocity caused them to drop their airborneparticles. These trapped breezes con-stantly rework the surface, and the drift-ing sand blots out footprints of both twoand four-footed intruders.Toward the northern boundary of theMo numen t is Ubehebe Crater. A rela-tively recent spectacle, having been form-ed perhaps only a short 25,000 yearsago. It is an explosive volcano, of theMaar typeone whose chief characteris-

tic is a flat bottom. Early Indians referredto it as the basket. As you look down in-to its 800 foot depth, you may visualizethe magnitude of the explosion thatcreated it.You cannot do justice to Death Valleyin one trip. The re is no duplication ofits historical and geological beauty. InFebruary, 1933, President Hoover pro-

claimed Death Valley as a NationalMonument, thus assuring our generation,and the ones yet to come, that this rawbeauty will remain undisturbed . Th eMonument covers an area of nearly 3000square miles.The Visitors Center, near FurnaceCreek Ranch, will assist you in orientatingyour visit. Display s of early history andgeology, lectures and slide" shows, areprovided with you and your family inmin d. Oth er relics of the past are on dis-

play at Furnace Creek Ranch and StovePipe Wells Village.It may be a problem and a challengeto the geologist trying to untangle andcorrelate his findings, but your visit willbe no problem, and your only challenge,will be to see as much as you can in yourlimited time.

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D E S E R TD E S P E R A D O( A l i a s t h e G r a s s h o p p e r M o u s e )

TERROR O F SAGEBRUSH, cactus andmesquite lands, the grasshoppermouse proves it pays to be tough. Thiswhiskered, desert desperado wreakshavoc among other small rodents, diningregularly on pocket mice and kangaroorats as well as the hapless hoppers whichgive him his popular name. He alsoslays death-dealing scorpions, consider-ing them too a top delicacy, hence hisother namescorpion mouse.

It doesn't take a psychiatrist to seethis is a very unmouse-like behaviorindeed. Othe r wee and timorous mem-bers of his tribe (dee r, mice, house mice,etc.) are plant and seed eaters, with in-sects added when available, and a bit ofgarbage inspecting on the side. Butthis fellow turns to the vegetable de-partment only when nothing tasty iswalking around.

This is the chief reason why his kindflourishes to the point of being thecharacteristic animal of the arid plainsand desert lands. Even in summer's blastfurnace heat, his water requirements arefilled and then some from the blood1 6

and tissue of tfw^animals and insects heeats.Fortified with carbohydrates and pro-tein reserves compliments of his meatdiet, and with fat for warmth piled evenon his tail, he's active all winter. Regu-lar meals composed of hibernatingneighbors, insect eggs and larvae, locatedby highly efficient nosework, plus seedsfrom private storage, keep him fat andsassy. Only the worst of weather findshim snug in his burrow.A hunter by instinct, the grasshoppermouse is a bundle of quick reactions,run by high metabolism, and endowedwith terrific persistence. Stocky and ro-bust, he has weight and power. Greatlystepped-up senses of hearing and smellmake this fellow a nighttime hunter de-luxe. This is when he operates and, in-deed, in a very unmouse-like manner. For,emerging from his burrow as the greatdesert is darkening, he opens his nightof hunting with a high pitched challeng-ing call that must strike terror in manya pocket mouse heart.Sniffing the air, the grasshopper mouse

picks up scent of these long-legged seed

by K. L Boynton 1969

hunters and moves quickly towards them.Short legged himself, and no good at along chase, his is a fast track, a suddenspring. A swift bite at the base of theskull and the world is short one pocketmouse.

Zoologist Ruffer set about a study, andone of the first tests he made was to seewhat happened when a cotton rat, weigh-ing three times more than the grasshop-per mouse and no sissy himself, was thetarget for the night. Undaunted by hisadversary's size, the mouse set to with ashrill tally-ho! Attack after attack wasmade and kept up so long and with suchdeadly persistence that the cotton rat,although defending itself furiously, fin-ally made the mistake of exposing itsback. In a flash the mouse was upon i t;a quick bite at the base of the skull, andcotton rat was the menu's specialty thatnight.

Scorpions are tasty snacks for the grass-hopper mouse, who knows by instinctexactly where the deadly sting mechanismis and how to cope with it. N o matterhow efficiently the scorpion wields its


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tail with lightning thrusts and sidewiselashes, the mouse, springing about andattacking from all angles gets through thedefense at last. Th e crusty tail is brokenwith one hard bitethe weapon immobil-ized. Anothe r bite on the scorpion'shead finishes the job.Working from the rear forward, themouse takes the legs off one by one, eat-

ing the good base parts and flinging therest away. Then he opens the body shell,dining on the interior. Ten minutes workand all that is left is the empty husk.Grasshopper mice youngsters are toughfrom the start. N ot for nothing, too, dothey have such big ears! They can hearinsects going about their business, parti-cularly those of the grasshopper tribewho are very noisy fellows, their hardcovering scraping and crackling in theirkick-offs. Many of the hard shelledbeetles, especially the scarabs, are clumsyfliers, landing on their backs and thusmaking a noisy deal of getting right sideup again. A young mouse, not halfgrown, jumps onto a grasshopper almostas big as he is, grabbing it by the frontend to bite its head. Little and not yetexpert, he may be knocked over by theinsect's mighty kicks, but does he let go?NEVER.Vegetable eaters among animals do notneed much of a stamping ground sincenormally there is food for the simpletaking. A hunter, on the other hand, hasto have a big enough area to assure thatthere will be enough prey animals thereinto provide a fellow with a living.As to be expected, the grasshoppermouse takes plenty of elbow room. Thehome range of an adult male is about 7.8acres and that of a female 5.8. A big ter-ritory such as this helps disperse themouse population, and divide up theavailable food su pplies. It is a very sig-nificant reason for grasshopper mouse

success in the desert regions.Within this home range is a tighterterritory considered PRIVATE and somarked by the mouse who digs smallholes at strategic spots and rolls in them,marking them well with his personalsmell provided by glands in the analregion. These are NO TRESPASSINGsignposts warning other grasshopper micenot to cross the line.A grasshopper mouse couple embark-ing upon the journeys of matrimony, have

a lot to do to set up housekeeping, mainly

involving the excavation of various pro-perty holdings.First to be dug is the nest chamber.

M r s . G. Mouse, after much indecision,selects the site, and M r. G." Mouse takesover the job of digging. U p on hishind feet, he braces himself on his tail,and holding his forefeet together, pitchesin, scooping and hauling the sand backunder his belly. The n rising up on hisfront feet, he delivers some straight backkicks, first one foot and then the other,shoving the sand backwards. At thispoint Mrs. Mouse, if she is of the mind,will assist, forming in line behind herspouse and kicking the sand on back as hechoves consignments out to her.

Thus there is no mound at the door-way,, for the sand is kicked far and wideuntil the way is slick and smooth. W ithteamwork like that and cooperation fromthe desert sand, 5 minutes of hard workmakes the nest burrow ready to move in.

This nest burrow, although of lillipu-tian dimensions since the householdersare so small, is a palatial affair. Some48 cm. long and about 14 cm. down be-low the surface, it is U-shaped with thebedroom in the middle. This chamber iswidened out into a room 12 by 9 cm. insize, with a 7 cm. ceiling. Installed inthe middle is a nice soft platform of grass.Only one of the entrances is openedthoroughly, the other plugged up buteasy to open from the inside. Both areplugged up during the heat of the day.

Tt must be comfortable inside, thesand being a very good insulator, for thetemperature stays between 90 and 100even though the surface temperaturemight go to 128 or higher in the day.Retreat burrows are dug next. Theseare simple holes spotted around the terri-tory for quick exits in case coyotes orowls are around. Cache holes (1 0 cm.

long) are located here and there, filledwith seed and covered with care for emer-gency food in case meat supplies are low.The signpost holes are about 3 cm.long and marked with the pair's smell,are dug last. Foolhardy encroaching miceget the business from Mr. G. Mouse inknock-down, drag-out fights, Mrs. M.staying demurely on the sidelines. Butshould she herself meet an interloper, it'sher fight, and she's just the girl that canhandle it.Offspring arrive in batches of 3 to 5

to a litter about four times a season asstandard. For the mouse tribe, these arelow figures, which means that survivalpotential of the young is high.How can this be in the hard condi-tions imposed by the desert? Good paren-tal care is the basic reason, pa even takinga hand in slicking up the infants andkeeping the nest burrow clean. Th e

youngsters mature quickly and are readyfor family raising themselves when 40to 44 days old. Since the season is onfrom April 1 or before to August, any-body born in time can add to this year'sgrasshopper mouse population figures.Most of all it's the point of view:tough, determined and a hard worker, thegrasshopper mouse picks a permanentmate also tough, determined and a hardworker. They actively defend their ter-ritory assuring food supplies for the

youngsters until they leave home to estab-lish their own kingdoms.Full of energy from his heavy proteindiet and armed with instinctive huntingskill, keen senses and fast reactions, thisis the fellow who thoroughly proves thateven a mouse can be mighty.

IN THE HEART OFD E A T H V A L L E Y

HistoricS T O T E P I P E W E I L S Y I L L A 6 S

Luxur ious new uni ts beau t i fu l new d in ing roomand cocktail lounge Gi f t Shop Heated Pool General Store Service Stat ion Land ing St rip C a m p g ro u n d

Write or call:S T O Y E P I P E W E L L S T IL L A G E

Death Valley, California 92328Area Code 714

Stove Pipe Wells # 1 Toll Station


18/44

fSS - M O N U M E N T "


19/44

15by p e r m i s s i o nth e c o p y r i g h t o w n e r ,A u t o m o b i l e C f t i b ~ " "S o u t h e r n C a l i fo r n i a\

\

DeathValleyTripsby Roger Mitchell

Editor's Note: Just prior togoing topress the Ranger Station inDeath Valleyinformed usthat due to severe flash flooding during the summer some ofthe back roads were in doubtful condition. It is imperative that youcheckat one of the ranger stations designated bya black circle on theaccompany-ing map before attempting any of the following fifteen back-country trips.

IF YOU AREonewho comes to DeathValley to find the peace and quietthat only thedesert canoffer, thenyouwill probably want to avoid touristattractions such as Bad Water andArtist's Drive. Fortunately the DeathValley Country is full of hidden littlecorners, unknown by most and visitedby few.These forgotten spots maycontain abi t of history, some grand scenery, ora page from nature's book of thedesert.A fewsuch places maybereached in thefamily automobile, but most require avehicle made for back country travel.The ever-popular trail bikes and dunebuggies are suitable for short trips butfor maximum room andcomfort a four-wheel drive vehicle is the answer. Forthose with such vehicles, Death Valleyoffers an endless variety of interestingback country trips.One word of warningDeath ValleyNational Monument is a member of ourNational Park system and the rangershave the duty topreserve andprotectthe

area for theenjoyment of all Americans,

both present andfuture generations. Tomeet this end theNational Park Servicehas hadtoimpose a fewregulations uponMonument visitors. One rule of particu-lar significance toback country explorersis that allvehicles must stay on establishedroads. This need not be of great concernbecause allthe trips suggested here are on"established roads" although you may notthink soattimes.

Five Half - Day TripsHOLE IN THEW A L L . As thenameimplies, this interesting geologiccuriosity is a narrow gaperoded out ofa 200-foot-high wall of rock. TakeState Route 190upFurnace Creek Wash.At a point 0.7miles above theentranceto Twenty Mule Team Canyon, a smallsign ontheleft reads "Jeep Trail, Hole InThe Wall." Turn left here andmake yourway up thewash. Hole in the Wall is3.6 miles from thehighway. Thearea isparticularly picturesque late in the after-noon when the sun's lowrays cut longshadows through thegap. You can con-

tinue up the wash past an abandoned1 9


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travertine quarry to end in the Red Am-phitheater five miles beyond.TRAIL CANYON. Thesites ofHarris-burg and Skidoo can beeasily reach-ed from the Wildrose Canyon Road,but this route lacks imagination andchallenge. A more interesting route isfrom the east, up Trail Canyon. The

road is usually good, but thegrades arealways steep. In 11miles you will climbfrom 276feet below sealevel to a highpoint of 6240 feet above sea level atAguereberry Point.Take theBadwater Road south, turning

HANAUP AH CANYON . Seven milessouth of Trail Canyon is another

slash in the Panamints ascended by asteep road. W hile this route does notreach thecrest of therange, it is worthexploring. The H an au pah C a n y o nstarts west from Shorty's Well at an ele-vation of -251 feet. In less than amile itclimbs over aprominent fault scarp in thealluvial fan.After nine dusty miles theroad reaches a stream flowing from Han-aupah Spring, almost 4000 feet abovethe valley floor. Recent mining activitieshave pushed the road several thousand

The overnight trip through Goler Wash goes through Butte Valley and AnvilSpring, a dependable source of water and a convenient camping spot for many.left on the"West Side Road" at a pointsix miles south of Furnace Creek Inn.Continue across thevalley floor anotherfive miles. Here a sign will point rightto Trail Canyon. Several miles up thecanyon youwill find water and many oldmines. Antimony , copper, gold, lead,silver, tungsten, andzinc have been foundhere. From thepoint where thecanyonforks, it is 2500 feet of steep grades tothe top. Once atthesummit I'm sure youwill agree itwasamuch more interestingroute.20

feet higher, but the road beyond theminers camp isnot yet open tothepublic.SALT SPRINGS. At a point sixmilessouth of Furnace Creek Inn,takethe West Side Road across the valleyfloor to theDevil's Speedway. Here ata point four miles from thehighway, apair of wheel tracks starts north alongthe west side of thevalley. If you arenot afraid of a little soft sand, you canfollow this road north to Salt Creek

where a good road is again reached. On

the way youwill pass Salt Springs wherestrange and exotic birds have occasionallybeen seen, far from their usual habitats.CHLORIDE CLIFF. Toreach thisoldmining camp, take the DaylightPass Road towards Beatty, Nevada.About three miles south of thePass, asign points right towards Chloride Cliff.Although not maintained, the road isrelatively good as it winds its waypastthe head of Monarch Canyon. A littleless than five miles from the highway,the road forks. Take theright fork andthe ruins of Chloride Cliff are threemiles beyond. Chloride City and theChloride Cliff Mine date back to theRhyolite excitement around the turn ofthe century. A fine view of thevalleyis offered bythe ridge top.Five Full Day Trips

GREENWATER CANYON. The tripthrough Greenwater Canyon cantake a couple of hours or a couple ofdays. It alldepends onyour interests andthe condition of the roi'te. If the lastflood has washed a lot of loose sand outof the canyon, then the route is moredifficult because you must dodge numer-ous boulders nowexposed. On theotherhand, if loose sand hasbeen washed intothe canyon, then the boulders are coveredbu t thesoft sand presents difficulty.

Take theDantes View Road turningleft onthe Greenwater Valley Road at apoint five miles south of theRyan turn-off. Eight miles south of thepavementa side road turns left toward GreenwaterCanyon. Look for petroglyphs peckedinto the black volcanic rocks. Thecanyonalso contains pictographs, similar topetro-glyphs except thedesigns arepainted onthe rock surface. Rockhou nds may findjasper andagate, andcollecting isallowedbecause Greenwater Canyon isoutside theMonument boundary.

.wNGATE WASH. At the extreme'south end of the Monument, Win-gate Wash is one of the least visitedareas in Death Valley. This was theroute taken bythe famous 20-mule teamswhile hauling their loads of borax fromDeath Valley to Mojave. The entireroute cannot be followed today becausethe China Lake Naval Weapons Centerhas a firing range in theupper part of


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Wingate Wafh. Thelower 15 miles isreadily accessible however.A half mile west of theWest SideRoad, on the Warm Springs CanyonRoad, a pair of wheel tracks starts southacross the sandy desert. These tracksenter Wingate Wash after some fourmiles. After a fewmiles youwill beableto grasp the immense size of Wingate

Wash. Plan on taking thewhole day toexplore the canyon.BLACK MOUNTAINS. If you like topoke around oldmines, then per-haps youshould drive up some of thecanyons in theBlack Mountains at thesouthern endof thevalley. Inthe vicinityof Jubilee Pass, Virgin Spring Canyon,Confidence Wash, andRhodes Wash alloffer out of thewayplaces toexplore.LEMOIGNE CANYON. In the pastfew years it seems like the routeinto Lemoigne Canyon hasbeen washedout more than it hasbeen open. Ifyoucan make it, this secluded spot isworthyof a days outing. Jean Lemoigne, or"Cap" as hewas known to his friends,came to this canyon tomine a small veinof silver, andmade ithishome. Hisstonecabin remains. The rough nine-mile routestarts southwest from State Route 190 ata point 2.7 miles north of Emigrant

Ranger Station or 5.8 miles south ofStovepipe Wells Village. TELEPHON E CANYON. Thewasheson the southwest slopes of TuckiMountain offer miles of back countryex-ploring. The keyis toget into TelephoneCanyon, the mouth of which is just amile north of the mouth of EmigrantCanyon. From Emigrant Ranger Station,take the Wildrose Canyon Road south2.5 miles to the entrance to Emigrant

Canyon. Turn left making your wayacross thewash, then look for thetracesof a faint road going north along themountain front. It is 1.6miles tothe en-trance to Telephone Canyon. Upon en-tering the canyon youwill notice over-hanging beds of conglomerate rock,eroded from beneath by those rare mo-ments when the canyon contains water.In less than amile the canyon forks. Theleft fork wanders east and canbe follow-ed byfour-wheel-drive vehicles formanyContinued on Page 36

It's abeast* It'sab e a u t .Jeep

4-wheel driveJLThe2-CarCarsYour 'Jeepster Com mando' Station Wagon's tough .Out in theboondocks, put er in 'Jeep' 4-wheeldrive andstalk thebrush like a tiger. Prowl themountains like abobcat. Charge right through mudand sand. Around town, it's asmoothperformer. Bucket seats arestandard.Options like V-6,power brakes, powersteering. Theworks. Test drive the 2-CarCars atyour 'Jeep' dealer. 'Jeep' 4-wheeldrive. You've got todrive it tobelieve it.

KAISER JeepCORPORATIONmuto


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r D e a t h V a l l e y ' 4 9 e r sN a t i o n a l E n c a m p m e n t P r o g r a mDeath Valley is no longer deadly. During the winter season it is one of

the liveliest spots in the West for those who seek first hand information onwhat has happened to our earth during the past millions of years, especially fromthe geological era when man wasn't even a twinkle, and later, when man bravedthe elements in his insatiable quest for gold and silverjust 120 short years ago.

Death Valley's winter season starts November 6 through 9 when the 20thAnnual Death Valley '49ers Encampment draws thousands of spectators to thearea to participate in the "West's Greatest Free Entertainment." For backgroundon the National Encampment, see Peek in the Publisher's Poke on page 4.

Following is the schedule of events:THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

7:30 p.m.CAMPFIRE, Stove Pipe WellsVillage. Community singing and talksabout old-timers, followed by dancing.8:30 p.m.NATURALIST TALK, Mu-seum and Visitors' Center, FurnaceCreek Ranch.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 78:00 a.m.HISTORICAL BREAKFAST,Stove Pipe Wells Village. Matt Ryan,long-time resident of Death Valley isprincipal speaker. Price, $1.75.8 :00 a .m.HOOTENANNY B R E A K -FAST, Furnace Creek Golf Course.Western songs and old-time fiddlers.Price, $1.75.

10:30 a.m.CON DUCTE D TOUR , start-ing at Visitors' Center, to UbehebeCrater, Scotty's Castle and North Endpoints. Useyour vehicle.

1:30 p.m.DEATH VALLEY T R A I LRIDERS arrive atFurnace Creek Ranchafter 125-mile horseback ride.7:30 p.m.CAMPFIRE, Texas Springs.Community sing and songs of the OldWest by BobLewis. Historical talks.8:30 p.m.NATURA LIST TALK, Mu-seum and Visitors' Center, FurnaceCreek Ranch.9:00 p.mDANCING FOR EVERY-ONE, western andmodern, Stove PipeWells Village. Also dancing at Fur-nace Creek Ranch.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 86:00 a.m.PHO TOGRA PHY SESSION,Sand Dunes Campground. New eventfor photographers. Lecture by R. Chal-mers Graham, APSA. Bring yourcamera!8:00 a.m. PHOT OGRA PHERS ' BREAK-FAST, Stove Pipe Wells Village. PaulD . Yarrow, internationally knownphotographer and author, will speakand display photographs. Price $1.75.

8:00 a.m. AU TH ORS ' BREAKFAST,Furnace Creek Golf Course. Presentwill be outstanding writers of theWest. Featured speaker is Richard F.Pourade, Editor Emeritus of the SanDiego Union and noted historian andauthor.10:00 a.m.COND UCTED TOUR start-ing at Visitors' Center through centerof Valley and ending at Stove PipeWells in time for chuck wagon.12:00 NoonCHUCK WAGON LUNCH,Stove Pipe Wells Village, Westernstyle chuck wagon chow. Price, $1.75.

2:00 p.m.BURRO FLAPJACK SWEEP-STAKES, Stove Pipe Wells Village. Ahilarious race of old prospectors andtheir burrows who must walk aroundthe arena, cook a flapjack and thenfeed it to the burro. Action is rightin front of spectators.7:30 p.m.EVENING ASSEMBLY, Fur-nace Creek Ranch. Color slide showby Paul D. Yarrows, FPSA.8:45 p.m.OLD - FASHIONED FID-DLERS' CONTEST, same location asabove. Best fiddlers in the West com-pete.8:30 p.m.NATURALIST TALK, Visi-tors' Center, Furnace Creek Ranch.9:00 p.m.DANCING FOR EVERY-ONE, Stove Pipe Wells Village.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 97:00 a .m.PROTESTANT S U N R I S ESERVICE, Desolation Canyon.7:30 a.m.CATHOLIC MASS, Visitors'Center, Furnace Creek Ranch.8:30 a.m.ARTISTS' BREAKFAST, Fur-nace Creek Golf Course. Top-flightWestern artists work on a new wes-tern scene plus display of their works.Sale of paintings. Price, $1.75.

10:30 a.m.COND UCTED TOUR, start-ing at Visitors' Center and going tosouth section of the Valley.7:30 p.m.NATU RALIST TALK, Visi-tors' Center, Furnace Creek Ranch.

The ever-shifting sand dunes of Death Valley, near Stove Pipe Wells, arecaught in the fading light of day by David Muench of Santa Barbara, Calif.caui ZalifA

2 2


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mBwf


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T h eLegendo fCh imney

RockbyRaymond Bradley

24

S OUTH AND east from Victorville,along California's State 18, I over-looked an historic landmark. I now knewthe story of Chimney Rock was more thanjust a legend. The great monolith tower-ed beside me as I surveyed from its sur-rounding canyon's rim of fractured gran-ite the breadth of Lucerne Valley.Below, on the distant floor, the thinribbon of highway cut across the dust-burned, dry bed of Rabbit Lake, guard-ing the entrance to the little hidden can-yon surrounding this column of rock.This pillar of nature, like some greatchimney from the forges of Thor, rose

some 300 feet into the bright blue of the


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A "

desert sky.Long shadows of the San Bernardino

and Sierra Madre mountains were stealingswiftly across the desert, as the pink huesof the hour tinged snow crested "OldBaldy" beyond the mountainous gap ofthe Cajon Pass.It wasn't hard to imagine that I wasstanding as the Indian youth of 12 sum-mers had eight decades ago as he watcheda cloud of dust moving slowly across thedesert. It came from the shadows of thepass before the great snow-cappedmountain.For a long time he watched the sun's

rays tipping the dust clouds with bronzeas they floated upward into the still hotair. Tall he stood, staring down his longnose with pride, as he felt the thrill ofbeing the brother of Gray Horse, who atlast had outwitted the pursuing whites,and was now returning with his braveraiders. There would be much dancingabout the fires tonight before the greattall rock.

Turning slowly, he looked back intothe shadows of the canyon, where a darkcave held the little white girl. He hopedthat Gray Horse wouldn't bring any moreslaves. She had come with the first raid-

ers to return from the valley of smokes(San Bernardino). They had passedthrough the mountain and the valley ofthe bears, where a sudden snow hadcaught and stopped the white posse.Now the old squaw was calling him.He could see her in the gathering gloomof the canyon below, as she waddled be-fore her fire. Momentarily he glanced

out over the desert again. If it hadn'tbeen for the old woman's scolding hemight have seen the other dust cloud farback in the mountain shadow.The old squaw jerked her head inmotion for him to eat. Deftly he pluckeda skewered piece of meat from beforethe sizzling embers."Take a piece to the little white one,"the old woman nodded knowingly.The boy snatched another skewer fromthe embers; then standing, he eyed the

water skin close by the squatting woman.Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to-ward the cave."Take the water," he heard her muf-fled voice from beneath the blanketabout her head.He could see the girl's white dress farback in the shadows of the cave. Shemoved as he held out the skewered meat.Quickly he sat, cross-legged, with thewater skin before him.Cautiously the girl moved toward him,she hadn't cried now for two days, andshe was making sounds. He didn't know,but somehow he understood she waspleased for the food.The old squaw had guessed her to bethe same age as the boy. The girl squatto a cross-legged position and they atethe meat in silence. He held his handsout in cupped fashion, and this time sheunderstood. Tilting the water bag, shepoured water for him to drink.Pleased with what he had taught her,he laughed, then they both giggled. Sheheld out her cupped hands. Jumpingquickly to his feet, he yelled, "No braveserves squaw!" She shrank away, notunderstanding, as he ran from the cave.There was noise in the canyon below.The raiding party had returned and GrayHorse was looking for him."There, do you think you are bigenough to ride that black stallion?" GrayHorse pointed to a shiny black, stand-

Contintted on Page 282 5


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A FTER SLUMBER'NG undisturbed foralmost 50 years, the ghosts ofRandsburg are about to be evicted. Thesemi-ghost town in California's KernCounty, which has hung to life by athread, is once more starting to boom.This time it is arts and craft> instead ofgold and silver which bring people tothis little-known corner of the MojaveDesert.

The barber shop, whose doors wereclosed 18 years ago, nowhouses an artgallery and studio operated by the desertpainter, Francilu Hansen. Although theshop walls are decorated with dozens ofdesert vista and landscapes, the biggestsellers are oil paintings of outhousespainted directly on thewood shetore outof the shop's partitions.Next door is the Desert Museum,

usually open only on weekends. CuratorHarold Beck, a former prospector, hasfilled the building with samples of hisgold mining days. Nuggets, gold dustand ore aremixed with theother museumdisplays of mining equipment and Wes-tern Americana.Beck also manufactures a dry washerfor the recovery of placer gold. Althoughthe washer weighs only 35 pounds, Becksays it canhandle 2000 pounds of gravelevery hour with a 95 percent recovery of

gold and scheelite (tungsten).Next to the general store, the oldestbusiness in town is Purington's DesertShop, across the street from themuseum.Arland and Eldora Purington are credit-ed with starting the bottle rush about25 years ago. "When westarted out," El-dora Purington told me recently, "youcould gather bottles by the arm loads.When you went to a ghost town, youcould find more than you could carryaway."Since then, the pair have sold 16,000bottles and see no end in sight. "Wefound every bottle ourselves," Puringtonsaid, gesturing around the room filledwith rare bottles. "There are still plentyof bottles waiting to be found," his wifeadded. "But now youhave to work hardand be a detective to locate them." Ex-pert detectives themselves, the Puring-ton's will offer advice toanyone who asksfor it.Some of their hints include looking

for tin cans with soldered seams, bits of26

RANAbove: Arland and Eldora Purington ofRandsburg are champion bottle hounds.They h ave found more that 1 6,000 antiquebottles! Below: All that remains of anold stamp mill used in the Randsburgarea. Called a Baltic 5 Stamp Mill, it wasconverted from a 10 stamp due to smalleroperations and then finally abandoned.

**.


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R E B O R NbyFrank TaylorLocated on a paved road just offU. S. Highway 395 approximately100 miles northeast of Los Angeles,Randsburg makes an interestingstop on the way to or from DeathValley. The surrounding country isideal for rock hounding and camping

Left: R andsburg as it appearedin the year 1897.Below: R andsburg as it appearstoday, cradled in the armsof hills scarred by the constantsearch for rare metals and gold.

broken glass on the surface that haveturned purple indicating more bottles areprobably buried nearby, and checkingstands of Tamarisk trees for signs of acamp or town.The Puringtons recently celebratedtheir Golden Wedding anniversary andattribute most of their contentment to thefact they still look for old bottles together.

"We enjoy being out in the desert witheach other," Eldora said, "besides it'sbeen quite profitable for us." With16,000 bottle sales as proof, nobody'sgoing to argue with that statement.The Randsburg General Store acrossfrom the Puringtons is hardly changedfrom the days of the Yellow Aster Mineboom (see Desert, Nov. '64). The aromaof hundreds of items on the crowdedshelves is a reminder of things past. Oldminers sit on the front steps and talk.

Inside, the tin ceiling and old mahoganybar where sodas are served now, is thesame as it was in the early 1900s and1920s.The White House Hotel and bar re-mains closed most of the time. "Theydon't open on weekends except whenthey feel like it," Beck said with a shrugof his shoulders, "and you never knowwhen they will feel like coming up here."At the other end of the street is thestrangest business of all to open in Rands-

burg. Housed in the former garage andservice station, the Renaissance and Baro-que Musical Instrument Company is busymaking harpsichords.The owners, Jay Witcher and HenryHunnel expect to be turning out 10 harp-sichords a month in a short time. Rightnow they have three nearly completed in-struments on the assembly line with moreon the way. Selling for $2100 and up, theharpsichords are big business. The own-ers are predicting their new enterprise

will be the largest factory in the world forthe repair, construction and design ofharpsichords. A full time crew, plus theowners now work seven-days-a-week inthe remodeled shop.The new boom in Randsburg may notmatch the first one when 4000 peoplecrowded into the tiny community, and125,000,000 in rich ore was dug fromthe earth, but, after almost 75 years,Randsburg and its ghosts are ready foralmost anything. Even a harpsichord

factory! 21


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29/44

Suddenly they were sliding down along shale bank. Yanking her to her feet,he lifted herastride theshivering stallion,than sprang up behind her, forcing herhead down against theanimal's mane. Hecovered her with his own body as theycharged out onto the desert, out past thespitting rifles' range. At last he pulledthe stallion down to a walk andthey rodeamong themoon shadows andgray brushof thenight."Where are wegoing?" Shelooked upinto the nowthoughtful features of thiswild boy for an answer. He only gruntedand reined the stallion about, goadinghim into a smooth cantor."W e aregoing back," thegirl cried asthey came to the dry lake bed and thesound of shooting could be heard again.Beside a large boulder at the lake shorethey dismounted. Pushing herclose to the

boulder he forced her to sit down."Stay," he said simply and gesturedthat she remain there until he returned.She nodded assent.Grasping thestallion's mane, he swungto thebroad, silky back. With a long lookat thegirl, hekicked the animal's flanks.Straight off across the lake he rode, on

toward the canyon opening that led toChimney Rock.That afternoon they found her asleepby the big boulder. Her father held herclose, as she told of her escape and theIndian boy's bravery in saving her life."That must have been the rider that Isaw riding like thewind up into the can-von this morning about dawn. He was

riding a bigblack horse.""Didn't youshoot?" asked one of theothermen."Naw, I figured that if the crazy In-dian wanted to die with his people, itwas his privilege, so I let him pass.""Well, where's the big black horse?We didn't find an Indian boy or a bigblack horse. Youmust have been dream-ing.""No, he told me to wait, hewould re-turn," thegirl sobbed.If you happen to be driving alongState 18 and crossing Rabbit Lake at thetime, and themoon ishigh in the zenith,you might take a closer look at a largejack rabbit, or a coyote crossing in thetall shadows, beyond your headlightsitcould be a rider and a bigblack stallion.

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, LOW COST METAL LOCATORS.FULLY TRANSISTORIZED, UOHT WEIGHT, RUGGEDLYCONSTRUCTED OF ATTRACTIVE ALUMINUM. THESEUNITS WILL OUTPERFORM ANYSIMILAR TYPE ON THEMARKET ORYOUR MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED.WRITE FOR EVERYONE'S CATALOGUEAND WHILE STUDYING THEM, TRY OURMODEL. MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE 2 7 s 0ROTHBOX 2548-DM, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA 90 02 *

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Whoever said "there is nothing new under the sun" evidently is not familiarwith DESERT MAGAZINE. There is always someth ing new with u s new cluesto lost mines, new departments, new insights, new features and new and un-usual places to explore. And 1970 will be even more exciting as each month wecover the nature and animal kingdoms, history and litt le known areas of theWest. For an unusual Christmas Gift one that will remind your fr iends andrelatives of your thoughtfulness every mon th of the year give them a sub-scrip tion to DESERT MAGAZINE. It gives Easterners a first-h and and vividdescription of our country and it offers Westerners new horizons and adven-tures. Do your Christmas shopping early and the easy way by sending in thenames of your friends today. We will see they have their first issue and a beau-tiful Gift Card from you in time to hang on their Christmas Tree.

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T h eC a g e yC a c o m i s t l eby Allen Remington

O A CAMPING trip recently to Dar-win Falls, near Death Valley, Iwas fortunate enough to photograph oneof the rarest and most seldom seen ani-mals in the Southwest.The Cacomistle, or as some call him,the Ring-tailed" Cat, is a nocturnal ani-

mal. He is neither a cat nor a fox, yet heresembles both of them.This little fellow has a bushy tailwhich is more than half the total lengthof his body and marked with eight toten alternate rings of black and white.He has a pointed, cute little fox-like facewith big dark eyes. The Cacomistleweighs from two to three pounds andwill have a body length of fifteen inches.He inhabits the warm, dry climate ofthe Southwest and Mexico. He prefers

broken, rocky country like the DarwinFalls area where there are plenty of smallanimals on which to feed. He will alsoeat ripe fruit and berries, when they arein season.Being mostly a carnivorous animal, theCacomistle spends the day sleeping curledup in the rocks. He leaves his den insearch for food only after the sun hasset and then returns before sunrise.The Cacomistle's kittens are born inMay or June and are furless, blind and

very helpless. There are usually three or

four in a litter. The adult Cacomistlesstart feeding their offspring meat in thethird week. When two months old, thekittens are out following their motherand learning to hunt for themselves.For an animal so rarely seen, the Caco-mistle has a surprisingly large number of

names. Cacomistle is its Aztec name; inLower California, it is called Babisuri;and it also goes under such names as"Coon-tailed" cat and "Banded-tailed"cat. Prospectors name it "Miners" cat.

The interpretation of its Latin name(Bassariscus Astusus) means "Clever Lit-tle Fox."With all of its names, this little ani-mal is not even related to the cat or foxfamily, but rather to the racoon family.S o , if you are ever in the Darwin Falls

area, I suggest you have your cameraloaded and ready to go, as I did. The pic-ture you get will be rewarding, especiallyif he is stealing a loaf of bread as this"Clever Little Fox" was trying to do.


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EXPLORINGM INERS ARE dreamers and JackKeane was dreaming of findingthe coins buried by the Jayhawker partywhen he stumbled onto ore so rich in goldthe mine sold for $150,000 before it waseven developed. Some people even claim-ed it was the "Lost Breyfogle."

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