196904 desert magazine 1969 april

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APRIL. 1 9 6 9 5 0 c

' S C H I N E S E W A L LJ A ' S E N C H A N T E D I S L A N D S


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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 PTHE CALIFORNIA DESERTS by Edmund C. Jaeger.Revised 4th edit ion is standard guide to Mohaveand Colorado deserts with new chapters ondesert conservat ion and aborigines. Hardcover.$ 4 . 9 5 .ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE by Horace Par-ker. Second edi t ion of th is wel l - i l lus t rated anddocumented book is enlarged considerably. Topsamong g uidebooks, i t is equa l ly recommendedfor research material in an area that was crossedby Anza, Ki t Carson, the Mormon Bat ta l ion,49ers , Railroad Survey part ies, Pegleg Smith, theJackass M a i l , But ter f ie ld Stage, and today 'sadventurous tourists. 139 pages, cardboardcover , $2.95.ROUGH RIDING by Dick Cepek & Walt Wheelock.Two veteran drivers have completed an excellentbook on how to drive and survive in the backcountry. Although based on driving in Baja Cal i -forn ia, the informat ion is appl icable to a l l areasof the West. This dollar book could easily saveyou many dol lars . Paperback, 36 pages, $1.00.

': MBot t l . Col lectors Handbook

BOTTLE COLLECTOR'SHANDBOOKBy JOHN T. YOUNT

This handy bottle book lists 1850 bottlesand their current market value with 17categories, including the Jim Beam series.It also tells where to sell and buy bottles,identifications, and how to tell whichbottles will turn purple. Paperback, illus-trated, 89 pages.$3.95

HISTORIC SPOTS INCALIFORNIA

THIRD REVISED EDITIONOnly complete guide to California land-marks with maps, photos and lively textcovering both historical and modern eras.Each county is explored individually andin detail. Excellent both as a referenceand travel guide. Hardcover, illustratedwith photos and maps, 641 pages.

$10.00S U N , SAND AND SOLITUDE by Randall Hender-s o n . For more than 50 years Randall Hendersonhas traveled across the deserts of the West unt i ltoday he is known as the voice and prophet ofthis region of mystery, sol i tude and beauty.Founder of Desert Ma gazin e in 19 31 , he has de-voted his l i fe to understanding the great out-doors. His second and latest book is a culmin-at ion of his experiences, thoughts and philoso-phy. Hardcover , deluxe format , deck le-edgedpaper, 16 pages ful l color, excellent i l lustrat ions,$ 7 . 9 5 .METAL DETECTOR HANDBOOK by Art Lassagne,2nd edition. Includes history, operat ing tech-niques, interpretat ion of signals, and Directoryof Manufacturers. One of the most completehandbooks of i ts k i nd . Paperback, 65 pages.$ 3 . 0 0 .100 DESERT WILDFLOWERS by Natt Dodge. A llin fu l l color . Handy to carry for ident i f icat ion.Paperback, $1.50.

100 ROADSIDE FLOWERS by Natt N. Dodge. Acompanion book to h is 100 DESERT WILDFLOW-E R S , th is book l is ts 100 f lowers growing in the4,50 0 to 7,00 0 foot levels . L ike the comp anionbook, every f lower is i l lustrated in 4-colorphotographs. Excellent to carry in car duringweekend t r ips for fami ly fun. Paperback, 64pages , $1 . 50 .GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by Nell Murbar-ger is a fast moving chronicle of Western boom-camp and bonanza. Rich in human interest aswell as authent ic history, this book covers ghosttowns of Nevada, western Utah and easternCal i forn ia. Hardcover , 291 pages. Pr ice $6.75.DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES by Lake Erie Schae-fer. The story of Frank Fish, controversial t rea-sure hunter who met a mysterious death, as toldby his close fr iend and business associate. Lastpart of book is a rehash of al leged lost minesand bonanzas. Int imate g l impses into the l i fe ofa professional t reasure hunter. Paperback, i l lus-t rated, 80 pages, $3.00.

MEXICO BY AUTO, CAMPERAND TRAILERBy CLIFF CROSS

This revised edition is an excellent guidewith information on trailer parks, butaneand ice suppliers and detailed streetguides of villages and cities. Anyonetraveling in Mexico, Baja or Yucatanshould carry this informative book anduse it before leaving to plan their trip.Paperback, large format, i l lustrated, 170pages.$3.50

TRAILS AND TALES OF BAJA by Pel Carter. Howa 65-year-o ld groom and his middle-agedbride traveled the length of Baja California inthei r 4-wheel dr ive camper is to ld in th is warmand happy book. The author gives an insightinto the loveable people of Baja a long wi thexcellent f ishing advice. Anyone who has a fearof Baja or Mexico wil l f ind the true story inthis couple's experiences. Full color photographs,206 pages, paperback, $4.80.CALIFORNIA, A Guide to the Golden State.Edited by Harry Hansen and newly rev ised, i tcontains an encyclopedia of facts from earlydays up to the Space Age. Mile by mile de-script ions to camping spots and commercial ac-commodat ions. Maps. Hardcover , $8.95.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailingCALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO

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

GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCKIESby Robert L. Brown. Wri t ten by the author ofJeep Trai ls to Colorado Ghost Towns this bookdeals with ghost towns accessible by passen-ger car. Gives direct ions and maps for f indingtowns along wi th h is tor ical backgrounds. Hard-cover , 401 pages, $6.25.BEACHES OF BAJA by Walt Wheelock. The au-thor has personal ly explored the beaut i fu lbeaches of Bafa, which, unlike those of UpperCal i forn ia, are unc lut tered and uncrowded. Hetel ls how to reach the beaches and what type oft ransportat ion is needed. A companion book toGerhard and Gul ick 's Lower Cal i forn ia GuideBook. Paperbook, i l lus t rated, 72 pages, $1.95.

FOR COMP LETE BOOK CATALOG WRITE TO DESERT MAG AZINE, PALM DESE RT, CALIFORNIA 92 2 6 0


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C O N T E N T SV olum e 32 N um ber 4

APRIL, 1969

WILLIAM KNYVETTPUBLISHER

JACK PEPPEREDITOR

ELTA SHIVELYExecutive Secretary

MARVEL BARRETTBusiness

LLOYD SHIVELYCirculation

JACK DELANEYStaf f Wr i te rBILL BRYAN

Back Country Editor

EDITORIAL OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, Palm Desert,Ca l i fo rn i a 9 226 0 . A rea Code 7 14 346 -8 144 .Unsol ici ted manuscripts and photographs notaccompanied by se l f addressed, s tamped and r ipcoded envelopes wi l l NOT be returned.ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, PalmDesert , Ca l i fo rn ia 92 260 . Phone 714 346 -81 44.Listed in Standard Rate & Data.CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT: 74-109 Larrea,Palm Desert, Cal i fornia 92260. Desert Magazineis publ ished monthly. Subscription prices.- UnitedSta tes, 1 year , $5 .0 0; 2 years, $9 .5 0; 3 years,$13 .00 . Foreign subscribers add $ 1.0 0 U. S.Currency for each year. See Subscription OrderForm in back of this issue. Al low five weeks forchange of address and be sure to send bothnew and old addresses with zip code.

4 Book Reviews5 Baja's Enchanted IslandsBy PIET VAN de MARK

10 California's Chinese WallBy ROBERTA STARRY

14 Old CharlieBy MARION HOLBROOK

17 The Dev il's LedgeBy BURRELt C. DAWSON

18 Desert ChipmunkBy K. L. BOYNTON

20 Ghosts That Haunt the DesertBy ANN CROWELL

23 Cam ping in Coyote CanyonBy ANN SHOWALTER

26 Where Yesterday Greets Tom orrowBy JACK DELANEY

3 1 Desert LilyBy PETER J. BURN S

32 Earth CookeryBy AL PEARCE

35 When Giant Lizards LivedBy VIRGINIA SCHMIDT

38 Back Country TravelBy BILL BRYAN

39 Desert Shopper39 Calendar of Western Events42 Wom ans' View Point43 Letters

DESERT is publ ished monthly by Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, Calif. Second Class Postage paid atPa lm Deser t , Ca l i f . , and a t add i t iona l mai l ingoffices under Act of March 3, 1879. Tit le regis-tered NO. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, andcontents copyrighted 1969 by Desert Magazine.Unsol ici ted manuscripts and photographs cannotbe returned or acknowledged unless ful l returnpostage is enclosed. Permission to reproduce con-tents rrust be secured from the editor in wri t ing.

APRIL COLOR PHOTOSFront Cover: Sandstone cliffs of Arizona's Oak Creek Canyonare reflected in ram water after a storm. The canyon of con-trasts along State Highway 179 is captured in the photographby David Muench, Santa Barbara, Calif. Page 22: Photograph ofcolorful Coyote Canyon in San Diego County by Bill Showalterillustrates an article by Ann Showalter. Back Cover: Bloomingyucca seem to tower over a Joshua Tree in the photo by B. M.Klus. Recent rains also should produce an abundance of springwild f lowers.


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bOOK REVIEWSUnless otherwise stated in the re-view, all books reviewed in DES-ERT MAGAZINE are availablethrough the Desert Magazine BookShop. Please add 50 cents perorder (not per book) for handlingand postage. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS MUST ALSO ADD 5 PER-CENT SALES TAX FOR THE TOTALAMO UNT OF BOOKS.

THE WEEKEND TREASUREHUNTERBy A. H. Ryan

One definition of treasure is "one whoor that which is regarded as valuable,precious or rare." Gold is treasure, butalso so are sea shells, rocks, semi-pre-cious stones and many other items, de-pending upon the value placed on themby the finder.

This is the approach the author takesin his new book about hunting for trea-sure. Like his first volume, The Week-end Gold Miner, reviewed in the Febru-ary, 1969 issue, A. H. Ryan's new bookis concise and packed with informationon what to look for and also what to dowith your treasure after you find it.

Chapters include Beach Combing,Prospecting for Gold, Sunken Treasure,Hunting Gem Stones, Lost Mines andGhost Towns, Electronic Treasure Hunt-ing and How to Make Something fromNothing. The Weekend Treasure Hunteris 76 pages, $1.95. The Weekend GoldMiner is 40 pages, $1.50. Both are paper-back.

CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PARKSBy the Editors of Sun set BooksCalifornia contains more national parksthan any other state. It also has the sec-ond and third oldest, Sequoia and Yo-semite, and the most recent, the Red-wood National Park. It also has eightnational monuments, the West's first na-tional seashore, and many state parks andother natural and historical preserves.Sunset's new edition of California Na-tional Parks, like their other excellent

guide books, is well illustrated with pho-

tographs and maps. It tells what you cansee and do, and what you cannot do, inthe parks and monuments.Subjects include Yosemite National

Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nation-al Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park,Redwood National National Park, PointReyes National Seashore and the eightnational monuments. Excellent for plan-ning vacations. Large format, paperback,slick paper, 80 pages, $1.95.WESTERN CAMPSITE DIRECTORYBy the Editors of Sunset Books

With more and more people taking tothe open road new campsites, both pri-vate and public, are being opened. Sun-set's newly revised and just publishedWestern Campsite Directory lists morethan 5000 campgrounds in the 11 westernstates and British Columbia and WesternAlberta.

Over 40 maps pinpoint exactly the lo-cations of each campground and give in-formation about each site such as accessroutes, number of units, season, trailerfacilities, limitations and recreational op-portunities, such as trails, hunting, fish-ing and weather.Anyone with a camper, trailer or justheading for the open road with campingequipment should have this book. Regu-lar large Sunset format, slick paperback,128 pages, $1.95.

HAVASU CANYON, Gem of theGrand CanyonBy foseph Wampler and Weldon Heald

Where the clear waters of HavasuCreek meet the muddy waters of the Colo-rado River in the southwest corner ofthe Grand Canyon is located what poetshave described as the Indian Shangri-laand the Land of the Blue-green Water.

Accessible only afoot or on horse backthis little known part of the Grand Can-yon is the home of the Havasupai In-dians who tend their animals and growtheir crops in a canyon of unsurpassedbeauty.Only a few hundred feet above is the

arid desert of Arizona, but below are

fantastic waterfalls and towering redcliffs of Havasu Canyon. The beauty ofthe area and the simple lives of thefriendly and hospitable Indians are thesubject of Havasu Canyon. After read-ing this book you will want to visit thisIndian Shangri-la, but even if you can'tyou will at least have had the pleasure ofseeing it through the eyes of the writers,giving you a memorable armchair ex-perience. Slick paperback, illustrated inblack and white and color, 121 pages,$2.50.HIGH SIERRA MOUNTAINW O N D E R L A N DBy Joseph Wampler and Weldon Heald

"Climb the mountains and get theirgood tidings. Nature's peace will flowinto you as sunshine flows into trees. Thewinds will blow their own freshness intoyou, and the storms their energy, whilecares will drop off like autumn leaves."

Thus did John Muir describe theSierra Nevada Mountains of Californiawhere the great naturalist lived andstudied the world about him.Every phase of the majestic mountainsare covered in this book, and, more im-portant, the writers capture the spirit ofthe areas they cover.Included among the many subjects arethe geology, climate, history, fishing,

animals and birds, flowers and trees andhow to explore and visit the mountainareas, plus many more, including a chap-ter on John Muir.Slick paperback, well illustrated, 122pages, $2.50.

A Notice toOur SubscribersDue to a malfunction in the auto-mated section of the bindery de-partment several subscribers havewritten in saying they had receivedincomplete copies of DESERT.If you are among those receivingan incorrectly bound issue pleasenotify us immediately and we willsend you a complete book. Hope-fully this is only a temporary prob-lem while the "bugs" are beingremoved from the new equipment.


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by Piet Van de Mark

M EXICO'S LONG peninsula called BajaCalifornia has lured me to hermountains, deserts and shores many times.The vacation my wife and I took alongthe Gulf Coast about 200 miles belowthe border was one of the most relaxingtimes I have spent in Baja.I had camped in Bahia Ambrosiaseveral times before, but always gone onsouth in the morning, past the chain ofsix small islands stretching 40 miles downto Punta Final where the road bends west.This time I wanted to explore these is-lands in a leisurely fashion. We hadbrought along a wide-beam 14-foot alum-inum skiff with an 18-horsepower out-board to do just that.Packing and planning for a trip intoBaja takes time, even though you havebeen there many times before. The rea-son for this is obvious: once south of thetourist areas near the border, you are onyour own. The further you venture intoBaja, the more important it becomes thatyou are well prepared. This is not theplace for a discussion on camping in

Baja. It is basically like wilderness camp-ing anywhere else; just be extra sure yourgear is complete and in good order. Ifind a checklist very helpful when pack-ing.W e crossed the border at Mexicali inthe morning, getting our tourist cardsand Mexican auto insurance at the line.Unlike mainland Mexico, car permits arenot required for Baja and clearing cus-toms requires only minutes.I generally stop in San Felipe, at the

end of the pavement 125 miles below

Baja'sEnchantedIslands


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Mexicali, to buy last minute supplies andhave a final civilized meal at Arnold'sDel Mar Cafe. Arnold Hellin is a goodman to know in San Felipe. If you needa place to stay, gas, water, cold beer, orpandulcethat delicious Mexican pastry,Arnold will steer you in the right direc-tion. He will also have the latest informa-tion on road conditions and an educatedguess about the weather.Below San Felipe are 50 miles ofgraded road to Puertecitos, a collectionof 130 trailers and houses built by Ameri-cans who want to get away from it all,but like the security of the colony. Thereis a bar and cafe here. Gas and water canusually be purchased, but do not counton it.

Puertecitos is the end of the good grad-ed road. With just 17 miles to go, youmay think you are almost at Bahia Am-brosia, however, if you are new to thissort of driving, this will prove to be thehairiest 17 miles you have ever driven.The first time over it will take severalhours, including some well-deservedsightseeing, but after the initial panicwears off you will drive it in about twohours.

You will need a pickup, carryall orJeep in good mechanical order to handlethe road with security. W e brough t ourskiff atop the specially constructed camperfor good reason: boat ramps are non-existent below Puertecitos, and the roadis not suited to trailer-pulling. Besides,the skiff is easy for two people to handleand well suited to the job ahead.

If you have ever dreamed of having aneight-mile wide bay of shimmering bluewater all to yourself, you have foundyour dream at Bahia Ambrosia. At night,when the moon rises out of the bay, youwill lie in your bedroll and marvel at thecountless stars the smog has hidden sowell. Not a night will pass without thewierd howl of coyotes in the hills beyondthe firelight.

The sunrise over the Gulf of Californiais short and almost always spectacular, abeautiful way to start the day. If youenjoy photography as much as I do, youare in your element here. I am usually upwith the first light, staggering around inthe pre-dawn glow, tripping over rocks,and trying to get my mind in gear so thatwhen I finally get to the right place atthe right time, I can take advantage ofthe situation and create at least one of

Baja California's beach es are uncrow ded, clean an d washed by clear blue water.

those memorable once-in-a-lifetime sun-rise photos.Just at dawn the bay is so still that youwill hear the porpoises playing offshore.That is quite a view over your morningcoffee. But the distant view of the islandsis even more exciting.In a light skiff this island tour can bemade in one day, though you will havelittle time for sightseeing. So, if you haveroom in your boat, and think you mightwant to stay out for several days, chuckin a bedroll and some extra chow. So, weloaded that and extra gas, water, life-jackets, parts and tool kit, tackle, cameras

and set forth across the glassy bay.Around the south end of Bahia Am-brosia lies Isla Huerfanito. Little OrphanIsland is all alone less than a mile fromshore. Though outcast from the otherislands, Huerfanito is not lacking forcompany. Her sheer rocky coastline ishome for countless thousands of sea birds.Pelicans, gulls, terns, cormorants, and thestately black frigate bird all make theirhome there.The second island, five miles south and

perhaps three miles offshore, has a fright-

ening name: El Muerto, The Dead Man.How this came to be is a matter for spec-ulation. If you have an active imagina-tion, you might pass between El Muertoand shore and see the form of a corpse,lying on its back, head to the south, armsfolded across his chest. Local fishermenwill tell you that the pre-Spanish Indiansburied their dead on these islands. Whoknows? It remains one of Baja's manymysteries.El Muerto has several small coves withsandy beaches on the west side. Any onewould make a good campsite, with goodprotection from the wind and ample

wood for fire. As we sailed into one ofthese coves, the little bay was like glasscompared to the light chop of the openwater. The remains of a huge fish hadbeen washed up on the beach. We dis-covered it was a shark, once perhaps 20feet long. The jaws were about 30 inchesacross and filled with rows of serratedteeth; the longest measured 2-3/8 inches.We fished briefly from the island,catching cabrilla, striped pargo, and eventhe ever-present trigger fish. You must

get used to the idea of throwing fish


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back since you will generally be able tocatch hundreds every day. It adds a bitof sport and makes the release faster andmore humane if you bend over the hook'sbarb with your pliers.Unlike H uerfanito, El M uerto has vege-tation and soil similar to that found onthe peninsula's shore. Cardon, somethinglike the giant saguaro cactus of the

American Southwest, cholla, and ocotillocan be seen. Wildlife is limited landbirds and reptiles, including, it is report-ed, rattlesnakes. Sea birds are found alongthe cliffs over the water and ospreysperch among the highest crags.Isla Coloradito lies another three milesto the south. Colorado, also the name ofthe river that flows into the northern tipof the gulf, means reddish in color. Thislittle red island is well named. Like Huer-fanito, Coloradito is just a huge rockwith no beach. However this trip we

found another deterrent to landingtheisland was completely surrounded by sealions.As we approached, they came out togreet us, or, more precisely, to make surewe knew our placein the boat. They

swam about the skiff barking and play-ing, occasionally brushing against thebottom, but never coming near the prop.Sea lions are not the most cooperativephoto subjects. It is difficult to get closeenough to them on the water to get aclear result, especially from the low angleof a small skiff. When a boat approachesshore, they all dive in. The most success-ful method is to climb above them witha telephoto. They will soon relax, andpermit extraordinary pictures to be taken.Four miles below Coloradito is IslaCholludo, which abounds with birds andwonderful rock fishing from the littlebass, or cabr'illa, up to the giant grouper.There are many small rocks scatteredthroughout this area that are alternatelycovered and exposed with the tide.Though fishing is good around them,even a light skiff can run aground ordamage a prop unless a watchful eye is

maintained. By this time, you may wantto get out and stretch your legs; the placeto do so is four miles south and is thelargest island in the chain.Isla San Luis, also called Salvatierra onsome charts, is about three miles long.

it's HYDRA ULICThe unique hydraul ic mechanism which ra ises t h ecamper to p can be safely operated even b y a smal lch i ld . Locks prevent accidenta l lowering. Th e top islowered quickly b y t h e s imp le tu rn o f a valve. Drivesafely at any speed w i th min imum drag a n d sway.Sit o r recl ine o n comfortable couches whi le t ravel-ing with t o p down. Alaskan camper t o p raises in sec-

onds. En joyroomy walk-in l iv ing quarters, weather t ight , h igh cei l ing, "homeaway f rom home," complete with three-burner stove,sink, cabinets, i ce b o x , beds a n d many other luxuryfea tu res. 6 FACTORIES TO SERVE YOUWrite today to the factory nearest you for free folder describing the most advanced camper on the road.

R. D. HALL MFG., INC.. 9847 Glenoaks Blvd.. Sun Valley (San Fernando Valley) California 91352. Dept. D.ALASKAN CAMPERS NORTHWEST, INC.. 6410 South 143rd Street, (Tukwila). Seattle. Wash 98168. Dept. DALASKAN CAMPER SALES, IN C, (S.F. Sacramento area) Intersection of Interstate Highway 8 0 and State 21Route 1, Box 332, Suisun City, California 94585, Dept. D.

PENNECAMP, INC., 401 W. End Ave , Manheim. Penna. 17545, Dept. 4.G. R. Grubbs Manufactur ing, Inc. d/b/aALASKAN CAMPER SALES, 9042 Longpoint Rd., Houston, Texas 77055, Dept. D.FORT LUPTON CAMPERS, INC, 1100 Denver Ave.. Fort Lupton. Colorado 80621. Dept D


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Cormorants perch on a rockbefore diving for fish into the clear

waters of the Gulf of California.Right, another fisherman baits hishook. All varieties of fish are

plentiful along the Baja coast.

Like the other islands off the Baja coast,it is of volcanic origin. The semi-circu-lar rim of about a third of the originalcrater rises to 729 feet at the southeastend of the island. A tiny lagoon, its outeredges formed by sand bars, is locatedwest of the crater. At low tide one candig up a delicious clam dinner in shortorder. The bars that form the lagoonmerge and stretch off to the west towardBahia de San Luis Gonzaga on the main-land where two small tourist fish-campsare located. This bar is exposed for morethan a mile at low spring tides.Another bar, said to be dry at times,

connects Isla San Luis with its neighbora mile to the east, La Encantada. ThisEnchanted Island that gives the popularname to the entire chain, deserves itsmysterious title. This island is a solidvolcanic plug, or core, of greying basalt,rising abruptly from the sea to 478 feet.If your first approach to La Encantadais under a tloudy and windblown day, asours was, you, too, will feel a shiver rundown your spine. At the northwest end,the cliff has fallen away to form an am-

phitheater as sheer and tall as a 30 ;story8

skyscraper. Outlying rocks add to the un-earthly image.If you work your way around the islanda few hundred yards south of the amphi-theater, you will find two lava caves halfexposed at low tide. They are perhaps 25feet in diameter. If your boat is smalland your spirit bold, you can paddle intothe eerie darkness for about 200 feet untilyou reach a tiny wet, rocky beach. Toothsnails cluster along the waterline, and thelarge black murex crawl along the tawnysand bottom. An occasional bat flips byoverhead, lending the traditional finish-

ing touch to an already spooky situation.La Encantada is an ideal island to ex-plore with a skiff, but if you enjoy a goodhike, or care to camp, San Luis offersmore comfortable quarters. The wide,shallow bay on the northwest offers thebest camping. Should you leave your boatunattended make certain that you havethe tide figured out and that the craft iswell secured to something above hightide. Incidentally, a handy thing to havewith you is the Tide Calendar available

for $1.00 from the Bureau of Mimeo-

graphing and Multilithing, University ofArizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. Youwill find ample driftwood for cookingand a cheery fire on San Luis. The lightvolcanic pumice that covers the beachseveral feet deep above high tide can beused to fashion an effective shelter fromthe wind.It has been suggested that these islandswere first called enchanted by the nativesof generations past because of the abund-ance of the weird floating rocks. After astorm, the pumice can be found all alongthe adjacent coastline of Baja.One of the most inviting places wherethe pumice washes up is to be foundabout 13 miles south on Punta Final.About five miles west of the tip of thepoint in a crescent bay is the little resortcalled the Villa Mar y Sol. Clusteredaround a small lodge are a couple ofcabins, a handful of trailers, a road event-ually passing Bahia Ambrosia, and a verynice airstrip.At this writing, the Villa Mar y Soloffers only very limited services and warm

hospitality. Be sure to try the pompano


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TIJUA

Inquisitive sea lionsfrolic onIks'rocks and swimaround boats atIsla Coloradito.Although friendly,they keep their distance.

m eMEXICANsis- :: -fSAN

fishing from the shore right in front ofthe lodge. If they are running you willcatch enough of these delicious littlefighters in a matter of minutes to feedthe entire camp. A silver spoon usuallyproduces good results.

The shelling is good everywhere in theSea of Cortez, but if you believe you havecollected everything at Bahia Ambrosiajust try the beach at Punta Final. Youwill be in for a surprise.By the time you have sailed your wayto the Villa Mar y Sol, you will havesampled the fruits of Baja and you shouldbe thoroughly hooked. What probably

appeals to you is the unspoiled virginland, uncluttered by man's careless hand.Those of us who appreciate this are for-tunate indeed, to have Baja California atour doorstep. I suppose this writing isslanted to appeal to those who share ourfeelings for Baja, to the fellow who willbury his beer cans and leave things asthey were. For you, this brief journeyamong Las Islas Encantadas can be thebeginning of a series of expeditions intothe heart of the enchanted peninsula,Baja California .

NR O S A R Y , :

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&EL CHOLLUDO?S ) M y ) ' / ' ' / ' A N t A D A !imr'''i&'Bahia San LuisGonzaga v ""I .' 9


10/44

California's

C H I N E S EW A L LB R o b e r ta S t a r r

WITH TH E remains of the G reatWall of China no longer avail-able as a tourist attraction, a Chinese wallbuilt in Southern California is an interest-ing substitute. The time defying rockwork of early mining day Chinese labor-ers and the ruins of their settlement cli-max a thirty-mile trip through history,along State Highway 178, north fromTrona. The modern, hard surfaced roadeliminates steep climbs and tortuouscurves but otherwise follows near andcrosses the old freighting route of 1873that opened up a fabulously rich miningarea.

Trona has accommodations and sup-plies for the traveler, and is the last op-portunity in many desert miles to fill thegas tank, replenish the water supply andstock up on film. The town and chemicalplants skirt the edge of an extensivewhite lake.

Little less than 100 years ago, Johnand Dennis Searles were building evapor-ative vats along the edge of the lake.They hoped to claim a marketable pro-duct from the heavy brine. Borax wasgrowing in demand, selling over the drug-store counter for 250 an ounce. TodaySearles Lake is producing wealth beyond


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Opposite page, the rock wall builtby Chinese laborers in 1873 stillsupports the old freight road.Left, Daphne Lea Martin, Long Beach,Calif.,inspects all thafs left of arock hovel in which Chinese livedwhile working on the wall.

anything the brothers thought possible;producing over 120 different chemicalsthat are shipped by truck and rail inamounts exceeding 10,000 tons per day.A short distance from the reservoir aside road to the right goes to the Tamar-isk shaded Valley Wells, pool and picnicarea, owned and maintained for the useof the American Potash Company em-ployees. A narrow dirt road to the left,usable for passenger cars, goes toward aresidence and an old car graveyard, abranch veers to the right in front of thehouse and within a few feet are thecharred ruins of a once busy way station.Such stations were spaced approximate-ly 10 miles apart or a days travel for theheavy freight wagons and long teams enroute to the new silver discovery in thePanamint Mountains. Corral for theteams, water from The Tanks, that stillstand on the mountain side to the west,and cabins for the teamsters, made thisone a favored overnight stop.The way stations along this freightroute were first developed by Meyerstein,a San Bernardino freight line, and in thelate 1890s came under the ownership ofTeagle Brothers. In the later period mine

equipment, food and liquor were hauled

from the railhead at Johannesburg to Bal-larat, Skidoo and other mining camps inDeath Valley.During the Teagle period, facilities,water and feed was open to all freighterson an honor system. Each driver noted on

a blackboard the date of his stay, theamount of hay, grain and groceries hehad used, and then he would pay for thetotal used on the trip when he returnedto Johannesburg. The workable relation-ship between the freighters and TeagleBrothers suddenly came to a halt. Return-ing freighters complained of the abusebeing imposed upon them at the waystation below The Tanks. They weredenied use of the cabins and an exorbit-ant charge for water and feed had to bepaid in cash at the time of use.Since there had been no policy change,the youngest Teagle brother gathered afew friends and rode out to check on thesituation. Like the freighters, he wasstopped at the gate by a burly strangerwho demanded payment for the use ofthe corral and more if feed and waterwas desired. Teagle was being asked topay for his own hay and grain as well asthe use of his buildings. Demanding bywhat authority he was being charged, an-other individual came out of a cabin

waving a paper which they said was thebill of sale proving their purchase fromTeagle Brothers. The mounted men level-ed their guns at the two rascals and es-corted them across the county line.This freight route still stretches acrossthe miles of desert. Not advisable forpassenger car use, it is passable for truckand four-wheel-drive vehicles. Less thana mile away hard surfaced Highway 178parallels the old route and makes a mucheasier climb up the Slate Range.Just before reaching the Slate RangeSummit the old 'Model T' road is crossedby Highway 178 and drops off to theleft between two white posts, the onlyones on that portion of the road. The oldcar road is dirt, but remains obvious andusable at this point for any type vehicle.In the flat area, less than a mile from thenew highway and still in view of High-way 178 is a good parking area. Shorthikes in any direction from this spot willreveal interesting discoveries.Signs of wild burros show up in asandy path crossing the parking area.They have passed this way to water dayafter day through the years since theprospectors turned them loose to fend forthemselves. The observant person may

11


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Basalt rock circles are evidently of Indian origin. In the backg round are the wa lland freight road over which giant wa gons carried heavy loads over the moun tains.

\Pajiamtnt Springs

0/dFreight Route :""Indian S/gns

" Chinese Camp

Way Station VALLEY WELLSReservo/r

well see the tips of their ears as theystand just out of sight, watching the un-aware visitor. They bother no one.Indian signs are here too; circles ofblack basalt rock and a large arrowheadpointing east continues to baffle studentsof early man.To the north the old car road joins thefreight route and the cut is plainly visible

as it climbs to where 178 cuts across itright at the summit. Condition of thissection of road is unpredictable as rainrunoff cuts away part of the road bed. Atthe summit the old freight wagon andcar road is seldom seen by present daytravelers as the spectacular, panoramicview of the Panamint Range and valleydraws all the attention.A turn-out spot, ideal for viewing thearea is also a good parking place for theless venturesome who would rather hikethan drive the eastern section of the wornfreight road.Entering the cut at the summit, thenarrow dirt route is a one way, no turnaround for three miles and then comesout on a flat mesa less than half waydown to the valley floor. The ancientroad is held along the mountain side bya Chinese-built rock wall. In August,1873, Senator Stewart furnished 45 Chin-ese laborers to work with pick, shoveland wheelbarrows in an all-out effort tofill all washes and cut down steep inclines

from Cajon Pass, out of San Bernardino,to the newly discovered mines in the Pan-amint Mountains. Additional workerswere added, and by the time they reachedSlate Range Summit in September theChinese numbered over 100.In October of the same year, freightbegan moving over the new road and byDecember 300 ton of mixed freight wascoming into the area every month. The1873-75 demand for supplies causedgreat stock piles of material to accumu-

late in San Bernardino and is creditedwith creating the first building boom inthat settlement.Almost as soon as the great wagonsbegan to roll toward the Panamint minesa stage was put into operation from LosAngeles, a three day trip over 225 roughmiles for a fare of $35.00. Investors andeager miners found it a long trip withbreathtaking curves and inclines straightdown rock strewn canyons. Wrecks ofwagons that skidded out of control ortipped over while trying to reach the bot-


13/44

torn of the Slate Range are mute evidenceto the hazards of the narrow road.The long section of rock from High-way 178 to the mesa has withstood heavyuse and weather. Examination of the wid-est parts of the wall show the fit of onerock against the other in solid support tothe road bed that hangs out over space asit inches down the mountain side.On the mesa, just before the longstraight pitch to the valley floor, are rockruins of the Chinese shelters. The oneroom structures were only long enoughfor the five-foot or less Chinese; moreluxuriant buildings had a small openfire pit at one end for cooking andwarmth. Mesquite or boards from wreck-ed wagons provided a makeshift overhead cover.Hard working men, the Chinese re-ceived little pay for their labor in the sunand wind. After completing the road

down the Slate Range they were restingand waiting possible work in the minesthat were just opening up. They kept tothemselves, bothering no one, but in thetent covered saloons of the new campshard feelings were growing, nourishedby liquor. Talk built that the Chinesewere a threat to white men by taking theemployment that should be theirs.Two renegades interested only in easymoney and status, John McDonald andJohn Small, thought they would gain

lasting respect and prestige if they couldrid the country of the Chinese. NewYears Eve seemed like an ideal time tohave the joy of getting rid of the orien-tals, especially after many drinks andmuch over-the-bar discussion of the situ-ation. Most of the revelers were asleepwhen the two men decided to raid theChinese camp, but they found a few stag-gering admirers to accompany them inthe advance on the sleeping Chinese.Bombarding the hovels with rocks,

the renegades soon had the orientals run-ning towards sheltering canyons. Theyshot at them like wild animals. Anywinter night, high on the Slate Range isa cold experience, but to be fleeing forones life without an opportunity to gatherneeded clothing would be near fatal. Howmany Chinese perished in the freezingtemperature and dark pathless canyonswas never estimated. Only rock ruinsscattered across the mesa and hillside re-main to tell of the tragedy that wipedout the builders of the rock wall.

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14/44

O l dC h a r l i ey Marion Holbrook

The first womanto vote inCalifornia cast herballot long beforewornens' suffrage.But when"Old Charlie" votedno oneknewshe was a woman!

I l lustrat ion reprinted from ViaWestern Expressand Stagecoach by Professor Winther,University of Nebraska Press.

C HARLIE PARKHURST, commonly called"Old Charlie," or "Charlie theWhip," was one of the finest and bestknown stage drivers in California duringthe 1850s. Miners on the way to their dig-gings, or prospectors taking their golddust to the bank, preferred to ride withCharlie. They knew his fast and skillfuldriving assured them of reaching theirdestination safely and on time. What theydidn't know was that this tall, broad-shouldered, dark-skinned person was awoman! Nor did anyone learn this factuntil Charlie died at the age of 67 in theyear1879.

In 1829,Ebenezer Balch, keeper of aninn and livery stable at Worcester, Massa-chusetts, was confronted one evening bya person of seventeen years asking forwork. Mr. Balch looked at this young in-dividual who was cleanly dressed in ill-fitting boy's clothing and said, "Youlook like a strong young-one. Work hardfor me and I'll make a man of you." Hiswords proved to be prophetic. Possiblyit was the need of the job that led Char-lie to accept it in the guise of a boy, andas time wore on found it impossible to.ched the masquerade.

Work hard she did, with good willand a tremendous amount of energy,pitching hay, washing carriages, andfhoveling manure. Mr. Balch soon real-ized Charlie loved horses and had anatural affinity for handling them. Hestarted training Charlie to drive firsttwo, then four, and soon six horses.

In the early 1840s Balch moved tothe What Cheer House in Providence,Rhode Island, and took Charlie withhim. Charlie soon achieved a reputationfor expert driving, and was in demandby the wealthiest families when theywished to hire a coach. It was quite aspectacle to watch Charlie's deft hand-ling of six spanking greys as she drovedown the street.

Tn 1849, JimBirch and Frank Stevens,friends of Charlie, joined the Gold Rushto California. By 1851 they had estab-lished the California Stage Company andsent for Charlie. She had saved $700 sowent to California by boat through theIsthmus of Panama. (continued)

1 4


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Charlie soon became known as one ofthe fastest and most expert drivers on theold Pioneer Route to Virginia City, andlater on runs from Stockton to Mariposa,Oakland to San Jose, San Juan to SantaCruz, and Sacramento to Placerville. Sheseemed to drive by instinct, luck andsheer nerve. No story about Charlie iscomplete without telling about the timea distinguished passenger, who had beenprivileged to ride on the box next toCharlie, asked how she could possibly seeto drive through the dark and fog on thenarrow, boulder-strewn road. Charlie'sanswer was that "I can tell where theroad is by the sound of the wheels. Whenthey rattle I'm on hard ground; whenthey don't rattle I generally look over

with Sugarfoot in their lead, poked asawed-off shotgun at Charlie and told herto throw down the treasure box, alwayskept under the driver's seat to carry golddust and other valuables. There was noth-ing else for Charlie to do so she complied,but shouted angrily at Sugarfoot that"I'll be ready for you next time." Twomonths later, when Sugarfoot made an-other attempt to rob the stage, Charliewas ready. Whirling the horses quicklyabout she tried to stampede the banditsin the dusty road, at the same time draw-ing a .44 from under her coat. She killedSugarfoot and wounded two of his com-panions.Despite all the stories of Charlie'sdaring and bravado as a driver, off her

nickname, "Cock-eyed Charlie."In the late 1860s methods of transpor-tation improved and there was littleprofit to be made in driving stage. Bythat time, too, Charlie was growing oldand tired from her strenuous life. Sheopened a halfway house between Watson -ville and Santa Cruz, furnishing refresh-ments for rsn and beast. She managedthis successfully and later bought a small

ranch.It was during this period that Charliedecided to register as a voter, fifty yearsbefore woman suffrage. On the registerof Santa Cruz County, California, in1867, is listed "Charlie Darkey Parkhurst,age 55, occupation farmer, native NewHampshire, residence Soquel." After

the side to see where she's going. Besides,when I'm a little skeer'd I chew my'backer more than ordinary. Then I knowthe road's bad."

One story about Charlie's recklessnesstells of the time she came to a bridgecrossing the Tuolumne River. The waterwas high from a recent storm, swirlingand lapping around the bridge whichwas creaking and swaying. Others mighthave turned back, but Charlie snappedthe whip over the heads of the leadhorses without a moment's hesitation,urging them across as fast as they couldgo . Just as they reached the other sidethe bridge tore loose from its mooringand was carried away downstream.

This dauntless individual also wascredited with killing a bandit named"Sugarfoot," known for the burlap sackshe wore around his feetrumor has ithis feet were too large to fit into shoes.Shortly after Charlie started driving stageon the run from Stockton to Mariposaseveral bandits jumped from the brush,16

coach she was known to be quiet and re-served. She would not discuss her earlylife and always lived alone. She was kind,accommodating to passengers, and wasknown to be charitable.Fine clothing was considered a markof success for all stage drivers and Char-lie was no exception, being especiallyvain about her dress. She wore hand-tailored coats, a huge Texas style hat, andexpensive embroidered buckskin gloveswhich were seldom removed from hersmall, strong hands. Maybe to disguise

any sign of femininity, Charlie alwayswore tucked-front shirts, with a wideleather belt.How would anyone have guessed thatthis person was a woman"he" smoked,drank in moderation, chewed tobacco,and occasionally sat in a poker game withthe boys. She could swear with the bestof them when angered. In later years, herlooks were not improved by the loss ofone eye which necessitated the wearingof a black patch, causing an additional

Charlie's death, the Santa Cruz HistoricalSociety erected a plaque to honor thefirst "woman" to vote in California.Severe rheumatism caused Charlie togive up ranching. She retired and went tolive on the Moss Ranch near Watson-ville. She lived quietly and alone, therheumatism growing more painful andcancer of the tongue developing. She re-fused treatment and died on December28th, 1879.After Charlie's death and the subse-quent furor over the discovery that shewas a woman, many fantastic and ficti-tious stories were printed about heroneto the effect that she had once had achildbut nothing of this nature hasever been proven. As far as is known shewas a person of morals, well liked andrespected by all with whom she came incontact. Today her remains lie in theOdd Fellows Cemetery in Watsonville,and those who revere her memory stillplace fresh flowers on her grave.


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DEVILS LEDGE

by Burrell C. DawsonWH A T TH E devil has, thedevilkeeps. Somewhere inthe sandhell ofthe Devil's Playground south ofBaker, California, is aledge studded withrich gold nuggets. So far the devil guardshis treasure well. The only man to everrob him of asingle nugget perished fromthe theft.Early in1933 astranger appeared inBaker, bought supplies, and remarked hewas going prospecting in theDevil'sPlayground. This caused little comment

as gold was being mined inOld DadMountain on thefringe of thesandwaste.One morning aweek later aMr. Proc-tor who owned afilling station on thehighway inCronese Valley chanced tolook out arear window. There he saw aman lying on a small hill a hundredyards southwest of the station. Mr. Proc-tor was not surprised tofind him fargone indehydration. Adoctor was sentfor and first aid applied but itwas no

u s e , the man died.The doctor went through the man'spockets for identification andfoundnone. There was nothing in them excepta nuggeta nugget as thick as aman'sthumb and asbig around as aman'sthumbnail.In July, 1933 Albert G. Walker and acompanion, Glenn Smith, set out fromBaker tofind the dead man's gold. Nostranger to the district, Albert had reasonto believe he knew where the gold came

from. To look atAlbert Walker todayno one would ever suspect this friendlymild fellow of attempting torob HisSatanic Majesty and ofalmost losing hislife inthe process. Today Albert is amining geologist practicing out ofCoarsegold, Madera County, California.But in 1933 Albert was 33 years younger,not long out of mining school at Socorro,New Mexico, and decidedly full of beans.So at six o'clock inthe morning theyleft Baker for one particular spot intheDevil's Playground.

The route they chose took them 10 to15 miles towards Barstow before turningto the left onto alittle used road leadingsouthward tothe Union Pacific tracks.Here the road turned east and kept paral-lel tothe tracks until a small section

camp was reached. At this place the roadgave upaltogether. From here it wasacross country on the roadless sand dunes.

The dunes were not high atfirst butgrew insize the farther east they gotuntil the sand hills were 15 feet high.Here the rightful owner ofthe gold gotin his licks. Upon sailing atfull speedup and over the crest of one dune Albertand Glenn found themselves in asteepwalled blow-hole. They didn't make itout the other side.At first there was light-hearted banter,

then aserious note. Without speedalltheir vehicle did was dig into the axles.This meant jacking upeach wheel inturn, filling up thehole, spreadingContinued on Page 42

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18/44

S EED STUFFER, sun lover, the antelopeground squirrel, or desert chipmunk,has desert living down so pat he can stayon the job twelve months of the year.None of this cold-weather hibernatingroutine for him.No closing up shop during the sum-mer's skyrocketing heat. With an impu-dent jerk of that white tail, he continues

blithely about his squirrely business.Dashing about frolicking and eating, he'sunconcerned that the brazen sun is ham-mering the parched earth, or that theshimmering heat has sent other smallrodents into their furrows to wait fornight, or perhaps even into long-termsummer torpidity.Now this causes considerable surpriseamong scientists. How can little Ammos-permophilus leucurus (desert-seed-lover-white tail) as he is known in polite scien-

tific circles, go on flourishing when forall scientific reasons he should be very,very dead?For it is well known that any animalhas only a limited body temperature with-in which it can operate normally and ef-ficiently. If its temperature falls muchbelow, or rises much above this normalrange, its body has to expend great ener-gy to bring the temperature back intoline. If it cannot do so before a criticalpoint is reached, the animal dies. In thecase of too-high temperature, water lossis also involved, putting a much greaterstrain on the body.How long and how well an animalcan keep functioning with rising tem-peratures depends on how its body cantolerate heat, and right here, the desertground squirrel goes to the head of theclass.

D e s e r tC h i p m u n kby K. L Boynton

1969

Desert biologists Bartholomew andHudson found that a body temperatureas high as 107 degrees does not botherthe animal, its internal machinery tick-ing along quite normally. The squirrelis neither expending energy nor losingwater by panting or sweating to cool off.His temperature merely rises with that ofthe air. In fact, it remains a degree or sohigher so that the animal is actually hot-ter than the air about him, and so isbeing cooled constantly by radiation.The squirrel also has to unload heat.Normally he retires to his burrow for ashort time. When his temperature againdrops to the comfortable zone, he's outagain. At the peak of summer, he knocksoff for a noonday siesta. Under severeheat stress and with no chance to avoid it,the squirrel begins to drool and, using hispaws, moistens his head and shoulders.But such water loss cannot go on long,

although he can stand dehydration muchbetter than other small animals.The squirrel meets this second bigchallenge of the desert in two ways: byactually manufacturing some moisturemetabolically from starches, but mostlyby conserving every possible drop througha marvelously efficient kidney system.Extra long kidney tubules provide vastareas for reabsorption of water from hisurine, which is finally voided in a form10 times more concentrated than body

fluids, squirrel internal affairs being ad-justed to stand this toxic accumulation.Again, thanks to his kidneys, the ani-mal can drink water three times saltierthan sea water, so he can make use withgusto of almost any desert freewater hecan find, highly mineralized as it is aptto be. His burrow being his best friend,the squirrel makes a good one, deepenough to be cool, and with the odd-shaped entrance squeezed in under arock edge, or among tough shrub roots to

discourage coyotes or foxes from digginghim out. He makes a big deal about haul-ing excavated dirt away, so there is notelltale mound at the entrance. Still, he'sinconsistent, as during grasshopper sea-son he may sit just outside his entrancechomping on these insects and flingingdown pieces of wing and what not, sothe husks of previous meals are a deadgiveaway that somebody is in residence.The home burrow consists of a tubestraight down, which gradually levels

off, with an enlarged bedroom and a18


19/44

couple of seed storehouses for winterdining.An animal's home range is that area ittraverses finding food, mating and raisingits family, and while it does not getaround all this territory daily, it does sofrequently enough to know the area well.The antelope ground squirrel's homerange is just short of 15 acres, which isa lot of desert. Located at strategic spotsare emergency holes and burrows. Theseare simple burrows, without bed cham-bers or storerooms.This unusually large home range is astrong survival factor, for it gives thesquirrel a wider chance at what sparsefood supply there is. Still, it requiresgetting around pretty fast. Speedy loco-motion is simple for this fellow. Hisusual gait is a galloping broad jump,wherein he may touch the earth only at6 to 12 inch intervals a very good

method of covering long stretches andhandy also for keeping off the hotground.This squirrel depends on sight for foodand safety. His large eyes encompass awide field, and the cells of the retinaare all conescells whose business it isto provide extremely sharp vision.Cone cells in man, primates and birdswork additionally to discriminate colors.So zoologists Crescitelli and Pollack won-dered if by chance they might work the

same way here, although mammals likeground squirrels and other rodents, dogs,cats and the like are believed to live in agrey world. A test was devised. Theground squirrels were fine pupils, brightand active. They caught on right away.The set-up consisted of three adjoiningcages, separated by movable gates. Thetwo end cages contained the problems:a series of port holes each illuminated bya different color light. Under each porthole was a bar, which when pressed, re-

leased the reward in the center cage IFthe squirrel picked out the right port.The lights were presented at random, andchanged around constantly, all colorsbeing of the same luminosity. Location ofthe reward delivery in the center cageaway from the problems ruled out anyhelp by the sense of smell.The squirrels were trained, at thesound of a buzzer and when the gateswere lifted, to study over the ports of-fered in the two end cages; then to

scamper into the correct cage, pick out

the blue light, press the bar under it anddash back to the center cage to collectthe reward of a big sunflower seed. Ascore of 90.4 percent perfect was madeby the male contestant out of 560 trials,and the female, not to be outdone,promptly matched it. Thus ground squir-rels showed they can see blue, at least,and select it from other offerings. Bothflunked the orange light test.Being omnivorous, the squirrel exploitsin warm weather the food potential ofthe desert to the fullest. With the seedstoring habit, and a shift to heavy furunderwear, the animal is well equippedfor winter. Simple does it in grocery stor-ing, too, for these squirrels tote the seedshome in the built-in market baskets intheir cheeks. This is one reason why theentry doors of the burrows are some 2-3inches wide and flat oval in shape, toallow enough space for the distended

face to get through. Carrying capacity ispretty good, one count showed a cargoof 187 cactus seeds (opuntia) stowedaboard.About the middle of February in thelower deserts and March in the higher,the erstwhile fairly straight lines ofsquirrel footprints from burrow to seedbush and other choice feeding spots be-gin to take on a very erratic design:'round and 'round, up and over thegravelly washes, up to a bush and, after

a mighty leap, down the other side, allsuggesting that somebody is pursuingsomebody. And since all the tracks areleft by squirrel feet, Sherlocks amongzoologists deduce that the Spring SocialSeason is indeed in full swing.Subsequent events substantiate the ob-servation, for by April or May bouncingfamilies numbering 8 or 9 to a batch areon the scene. And while there is only onelitter per year, the youngsters are shovedout of their own by the time they are less

than half grown. This is about par forrodent offspring debuts into the world,but it's rough on the assorted juniorswho, while able to forage food for them-selves, have a lot to learn about coyotes,kit foxes and hawksthe first lessonbeing the last, in too many cases.But in the face of little learning and avery hostile environment, enough youngones still make it each year to put the an-telope squirrel among the most commonanimals in the deserts of the greatSouthwest.

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REPUBLISHED BYPOPULAR DEMAND

Nevada'sTurbulentYesterdayBy DO N ASHBAUGH

Westernlore Ghost Town SeriesHell Raising Boom Townsof a Thousan d Killings!Factual in every detail yet as exciting as anovel , Nevada's Turbulent Yesterday istops in its field. For 10 years as Sundayeditor of the Review Journal, the late DonAshbaugh collected material for his book.Now back in print, this excellent book is amust for arm chair adventures as well asactive explorers. Hard cover, 349 pages, 67priceless historical photographs. Price: $7.50plus 50 cents for mailing. Calif, residentsadd 38 cents sales tax. Send check or moneyorder t o DESERT MAGAZINE BOOKSHOP, Palm Desert , Calif. 92260. Pleaseinclude your zip code.

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by Ann Crowell

HV E Y O U ever wondered why south-west desert buffs so often explorethe lonely cactus country by moonlight?The answer is simple. They hope to meetup with that camel. It's only on moon-light nights that he's ever seen, so thelegend goes.Oh, they won't admit this reason. For

nowadays, people grin at the tale abouta camel that yet roams the sand-sweptvastness of New Mexico, Texas, Arizonaand California. But General DouglasMacArthur recalled seeing wild drome-daries in New Mexico when he was aboyso why co uldn't one still be around ?Many an old-time prospector insists thereare even two or three.And it's a fact that if you had been inSouthern California during 1858 youcould have seen a camel brigade swathed

in oriental splendor being led across the

desert wastes of what is now Hollywoodand Vine. It wasn't part of a circuseither. Railroads were slow in buildingout to the far west after the Gold Rush,so someone came up with the idea ofhaving the army import camels for trans-portation.The first 32 landed on the coast of

Texas in 1856 and another 75 not longafter. A year later, camels were haulinggrain and being used in construction, aswell as for transportation. By I860, regu-lar camel stations had been set up alongthe route from Texas to California. Evenprivate citizens were importing them toreplace horses and mules.Jefferson Davis, who had sponsoredthe experiment, became so enthused thathe urged Congress to authorize the pur-chase of a thousand more. If it hadn't

been for the Civil War the day might20

G H O S T S H A U N T T H E D E S E R T


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have come when the humped creatureswere as much a part of the western sceneas cattle.But the nation's interest in these ani-mals died out with the flaring of its in-ternal struggle. Union officers and menwere soon prejudiced against the pet pro-ject of the man who headed the Confed-eracy and his plan for camels in Americawas doomed.As more and more troops were neededin the east, the southwest's forts wereabandoned and the camels turned loose.Jeff Davis' dream of using dromedariesto hunt Indians was reversed when mostof the strays ended up as steaks and chopsfor Apaches. Though some were sold tocircuses or private outfits, most justwandered away.Congress had been thrown into hyster-ics when a camel service was first pro-posed but the idea of these animals inAmerica is not too ludicrous. After all,this is where they began and where themajor part of their development tookplace.The first camel evolved in this coun-try nearly 50 million years ago. It was nobigger than a jack rabbit. Fossils found inthe central part of the United States

r v ii Lshow an almost continuous series ofteeth, but Propylopus (this first camel)had other characteristics quite typical ofpresent day camels.

Though his limbs were short and hisfront feet had four toes, the side toesfaded rapidly. Even in very early fossilthey had disappeared completely. And astime went on, the camel's two-toed hoofsadapted into spreading, padded feet forwalking through sand.

Interesting changes were also takingplace in his teeth. The molars becamehigh crowned and long and, eventually,the front teeth were replaced by a hornypad. This horny pad, working with thespoon-shaped lower incisors, made anexcellent device for cropping the plantson which he fed.As the animal's development continued,

the length of his neck increased along

with his legs which became long fromrunning to escape flesh-eating mammals.Though some camels remained small,most became medium sized or even verylarge, and during their evolution severalside branches appeared. However, all ofthese died out. By the time camels leftNorth America there were only the twogenera, Camelus and Lama.Why they deserted the country of theirorigin is not known. The Ice Age wasnot the cause, for camels didn't vanishfrom the continent until the last of theglaciers had begun to retreat. Nor isthere any evidence that flesh-eating mam-mals were the reason. There have beenmany theories as to why this family andother great dominant animals migrated,but no one really knows. As if obeyingsome mysterious urge, the llamas headedsouth while the camels pushed north toAlaska, and crossed into Asia by the land

route that then connected the two contin-ents. The Old World environment provedfavorable and through the centuriescamels grew into great powerful beasts.There is no way of determining atwhat point the hump was developed. Asit contains no bone, this compartmentwhich stores fat for the animal's needsdoes not show up in skeletons. But it isthought to be of late acquisition and isone reason why the creatures are valuedas cargo carriers.By drawing nourishment from itshump a camel can travel several dayswithout other food or water. Since earliestBiblical times, it has been the chiefbearer of merchandise across the white-hot sands of Old World deserts.But despite its servitude to man sinceages out of the past, none of the camelfamily has ever grown fond of the hu-man race. And therein may lie the reasonthey left North America. It is known that

they didn't become extinct here untilafter man arrived.The last of the Asian imports is saidto have died in 1934. But who knowshe could still be around. Feeling as theydo about us, if one is alive now he wouldno doubt keep himself hidden. So thenext time you're on the desert at night,look sharp. You might see a camel. Ifyou spy a strange shadow wiith four legsand a humpwell, it may be a giantsahuaro. Bt if it movesit's alive! Un-

less, of course, it's a ghost.

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

T R E A S U R E L O C A T O R '

m" C O M M A N D E R " 7 2 0T h i s G o l d a k T r e a s u r eLocator is unsurpassed forlocat ing bur ied t reasure,coins. Civil War relics andfor beachcombing. Features"Tell-Tone" Signal. Locatesany metal object under dirt,sand, mud, rock, etc. Nocumbersome cordscom-pletely transistorized, bat-tery powered.When it com es to find-ing your pot of gold, gowith the leader go withGoldak!

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Start out rightsend $1.00 pre-paid for authentic gold-platedreplica of a Spanish doubloonfound off Cape Kennedy.G O L D A K C O M P A N Y , I N C .1101-AAirWayGlendale, California 91201

~] Please send free literature on GOLDAK trea-sure locators.D I enclose $1.00 prepaid for my gold-plateddoubloon replica with pouch.Name Address -CityState _ Z i p -

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CampinginCoyoteCanyonby Ann ShowalterPhotos by Bill Showalter Map of C oyote Canyon is posted at Anza-Borrego State Parkbound ary. It's best to sketch map before exploring the ca nyon.

In 1774 Juan Bautista de Anza, leading a small group of soldiersand missionaries, discovered Coyote Canyon on his way to Alta California.Toda y the verdant canyon is a favorite area for mod ern explorers.

Yo u HAVE a problem. You like des-ert camping. You enjoy the quiet,unhurried atmosphere. You love theclear, fresh air and the warmth of thedesert sun. But once in a while you feelit would be nice to have a shady tree tolaze under, and maybe a rippling streamrunning by your campsite. The solutionto your dilemma lies in San Diego Coun-ty, within a few hours drive of almostany point in Southern California.Located in the northwest corner ofAnza-Borrego State Park, Coyote Canyonoffers the desert camping enthusiast aperfect place for weekend outings or avacation. Here, you can relax in the shadeof willows, dangle your feet in the coolwaters of Coyote Creek, and forget theproblems that plague you in our crowdedcities. But don't get too comfortable.Plan to spend some time exploring thishistoric area where you'll discover rem-nants of Coyote Canyon's fascinating pastat every bend in the road.As you drive up the unpaved road lead-ing to Coyote Canyon, you pass the now

inactive De Anza Ranch. "Doc" Beattyhomesteaded the ranch in 1909, and itwas here he held open house for theprospectors, cattlemen and homesteaderswho passed in and out of the canyonduring that period. "Doc" was an indus-trious pioneer and a far-sighted man. Heblazed the way for automobile travel intoBorrego Valley by using a mule-drawnscraper to construct a crude road from thevalley to Truckhaven on Highway 86. Hesaw the potential in the year-round watersof Coyote Creek and diverted water tohis ranch for irrigation. "Doc" Beattywas also among those who conceived theidea to build a monument to the legend-ary prospector, Pegleg Smith. Today, DeAnza Ranch is privately owned, so donot enter the property, but continue northto the Anza-Borrego State Park boundary.

Many of the available maps of CoyoteCanyon are vague, but an excellent oneis posted at the park boundary. If youplan to explore the upper reaches of thecanyon, stop here and make a sketch ofthe map to carry with you while you

travel. Remember that within the con-fines of the State Park, Coyote Canyon'sabundant plant and animal life is pro-tected, no fires are permitted and vehiclesare restricted to established routes oftravel.

Just beyond the park boundary markeris the popular, primitive camping area atthe mouth of Coyote Canyon. Each week-end, the open, sandy landscape is dottedwith vacationers who have come withtents, campers, 4-wheel-drive vehicles,motorcycles, or just a backpack and a pairof stout boots. There are no facilitiesprovided other than a few litter contain-ers. But this very lack of defined camp-ing spaces leaves you the freedom tochoose any spot along the banks ofCoyote Creek for your campsite. With alittle caution for soft sand, you can easilyreach this area by passenger car. A fewskillful drivers even maneuver smallcamping trailers over dirt trails to thewater's edge.The breach between the Santa Rosaand San Ysidro Mountains which forms

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Coyote Canyon narrows to a point wherethe canyon is choked by willows and themain road drops into the creek bed. Youwill need a back country vehicle to passthrough this jungle-like growth and ex-plore the upper reaches of the canyon. Ifyou don't have one, you can rent 4-wheel-drive vehicles by the hour or day at the76 Union and Mobile service stations inBorrego Springs.Lower Willows, Middle Willows, andUpper Willows are three appropriatelynamed landmarks in the canyon. Amongthese dense growths of desert willow andtrue willow are the springs which feedCoyote Creek. Lower Willows is the siteof Santa Catarina Spring, as it was namedby the Anza expeditions.Juan Bautista de Anza made the firstof two trips through Coyote Canyon in1774. The first journey was a trail-blaz-

ing expedition to open a land route fromSonora, Mexico to the remote Spanishoutposts in Alta California. The follow-ing year, Anza again traversed the can-yon, this time leading a large group of

men, women and children destined forthe settlement at Monterey. While camp-ed at Santa Catarina Spring, the colonistssaw "several Indians on the tops of thehills, hiding among the rocks, totallynaked, and so wild that they appearedlike fauns."As they ascended the canyon the Span-iards passed an Indian village near the

springs at Middle Willows. Anza calledto the Indians and showed them someglass beads, but only one woman wasbrave enough to come near and accept thegift. The Indians at another village nearUpper Willows were not so hesitant. Themen of the village poured out of theircrude homes among the rocks, shoutingand gesturing angrily as the colonistspassed. Now, only bits of broken potteryand the boulders blackened by smokefrom cooking fires serve as silent remind-ers that Coyote Canyon was once an In-dian community.

Above Lower Willows, Coyote Canyonopens into a wide valley bearing the nameof its first homesteader, John Collins.

Collins Valley is criss-crossed with jeeptrails. One leads directly up the valley,following the creek bed. Others veerwest toward Indian, Cougar, and SheepCanyons in the San Ysidro Mountains.Tucked away in these tributary canyons,native palms grow singly and in groupswhere water seeps from the rugged hills.The numerous caves in the rocky hillsideswere used by Indians for living quartersand to cache their meager food supplies.A small campground is located inSheep Canyon. To reach it, keep to theleft when the road forks at Lower Wil-lows and follow it some three milesacross the sandy floor of Collins Valley.Park signposts have been erected at manyof the crossroads to help you find yourway. Sheep Canyon Campground offersramada shaded tables and sanitary facili-ties, but no water. Although the rangeroutpost at the campground has beenabandoned, Coyote Canyon area is pa-trolled daily.If you feel up to a fairly rugged, quar-ter-mile climb, take the hiking trail at

Sheep C anyon campground can be reached by backcountry vehicle or hiking. There is a spring andpalm trees above the campground.

With some caution for soft sand, the first primitivecampground on Coyote Creek can be reachedby passenger car in dry weather.


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the upper edge of Sheep Canyon Camp-ground. This trail leads to a beautifulgrove of palms and a spring. The waterflowing over the rocks forms a delight-ful series of small waterfalls.As you leave Sheep Canyon, followthe left fork northeast across CollinsValley until you rejoin Coyote Creek andhead up Coyote Canyon toward Middle

Willows. The sometimes sandy, some-times boulder-strewn road dips in andout of the creek bed as you near MiddleWillows. To the west of the creek a hillcovered with huge boulders juts out intothe canyon. Indians lived in the cavesformed by these weather-stained bouldersand broken bits of their storage pots(ollas) still litter the ground. Watch forsigns of bighorn sheep. A herd of about50 bighorn sheep roams the mountainssurrounding Coyote Canyon and parkrangers report that these majestic crea-tures are frequently seen in the MiddleWillows area.

You cross the Anza-Borrego Parkboundary and enter Riverside County

approximately one and one-half milesup Coyote Canyon from Middle Willows.Near Upper Willows, two miles beyondthe park boundary, is the "white child"monument. Senora Gertrudis Linares, amember of Anza's second expedition,gave birth near this spot on ChristmasEve, 1775. Her child, Salvador Ignacio,was once thought to be the first whitechild born in California.At Upper Willows the road leaves thecreek bed, passes an old stone ranchhouse, ascends the Anza Ridge. Fromthis point, about 16 miles of relativelyeasy driving over a forest truck road willtake you to State Highway 14 near thetown of Anza. The total distance fromBorrego Springs through Coyote Canyonto Anza is about 40 miles.Finding Coyote Canyon for the firsttime may prove difficult. Anza-BorregoState Park surrounds the growing com-munity of Borrego Springs and parkboundaries are interspersed with sectionsof private land where no directional

signs are posted. There is a small signpointing the way to Coyote Canyon, butyou need detailed directions to even lo-cate the sign. The simplest way to reachthe canyon is to drive directly to Christ-mas Circle in the center of BorregoSprings, then head north on BorregoSprings Road until it rounds a curve andbecomes Henderson Canyon Road. To theleft, shortly after the curve, an unpavedroad heads north two and one-half milesto the park boundary at the mouth ofCoyote Canyon.Or you can, with a 4-wheel-drive ve-hicle, enter Coyote Canyon from thenorth by taking a paved road from StateHighway 71 near Anza to Terwilligerand then the back country road fromthere. It is best to ask how to find theroad to Coyote Canyon at the Terwilligergrocery store.Whether you enter Coyote Canyonfrom the south or the north you will finda land of peace and tranquilityjustas the Spaniards did more than 200 yearsago.

To BORREG

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WHEREYESTERDAY...

A WAGON TRAIN coming from Texasto California in 1879 arrived atGila Bend (Arizona Territory) with prac-tically no water and only a few beans forfood. Three days later a woman memberof the train gave birth to a baby girlweighing only two pounds. Because ofthe hardships suffered during the trip,the mother had no milk so her littlebaby's first food was bean soup!Shortly after the birth, an Indian chief

and several members of his tribe rode upto the camp and demanded to see the"White Papoose"they had never seena white baby. The next day he returnedwith a supply of fine pelts and tried tobargain for the baby. Accepting a de-cision of "no bargain," the Indians de-parted, but returned again the followingday with a number of fine horses. Whenthis effort to obtain the baby failed, thechief stood with his arms crossed overhis chest and very calmly said, "I take"and then rode off!26

The leaders of the wagon train werso alarmed they packed immediatelycrossed the river, and traveled as fast anas far as possible away from the areaFortunately, they were not pursued, andfinally made their way to California. ThIndians involved in this incident were othe Papago tribe who still live in Southern Arizona. The baby, who started lifon bean soup, had a full and interestingexistence for 89 years. She passed awayrecently as Mrs. Minnie Hotchkiss of thTemecula area of Southern California.

This is mentioned as an example ofthe sturdiness of the inhabitants of present-day Temecula. No one knows exactlyhow old the town is, as it was the capitaof an Indian Empire long before whitepioneers arrived. Originally, it was calledTemeku which means "The Reflection ofthe Rising Sun," "The Rising Sun," or"The Valley of Joy," depending uponwhich Indian tribe you favor. Since the1700s, the local Indians were known as


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TOMORROWy Jack Delaney

e Luisenos, after the San Luis Rey Mis-An interesting ritual of this tribe was

They were given Jimson Weed root

However, in the case of the femaleceremony was not so simple. They

abdomens for three days; their headscovered with baskets to keep off the flies.Because of the severity of this ritual itwouldn't have been surprising if someof the young girls had refused to becomewomen!In 1852, Pablo Apis, Chief of theLuisenos of Temecula, and the chiefs ofseveral other Indian tribes in SouthernCalifornia, signed a treaty with theUnited States Government agreeing to

stop all warlike activity in return for theTemecula Rancho and herds of horses andcattle. Six years later the old adobe, wherethe treaty was signed, served as a stationfor the Butterfield Overland Stage Linewhen it carried mail and passengers be-tween Tipton, Missouri and San Francis-co. At that time the town was a few milessoutheast of its present location.

When the railroad failed to come toTemecula, Temecula went to the rail-road! It moved to its present area in1884 in order to enjoy the convenience 27


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Buill in 1891, the Hotel Temecula (below)is still open today.

One of the many new homes (right)at Rancho California. Formerly the

Vail Ranch, it comprises 87,500 acres.

up by the head! (Evidently there was nochapter of the S.P.C.A. in the area atthe time.)It was in the early 1900s the Vailfamily started acquiring land. By 1912they had four huge ranchos that hadbeen granted to individuals by the Mexi-can Government in the 1840s, when Cali-fornia was Mexican territory. These werethe Temecula, the Little Temecula, the

Pauba, and the Santa Rosa Ranchos. Mah-lon Vail managed the 135 square mileranch until he passed away in the 1960s.Temecula is nestled in a serene, beauti-ful valley with an abundance of sun-

land equal to approximately three timesthe size of the city of San Francisco. Itslocation is 90 miles south of Los Angel-es, 60 miles north of San Diego, alongHighway 395, and 25 air-miles from thePacific Ocean.Rancho California was born in 1964after Mahlon Vail passed away. Most ofthe land that was included in the originalfour Ranchos87,500 acreswas pur-

chased in a joint venture by subsidiariesof the Kaiser Aluminum and ChemicalCorporation, Kaiser Industries Corpora-tion, and Macco Corporation. It is theonly major land development in the na-

of a railroad line, telegraph office, liverystable, hotel and several stores. By theearly 1900s Temecula was the largestcattle center in the far Southwest wherecattle were shipped to Los Angeles aboardthe California Southern Railroad of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe system.Pioneers took time out from theircattle-raising duties to indulge in recrea-tional activities. They staged rodeos,wrestling matches, horse racing, and agame called "Saga de Gallo," or "RoosterPull." A rooster was buried in the sandwith its head and neck showing. Cow-boys on horseback, going by at fullgallop, leaned over and pulled the rooster

2 8

shine and smog-free air. Though smallin size it is large in historical importance.It was alive and kicking long before mostother California cities were born, andserves today as a living memorial to theOld Westas well as a convenient coffee-break stop for the traffic along Highway395.At present, it could be considered asthe tiny body of a giant butterfly. Itssize and location suggests this when com-paring it with the huge development,shaped like an immense butterfly withoutstretched wings, that surrounds it.This major complex, known as RanchoCalifornia, includes a tremendous area of

tion oriented primarily to agriculture,the raising of cattle, and as a center forthoroughbred horse farms.Based on a unique philosophy of "bestland usage," the entire 87,500 acres werestudied by experts in various fields as aninitial step in the planning. As a result,the land has been divided into severalsections with each zoned for specificuses. In this way, the developers are tak-ing advantage of topographical and cli-matic conditions of each portion of thegiant complex. Rancho California is solarge the rainfall varies from 12 inchesannually in the east end to 25 inches inthe west.


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Seventeen 20-acre sites were engin-eered, surveyed and zoned for dairyfarms. These are located in the northernsection, which appears to represent goodplanning, since marine air flows overthe Rancho from the south. However,the bovine areas are highly automated,flush-type operations with no objection-able features. At least three moderndairies are now in operation here. An-other fast growing section is the 12,500-acre Mesa Grande, which has been setaside for vineyards, citrus and other treecrops. A major vintner, Brookside Win-eries, has planted a sizeable parcel in

called Valle de los Caballos. This sectionof 76 parcels (40 acres each) is reservedfor horse ranches. The concept of assem-bling a large number of thoroughbredfarms in a single compact area is a uniqueone. Because of close proximity, they en-joy numerous advantages. For example,the mares from one farm may be sent tostallions at other nearby farms withoutexpensive shipping or boarding costs.In addition to the plots reserved forhorse ranches, 290 acres are being de-voted to a modern and fully equippedtrack and training center. The initialphase of construction has been completed.

Historic Temecula Adobe (left)played an important role in the early days.Part of the complete shoppingcenter (below) and general officesof Rancho California.

varietal grapes which should result infine table wine in due time.

Los Ranchitos is the section designedfor those who enjoy a stretch-out country-side, close to nature, and the pleasure andfulfillment of ranch living. The 185-unitrange consists of iy 2 to 6-acre parcelsthat are suitable for raising fruit trees,garden crops, and children. Each is largeenough to accommodate a few horses anda stable; and there are more than 50 milesof well-marked bridle trails wanderingthrough the valleys, over rolling hillsand across oak-studded mesas.

The gently rolling grassland area is

It includes a one-mile track, a clubhouse,three 40-stall barns, a breaking ring, atrack manager's office, a hay-storage facil-ity and a fivehorse starting gate, land-scaping, another smaller track within theinfield for the training of trotters andracers. In the future are plans for exten-sion of the stable area, grandstands, anda veterinary clinic.Among the several recreational attrac-tions of this development is a sectioncalled Butterfield Country, located alongHighway 71 in the northeast portion.This area, consisting of 7500 acres in-cludes 500-acre Vail Lake, which is load-ed with hungry fish. Here you will find a

haven for campers, trailerites and vaca-tioners in general. It features picnic andbarbecue facilities, a one-acre swimminghole, 250 trailer sites, a general store,saloon, town hall and recreation center.

All of the segments of Rancho Cali-fornia described thus far are located onthe east side of Highway 395. However,a much larger area extends westward to-ward the Pacific Ocean. In this portion,not far from the highway and the newairport, is the Industrial Section, consist-ing of 1040 acres. It is reserved for dis-tribution centers, processing, research, andlight manufacturing, and was purposelyplaced near the airport and the highway29


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Plaque commemorating theTeaty of Temecula (below) which ended

the Indian wars in 1852.Rancho California has a fishing pond (right)

for kids only, plus many otherattractions for visitors.

iron, candles, antiques, and other acces-sories), The Grange (sandals, shifts,handbags, and novelty items), TheRancho Market, La Fondita (a snackshop), and The Homestead (a restau-rant and cocktail lounge in the ranchstyle with ragtime music in the lounge).Also, for the young buckaroos, there isa pint-sized coral, called El Corralito, anda fishing hole with a Tom Sawyer raft.You'll be entertained by attractions,presented each weekend in the Plaza andin the nearby arena, which is 150 by 300feet and seats more than 500 spectators.Rodeos, roping competitions, horse shows,

Allesandro, in Helen Hunt Jackson'sstory of Ramona. It is at the site of theoriginal settlement of Temeku (or Teme-cula) which is now included in RanchoCalifornia.The location is along Highway 71,three and one-half miles east of the junc-tion of 71 with Highway 395. It setsback from the road on the south side (tothe right when traveling east). You'llfind it among a group of white farmbuildings on the old Pauba Ranch. Theyshould not be confused with another offarm buildings and cow pens fartheralong the road to the left, which is also

IS5SHIP * ENT ERE D INTO AT VILLAGE OF TE

E E N UN ITED STATES AND SAN LUIS REY, IC O C O M C A H R A I N D I A N S ' TREATY >MFR FUR THE RING RELATIONS BETWEEN SF I S H I N GF O R K I D SO N L Y

It is in this western portion that Gov-ernor Ronald Reagan purchased 771 acresof prime cattle grazing land. He said thathe intends to build a vacation home onhis acreage. The western part of RanchoCalifornia was originally granted as theSanta Rosa Rancho to Juan Moreno in1 8 4 6 , by Governor Pio Pico.

An interesting attraction for the casualvisitor, especially on Saturdays and Sun-days, is the commercial center called ThePlaza. Facilities already in operation in-clude La Tienda de los Caballos (west-ern apparel and tack for the saddle andspurs crowd), El Poco (pottery, wrought30

gymkhanas, country fairs, pony races, andother ranch

196904 desert magazine 1969 april

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