197909 desert magazine 1979 september

8/14/2019 197909 Desert Magazine 1979 September

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SE PT EM BE R, 1979 $1.00

NE OF THE SOUTHWEST


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WIL LIAM and JOY KNYVETTCo-Pub lishers/ E ditorsGEORGE BRAGA, Ar t D i r ec to rS H A R L E N E K N Y V E T T , A rt D e p ar t m e n tMAR Y FRANC ES STRONG, F ie ld T r ip Edi to rK . L . BOYNTON, Na tura l i s t

Color Separat ions byHenry Co lo r Se rv iceL i thographed byWo l f e r Pr in t ing Co m pany , Inc .Ava i lab le in M icro f i lm byXerox Un iv e rs i ty M icro f i lm s

Volume 42, Number 9(USPS 154-940)

SEPTEMBER 1979

CONTENTSF E A T U

HISTORIC CEDAR CITY 8I DY LLWI LD/ S A N JA CI NTO M OUNTA I NS 12

MESC AL BAJ AD A 16ARCH EOLO CICAL STUDIES OF DESERT AREAS BY BL M 20

HARQUA HAL A, ARIZONA 24A CARNIVOROUS PLANT IN TH E MOJ AV E DESERT 28

FULL CIRCLE 32

CALIFORNIA 'S KANGAROO RATS 34SOUTH FORK OF BOW W l LLOW CANYON 38

W HAT 'S COOKINC ON THE DESERT? APPLES! 40

R E SMary Frances StrongBill JenningsDick BloomquistTom EvansJame s R. MitchellWayne P. ArmstrongR. C. Starling, Jr.

Jack DelaneyDick BloomquistStella Hughes

D E P A R T M E N T S

T H E C O V E R :Beaut i f u l Mooney Fa l l s onH a v as u C r e e k , G r a nd C a n -y o n , Arizona. Photo by Jona-than Berm an , Sky Fores t ,C a l i fo rn ia .

A PEEK IN TH E PUBLISHER'S POKE 4

NEW BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS 6TRAD ING POST 42

BOOKS OF THE WEST 44LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 47

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 47

Bill JenningsBook ReviewsClassified ListingsMail Order ItemsReaders' CommentsClub Activities

E D I T O R I A L , C I R C U L A T I O N A N D A D V E R T I S I N G O F F I C E S : 7 4 -4 2 5Highway 111 , P. 0 . Box 1318, Palm De se r t , Cal i forn ia 92260. Te lepho neArea C ode 714 346 -8144 . SUBSC RIPT ION RATES: Un i t ed S tate s and pos -ses s ions; 1 year, $9.00; 2 years , $17.00; 3 years , $25.00. Al l o ther cou ntr iesadd $2.00 U. S. currency for each year. Se e Subscr ip t ion O rder Fo rm inth is issue . Al low f ive weeks for change of address and send both new andD e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 19 79

old address es with z ip codes. DESER T Magazine is publ ished m onthly.Second class pos tage paid at Palm Des er t , Cal i fo rn ia and at addit io nalm ail ing of fices u nder Act of March 3, 1879. C onte nts co pyr ighted 1979 byDese r t Magaz ine and pe rm is s ion to r ep roduce any o r a l l con tents m us t b esecu red in wri t ing. Unsol ic i ted m anuscr ip ts and photo graphs wil l not bere turned un l e s s accom pan ied by s e l f- addres se d , s tamped enve l ope .


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in thepublisher'syokeThis m o nth, author Bi l l Jenningswr it es a special t r ibu te t o one o fou r re t i r ing s tate park rangers .

H M E M AN who perhaps more than any4 other has symbolized the patien t,I fr iend ly, helpful and knowledgeable

state park ranger for the past 20 yearshas retire d at Anza Borrego Desert StatePark. Somehow, the place won't seemthe same to many of us.

It's unfair to the rest of the rangerforce there and statewide to say thatGeorge Lee tch 's depar tu re a f te r a30-year career will cause a permanentloss. After all, the park hasn't changed.It is still nearly 600,000 acres of sheerbeauty, interspersed here and there withu t te r magn i f icence . There rema insMaurice H. (call me Bud) Getty, area orpark manager and in his own amiableand highly professional way Bud is Mr.Park as much as George, plus a staff ofexcellent people.

But there is a void that can't be f i l led,only worked around and adjusted to.George Leetch was the ranger's rangeras well as the visitor's ranger. Thereforethere won't be much petty jealousy orvan i ty , wounded egos and b ru isedfacades when writers say nice thingsabout George.

Lee tch jo ined the f r iend ly parkssystem in 1958, serving a brief appren-ticeship at Mt. San Jacinto and SaltonSea before beginning a remarkable loveaffair with Anza-Borrego in 1959. Hewas separated from the desert empireonly briefly, from 1969 through the early1970s when he sojourned briefly at Mit-chel l Caverns and the San Diegobeaches.

If you want to read an official biogra-phy, call Dora Teale at the park office,

(714) 767-5311. If there is enough de-mand, the park's semi-official historian,retired reporter Joe Stone, will whompone up, with my dubious help, and thepark will mail it out for a contribution tothe visitor center f und.

What I'm writing here is about afriendship nearly as long, convolutedand as interesting as George's tenure inthe park family, so you will have to par-don me if this guest Poke gets a littlepersonal.

Because George was as much of greatservice to m e, a desert varnished old va-gran t, as he was to the newest neophyteof off-freeway travel, and just as cour-teous, even when I did dumb things youcould overlook in a beginner but neverforgive from a veteran. As g ett ing stuck,or ge tting stuck a second time , or a t h i rd ,and so on.

George has a middle name that youcan get from Dora, or Bud, or Joe, but itshould have been his mo tto: " M a y I beof service?"

Service has been the key word thatturned him on for 31 years. He hasworked a 40-hour week of course, as anygood loyal state employee, but he neverremembered to turn off his mental radioafter going out of service at the end ofthe work day.

Many of his brightest accomplish-ments occurred on days off, after hours,on compensated time off, vacations, andprobably will continue to do so, because

George and his very special partner, wJean, plan to remain deep in the hearthe park's south half, making their hoin a modestly-sized masonry block hothat is f i l led with great hospitality. Tis at Canebrake, one of the few enclaof pr ivate land south of ScissCrossing.

Right now they are taili ng off a Cadian Rockies vacation and I'm sure George is uncomfortable amidst all water and summer greenery, yearnfor some sunbaked sand, parched smtrees and a lizard or two in place of moose, mountain goats, bighorns the botanical extravaganza they're joy ing.

Th ey 'll make up for it , because as sas they unpack their mildew ed khand renew their suntans they'll be ofdeepest Baja California, their sechome, winter and summer.They'll stop off between San Feand Puertocito along the Sea of Cortevisit Frank and Mary Fairchild, anotveteran Anza-Borrego official coupleyears past. Come to think of it, owriters said the same irreplacethings about Frank when he retired, the parks, beaches, historic sites andpaperwork haven't languished. Mawe can surv ive somewhat w i thGeorge, too.

Leetch had a colorful backgrounqualify as a ranger, including heweight boxing, restaurant running

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teen years ago, when George wastain in the Anza-Borrego DesertPark, his friend, Hem et p hotogra-Walt Frisbie, made this picture for

e Riverside Press-Enterprise. The hairgrayer; George sometimes

palm-thatched trailer residence-George is still trim in

y. He was a profes-

During the war George married Doro-

After the war, George garnered a de-

All was prelude unti l George and

me thoug ht. They moved into the l i t t le

t, Doug Bryce. Come toit , maybe all the AB rangers are

At the Split , George and Dorothy be-

The Leetch regime lasted 10 years,

He won the Medal of Valor, Califor-award to a state employee,

guid-

After the Split , George and Dorothyert/Septem ber 1979

r e jo ined t he Fa i r ch i l ds a t M i t che l lCaverns but it turned into tragedy whenDorothy became ill and died in a Needleshospital. George transferred to the SanDiego beaches where a litt le luck intro-duced him to the widow of a longtimeNational Park Service ranger and in duetime, G eorge and his new w ife, Jean, re-turned to Anza-Borrego.

This time it was for keeps, as far asGeorge's 30-plus years park career wasconcerned. They lived for a time inJean's sleek travel trailer at Butterf ield,near George's new assignment in BlairValley. The last several years of his ten-urebefore the Big Retirement Party atthe Borrego Palm Canyon picnic groundson June 16was the Carrizo Corridor-Palm Spring sector of the Vallecito Washdrainage centered around Canebrake.

George is an infrequent contributor tothis and other desert-oriented publica-t ions and now, Editor-Publisher Bil lKnyvett has hopes that future issues willfeature his by-l ine.

Maybe. But we'l l bet George wil l st i l lbe pretty busy making rescues and en-tertaining park visitors with his ownversion of campfire talks on the widefront porch of his litt le house.

It's all history now, George's long loveaffair with Anza-Borrego, at least the of-ficial part, but I suspect they'll never getJean and George out of the park, or thepark out of them, besides, who wouldtry?

There may be marriages made inheaven as the script writers grind it out,but there aren't many careers made insand, or love affairs in ocotillo andjump ing cholla.

FIRST CLASS MAIL-ORDERPH OTO D EVELOPIN GKodacolor and FujicolorPrint Film Developing SpecialistsNormal 12 exposure roll $2.50W ith New Roll of Film $3.80

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B A C K I S S UB A R G A I N SODDS AND ENDS

Miscellaneo us C opiesfro m 1959 to 1965Package o f 10$0003o se lect io ns availableVOLUMES FOR YEARS1966*1974

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Send check or money order toD E S E R T M A G A Z I N EP. O. Box 1318Palm Desert, Cal i f. 92260


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'Hopi" Thunderbird

CROCHETEDTAPESTRYNew and simple tech-nique in basic doublecrochet creates this12"x40" Thunderbirdtapestry.Pattern requires fourskeins of yarn and asize " H " crochet hook.Shown in red andblack on white, or youmay select from othercolors suggested.Send $3.50 (specialprice) for completeistep-by-step instruc-tions. Other patternsavailable.Woven Stitch CrochetC P.O. Box 212til Alamogordo,New Mexico 88310

GENUINEDOMESTICATEDGOLDEN C HIA SEEDS(SALVIA COILUMBARIAE)

Sufficient forfour 50-foot rows. Completeinstructions. Packet: $2.00.

HARRISON DOYLEP. 0.1)0x785

Vista, California 92083

*BooksforDeser t"ReadersVJ RY Rll I .1ENNIY BILL JENNINGSAll books reviewed are available through theDesert Magazine Book Shop. Please add 50cper total order for handling and Californiaresidents must include 6%state sales tax.

O f f b e a t B a j a

OFFBEAT BAJ ABy Jim Hunter

Over the years, there have beenenough Baja "guidebooks" to pavethose non-existant shoulders on thenarrow ribbon of Mexico 1, the revolu-

-FROMPICKTOPOWDCK-

Richard L.and luntnne Fetter

ISBN 0-87004-265-3 PaperboundApproximately 160 Pages

Many Photographs $4.95Like much of Western history, Telluride's

melodramatic character emerges from the ex-aggerated scale of people and events thatmade up its day. Here were men blasting a rail-road out of solid rock, Big Billy the kindheartedmadam, a world's first in power generation, astrike that angered the nation, and a daringbank robbery by a kid named Butch Cassidyand a group called the Wild Bunch. Telluridehas not become a museum. Telluride today isvery much alive, and as fine a living reminder ofthe Old West as one can find.

The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.P.O. Box 700Caldwel l , Idaho 83605

tionary highway down the 1,000-mlength of the Baja California peninsu

So it's a great relief to be able tocommend anew one,by awriter equnew to the Baja fraternity, Alaska JHunter. In that inconsistency, Hunoffers anew look atanda newapproto the travel Baja cult, off themain ro

Hunter's offbeat guidebook is vable for many reasons, not the lebeing the most accurate and least cofusing mileage guides in recent yearswel l as his instinctive regard for people of the region, the people weither make or break your trip sou

Hunter is assisted greatly by thephotography of Robert Western, walso contributed an excellent chaptercamera care and general photograpthe best short synopsis on the subjectthe Baja area wehave ever read.

Offbeat Baja has only one drawbfor o ld t im e gu idebook readers usersone that most of his predeceshad also. Thebook will not ay f lat onseat, open to that vital page coveringparticularly rough and steep stretchrock andcholla you're navigating. Soday, somebody will print one witspiral or plastic ring binding as themous Anza-Borrego Desert Guideboovital feature for the really working mtorist who may nothave ahandy navtor sitting beside him.

Otherwise, Offbeat Baja is thebesis as current as the several thousmiles of unpaved, ungraded Baja rothat really permit you to see the pesula, not just the plastic places sprinup along Mexico 1. Hunter makes apthat many of the old places arethere, perhaps better than ever, andcan get heir pretty easily, particularyou follow his road-condition grasystem carefully. It fails only insome of the four-wheel-drive categohe uses fail to consider those ubiquiBaja bugs or other rebuilt l ightweigthat can generally do anything a fwheeler can doexcept the deepest sor the rockiest arroyo.

The writer here would add one itee q u i p m e n t to the many adv isoHunter includes. Take a case or twcheap 30-weight motor oil for t raand friendship purposes. Almost invably those Mexican truckers youbroken down on theside or in the mof the so-called road need oil and yge t the best road advice or general

Desert/September


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hand them .Hunter adds a section for motorcylists,

ickly on a two-n any other way , and chances

All in all, an excellent guide, up-to-as much as you can be because

e Offbeat Baja you should visit, and isTurista Baja as wel l .

Paperback, 156 pages, several basic

M A R I ABy Richard L. Spivey

A book on Pueblo pottery, specificallySan lldefonso, that matches the beauty,the simplicity and the skill of that cera-mic itself.

The title pays tribute to perhaps thegreatest or at least best known Sanlldefonso art isan, Maria Montoya Mart i-nez, but the book is more than a eulogyfor this remarkable woman, st i l l , at 90,the force and the power of the famedPueblo pottery movement of the past 75years. She has been producing that longherself, but as the author says, the pot-tery is a mutual product and she is per-haps the prime mover, but perhaps not.

Illustrations, mainly by Jerry Jacka,are up to the quality of the pottery, andthe production of this book, its type-setting, layout, design and overall effect,are as good as the other ingredients.There have been many books on Indianart istry, and there wil l be many more,but few, if any, wi ll be up to the standardof this product.

Maria Montoya was born in the l i t t levillage by the Rio Grande, some 20 milesnorth of Santa Fe early in 1887. The onlyrecord is her baptism, April 5. She wasmarried in 1904, her first husband beingJ ulian Martinez, himself a major force inthe re-emergence of San lldefonso artu-cul ture.

Maria and others of her tribe gainedrecognition for their pottery the firsttime at the St. Louis fair in 1904theLouisiana Purchase Exposition. Theyhad been hired to perform Pueblo dancesbut Maria and some of the other teenagewomen also made pots as a sort of side-l ine. There was instant fame!

Their visit perhaps awakened publicinterest in their work; it wasn't the onlyattention, not even the most importantbreakthrough. A fter all, the Pueblo peo-ple, just as California's Cahuil la, havebeen making pots as utilitarian home-making equipment for centuries.

The impetus for Pueblo pottery as artfo rm, a very lucrat ive tr ibal industry,came somewhat after St. Louis, in 1907,when Dr. Edgar L. Hewett led "digs" inprehistoric Pueblo sites on the PajoroPlateau, near the present-day site of LosAlamos. Maria's f irst husband, Julian,was among the workers.

They un covered bits sherds ofanc ient decora ted pot tery , p r imar i lypolychrome. Hewett, through Julian,asked Maria if she could reproduce anyof this work. The success was instant,and the work even better than the origi-nal. Hewett bought the first pieces andordered more.

Over the next 70 years, Maria's aimwas to re-establish an old Pueblo, par-ticularly a Tewa, art form, not just aspersonal gain for herself and family, butfor the entire group. She has taughtchi ldren, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. Her signed works mayhave been the product of several familymembers.

There are imitators, of course, butthere are also those who have improvedthe form, just as Ma ria did w ith the workof her aunts and the ancients.

Values today are difficult to estimate.A Maria pot is worth whatever you have,you see. She has sold pieces for 50 centsand for several thousand dollars. Each isworth infinitely more than its purchaseprice to its owner. In spectacular hardcover, coffee table size, many color/black-white photos, 138 pages, $27.50.

L f l K E P O W E L LD F F - S E H S O I l IS J U S T USB E A U T I F U L

It's the greatest fo r summer family fun.Wahweap, Bullfrog and Hite resorts/marinasare open year around, bu tyou really shouldtry us in the spring, fall and winter...Not only fo r moderate temperatures,[betterfishing and ess crowded conditions, but fo r

S a v i n g s t o

Send color and rale brochures onWahweap, Bullfrog and Hite resorts/marinas

N a m e .Address _City - S ta te .

L a k e P o w e l l R e s o r t s B m a r i n a s D MBox 29040, Phoenix, AZ 8503B

New central reservations system:West of Mississippi call toll-free 1-800-528-6154.

In Arizona, call (602) 264-8466.

1IIIIIIIIJ

Des e r t /Sep te m ber 1979


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The Historic Morm on Church in downtown Ceda r City is beautiful to behold. Built ofnative rocks, it contains many outstanding copper specimens that will quicken theheart-beat of a rock collector.

by MARY FRANCES STRONGphoto s by Jerry Stro ngB URINC OUR TRAVELS through theSouthwest, any "town stops" areusually quick overnighters for re-

stocking the larder and doing the laun-dry. Cedar City, in Southern Utah,proved to be an exception to this rule.

Known as an important mining centerand rich in history; this 127-year-oldtown has become the hub of one of thestate's finest outdoor recreation areas.What we had planned as an overnightstop stretched into more than a week.Yet, we had barely skimmed the surfaceof recreational possibilities in this fas-cinating region.

Cedar City is located at the base series of mountains and plateaus wmarch across Eastern Utah and cunate in the mighty Rocky MountainColorado. The diversity of Utah's ography has led to its division into eregions. Each has been named to propriately characterize its individuatributes. Cedar City l ies within "CCo untr y" certainly a f it t in g t it leUtah's southwestern corner.

Whether your interests are sighting, camping, rockhounding, f ishexploring colorful National Parks or iting geological and historic sites, will f in d them all with in a 40-mile raof Cedar City. In this day of gasoshortages and high cost thereof, a vtion spent in a central location ofmany advantages.

While Cedar City has forged ahinto the 20th Century, the "o l d " been protected and preserved. Allmodern services deemed so necestoday rub elbows with the past. A college not only teaches but provresidents and tourists alike exposurthe Arts. Each year, an outstanShakespearean Drama Festival is

Des e r t / Sep tem ber


9/48

Before exploring the Cedar City Re-ion, stop by the Cham ber's V isitor Cen-

anagement office also has free bro-hures, maps and pamphlets, as well as

several books of interest. We found bothDowntown Park not only houses the

isitor Center, but offers a shady rest-ing place and picnic area. Across theRailroad Depot sits in retirement. Dur-ing the 1920s and '30s, thousands ofourists disembarked here, then boarded

buses for a tour of a bril l iantly-colored,sandstone amphitheater high on thetoday as Cedar Breaks Na t iona lMonument .

The popularity of this service almostceased in the late 1930s when a safe roadwas built to accommodate the burgeon-i ng " a u t o m o b i l e a g e . " F o r t u n a t e ly ,when the railroad abandoned the spur,the old station was preserved. There isan effort to possibly connect it to an artsand crafts center.

You will enjoy seeing and photograph-ing the beautiful LDS Chapel in thedowntown area. It is built of nativestones many of which are colorfulcopper specimens. The location of thechurch is shown as No. 18 on the ac-companying Cedar City map.

A Short distance north of the VisitorCenter is Iron Mission State Park. Ithouses one of the finest, old-time wagoncollections in the country. We found itfascinating to browse through this ex-cellent assemblage of so many types ofwagons all from the pre-autom obileera. Our favorite was a well-preservedmilk delivery wagon.

Cedar City is located in Utah's IronCounty and it was the need for iron thatled to its settlement. In 1847 BrighamYoung established the Mormons in SaltLake Valley and his plans included thecolonization of the surrounding country.These latter efforts were greatly frus-trated by the lack of iron. Without i rontools, horseshoes, wagon wheels andother important items, colonists couldnot survive, much less develop new raw

- , . . . . ' .

The Iron Mission Muse um con tains one of the finest antique wago n collections inthe country. This is an old Cone stoga the original "motor home ." Our favoritevehicle was the early-day milk delivery wago n. Som e of our rea ders are sure to re-mem ber similar wago ns since horses were used for years following the automo bile.


10/48

lands. In fact, the shortage of this neces-sary metal was threatening the develop-ment of the main colony in Salt LakeValley.

Iron ore had been discovered in CedarValley as early as 1847 by CaptainJefferson Hart a Morm on BattalionVolunteer. However, it wasn't unt i l1 8 4 9 , when the need for iron becamecrit ical, that Parley P. Pratt and his com-pany of 50 men were commissioned toexplore Southern Utah. Pratt 's report ofdeep grasses, fine meadows, deposits ofgypsum and l imestone, with accessiblet imber nearby, led to Brigham Young's" c a l l i n g " for 200 men to establish an"I ron Miss ion" in Cedar Val ley.

Assembling in mid-December, underthe leadership of Apostle George A.Smith, 167 men, women and children

began the month-long, 270-mile journeysouth. They made the trip safely in spiteof bit ter cold and snow-patched ground.

From their initial base camp on CedarCreek, groups of men were sent out inevery direct ion to explore the surround-ing country. After evaluating the reportsof the scouts, it was decided to set up alocal government, hold an election andestablish the settlement of Center Creek now known as Parowan.

Almost immediately, these sturdy pi-oneers began building a fort . I t would beneeded in case any hostilit ies arose withthe Indians. Land was cleared, irrigationditches excavated and roads made intothe t imber country. Mil l sites were se-lected and workshops set up. During atr ip to the Pacif ic Coast in April 1851,Parley P. Pratt came through Center

C e d a r C i t y

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISITOR CENTERSOUTHERN UTAH STATE COLLETE, SITE OFUTAH SHAKESPEAREAN FESTIVALIRON MISSION STATE PARK AND MUSEUMCEDAR CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORTCEDAR CITY CANYON PARKDOWNTOWN PARKHISTORIC MORMON ROCK CHURCHK.O.A. CAMPGROUNDOLD RAILROAD STATION

Creek and f ound i t a " f l o u r i sh incom m un i t y . "

Coal was discovered in Cedar Canyoin May 1851. W ith iron orebodies neaby, it appeared the prospects for a sucessful iron industry were very good. Athe time, Apostles Erastus Snow anFranklin D. Richards were on missions England. They were advised of this development and, in 1852, organized thDeseret Iron Company in LiverpooEngland. A " c a l l " was immediately cculated among the Mormon steel aniron workers in England and Wales migrate to the United States. Their hewas needed to develop Utah's iron idustry. The call was answered.

Parowan became the seat of newlestablished Iron County. I t , as well athe new settlements of Paragonah anCoal Creek (now Cedar City), becam"home" to the many immigrant wore r s . In a very short t ime , two founderiwere working and the iron industry apeared to have a bright future.

The following year, Indian problembegan in the north and spread to Soutern Utah. Chief Walker led raiding paties on the sett lements, mainly stealinhorses and cattle. Brigham Young dpatched a Mormon Battalion against tmarauders and declared martial laOutlying ranches and sett lements weordered to band together in the largtowns.

This abandonment of ranches and rmoval of livestock was a blow to ChWalker. He sent a message to ColonGeorge Smith, Parowan's Mil itary Commander, stat ing the Mormon s w ere foofor abandoning homes and towns, for did not intend to molest them. His itent was to only take their livestock! Halso advised them to return and tetheir crops, for if they neglected thethey would starve and be obliged leave the country. This was not what desired, for then there would be livestock to steal.

Hostilit ies ceased, the settlemenflourished but the iron industry beganfalter. It was purchased by ApostlSnow and Richards as ordered by Brham Young . A new furnace was built aother improvements made. Howevwhen the railroads came to Utah, ircould be purchased and shipped froother sources for less cost than CedCity i ron. There had also been technicproblems and furnace failures. T

10


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During a vis i t to "C oal Cr eek," Brig-

though these hardy pioneersn't com plete the move until 1861. The

Loss of the coal industry brought hard

The fortunes of Cedar City quick-ly changed as ranchers hauled wagonloads of beef, produce, lumber and other

The coming of the railroad to Lund, in1 8 6 9 , made possible the shipping ofgoods throughout the state. There was

drawback a good road to theepot at Lund, 32 miles northwest of

ould finally be completed in 1880.edar City had begun to grow and was

now assured of continued progress. To-ay, this sm all, attractive town offers the

best in family l ivin g, a f ine college, expo-sure to the Arts, as well as an outstand-ing variety of recreational activities.

"Southwestern Utah, Mult ipurpose

mall fee at the Chamber's Visitor Cen-indicate every possible locale a vacation-"where to start?" Naturally, this de-

ends on your personal interests. Whynot follow the example of the first set-"sample" the f ie ld th is way.

During our stay in Cedar City, JerryF idd le r Canyon. From the K.O.A.

pground, we traveled north on M aintreet (the old highway) for two miles

If you see a pond, you are on the rightoad! (Check accompanying map.) The

road is rather poor but passable for stockars. It wanders through junipers and

Continued on Page 39

F i d d l e r C a n y o nA g a t eI r o n C o u n t y , U t a h

/If

This is a good place to park a nd search the slopes for colorful agate. The dirt road,seen here, drops 40 feet [steep and rough] into the creekbed and e nds at the old dam .

e r t / S e p t e m b e r 1 97 9


12/48

I d y l l w i l d / S a n J a c i n t o M o u n t a i nOld picture of Garner Valley area [above] of San Jacinto M ountains, taken be foremuch deve lopmen t h ad occurred. San Jacinto peak is in background a t right. Motor-ists frequently pause for a cooling drink of spring water at Halfway Spring [below]on old Idyllwild Control Road from H emet to San Jacinto Mo untains resort region.

by BILL J ENN INGSP RESENT-DAY DENIZENS call it Hill , but it may be hard for someassociate 10,000-foot summits wperpetual snow crevasses with a hi l l ,we will stick to the beautiful regioproper t it le, the San Jacinto Mountaiour destination for a weekend or weetour.

Less than a century ago, the only rdents of and visitors to the beau tiful hcountry midriff of what is now RiversCounty were Indians, a few cattlemand miners, with a sprinkling of loggand health seekers. Today, the SJacintos still have Indians, a few catmen and miners, no sprinkling of loggbut 'a growing permanent and weekepopulation of healthseeking SouthCalifornians.

When we think of the pine-clad, cleair, highly scenic region we generthink of its principal community, mhigh Idyllwild, with its satell ites, PCove and Mountain Center and growing residential outlands of Garand Anza valleys to the south asouthwest.12 D e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 1


13/48

Idyllwild's history is tangled, althoughrelat ively brief. As a town w ith the pres-ent name it didn't exist unt i l 1899 whenthe postoffice was established. Beforethat, the general area was known var i -ously as Rayneta, Saunders Meadow,Strawberry Valley and even, for a brieft ime, Dutch Flat.

The f irst organized non-Indian usersof the massive uplift of granite thatserves as a bulwark between the coastalfoothills and the desert valleys wereprobably lumbermen, although some ofthe remaining glory holes and abortedmining shafts and tunnels hint that goldseekers perhaps came ahead of the 1870-era loggers. The t imbe r hunters orig inal-ly sought suitable fue l , t ie and bridgematerials for the Southern Pacific Rail-road, which was building eastward fromLos Angeles to Arizona. The f irst moun-tain settlement, in fact, was namedHall 's Camp or Hall City for an elusivef igure, M.S. Hal l , who affected the t it le" C o l o n e l , " reportedly from Civil Warduty. Hall had a grading contract for theline through the San Corgonio Pass.

In 1875, at about the same time Hallwas building a wagon road and loggingflume from the present site of Cabazonup the mountain to about where LakeFulmor is today, another road was beingcarved out of the rocky gorge of the SanJacinto River on the west side of themountain.This was Joseph Crawford's originaltoll road from the San Jacinto Valley toStrawberry Valley, roughly the site ofpresent-day Idy l lwi ld. Lumbermen, adaily stage, miners and homesteaderswere his few customers. Traces of thisold road and the Oak Cliff relay station inthe San Jacinto canyon remain todaymidway between Hemet and MountainCenter.

There was no road up from the Coa-chella Valley in the early years, and noneed for one because the only ham let be-fore the railroad reached the desert wasthe l i t t le Indian vil lage of Agua Caliente,later named Palm Springs when thatarea also became a health retreat inabout 1885.

The first permanent settlers in the SanJacintos were neither loggers nor goldseekers but Mexican-Anglo catt lemen.Charles Thomas moved his family fromthe old Indian-Mexican sett lement ofTemecula to the meadows of the SanJacinto River's south fork in about 1869.The lush pasturage with its pine borders

The Keen Camp resort [above] , high in the San Jacinto M ountains and a popularspot in the 1890 s and early days of this century, is now a Girl Scout camp. Mason ryand concrete dam [below] at Lake Hem et in the Sa n Jacinto Moun tains was an en-gineering marvel of the world whe n built in 1890 -1895. Dam impoun ds farm irriga-tion waters of the San Jacinto River for the H emet area.

Des e r t / SeD tem ber 1979 1 3


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i ; '

: - :

later became known as Thomas Valleyand today is called Garner Valley afterthe family that bought the Thomas ranchin 1903.

Thus it is that few of the originalnames remain to mark the landmarksand communities of the San Jacintos to-day. Thomas Mountain, a promontory tothe west of Garner Val ley, is anexception.

Riverside County came into being in1893, carved by the State Legislaturemostly out of San Diego County to thesouth and a long sliver from San Bernar-dino County to the north and west.

There is some indication that Idyllwildand the rapidly expanding resort resi-dential areas of the San Jacinto Moun-tains today owe most of their allegianceto the coastal counties of Orange and LosAngeles. At least that's where many ofthe new residents sprang from and manyof the grow ing cu ltural connections seemto trend from the metropolitan area aswel l .

For example, there is the Idyllwildcampus of the University of SouthernCalifornia, located in the heart of Straw-berry Valley where the first healthcamps and much of the early-day loggingwere centered. Known until just a fewyears ago as ISOMA TA the Idyllw ildSchool of Music and the Arts thelovely campus today is a year-around ad-junct of USC instead of a summer-school

14

season retreat for visiting professorsfrom all over the world.

Known either as ISOMATA or theIdyllwild Arts Foundation, the campuswas established in 1946 as a non-profiteducational institute and served as ahaven for the arts read that as m usic,f ine arts, poetry, creative w rit in g, drama offering university-level credit forteachers and graduate students as wellas a lovely summer session for young-sters. Dr. Max Krone and his wife, Bea,were the dynamic force behind thesuccessful program.

In addition to the university's se-cluded campus, re-named in 1962, themeadows has long been the home for theRiverside County Boy Scout campingprogram at Camp Emerson, named forthe late Lee Emerson, longtime directorof the old Idyllwild Inn and other facili-ties of the original major Idyllwilddevelopers.

Hardy Scouts are an echo of anotherlong-gone Idyllwild institution locatedfurthe r out on the long bench bisected byStrawberry Creek before it makes thesteep dropoff to join the San JacintoRiver far below. This area, also known asAlvin Meadows, was the site of themountains, old CCC camp, establishedin 1936.

Adjacent is Chimney Flats, completeto a chimney dating to the CCC days,and the still usable portion of the 1912-

Horse Thief Creek crossing on the htoric Bautista Canyon trail, later a wa goroad and now a fire truck trail.

era control road that reached HalfwaSpring and joined the present paveroad S tate High way 74 at the site Oak Cliff.

(Author's Note: In all, there wethree old roads into the Idyllwild arefrom the Hemet side of the mountabefore the present state highway wcompleted in the 1920s. The first, thSaunders Meadow logging toll road buby Crawford, was established in 187the second, or original control onway road was built in 1891 to KeeCamp near present-day Mountain Ceter and the t h i rd , the final control roafollowed in 1912. All used the lower SaJacinto River Canyon for the first half the journey and separated at Oak Cli12 miles east of Hemet.)

The heart of present-day Idyllw ild"nearly two miles further up StrawberCreek from the USC-Boy Scouts arebordered more or less by Circle Driand flanked by the two sites of the oIdyllwild Inn, the original hotel.

It probably is of no encern today sato old historians, but when you wriabout the Idyllwild Inn you have to dit inguish between two historic structureat adjacent sites, both long gone. Thfirst Idyllwild Inn, built in about 19and demolished during World War after a major fire, was located in what now described as Eleanor Park, a tradonated to the community some yeaago by the family of the late Jerry Johson, an early real estate man.

The second Inn, just across the streewas erected by the Foster interests 1945 and was torn down in early 19after the beautiful building was codemned as a fire and safety hazard.Because of the origin al design and laout of the two inns, the present community has developed in a sort of towsquare around the sites, which givIdyllw ild a comm unity f lavor and dist intion seldom found in 1979 Southern Cafornia towns.

A complete shopping complex hbuilt up around the two inn sites and ao ther , genera l ly descr ibed as FeValley, is another half-mile up Straberry Creek. As Idyllwild continues grow, the two shopping areas are graually blending together.

D e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 19


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Solitary hiker nears the summit ofDevil's Slide trail above Idyllwild in theSan Jacinto Mountains wilderness a rea.

Partially because of its proximity toHollywood and more importantly be-cause of its smog-free atmosphere andphotogenic citizens, Idyllwild and envi-rons has long been a favorite "lo ca tio n"shooting site for films and most recently,television shows and commercials. Thelocal residents have just as long beenhandy extras for the crowd scenes.

Many television series, for example,used the San Jacinto Mo untain s for loca-t ion f i lming, part icularly Garner Valleyand the business area of Idyllwild andthis exotic part-time industry continuesirregularly. Richard Boone's This GunFor Hire was a regular, and one of Idyll-wild's best remembered golden mo-ments occured when the late Elvis Pres-ley filmed there. Another visitor at timeswas Lucille Bal l .

But the main attraction for nearly acentury now has been the vest-pocketmountain enclave's scenery, resulting inheavy seasonal activity by campers,hikers and health seekers. P aradoxically,mountain winter sports have never beena major item because of the unpredict-able quality and quantity of snow. Thepast three winters have produced excel-lent skiing conditions but there are nolifts in the area. Cross country skiing,however, is gaining in popularity.

Enhancing the area's recreational po-tential the past 16 years has been thePalm Springs Aerial Tramway. Not gen-erally associated with the mountain area,the 6,000-foot, two-mile tramway openedin 1963 as a prime tourist attraction forthe desert resort area, but also has pro-vided a side benefit for the Idyllwildregion.Many back country hikers, p art icularlythose on tight schedules, have used thetramway as a giant first step towardscaling Mt. San Jacinto and reachingother back country camping and hikingareas. The tram reaches an elevation of8,516 feet at its mountain terminal,slightly more than 2,000 feet and onlyfour miles below the summit. By com-parison, the Humber Park terminus ofthe De vil's S lide tra il on the other side ofthe mountain above Idyllwild is 7,000feet and nearly 10 miles away from he10,831-foot peak.

D e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 19 79

Thus, hikers make a one-day loop tr ip ,from Humber Park to the tramway viathe peak, or vice versa.

Camping and hiking areas in the highcountry are mostly in either the SanBernardino National Forest or the Mt.San Jacinto Wilderness State Park.Together, these entwined areas encom-pass more than 260,000 acres, of whichmore than 35,000 acres is designated aspermanently roadless and unimprovedwilderness a primary tourist attrac-tion for Idyllwild and the other moun-tain communit ies.

Federal and state campgrounds areplentiful in the mountain area but theiravailability and easy access from the LosAngeles-Orange County metropolitanarea makes them prone to over-crowd-ing. As a result, even back countryhiking and camping now require reserva-t ions, available through the Idyllwild of-fices of the U.S. Forest Services and thestate park.There are many other overnight ac-commodations, ranging from car camp-ing sites m aintained by the two agenciesand Riverside County to full-service,even palatial motels at several locations.The major public-use, privately ownedcampgrounds is a beautiful meadow andforest site at Pine Cove, four miles upState Highway 243 from Idyllwild on theway to Banning.

This is Wilderness Pines, with tentand recreational vehicle spaces availableon reservation. There are other, smallerinstallations mainly in the Anza-Terwilli-

ger area, 20 miles southwest of Idyllwildon State High way 371, the ma in detourroute connecting Palm Springs and SanDiego.

Many private campgrounds persist inthe area, although not as numerous as inearlier years. These include sites ownedby the Boy and Girl Scouts, severalYMCA and YWCA agencies and a half-dozen church denominational retreats.

Primary roads into the San Jacintosare all two-lane, strictly mountain typearteries, prone to infrequent icing andchain requirements in winter, but gen-erally open all year. From Hemet, themain route is State Highway 74, usuallycalled the Palms-to-Pines, an originalunit of the State Scenic Highwa y S ystem.It runs from Palm Desert, 13 milessoutheast of Palm Springs, into the SanJacinto range, through Hemet, Perris'and Lake Elsinore, over the Ortega Di-vide and across the Santa Ana Moun-tains to its western term inus at San JuanCapistrano-.

The primary north-south route is amixture of Several state highways (SRs),SR 243 from Interstate 10 at Banningsouth through Lake Fulmore, Pine Coveand Idyllwild to Mou ntain Center, w hereit joins SR 74 briefly for a 10-mile jointrouting to the Anza junction, a line therewith SR 371 then through Anza toAguanga w here it ends at State H ighwa y79. Riverside County's highest road alsojoins the system near Anza junction.This is Forest Service Route 7S02, the

Cont inued on Page 39


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byDlCKBLOOMQUIST


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PESCAL BAJA DA the name maybe unfamiliar to many. I t is made upI of the S panish words mescal, mean-

ing century plant or agave, and bajada,l i terally a slope or downgrade. In theSouthwest, bajada is the word for a slop-ing outwash plain at the foot of a desertmountain range. In desert country eachcanyon builds an alluvial fan below itsmouth; when several of these fans coa-lesce, the result is a bajada. So, MescalBajada could be t ranslated "OutwashPlain of the Century Plants. "

It is located near the center of Cali-ornia's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

and lies south of State Highway 78 be-tween the Tamarisk Grove Campgroundon the west and the Narrows of San Fe-lipe Creek on the east; it is bounded onthe south by the Pinyon Mountains.Mescal Bajada is small and compact(roughly four miles wide by four mileslong), but offers outstanding scenicbeauty, intr iguing washes and canyons,rich plant l i fe , Indian signs, plus a bit ofdesert lore and legend.

The state park's Tamarisk GroveCampground, just beyond Mescal Baja-da's northwest edge, makes a very con-venient base camp. This sma ll, improved

campground, shaded by tamarisk trees,is on Coun ty Road S3 a fraction of a m ileoff State Highway 78. A drive up S3 fromTamarisk G rove towa rd Yaqui Pass givesa rewa rd ing p rev iew o f a dven t u resahead, for from the road the entire ex-panse of Mescal Bajada and its moun-tain backdrop spreads out in mysticsplendor to the southeast.

Although it is bordered by a statehighway, Mescal Bajada has an un-spoiled freshness about it. It 's pure andbeautiful desert, with no roads, camp-grounds, power l ines or other works ofman to break the spell. Some of the ar-royos, however, do provide routes of tra-vel for four-wheel-drives. The majorones, from west to east, are ChuckwallaWash, Mine Canyon, and Pinyon Wash.Chuckwalla is about 2.0 miles east of thejunct ion of 78 and S3. Mine is 2.9 mileseast, and Pinyon 4.2 miles east. As youdrive along Highway 78, watch for theyellow-and-brown state park guidepostswhere the road crosses the washes. Be-cause they are designed for backcountryJeepers and hikers, not for fast-movinghighway m otorists, these posts are smalland inconspicuous.

M ine Canyon has long been one of m yfavorites, despite the fact that I 've neverbeen able to locate the abandoned minewhich gave the canyon its name. HoraceParker, in his Anza-Borrego DesertGuide Book, states that the largest un-successful mine in the vicin ity is in Min eCanyon. And Lester Reed, in Old TimeCattlemen and Other Pioneers of theAnza-Borrego Area, says that the mineis at the upper end of the canyon nearthe end of the Jeep road. Perhaps areader can shed more light on its exactlocation and also tell us for wha t minera lthe miners were searching.

I have traveled up Min e Canyon as faras a vehicle can go, and have also en-tered it on foot from the Earthquake Va l-ley side to the southwest. The NorthPinyon Moun tain Jeep road branches offfrom Co unty Raod S2 in Earthquake Va l-ley just inside the park boundary andends at the headwaters of Min e Canyon.From there it is possible to hike down thecanyon into Mescal Bajada. The Anza-Borrego Desert Guide Book indicatesthat this was once a natural travel routebetween Earthquake Valley and SanFelipe Creek.

A l it t le over a mile east of Mine Can-yon, Highway 78 crosses Pinyon Wash,r t /Septem ber 1979 17


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the last arroyo draining Mescal Bajadaand the Pinyon Mountains before thebajada's eastern end is reached at theNarrows. Pinyon also has two tributaries Bighorn Canyon and Nolina Wash which join it not far from the road. Big-horn Canyon is named for the desert big -horn sheep [borrego in Spanish) which,on rare occasions, can be seen in thehigher country to the south. Blue Springnear the canyon's headwaters in the Pin-yon Mountains was long a wateringplace of the bighorns, but according tothe last report I had, the spring is nowdry. Nolina Wash takes its name from ap lan t somewhat s imi la r in genera lappearance to the Whipple yucca.

From road's end in Pinyon Wash hik-ers may continue upstream, leavingMescal Bajada and entering isolatedHarper's Flat, where the Harper broth-ers attempted to run cattle early in thiscentury. In 1922 the two brothers, Ambyand Julius, and Julius' son Akim, com-pleted a pair of dams along upper PinyonCanyon above Harper's Flat. A lineshack can also be seen near the lowerd a m . The dams were built to providewater for the cattle, but failed to do sobecause of silt and unreliable rainfall.

Hik ing, to me, is the best way to ex-

plore and enjoy the M escal Bajada coutry. Four-wheel-drive is useful in gettime and my gear away from the pavment and within range of points of intest, after which I prefer to leave the vhicle behind and strike out afoot. Tbajada has much to offer the hiker.

Vegetation is abundant and varieand in springtime many annual wiflowers add their color to an already ip re ss ive p la n t co mmu n i t y . Me scdesert lavender, chuparosa, ephedcheesebush, smoke tree, ocotillo, ai ronwood, together with barrel, hedgh o g , cholla, and beavertail cacti, asome of the larger plants. Pinyon piand juniper grow in the higher elevt ions. Once on an April day I countapproximately 30 different kinds plants in bloom near Pinyon Wash.

Indian signs are another rewardfeature for the foot traveler. Mescal p depressions in which the Dieguenroasted the young flower stalks of tmescal (century plant or agave) cstill be seen. Only once during its litime does the agave produce a flowstalk; after flowering the plant dies. Tstalk, which may eventually reachheight of 15 feet or more, was pried ofrom its basal rosette of leaves while s

Crinding holes and pestle fragmen ts atone of Mescal Bajada's Ind ian sites.

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View across Mesca l Bajada from the foothills o f the Pinyon M ountains. Dark no tchto left is theNarrows of San Felipe Creek at thebajada's northeast corner.Dominant vegetation in this photo is ocotillo.young and sm all and roasted in a shallowpit usually lined with rocks. Incolor andflavor the cooked bud resembles ayam.In addition, the leaf fibers of the agaveprovided theIndians with material forrope, bowstrings, sandals, andotheri tems. With itsstands of century pintand its ancient pits, Mescal Bajada is n-deed well named!

Aboriginal grinding holes in whichwild seeds were ground up for fooddimple rock outcrops, and potsherds arefrequently seen. Fragments ofDieguenot rails, some still bordered by rock mark-e r s , can be followed for short distances.Search ing these oldpathways andpondering their destinations is a fas-cinating pastime. Often atrail wil l dis-appear in a sandy wash, butcan bepicked up again beyond the break. Someof the Mescal Bajada routes no doubt ledto Harper's Flat, the Pinyon Mountains,Earthquake Valley and Yaqui Wel l .

Yaqui Wel l , northwest ofMescal Ba-jada and afraction of amile up San Fe-lipe Wash from Tamarisk Grove Camp-ground, is still a reliable source ofwater.It was named for aYaqui Indian fromMexico who sett led there in the late1800's. Many are hetales of hiddengold which revolve about this fam ed des-

ert waterhole. The Yaqui was said tohave asecret source ofgold somewherein theBadlands, a source he tappedwhenever heneeded money. And thetrail tohis treasure, atrail known onlyto the Indian, started atYaqui Wel l .

Another legend ofdesert gold isthatof the prospector and the Indian woman.One evening near theNarrows at thenortheast corner of Mescal Bajada, anold burro-man met an Indian woman whohad with her the body ofher dead hus-band. She promised that she would re-ward theprospector with gold if hewould help hertake thebody to theburial ground inthe nearby mountains.Traveling indarkness through ruggedcountry, they transported the body to theproper place and buried it. Then thewoman disappeared into the night, re-turning many hours later and guidingthe prospector back tothe spot wherethey had met. True toher promise, shehanded him several nuggets of gold fromher secret store. But, try as hemight,the prospector could never find thesource of the nuggets, and to this day tslocation remains amystery.

One further incentive, ifone needs it,for exploring the washes, canyons andmou ntain slopes of Mescal Bajada.

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A H C H E O L O G I C A L S T U D I E S


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D E S E R T A H E A S E 7 B U Ileft:

but here is a doublematurity

12 years and blooms.e flowers form seed

rs from the agave leavesndians in makingoung agave

circle as the inner parentand die. The young agave

"heart' ' was roasted in a pit. Th eas being

to a yam. An ocotillo plantThe branche s are clothed with

food. The flavor is

by TO M EVANSPublic Info rm atio n Officer

I SERIES of archeolog ical studies be-PQ gan this summ er in Im perial and| | San Diego Counties by the Bureau

of Land Management is expected to pro-vide more knowledge about prehistoricNative American groups of the area andtheir relationships to former Lake Ca-hil la (pronounced "Cah-we-ah").

Most of the studies in Imperial Countyare being done in areas of potential geo-thermal resource leasing. The exceptionis a 10-acre site at Ocotillo, where BLMwill construct its Yuha Desert VisitorCenter. This site is the most intriguingbecause its artifacts may be more than10,000 years old.

The study in eastern San Diego Coun-ty, including McCain Valley, is to gatherdata for use in preparation of a grazingenv i ronmenta l s ta tement fo r 98 ,000-acres sandwiched between ClevelandNational Forest and Anza-Borrego StatePark. It extends almost to RiversideCounty line on the no rth and to the U.S.-Mexico border on the south.

Russ Kaldenberg, District Archeolo-gist for BLM's Riverside District, pro-v ided th is summary o f the workunderway:

Easf-West Mesa Ceothermal Area:Westec Services, Inc., of San Diego issampling 15 percent of 100 square mileson both sides of Imperial Valley, in-cluding major portions of the Yuha Des-ert on the west and the Imperial SandDunes on the east. Westec also willprovide a research design for futurestudies. Cost of this contract is $50,000.Completion of the Westec work is sche-duled for August 15.D e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 19 79

BLM "In House" Inventory of threeareas: Glamis Ceothermal, a 25 percentsampling of 44,000 acres in the Glamisarea east of the Imperial Dunes; DunesCeothermal, a 25 percent sampling of17,920 acres just east of the Westecstudy area and south of the Glamis area;San Felipe G eotherm al, at least a 50 per-cent sampling of 8,960 acres, at thesouthwest corner of Salton Sea, about 20miles west of Westmoreland. Cost of thisthree-area study is about $20,000. Com-pletion is planned for October.

Yuha Visitor Center Site: Jay VonWerlhof, interim Curator and SeniorArcheologist of the Imperial Valley Col-lege Museum, directed a 100 percentsurface sampling of the 10-acre sitewhere BLM is scheduled to begin con-struction of a visitor center at Ocotillo inOctober. The site is just off Interstate 8.Sampling is now complete but additionalwork is required, including a search forradio carbon datable material to estab-lish the age of very old artifacts. Cost ofthis work is $5,000.McCain Valley: Archeological SystemsMan agem ent of San Diego has a $56,000contract to sample seven percent of the98,000-acre planning unit. The study isbeing coordinated by ASM's John Cook.Included is rock art study directed byKen Hedges, Curator of Archeology andEthnology at the San Diego Museum ofM a n . Completion of this study is sche-duled for September 30.

In-House InventoriesKaldenberg said the "in-house" study by four archeologists hired specifical-

21


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ly for a four-mo nth job is the large st ofits type undertaken by the Riverside Dis-tr ict BLM. I ts purpose is to providecomparisons with contract work on costefficiency, logistics and coverage to de-termine the location, density and typesof archeological sites.

The team of specially employed arche-ologists is headed by Marvis Kelley, UC,Riverside. Others on the team are: La-Verne Conway, UC, Berkeley; ClendaFoster, San Jose State; and MaureenSteiner, UC, Davis

Kaldenberg said the work they aredoing at a cost of $20,000 would requirean expenditure of more than $50,000 if

done by a private contractor and thesampling would b 15 percent instead of25 percent being done by the B LM team .

"This series of inventories in potentialgeothermal leasing areas may result inthe location of important sites placeswhere we wouldn't want leases tooccur, " Kaldenberg said. "I t appearsthat'there may be no conflict in the Gla-mis area, because of a paucity of sites,but the San Felipe area has tremendousarcheological resources. In San Felipethere may be no surface occupancy, or ifthere is, geothermal developers wouldbe required to conduct 100 percent in-ventories of areas they would directly

Ken Hedges, Curator of Archeology aEthnology at the Museum of Man, SDiego, shows well preserved pictograp

impact, and they would be requiredthoroughly excavate areas where surfadisturbances would occur. All of thwould be placed in the st ipulat ions andwould be entirely at developer ex pen sKelley, the team leader, said the stuarea at one time had been under 110 feof water when Lake Cahuil la occupmost of Coachella and Imperial Valleas recently as 500 years ago. After tformer lake bed was vegetated, Cahupeople settled in the area, apparentlylarge numbers because of nearby Haers We l l , one of the few perennsprings in that part of the desert.

The sprin g and its run-off San Flipe Wash meant abundant wildsuch as owls, coyotes, rabbits and froThere also was, and is, an abundancemesquite seed, which was ground inflour. These food sources resulted in velopment of many vil lage sites.

" I spent 10 hours looking for the boudaries of vi l lage sites," Kelly sa"and there were no boundar ies."

The Cahuil la people who l ived in tarea did so after the lake dried up ab1500 A.D. although the massive lake hcome and gone many t imes, and soart ifacts may be from previous t imesoccupation.

Little is known for certain about SFelipe, but it is known that DeAnvisited H arpers W ell in 1774, and a laplat of 1855 showed an Indian villathere. Intrusion of the white man causthe vil lage to disappear.

Gail Egolf, BLM's El Centro ResouArea archeologist, said radioactive cbon dating has established that peolived in the area at least 10,000 years a a period that apparently encompassmany fillings and recessions of LaCahui l la.

, Lake CahuillaCerrit Fenenga, BLM's Indio R

source Area archeologist and a speciaon Lake Cahuilla, said the most recstand of lake is believed to have beg

The low circle of rocks shown here onhillside in the McCain area may habeen part of a hunting blind. Bighosheep once were plentiful in the area.


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Marvis Kelley, head of an archeologicalteam which conducted three inventoriesin areas of possible geothermal leases.He is holding mesquite beans, w hichwere used by Southern California Indiansas a major food source.about 900 A.D. and to have lasted untilabout 1500 A.D. The indundation wascaused by shifting channels in the Colo-rado R iver de l ta . At t imes thesechannels diverted water into the SaltonSink, which dips to 225 feet below sealevel, and created the lake.

In its most recent stand, the lake is be-lieved to have been 115 miles long, 35miles wide at the widest point and asmuch as 315 feet deep. It extended fromnorth of Indio to about 25 miles south ofthe U.S.-Mexico border.

The northern end of the lake filledmuch of the Coachella Valley and at-tracted the heaviest habitation peopleof the Cahuilla tribe, who built year-round villages. There was abundantfood: freshwater f ish, clams, migratorywaterfowl and marsh plants, as well asupland wildlife and plants. The southernend of the lake filled the Imperial Val-ley. The lakeshore was occupied byfewer people the Kam ia, who primar-ily were nomadic hunters and gatherers.

It is estimated that the Cahuilla popu-lation ranged from 2,500 to 3,500 at thepeak when the lake was full and food wascomparatively ple ntiful. For hundreds ofyears the Colorado dutifully fed the lake.There was no reason to believe it wouldchange. But it did. A build-up of silt inthe delta and a change in the channelabout 1500 A.D. resulted in calamitousadjustments for the Cahuilla and Kamiapeoples. Fenenga said that once the in-flow of the Colorado was cut off, reces-sion of the lake by evaporation appar-en t ly was p rogress ive . Evapora t ionoccurred at the rate of about six feet ofdepth a year. Part of the story is told by apathetic progression of stone fish trapswhich descend on 15 shorelines aboutfive feet apart.

At this rate of evaporation, the lakewou ld have dried up in 55 to 60 years andbecome a barren salt playa, but theFish trap remnants of rock enclosureconstructed by prehistoric Indians on theshore of Lake Cahu illa. The fish en tereda small opening and apparently werenetted as they tried to escape.

calamitous events for the Indians weremore immediate.

Fresh water mussels could not adaptto the rapid recession and are believed tohave d isappeared w i th in 10 years .H igher wate r tempera tu res and in -creased salinity b rought an end with in 25years to fish populations, marsh plantsand wildlife associated with the marshes,including waterfowl.

The dilemma for the Cahuilla andKamia was to find supplemental foodsources. They moved into the mountains.It is not known how much time passedbefore the lake bed was revegetated.The key plants to appear were the mes-

quite and screwbean both highly nu-trit ious and storable.

It appears that the people were liv-ing on the lake bed by 1600. They builtvillages at springs and walk-in wells theydug. White explorers in the mid 1800'sreported irrigated agriculture. The cropsincluded corn, pumpkins and water-melons.

Then the Indian settlements vanished for good. The wh ite m an proved to bea more decisive calamity for Indian life-ways than the Colorado: Lake Cahuillacannot happen again. Boulder Dam con-trols the Colorado River flows and pre-vents it- Continued on Page 46


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Som e storage buildings still left inHarqua Hala.

HARQUAHALA,ARIZONAby JAMES R.MITCHELL

24

H OT TOO FAR f rom Salome, Arizonrests the remains of the once booming town of Harqua Hala. Remnantof the mining operat ion and a number othe town's old bui ld ings can st i l l be visted. In addit ion, there are some nicmineral specimens available to the rockhound who s wi l l ing to spend some timdigging through the dumps and rocpiles in the area.

The town began with the discovery ogold in the Harquahala Mountains i1888 by Harry Wat ton, Bob Stein, anMike Sull ivan. These three actually discovered two separate deposits nearlymile apart from each other, later to bcalled the Bonanza and the GoldeEagle. It is reputed that there was fourth partner, in addit ion to Wat tonStein and Sull ivan. This fourth partnewhose name has been lost over thyears, was reportedly in Yuma obtaininsupplies when the discoveries wermade. Upon returning to the group; h

D e s e r t /S e p t e m b e r 197


25/48

of the rich gold that was dis-but was also informed that he

nolonger apartner. After acourtitwas determined that the claims

tothe three who had actuallyered them, and the fourth partner,

hewas obtaining suppliesy e ntit led to

As Watton, Stein and Sullivan startedwasunfo ld ing. A woman named

andamarker nearby with

Itwas soon discov-however, that she had over 300

in he area, alltobe randomly placed with no

Ajudge de-it was a coincidence that

ofvalue was found near oneall

Inlater years, as the mines

and the new town prospered, Carmill itastill insisted that she had known of thevaluable minerals inthat location wellbefore Watton, Stein and Sullivan, andthat the gold was rightfully hers.

As the mining advanced inthe area,the town started to grow. Astory istoldthat the first saloon inHarqua Hala wasestablished by a man who, w hile visit ingthe area, set up atent, and started sell-ing drinks from his one and only bottleof whisky. This enterprising man soldou t in less than anhour and historydoesn't have arecord ofwhether ornothe later expanded his business, or if itwas just aone t ime th ing . Inany event,shortly thereafter, there were anumberof saloons in this area as more and morethirsty people moved in to work themines.

In January of1889, Harqua Hala wasshocked by its f irst murder. The townhad suffered many losses at the hands ofIndians, but never, up to his t ime, hadone of its citizens been accused ofki l l ing

another. On January 7th Alonzo Johnsonand two companions arrived inHarquaHala by wagon. The trip had been longand dry, and when they f inally arrived ntown, Johnson headed for thenearestsaloon and started todrink. Hedrankthrough the entire night and eventuallystarted g am bling. This- drink ing andg a mb l in g co n t in u e d t h ro u g h o u t thefollow ing day an d, as he started losing atthe gambling table, he became more andmore irritable in hisdrunken state.

He then started antagonizing a localresident named Peter Burns. This antag-onism and many attempts to start a fightwith Burns continued formany hours.When Burns would try to leave or toavoid Johnson, Johnson would follow,continuing hisverbal andsometimesphysical abuse. Finally Johnson grabbeda large wrench and charged Burns withit . Burns, feeling that his life could be njeopardy, quickly pulled out agun and,before Johnson could make contact withthe wrench, shot him inthe face. John-

^ ,v.-\ville^fid frtfnv"""*"" \

TNERlWAttfrtf.nvKanari & Koosharerh

' W , -V .

lilli

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Featuring 3i\tours or points ofinteres t. M ost have appearedit i the pages of past Issuesof DESERT M AG AZIN E^ \4-fOJNTS OF FNT EREST * \AddMepoage/handlino/ ( | U R - W H E E L - D R I V E R O AD S\ calif, reiiderftlpiease ^dSmm'MHta ^

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BOOKS-MAGAZINESY E S , THERE REALLY is a Cucamonga. "LightOver the Mountain" (revised edition). A roman-tic look at the history of Cucamonga, California.Over 300 pages and 70 photos. Clothbound.$11.95 including $1.00 postage and handling.California residents please add 66c sales tax.California Family House, Dept. DM, P. O. Box1 4 1 8 , Upland, California 91786.

DESERT MAGA2IINESApril 1940, Vol. 3,No.6 to February 1977, Vol. 40, No. 2. $300.00 orbest offer. F.O.B. Lyons, Colorado. Don Jordan,P. O. Box 486, Lyons, Colorado 80540. Phone303-823-6775.

MAPS MISCELLANEOUSOLD STATE, Railroad, County Maps. 70-110years old. All States. Stamp for catalog.Northern M ap, Dept. DM , Dunnellon, Fl. 32630.

MININGASSAYSGold & Silver $10.00. High qualityspectrographic analysis for 65 metals $9.00.Free price list. Reed Engineering, 2166 CollegeA v e . , Costa Mesa, Ca lif. 92627.

BUSINESS OPPO RTUNITIES __L50 FIRMS seeking mailers, homeworkers, ad-dressers. For list rush $1.00, stamped, self-addressed envelope. Darene Cowan, 159 Main St.,Roge rsford, PA 19'468.EARN UP TO $500.00 monthly in spare timeclipping news items from local newspapers.More details, rush 25c and self-addressedstamped envelope to McAuley Enterprises,P.O.Box 567b, Lancaster, Ca lif. 93534.

YOU CAN write, publish, distribute and keepthe profits on your how-to-do-it book as I amdoing now . Details $3.00. CBC, P. O. Box 2591 ,ChulaVista, California92012.$20,000/MONTH possible in mailorder! Freedetails. Send #10 self-addressed, stamped en-velope to: Stimson, Box 249-la, Lakewood, Calif.90714.

DESERT PAINTINGS ARTSEE KINGSLEY OSMUND HARRIS originalDesert Paintings display in Desert Magazine'sWestern Art Gallery, Palm Desert, California.

EQUIPMENTPRECISION LAPIDARY Abrasive Compoundsfor tumbling, polishing and grinding. Send forfree catalogue and price list. MDC Industries,400 West Glenwood Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.19140. Dealer Inquiries invited .

GEMSSHAM ROCK ROCK SHOP, 593 West La Ca-dena Dr., Riverside, California 92501. Parallel toRiverside Freeway. Phone 686-3956. Come inand browse; jewelry mountings, chains, sup-plies, minerals, slabs, rough material, equip-ment, black lights, metal detectors, maps, rockand bottle books.42

PROSPECTINGDRYWASHERS! GOLD CONCENTRATORS!Guaranteed to recover minerals, gold. A hobbythat pays for itself! Write to: Nick's Nugget,P. O. Box 108 1, Fontana, Californ ia 92335. (714)822-2846.

PLACER GOLD $2.00, Black sand and placergold (mixed), $2.00. Placer Gold Nuggets $1.00to $300.00 sizes. Prospector Jack Ward, Box3 8 0 , Sandia Park, New Mexico 87047.CAL-GOLD announces the opening of its newstore at 2400 East Foothill, Pasadena, California91107. Metal detectors, maps, books, prospect-ing equipment. Write for catalog and details ofgrand opening contest.

REAL ESTATENORTHEASTERN NEVADA desert round red-wood home 41/2 years old w/v w. on 5 acres. 2400s q . ft., 3 BRs, 3 Baths, Family Room, 2 car gar-a g e , fully panelled and insulated. Taxes approxi-mately $500 year. $120,000.00 702-738-8732eves.

SEEDS & PLANTSJOJOBA25 clean seed, instructions. $1.50prepaid. Indian Trail Nursery, Star Rt. 2, Box7 5 , Twentynine Palms, California 92277.

TREASURE FINDERSTREASURELocate quarter mile away with ul-trasensitive locatorbrochure free. ResearchProducts, Box 13441-BUC, Tampa, Florida33611

INSTANT RICHESExplore ghost towns. Findburied treasure, coins, relics, antiques, andmore. Goldakthe finest "Metal and TreasureLocators since 1933." Send for free catalog.Goldak, Dept. D, 626 Sonora Avenue, Glendale,California 91201.

COLLECTORS' ITEMSAuthentic 1800's rroad stocks engraved w ith h igh sm okestack lomotivesframed or unframed. Free list. HeFord, 1110 M iller Place, Golden, Colorado 804

BELLEW MEMORIAL ARTHRITIS MedClinic, D.H.S., Calif. Practice limited to Bellew Vaccine Method of treating arthrDesert sun and climate. Phone 714-329-87Write P. O. Box 305, D.H.S., California 922

HOW TOPLAC E YOURTRA DING POST ADMail your copy and first-insertion remittancto : Trading Post, Desert Magazine, PalDesert, Calif. 92260. Classified rates are 25per word, $5.00 minim um per insertion.

Deadline forClassified Adsis 10th of secondmonth precedingcover date.

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43/48

M A P S !M A P S !

DESERT OVERVIEW MAPSUsing topographic rnaps as basic under-lays, are two excellently detailed maps forback country explorers of the Mojave andColorado Deserts. Maps show highways,gravel routes, Jeep trails, plus historicroutes and sites, old wells, which are not onmodern-day maps, plus ghost towns,Indian sites, etc. Mojave Desert Overviewcovers from U.S. 395 at Little Lake to Boul-der City, Nevada, to Parker Dam to Victor-vil le. Colorado Desert Overview coversfrom the Mexican border to Joshua TreeNational Monument to Banning to the Ari-zona side of the Colorado River. Be certainto state which map when ordering.$3.00 eachANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARKTOPOGRAPHIC MAPSA set of 7 maps covering the Anza-BorregoDesert State Park, 8 1 /2 "x11" format, spiralbound. $5.50JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENTUPDATED TOPOGRAPHIC MAPSA set of 12 maps covering the Joshua TreeNational Monument, 8 1/2 "x11" format,spiral bound. $7.95MAP OF PIONEER TRAILSCompiled by Varna Enterprises, this istheir new large map on pioneer trails blaz-ed from 1541 through 1867 in the westernUnited States. Superimposed in red onblack and white, 37"x45" $4.00ROADM AP TO C ALIFORN IA'S LOSTMINES AND BURIED TREASURESCompiled by Varna Enterprises, 38"x25"and scaled Southern California on one sideand Northern C alifornia on the other. $4.00MAPS OF THE OLD WESTPrinted in two colors on rich Parchmentpapers; each map has the rustic appeal ofthe Old West. Hundreds of sitesnames,dates and descriptions of places and eventsassociated with the Old West, includingghost towns, old forts, old mines, lost andlegendary gold, Indian tribes, battle sitesand early tra ils.Arizona Lost Mines & Ghost Towns $1.50C alif. Lost Mines & Ghost Towns $1.50Nevada Lost Mines & Ghost Towns $1.50(Each above map 1 7"x 22 ")The Historic We st 23'.'x30" $2.00(Includes the 11 western states)Arizona Treasure Map 30"x38" $2.00(Field M ap)

Please add 50c for Po stage /handlingC alif, residents add 6% state sales tax

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P. O Box 1318, Palm Des ert, Calif. 92260

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Gold embossed on brown v iny l. Space for12 magazines easily inserted. A beautifuland practical addition to your home book-shelf.

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Send orders toBox 1318Palm De s e r t , C al ifornia 92260GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCK-IES by Robert L. Brown. Written by the authorof Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns, thisbook deals with ghost towns accessible by pas-senger car. Gives directions and maps for f ind-ing towns along with historical backgrounds.Hardcover, 401 pages, $9.95.HISTORICAL ATLAS OF C ALIFORNIA by War-ren A. Beck and Ynez D. Has se . Extensive docu-mentation and pe rtinent detail m ake this atlas avaluable aid to the student, scholar and everyone interested in the Golden State. 101 excellentmaps present information on the major faults,ear ly Spanish explorat ions, Mexican landgrants, routes to gold fields, the Butterfield andPony Express routes, CCC camps, World War IIInstallations, etc. Hardcover, large format, ex-tensive index, $12.50.HISTORIC AL ATLAS OF NEW MEXIC O byWarren A. Beck and Ynez D. Hass e. Geographi-cal data, sites of prehistoric civilizations, eventsof history, first towns, stagecoach lines, historictrails, etc., are included in this comprehensive"atlas. Excellent maps, index. Hardcover, largeforma t, highly recommended, $9.95.HOPI KAC HINA DOLLS [With a Key to TheirIdentification], by Harold S. Colton. Kachinadolls are neither toys nor idols, but aids to teach-ing religion and tradition. This is a definitivework on the subject, describing the m eaning, themaking and the principal features of 266 vari-eties of Kachina dolls. Line drawings of each va-riety, plus color and b/w photos make it a com-plete guide to learn more of the richness ofAmerican Indian culture . Paperback, 150 pages,$4.50.ALIVE IN THE DESERT, The complete guidefor desert recreation and surviv al, by Joe Krau s.A handy volume that is worth its weight in yourbackpack or daypack on all your desert travels,by car or on foot. The author is a longtime desertwriter who has been there himself. Paperback,113 pages, $5.95.DEATH VALLEY: Geology, Ecology, Archaeol-ogy, by Charles B. Hunt. Death Valley has longbeen a place of fascination for people the worldover, and much has been written about it. Now,however, all aspects of this famous (or infamous)desert have been brought together in this book.Lavishly illustrated with 163 photos and linedrawings, 234 pages. Paperback, $6.95.HIGH MOUNTAINS & DEEP VALLEYS by Lewand Ginny C lark, with photo graphs by Edwin C .Rockwell. A history and general guide book tothe vast lands east of the High Sierra, south ofthe Comstock Lode, north of the Mojave Desertand west of Death Valley, by oldtimers whoknow the area and have since birth. Paperback,192 pages, 250 photographs and many maps.$6.95.SHADY LADIES OF THE WEST by RonaldDean M iller. Everyone knows that the harlot wasthe vanguard of every move westward, and thatshe was as much of a part of the western sceneas the marshal, the badman, the trail-hand orthe rancher. Many are the reasons she has beenneglected by the historiannone of them valid.Author Miller, in this enlightening book, seeksto remedy some of the paucity of informa tion onthe American pioneers of this ancient profes-sion. Hardcover, comprehensive bibliography,224 pages, $7.95.FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RogerTory Peterson. The standard book for field iden-tification sponsored by the National AudubonSociety. Second Edition, enlarged, 658 photos infull color. Strong, durab le paperback, $6.95.44

GHOST TOWN : El Dorado by Lam bert Florin.The colorful, outrageous characters of the W est-ern mining towns come to life on every page ofthis fascinating volume crammed w ith photos ofghost towns in Colorado, California, Arizona,Utah, etc., plus exciting history and anecdotes.246 photos and illustrations. Large format, hard-cover, originally published at $12.95, now pricedat $5.95.MINES OF THE MOJAVE by Ron and PeggyMiller covers the numerous m ining d istricts run-ning across the upper Mojave Desert from Tropi-co, west of the town of Mojave, to MountainPass, a little west of the Nevada border. Paper-back, 67 pages, $2.50.

LOST MINES AND BURIED TREASURES OFTHE WEST, Bibliography and Place Namesfrom Kansas West to California, Oregon, Wash-ington and Mexico. This large, easy-to-use vol-ume lists the works of more than 1100 differentauthors, covering thousands of stories of lostmines and buried treasures supposedly locatedin 15 Western and Southwestern states and inMexico. An important basic research tool forhistorians, geologists, geographers, anthropolo-gists, archaeologists and folklorists. Hardcover,593 pages, $27.50.WILLIE BOY, by Harry Lawton. The story of anincomparable Indian chase, its unexpected con-clusion, woven into an authentic turn-of-the-century history of Cal i fornia 's TwentyninePalms country. This desert classis offers rare in-sights into Indian character and customs, as wellas a first-hand look at a colorful desert region asit was nearly a century ago. Historic photo-graphs and colorful maps, paperback, $4.95.ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE BOOK,Southern California's last frontier, by HoraceParker, revised by George and Jean Leetch. Aclassic reference to America's largest desertpark, originally published in 1957 and now up-dated, enlarged and improved by the. "dean ofdesert rangers" and his wife. With excellentlogs, maps and photographs brought up to 1979standards. Paperback, 154 pages, two maps,many photos, $6.95.A SOUTHERN C ALIFORNIAN'S GUIDE TOWILD FOOD by Christopher Nyerges. Thisnewly published manual describes the mostcommon plants of So. California in detail andtells how to include them into your diet. Beat thehigh cost of food by utilizing free wild food inbackyards, vacant lots and wilderness areas.Many recipes included. Paperback, $4.95.ARIZONA TREASURE HUNTERS GHOSTTOWN GUIDE by Theron Fox. Early maps of1868 and 1881 show 1,200 place names, roads,forts, early county arrangements, mining dis-tricts, ghost towns, steamboat landing, moun-tain ranges, lakes, etc. A handy reference. Pa-perback, $1.95.

WESTERN GEM HUNTERS ATLAS by CyJohnson and Son. A helpful book of detailedmaps showing gem and mineral locations, fromCalifornia to the Dakotas and British Columbiato Texas. Markings note private claims, gemclaims (fee charged) and rock and gem locations.Also suggested reading for more detail on areasincluded and other rich areas not included in thispublication. Paperback, maps galore, collec-tor's library, 79 pages, $4.00MINES OF THE SAN BERNARDINOS by JtfhnW . Robinson. The largest gold rush in the south-ern regions of the Golden State took place in theSan Bernardino mountains. John tells of this andmany other strikes that led to the opening of thishigh wooded area. Paperback, illustrated, 72pages, $2.50.DESERT GEM TRAILS by Mary Frances StrongDESERT Magazine's Field Trip E ditor's populafield guide for rockhounds. The "bible" for bothamateur and veteran rockhounds and backcountry explorers, and covers the gems and m in-erals of the Mojave and Colorado DesertsHeavy paperback, 80 pages, $2.50.SOVEREIGNS OF THE SAGE by Nell Murbar-ger. A collection of previously tokJ tales aboutthe people and the places of the great AmericanSouthwest by the original author, a longtime re-porter of the desert. Many photographs, some ofthem now lost, several excellent Norton AllenMaps. Paperback, $7.95.BAJA C ALIFORNIA GUIDEBOOK by WalWheelock and Howard E. Giulick, forme rly Ge rhard and Gutick's Lower California GuidebookThis totally revised fifth edition is up-to-the-min-ute for the Transpeninsular paved highway, withnew detailed m ileages and descriptive text. Corrections and additions are shown for the manyside roads, ORV routes, trails and little-knownbyways to desert, mountain, beach and bay re-cesses. Folding route maps are in color and new-ly revised for current accuracy. Indispensablereference guide, hardcover, $10.50.A FIELD GUIDE TO THE C OMMON AND INTERESTING PLANTS OF BAJA C ALIFORNIAby Jeanette C oyle and Norm an Roberts. Ove250 plants are described with 189 color photosIncludes past and present uses of the plants byaborigines and people in Baja today. Scientific.Spanish and common names are given. Excellent reference and highly recommended. 224pages, paperback, $8.50.BACK ROADS OF C ALIFORNIA by Earl Thollander and the Editors of Sunset Books. Earlystagecoach routes, missions, remote canyonsold prospector cabins, mines, cemeteries, etc.are visited as the author travels and sketches theCalifornia Backroads. Through maps and notesthe traveler is invited to get off the freeways andsee the rural and country lanes throughout thestate. Paperback, large format, unusually beau-tiful illustrations, 207 pages, $6.95.TEMALPAKH by Lowell John Bean and Kath-erine Siva Saubel. Temalpakh means "from theearth , " in Cahuilla, and covers the many uses ofplants used for food, medicine, rituals and thoseused in the manufacturing of baskets, sandals,hunting tools; and plants used for dwellings.Makes for a better understanding of environ-mental and cultural relationships. Well illustrat-ed, 225 pages, hardcover, $10; paperback, $6.50FIELD GUIDE TO ROCKS AND MINERALS byFrederick H. Pough. Authoritative guide to identification of rocks and minerals. Experts recommend this for all amateurs as one of the bestMany color illustrations. Paperback, $5.95.


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Please add 50c per to ta l orderfor Handl ing/PostageC al if , add 6% s ta te sales taxGHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James andBarbara Sherm an. If you are looking for a ghosttown in Arizona this is your waybill. Illustrated,maps, townships, range, co-ordinates, history,and other details make this one of the best ghosttown books ever published. Large 9x11 format,heavy paperback, 208 pages, $5.95.TRACKING DOWN OREGON, by Ralph Fried-man. An excellent general history of California'snorthern neighbor, which has as much desert ofa different description plus a lot of sea coast andexciting history. Many photographs of famouspeople and places and good directions how to getthere. Paperback, 307 pages, more than 100photographs, $5.95.BACKPACKING GUIDE TO SAN DIEGOCOUNTY, by Skip Ruland. An informative, no-nonsense primer to day hiking and extendedseveral-day trips into the Southern Californiamountain and desert back country, coveringmore territory than the title suggests. Also thislittle book contains emergency information use-ful wherever you hike or travel in the back coun-try. Paperback, 80 pages, several maps andsketches, $2.95.THE KING'S HIGHWAY IN BAJA CALIFOR-NIA by Harry Crosby. A fascinating recountingof a trip by muleback over the rugged spine ofthe Baja California peninsula, along an historicpath created by the first Spanish padres. It tellsof the life and death of the old Jesuit m issions, itdescribes how the first European settlers werelured into the mountains along the same road.Magnificent photographs, many in color, high-light the book. Hardcover, 182 pages, large for-mat, $14.50.LIMBO by Carobeth Laird. A chilling but fascin-ating personal memoir of life in a nursing homeby a survivor, who was also the author of En-counter with an Angry God and The Chemehue-v is . Mrs. Laird was 79 during the experiencesshe describes, and 81 when she completed thisbook, already being hailed a a landmark work forpotential change in the nursing home scene.Paperback, 178 pages, $5.95.ELECTRONIC PROSPECTING w ith the VLF/TRMetal/Mineral Detector, by Charles Garrett,Bob Grant and Roy Lagal. A handy reference foranyone using late-model metal detectors,written by experts in this expanding f ield. Con-tains many hints on how to find gold and othertreasure ores and artifacts with a good biblio-graphy and appendix. Paperback, 86 pages,numerous illustrations, $3.95.OWYHEE TRAILS by Mike Hanley and EllisLucia. The authors have teamed to present'theboisterous past and intriguing present of thisstill wild corner of the West sometimes calledthe I-O-N, where Idaho, Oregon and Nevadacome together. Hardcove r, 225 pages, $9

197909 desert magazine 1979 september

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