197710 desert magazine 1977 october

8/14/2019 197710 Desert Magazine 1977 October

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OCTOBER 1977 $1.00

MA GA ZINE OF TH E SOUTHWEST

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WILLIAM and JOYKNYVETTCo-Publishers/ EditorsGEORGE BRAG A, Art DirectorSHARLENE KNYVE TT, Art DepartmentMARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorGLENN VARGAS, Lapidary EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistMARVEL BARRETT, Circulation ManagerColor Separations byHenry Color ServiceLithographed byWolfer Printing Company, Inc.Available inMicrofi lm byXerox University Microfilms

Volume 40, Number 10 OCTOBER 1977

CONTENTSF E A T U R E S

THE COVER:It takes a houseboat trip toreally appreciate the won-ders of Utah's beautifulLake Powell. Photo byErnie Cowan, Escondido,California.

TRILOBITES: GHOSTS OF THE DESERT 6A LOOK AT LIZARDS THROUGH A LENS 8

MINERAL KING 12THE GREAT HYDRAULIC RACE 16

ALL'S NOT SMOOTH AT VELVET 20BADGER HOLE GOLD 32

CORNSPRINC 34ALMOST FORGOTTEN TRUCKHAVEN TRAIL 36

DESERT UNICORN 40

Paul Remeika

Walter Ford

Roy Russell

John W. Robinson

Mary Frances Strong

Harold O. Weight

Dick Bloomquist

Bill Jennings

W. P. Armstrong

D E P A R T M E N T SA PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE 4

1978 BOOK CATALOG 21TRADING POST 44

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 46CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 46

William Knyvett

Books for Desert Readers

Classified Listings

Readers' Comments

Club Activities

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION ANDADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-425 Highway 111, Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Are a Code 714346-8144.listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and possessions; 1 year, $7.00; 2 years, $13.00; 3 years, $19.00. All othercountries add$2.00 U.S.currency for each year. SeeSubscription Order Form in this issue. Allow five weeks forchange of address andsend both newand oldaddresses with zipcodes. DESERT Magazine ispublished mon thly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, Ca lifornia and at additional mail-ing offices under Act of March 3,1879. Contents copyrighted 1977 byDESERT Magazine andpermission to reproduce any or all contents must besecur-ed inwr it ing . Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs wil l not bereturned unless accompanied byself-addressed, stamped envelope.Desert /October 1977 3


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B A C K I S S U EB A R G A I N S !ODDS ANDENDSMiscellaneous Copiesfrom 1959 to 1965Package of 10$0003No selections available

VOLUMES FORYEARS1966*1969*197411 issues only

S / i O O4EACHCOMPLETE VOLUMESFOR YEARS

1967*1968*19701971*1972*1973and 1975ONLY S K O O5 EACH

COMPLETE1976 VO LUM EONLYS C O O6

Send check or money order toDESERT MAGAZINEP. O. Box 1318

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260

publisher'sykP ALL ISwith usonce again and it is at ime when fancies turn to footballan d theWorld Series. But the know-ledgeable outdoorsman turns hismind toLake Powell and its wonderful autumnweather andexcellent f ishing condit ions.

It also provides a big bonus in season-al discounts onhouseboats, according toDick Kemp, public relat ions director forDe l E. Webb Corporat ion, which oper-ates three m arinas on Lake Powell: HiteMar inaOct. 1-Dec. 31, 30% discount;Wahweap Lodge & Mar inaNov. 1-Dec. 31, 30%discount; Bullfrog Resort& Mar ina-Oct . 15-Oct . 31, 20% dis-count and Nov.1-Dec. 31 , 30% discount.

This means that under the discountplan six f ishermen could rent a six-sleep-er modern houseboat at Hite for threenights for $45.50 each. For those whohaven't discovered the thr i l l of boatingon Lake Powell, this is a great oppor-tuni ty .

I hope the cooler fall weather will en-courage more people to visit the wonder-ful desert southwest and enjoy the wideopen spaces, quiet canyons and majesticsunsets tha t are all a part of my favoriteplace onearth.

October also brings our annual Book

Catalog which has been categorized thisyear for your convenience, and for thosewho prefer to shop in person, our BookShop will again beopen Saturdays from10 to 3, effective October 1st.

I fy o u rs p a r eI S N O T o p " ?i t c o u l dl e t y o u D O W N !How much air's in your spare?Any? If you're not on the ball,you'll find out the answer to thatquestion when it's too late. Mostpeople would check the air pres-sure in their spare time more oftenif it were more convenient. Right?Well, with this Inflate-a-spare kit itis convenient: You mount a valvestem in a handy place and thenconnect it to the spare with the tub-ing provided. You can read pres-sure without opening the trunk orclimbing under your pickup ormotor home. Slick. It's $5 for astandard valve stem unit, $6 forlong stem. Shipped postpaid. Cali-fornia residents please add 6%state sales tax.

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Box 1318, Palm Desert, CA 92260

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Desert /October 197


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WESTERN CHRISTMAS CARDS^ Beautiful 5" x 7"Scenes from Field andForestChristmas Isn't Christmas Without Christmas Cards

1 4 2 4 " I w i l l l i f t up m i n e e y e s , e t c . " May he P e a c ea n d J o y of C h r i s t m a s be w i t h you all the Y e a r

The joy ofsending Christmas cards and keeping in touch with friendsis one of our most cherished traditions. This spirit of warmth andfriendship is beautifully expressed through Leanin' Tree cards, withmeaningful greetings perfectly matched to each magnificent scene.You can choose red, blue, green orwhite envelopes. Order direct fromthis ad orsend for ree sample card and catalog. We can mprint yourname in red tomatch th e greeting, also your return address in blackon the envelopes. Fast, IMMEDIATE shipment now til Christmas. 1 4 2 9 " . . . s m a l l w a n d e r s ofthe s e a s o n , etc" M e r r yC h r i s t m a s a n d a H a p p y N e w Y e a r

1 2 4 0 In t h e S h a d e of S a n t a R i t a B e s t W i s h e s fo r a 1 4 2 S " B l e s s e d a r e t h e y . . . " M a y y o u h a v e t h e S p i r i t 1 4 2 6 " A n d t h e d e s e r t s h a l l r e j o i c e . . . " M a y t h e P e a c e 1 4 2 2 . . . t h e g l o r y of C h r i s t m a s r e m a i n s . M a y itsM e r r y C h r i s tm a s a n d a H a p p y NewY e a r of C h r i s t m a s w h i c h is P e a c e . . . t h e H e a r t , etc. and JoyofC h r i s t m a s be w i t h you t h r o u g h the Y e a r l i g h t s h in e u p o n y o u r p a th w a y and b l e s s you, etc.

1 2 1 1 " . . . w h a t can I g i v e H i m , G i v e my h e a r t . " May 1411 If t h i s old b i r d b u r n s up th e r o a d . . . H e ' s 1238 G o d ' s C a n d l e s ti c k s " . .. M a y h a p p y m e m o r i e st h e w a r m t h and l o v e . . a t C h r i s tm a s f i l l y o u r h e a r t . . . r u s h i n ' you our w i s h e s for a M e r r y C h r is t m a s s e a s o n ! f in g e r on" M a y y o u h a v e the S p i r i t of C h r i s t m a s , etc. 1 4 2 3 It's C h r i s t m a s a g a i n ! May y o u r s be a j o y f u lo n e a n d y o u r N e w Y e a r h a p p y !

1 4 1 0 "M y h e a r t c a n h e a r the d e s e r t c a l l , e t c . " W i th 1254 " M a y the b a i l r i s e up to m e e t y o u . .. m a y G o dB e s t W i sh e s forC h r i s t m a s and all he New Y e a r h o l d y o u in . . .H i s h a n d . " M e r r y C h r i s tm a s I H O W TO O R D E R : Use c o u p o n or l e t t e r and m a i l w i t h Q >


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Trilobites:Ghostsof theDesert

!

.MAGINE a watery wor ld of huge,beaut i fu l , honey-combed colonies ofcorals, blooming tufts, sponges, al-

gae, and vagrant je l lyf ish, all reignedover by invincibly-grotesque, crab-l ikecreatures! Science fiction? Not really, al-though it very well could be. Instead, itdefines a primeval paleo-environment oflong ago,which actually f lourished dur-in g the Cambrian Period of the vast Pa-leozoic Era of Earth's history, about 600mill ion years ago. And a considerablepart of this ancient marine landscapetook place in ocean basins which form-erly covered large areas of what is noweastern California, Nevada, and parts ofUtah!

Substantiation is based on the fossilrecord a record that does not lie, re-vealing anastonishing array of past- l i feorganisms, both plant and animal , thatonce flourishe d in the shallow substratasof prehistory. And these sea-floor sca-vengers resembling crabs the t r i lo-

by PAUL R EM EIKA

bites they dominated all marine habi-tats during an impressive portion of thatt ime.

The name tr i lobite is derived from a" three- lobed" body appearance, em-phasized by a head (cephalon), thorax,and tai l (pygidium) segment. Together,they formulated a most durable exo-skeleton (the shell being outside thebody), analogous to crayfish, lobstersand shrimp.

This jointed armor protected delicateinternal organs, al lowed the body tomove to-and-fro, and yet, supported itmuch like a skeleton very importantessentials if you happened to be a t r i lo-b i te . And, as the animal grew, it had toperiodically molt this chitinous shell.

Tr i lobites, such as the archaic Olenel-lus thompsoni, reconstructed here, werewell endowed with fragile ventral ap-pendages. Such unique structures arenow rare finds in the f ield of paleon-tology. These specialized body attach-

The consensusholds that wholespecimens, suchas Paedeumiasclarki [shown]are theexceptionrather thanthe rule.

ments (jaws, antennae, eyes, and jo intedlegs) made it possible for the animal toswim or plow through bottom sedimentsfo r food, or to detect movements upahead inmurky waters. As a l i fe-supportsystem, vibratory gi l ls and branchingme mb r a n e s fu n c t i o n e d fo o d to themouth andbathed each mechanism witha constant flow of fresh water allspecialized adaptations for such a pre-histor ic creature.

Mani fested by these fascinating crea-tures, I have tracked their remainsthroughout the desert southwest, re-searching their antiquity through thepages of t ime . As a paleontologist, thethr i l l of forcibly cleaving open a slab ofshale and f ind ing an enclosed trilobitefossil is extremely exciting and reward-ing, since the animal has been pre-empted wi th in the f ramework of theEarth's crust for a considerable durationof t ime (600 mill ion years). The agealone boggles the min d .

Ironically, many people do not knowwhat a t r i lob i te is. To the geological sci-entist, a t r i lob i te is a prehistor ic jewe l ofan age long past. Crab-like in appear-ance, it exhibits characteristics similar toArthropods, an invertebrate phylum thatincludes living species of insects, spi-ders, crabs, lobsters, centipedes, s hrimpand even barnacles! The tr i lobites weremorphologically the most pr imitive ofmembers, although they were the mosthighly developed creatures to roam theseas of their t ime! Hence, the Age ofTri lobites was born.

Wh a t a bizarre world it was. If wecould close our eyes and revert back int ime, we would see a world ruled bythese meager creatures, the " K i n g s ofthe Cambrian Seas." Always sporting aperennial facial gr imace, they prol i fer-ated, harboring over lush tropical do-mains of seagrass, clustered algae, andwaving kelp strands, along with moresubtle sea l i l ies, rock weeds, worms andprimitive shellf ish. Within these shallowoffshore waters, they swam about end-lessly, either randomly along the seafloor or groveling through the bottomsediments.

Astonishingly, these monarchs weresmall creatures, measuring less thanfour inches long sti l l an enormousproportion for any animal of the Cambrian Period. It is di f f icu l t for paleontolo-gists toactually interpret themode of life

Desert /October 1977


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of a tr i lobite. Surely, i t centered aroundsearching for food. Typically benthonicin behavior, they fed mostly on sus-pended detr i tus (minute organic par-ticles) in the water or small t idbits with inthe sands, si l ts, and muds of the seabottom.

Most assuredly, they were voraciouseaters, but no one can safely inferwhether or not their normal foraging wasmore enticed by a pr imitive snail andje l lyf ish, or a more vegetal fare!

The tr i lobites are gone, buried in theevolutionary graveyard of t ime a fatemost scientists believe is worse thandeath itself. Gone for all time. No hu-man being will ever have the privilege ofactually seeing one alive, since they be-came extinct many millions of years ago,even before the appearance of the Age ofDinosaurs. Howev er, I would cherish theopportunity of reaching back into thepast for just one day to witness the fas-cinating period of the tr i lobite.

Wil l the passage of t ime ever br ingback the tr i lobite? W il l similar creaturesever reign as masters of the world again?Probably not within man's l i fetime, for,as T.A. Conrad once summarized The race of man shall perish,

but the eyesOf trilobites eternal be in stone,And seem to stare about in mild

surpriseAt changes greater than they haveyet know n.

Dorsal View MorphologyGlabella (frontal lobe)

EyeOccipital Ring

Lateral MarginLateral Border

Lateral Border FurrowGenal Spine Macropleura

Segment (pleura)Pleural Furrow

HypostomeMouth

Metastome

Sensory Hairs

;Endopodites

Pre-epipodites

Term inal Axial Piece

Termina l Axial Spine Ventral ViewDesert/October 1977


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I YOU WOULD LIKE some excit ingadventures with your camera, wherethe ancestry of your subjects extendsmillions of years back in time, the south-western deserts will make it easy foryou. Their sand dunes and foothills willprovide expansive open-air studios andthe antics of the lizards that inh abit th emwill supply plenty of action for yourcamera shots.

When tracing the t ime path of pre-historic animals from their fossils, to-day's scientists are aided by radioactivematerials with which they claim reason-ably accurate results. By measuring theamount of disintegration of such ma-terials associated with the sediments inwhich the fossils were embedded, theyare able to estimate the number of yearssince the fossil was formed.

In his book Dinosaurs, Nicholas Tot-ten, Division of Vertebrate Paleontology,Smithsonian Institution, states that liz-ards were part of the Jurassic Periodfossil record which, according to theGeologic timetable, occurred between135 and 180 million years ago. Geologictimetables may be found in most geo-logy textbooks and other publicationsdealing with prehistoric animal l i fe. Butit should be noted that such tables mayvary slight ly with dif ferent authors.However, when the variations are com-pared with the millions of years in-

m* * > .

Rem ote camera shuttercontrol m akes itunnecessary to rem ainby your camera whilewaiting for your subjectto appear. Photographeris shown he re nearcamera just to display theparts of the controltogether. Lizard has justemerged from burrow afew feet to the right' 4 of the camera tripod.

' * 8 Dese rt/October 1977


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v o l v e d , t hey becom e re la t i ve l yunimportant .

Since time to the layman is usually amatter of minutes, days and years, it isoften dif f icult for him to conceive of in-tervals covering million s of years . In hisbook, also tit led Dinosaurs, E.H. Col-bert, Curator of Fossil Repti les, TheAmerican Museum of Natural History,has an interest ing comment on the sub-ject: " T he student of the earth thinks notin terms of centuries, or even mil lenia,but rather in terms of mil l ions of years,and to think in such large terms as these,to take such an extremely long view ofl i fe and the earth, requires a certainamount of mental readjustment . "

A chuckwalla lizard looks like he madethe 180 mil l ion year t ime span from theDinosaur Age in one gigantic leap. Butin spite of his ungainly appearance hemakes a good camera subject. His dietconsists ma inly of flow ers , so he does notappear in spring unti l about a monthafter the other l izards. When he f inallyemerges from his long sleep his break-fast of wildf lowers is blooming andready. Chuckwallas l ike to bask in thesun on boulders and on such occasionsare generally easy to photograph.

A chuckwalla's normal wobbling gaitmight indicate that they are slow mov-ers, but they can travel with surprisingspeed when necessary. When danger

Western Alligator Lizard resting in debris around old cabin site in foothills belowBanner, California. One of lizard's inactive hind legs shows above the end of his tail.threatens they run into a crevice be-tween two boulders and inf late them-selves so it is almost impossible to re-move them alive.

Chuckwallas were always a favoriteitem in desert Indians' diet, but theirmethod of preparing them would hardlyappeal to a fastidious diner. In his book,Desert Wildlife, Edmu nd C. Jaeger tellsof a day some years back when he found

three Indians sit t ing around a f ire in aNevada desert canyon. On the fire was alarge iron pot in which six fat chuck-wallas were cooking. Presumably, theIndians invited Jaeger to share theirmeal. When he looked into the pot andlearned that they had neglected to re-move the heads and skins from the"creatures, he wrote that he had only afeel ing of " repugnance" for food.

V\C & >Ti^Ei

A Desert Iguana,poised to

retreat intoits burrow,

keeps a waryeye on the

photographer.Desert/October 1977


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I had my irst close-up look at achuck-walla in the late 40s at art ist John Hil-ton's place near Thermal, along oldHighway 99. John usually had a newdesert oddity to show me, or an off-beatactivity going onwhenever I visited him.This t ime hewas "h ypno t i z i ng " achuck-walla by scratching its underside with af ingernai l . The lizard remained in anyposition it was placed ly ing on itsside, curved in a semicircle, or swingingtrapeze-like from a stick held by John. Itwas an incredible demonstrat ion.

Whi le fo l lowing a desert trail some-t ime , you may have seen an unrecog-nizable object streak across a nearbysand dune and disappear in a puff ofsand. You could have attr ibuted thestrange sight to the heat of the day, orjust let it serve as a reminder that yourperiodical eye check-up was long over-

d u e . But you could have actually seen aFringe-footed Sand Lizard, which as hisname suggests, has special "equip-m e n t " to speed his progress over sand.And further confusing the scene couldhave been his bipedal movements; trav-eling on his hind legs with his tail curvedover his back. There areseveral speciesof lizards capable of t raveling on theirhind legs, but none so adept as Mr.Fringe-foot. His abil i ty to dive undersand while traveling at top speed putsh im in a class by himself .

Strangely, a photograph of a bipedal-ing lizard in action does not seem toexist. None of the reptile books availablecontains one, although some of themmention abipedaler's unusual character-istics. The popular San Diego Zoo lackssuch aphotograph, but said they hope toobtain one. A similar report came fromth e San Diego Museum of Natural His-tory. Inspite of thenegative results frommy survey, I believe it is possible tophotograph successfully a bipedalinglizard in action. You will need a camerawith a fast shutter, some fast f i lm, and acompanion to f lush your subject into theopen and across your camera f ie ld . Anda lot of patience!

The Desert Iguana, or Crested Lizard,as he is also known, is a handsome crea-ture that often attains a length of 15 ormore inches. The "crested" designat ionis due to a row of small scales runningdown the middle of his back. He is waryand like most lizards, exceedingly curi-o u s ; a t rait which frequently overrideshis caution. He likes high temperatures

10

and on hot,sunny days when most of heother lizards have sought shelter he cangenerally be found basking in the heat.

On one such day I found a DesertIguana stretched out in the Borrego Bad-lands with his tail extending into his bur-row. It was a rare shot and since I hadonly a view camera with me I knew Iwould have to work carefully to get it. Imounted my camera on a t r ipod a fewfeet away, focused it and snapped theshutter. During that t ime the lizardwatched me intent ly without the slight-est movement. Then, as I was dis-mantling the equipment I made a fa intnoise and in a f lash he turned and dis-appeared down his burrow.

The Desert Iguana isalso a bipedallerand like the chuckwalla he is able to in-f late himself to foi l his enemies. How-ever, since hespends most of hisdays onthe f lat lands, there isseldom anoccasionto use those talents. He likes to dine onthe leaves and f lowers of the creosotebush, which can provide opportunit iesfor interesting action pictures.

Al though the Desert Iguana is consid-ered a vegetarian, he may abandon thatrole when a delectable insect crosses hispath. Whi le on a recent desert trip I sawone calmly nibbling his lunch in acreosote bush. Then a small beetle land-ed on a nearby branch and the lizardseemed to goberserk. Hissides began toquiver and his head swung from side toside as he moved toward his prey. Sud-denly, he lunged forward, misjudged thedistance and fel l to the ground. Thebeetle flew away and the f rustratedhunter disappeared down a rodent hole.

When a Western All igator l izard isseen disappearing under brush, he maylook like an oversize lizard or a veno-mous snake, depending upon his methodof traveling. Nature seems to have short-changed him in the rear leg departmentand left himwith twoalmost useless ap-pendages. When searching for food heglides slowly through vegetat ion, pro-pelled by his front legs and slight aidfrom thedefective ones. When anenemyappears he swings instantly into actionwith snake-like movements and tries towiggle his way to safety. If the enemygets too close he may " u n j o i n t " a sec-t ion of his ta i l ; amove that is intended toattract the attention of his pursuer whilehe makes an escape. His tai l may growout again, but rarely to its originallength.

Desert /October 1977


11/48

"Hypnotized" Chuckwalla enjoys a nap in his own body-formed cradle.When searching for an area with alarge l izard populat ion, look for one with

lots of fine sand, vegetation and manyrodent burrows. Vegetat ion attracts in-sects for the lizards' food and the bur-rows provide escape routes from dangersfor which they are ever on the alert.When disturbed an overly curious l izardmay stop just short of a burrow to awaitfurther developments, or he may dashundergroun d only to reappear a few m in-utes later to complete his survey. A morecautious l izard may go underground im-mediately and remain there 15 or 20minutes longer.

Standing over your camera wait ing foryour quarry to surface can be a tiring jobat times. Fortunately, there is an inex-pensive remote camera shutter control,available from photo supply dealers, thatmakes the task easier. The control con-sists of a small air cylinder that attachesto your camera shutter release button, arubber bulb, and a length of smallrubber tubing to connect the bulb andcylinder together. Set your camera andtripod up in a selected area and extendthe rubber tubing to a convenient loca-t i on . There, from a camp chair or othersupport, you can monitor the scene incomfort.

The 20-foot tubing usually suppliedwith the control is normally long enoughfor most situations, but if greater lengthDesert/October 1977

is required another length of tubing maybe coupled to the original piece.Western All igator l izards feed on in-

sects, scorpions and other lizards, whichfrequently includes members of his ownfamily. Their range takes in the westernportion of the Colorado Desert and thenorthern section of Baja California. Theyare also known as "Sa n Diego A ll ig ato r"lizards, a distinction they seem to haveaccepted by setting up housekeeping inthe gardens of suburban San Diego

Western All igator l izards try to avoidopen spaces, so it is usually difficult tomaneuver them into suitable positionsfor picture taking. But they also avoidhigh temp eratures and that can work to aphotographer 's advantage. In hotweather they may be found under vege-tation bordering streambeds or piles ofdesert debris, where they seem listlessand unconcerned w i th any ac t iv i t yaround them.

Once you start on the lizard-photot ra i l , you will have a seemingly endlesslist of lizards from which to select yoursubjects. In his Field Guide to WesternReptiles and Amphibians, Robert Steb-bins lists over 100 species and sub-species of lizards living in the westernstates. A large number of them may befound on the deserts of the Southwest.The lizards described in this article arejust a fract ional part of that l ist ing .

Now... MA\Good things \W

D e a t h V a l l e yJ u n c t i o nStay at the historicAMARGOSA HOTELThis lovely 50-year-old hotel isbe ing restored. 20 rooms openyear 'round. All carpeted. Allbeautifully furnished. Electriche at and air conditioning. Makethe Amargosa Hote l your head-quarters while in the DeathValley area.Telephone Death Val ley Junc-tion #1 for information or reser-vat ions .

Visit Marta Becket's famousAMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE.You've read about this beautifuland unique attraction in Desertand National Geographic. Se eMa rta B e cke t ' s p ro g ra m ofI dance-mim es . See her fabulousmura l s in s ide th e O pera Ho use .I Performances Friday, Saturdayand Monday Through April .

I I Saturdays only in May, Septem-V ber . 8:15; doors open at 7:45 .Telephone Death Val ley Junc-tion #8 for res ervations . Tourswe lco med .

IThe General Store, Fill ing Sta-tion and Pottery Shop are open.RV Park com ing. Space avail-ab le for deve lopment .

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The valley's U-shape is evidence ofglacier action. The Kaweah River hassince cut a channel in the bo ttom , but theg lac ia t ion and the con tour can beviewed by standing at the bend wheretne valley begins a gentle cl imb to Fare-well Cap, a mile away.The natural communities of scrubbymanzanita and chinquapin thickets makepatchworks on the sunny slopes of Em-pire Mountain; blue sage crawls up theavalanche paths; lodgepole pines standstraight and tal l above the manzanita;aspen flutter in mountain breezes, andalong the Kaweah River which tumblestoward a spectacular waterfal l , grassymeadows surge to the r iver 's edge, andAlpine fel l f ields stretch below Fare-wel l Cap.Between May and September a wide

variety of wildflowers blooms through-Desert/October 1977

out these warm months. There are corn-flowers, baby's breath, wild parsnip,d a i s i e s , su n f l o we r s , a n d co lu mb in e .Along the r iver t ra i l , Indian paintbrushprovides clumps of f ire-red color. In thepungent sage, Sego lilies open theirbutterfly- l ike petals during the day; andon a mids umm er's night, Blazing Stars,with their clusters of beautiful purpleblossoms resemble comets scootingstars in the night. On the trai l to Mos-quito Lakes, spires of deep orange TigerLil ies contrast vividly against the forestgreen; and a variety of mushrooms fes-.toons the path. A careful observer mighteven discover the rare and delicatesnowdrop hiding beneath the protectivebranches of mountain chaparral.

Throughout these miniature cl imatezones, many kinds of animals flour ish. Inthe chinquapin thickets chipmunks har-

vest seeds; bull snakes slide throughgrassy meadows in search of field mice;marauding squirrels hunt for birds'nests and raid them for eggs while gol-den mantle ground squirrels scamperabout campgrounds in search of food, in -timidating campers with their comicalantics. Snowshoe rabbits survive thewinters by nibbling bark from aspentrees.

The most amusing animal inhabitingthe wildl i fe communities is the marmot.Bright-eyed, sassy and quick, they popup unexpectedly on large boulders. Theyhave yellow-brown fur and l ive in bur-rows much as their relatives, the prair iedogs of the Western Plains. They com-municate wi th sharp whist les, warn ingone another of danger and dart into theirtunnels at the slightest hint of danger.And up in the cirques and along theboulde r-fi l led streams that descend fromglaciated lakes, they play on snow-fields sti l l cold and crusted in August.

Long ago the wolverines and cougarsbecame extinct, victims of uncontrol ledh u n t i n g a n d e r a d i ca t i o n ca m p a ig n s .With their passing, the mule deer be-came the ubiquitous animal in the val-ley. The deer graze openly and unafraidon hillsides and come down for water atdusk. By hiking through the forestgroves, it is easy to discover their sleep-ing places under thick branching pinetrees; and on the trai ls, early morninghikers can find footprints in the softdust. Black bears also roam the area andshuffle down from the high mountainr idges after dark.The r iver plays host to thrushes, f in-ches, and warblers . S wallows, bluegreenjets of the air, swoop down over thewater at twilight scooping in insects asthey pass. They are accompanied by batsfrom nearby limestone caves. And inseveral places along the river, waterousels have built nests. Under the chap-arral along the river's edge, towheesscratch for their special likes, and Sierragrouse strut about with chicks close be-hind. They are especially fond of aspencatkins and seed. Sierra chickadees .ndred-shafted flickers pick insects, grubs,and larvae from trees; and in the tops otthe red firs, scores of blackbirds as-semble for their migratory fl ights Andloud debates are held by scrub jays asthey scold e.ach other over territorialr ights.Hiking the trai ls that wend throughthese islands of wildl i fe and natural com-

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White Chief Bowl, and the rush was on.As the lust for gold and s i lverthrobbed in the national veins, it playedover the Sierra Nevada like summerl i gh tn ing . Mineral King was host to theexcitem ent for 10 years. Whe n it wasover, the name that stood out among allothers was Tom Fowler. He came out ofVisalia making more noise than all theprospectors. He attracted money fromSan Francisco and built the tunnels intoEmpire Mountain. Boasting that withthe wealth he would dig from his Em-pire Mine, he would "buy the state andall the shysters in it," he provided news-papers with f lamboyant headlines. Hebrought out the first silver a 105-pound bar. The mine, however, refusedto live up to Fowler's promises, and hedied without fu l f i l l ing his dream. Min-eral King never produced another bar ofbul l ion.In the 20's the " f l iv ve rs" chugged upthe rutted narrow road, and visitors be-gan to build cabins. They came andstayed the length of the warm summermonths. In winter, when the road isblocked, the valley can be entered only-on snowshoes. Currently Min eral King isthe subject of a long legal debate. Since

1 9 6 5 , conservationists have fought tokeep Mineral King a natural wildernesswhile the Forest Service and Disney Cor-porat ion have fough t to turn it into a Dis-ney ski resort.To those who come to Mineral King,whatever the reason, it offers a legion ofanswers. In the summer, wildlife roamsthe valley and inhabits the meadows;wildf lowers carpet the hil lsides; f ishswim in crystal waters; and soft breezes,cool nights, crisp air, and rushingstreams, surrounded by Alpine granduerare here for the taking. The special at-tractions of this mountain valley bringpeace of mind that cannot be obtained inany other way.

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Desert/October 1977 1 5


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MINING HISTORY

The Great11 yc I r i 111 i cT HE CANYON'S natural st i l lness isbroken by sounds of feverish acti-vity. A dozen men struggle with alengthy canvas hose, while two othersaim the cumbersome iron nozzle cal led a "monitor " by the miners. Un-derneath, a group of Chinamen posit ionthe wooden sluice boxes. Finally, all isready. The foreman shouts an order tothe reservoir crew atop the hi l l , an dwithin seconds a powerful spray of whitewater surges from the monitor direct lyinto the clif f . Boulders, gravel and dirtabruptly melt before the eyes. Immensechunks of earth collapse in watery heaps,then churn downward into the longsluice boxes. Below, the river turns sul-len brown.

After 15 minutes the white surge les-sens and gradually trickles out. The hil l -top reservoir is exhausted. As the art i -f icial lake slowly replenishes, fed by awooden f lume that brings water fromfive miles up-river, the miners pick cleanthe riffles of the sluice boxes. Flecks ofshiny yellow metal are carefully col-lected and deposited in leather pouches.Then the whole process starts overagain.

A similar drama is going on just acrossthe river. Crews on both sides of the can-yon work 12 hours a day, now that wateris high on the East Fork of the SanGabriel River. The year is 1872. HenryC. Roberts and Will iam C. Ferguson arelocked in their famous hydraulic miningrace to recover the golden treasures ofSouthern California's most auriferouswatercourse.

Stories of gold on the San GabrielRiver go back more than a centu ry. Sincethe original discovery by a party of"boomers " re turn ing f rom the KernRiver diggings in 1854, the precious yel-

16

low metal has been panned, sluiced,long tommed, hydraulicked and blastedout in quantities that make the river oneof the major gold producers in the south-ern half of the state. Estimates of thetotal yield vary from $4 million to $13mil l ion, depending on which authorityyou choose to believe. The largest strikeoccurred along the middle reaches of theEast Fork during the years 1859-1862.The raucous mining camp of Eldorado-

vil le sprang up overnight, only to die asudden and violent death during one ofthe river's periodic rampages. But noth-ing in the long saga of mining of the SanGabriel was as incredible as the Roberts-Ferguson hydraulic race.

Henry C. Roberts was a merchant byt rade. He f irst entered San Gabriel Can-yon in 1859 to operate a stage line to themines. In 1861 he built a store along thelower East Fork later the site of Fol-

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Right: Hydraulicking and s/uicingat Te xas Point Mine, Lytle Creek,

ca . 1872. Below: Monitor inaction atthe Henry Roberts Mine, 1872.

Photos courtesy Huntington Library.

lows Camp. Located on a mesa above ther iver, Roberts' store was one of the fewstructures to survive the great torrent of1862. Roberts watched thesteady streamof nuggets which came to his scales fromthe Cecil Graham Hil l claim immediatelyacross the r iver , and in 1870 decided topurchase the claim and exploit it wi thnew hydraulic machinery just appearingon the market .At about the same t ime, Wi l l iam C.Desert/October1977

by JOHN W.ROBINSON

Ferguson, prosperous Los Angeles mer-chant and livery stable owner, pur-chased a hil lside claim immediately ad-joining Roberts' on the west. Fergusonalso had his eye on hydraulic mining. Heand several other Los Angeles business-men incorporated the San Gabriel Min-ing Company and almost immediatelycommenced operat ions.

Hydraulic gold mining washingdown auriferous hil lsides with a power-

fu l jet of water was an establishedmode of operat ion in the Mother Lodecountry of northern California, but theprocess had received only f leet ing use nthe southern half of the state, mainlybecause of a chronic shortage of water.Only the largest watercourses providedsufficient flow to support major hydrau-lic enterprises, and then for only part ofthe year. Fortunately for Roberts andFerguson, the San Gabriel was a plent i -ful stream for four or f ive monthsannually.

In order to "hydrau l ic " e f fec t ive ly ,the water must have great force, or" h e a d , " in miner's language. For Rob-erts andFerguson, this required the con-struct ion of conduits from far up r iverand artificial reservoirs a thousand feetabove the mines. The volume and pres-sure thus acquired was necessary toforce water through the hoses andmoni-

17


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tors with suff icient power to tear awaythe gold-bearing rocks, gravels, clay andd i r t , t hen wash t hese i ng red ien t sthrough long sluice boxes to recover thegold.

The walls of San Gabriel Canyon areprecipitous and unstable. No local sur-veyor or engineer could be found to un-dertake the task of plotting the courseand grade for the conduits and super-vising their construction over such dif-f icult mountain terrain. Finally, Rob-erts was able to hire the services of anEnglish engineer named Sam Hawley.Ferguson acquired the talents of a sur-veyor named W.W. Woodman. By thefall of 1871 the surveying was com-pleted and the race was on.

The narrow canyon of the East Forkreverberated with the sounds of pick,shovel, hammer and blast ing powder asboth crews, working long shif ts underthe close supervision of Hawley andWoodman, hewed the ditches and builtthe f lumes for the parallel ing conduits.Roberts' f lume was high on the west wallof the canyon, five miles in length. Fer-guson's ditch and f lume followed theeast slope lower down from four miles upriver.

No one knows just how it began, but aspir ited r ivalry erupted between thecrews of Roberts and Ferguson. Somerather substantial bets were made overwho would f irst complete their conduitand commence hydraulic mining. Thetwo claim owners were on none too

friendly terms, allegedly because Fer-guson jump ed a claim pre viously soughtby Roberts.$

Roberts' crew faced the more di f f i -cult job, as the route of his conduit be-gan a mile farther up canyon and tra-versed more precipitous terrain. ButRoberts had the advantage of one of thebest mining engineers around in SamHawley. The indomitable Englishmanscrambled up brushy mountainsides,traversed steep canyons, and was low-ered by rope over sheer cliffs, tracing thetortuous course of his flume. He car-ried with him what was known as a" t r a m " an A-shaped wooden instru-ment wi th a spirit level in the cross piece to secure his gradient and a trianglefor perpendiculars. In those days, in-struments now universally used in es-tablishing grades and lines, such as atheodolite, were pract ically unknown.

San Gabriel Canyon historian SedleyPeck described the work of Hawley andhis men: "Dams were built to divert theriver water into settling basins where thesand, which would have quickly cloggedthe ditches, was removed. Conduitswere blasted and hewn from the rockwalls of the canyon, flumes on steel sup-ports driven into sheer cliffs, carried onhigh trestles across gulches and can-yons, through clay lined ditches crosshigh m esas, by gentle grades which soonraised the level, unt i l the water was f i-nally brought to the storage lakes athousand feet about the rapidly falling

Powerful spray fromhydraulic mining monitorat Texas Point Mine,Lytle Creek, ca. 1872.

canyon f loor."Across the canyon, Ferguson's crew

labored with equal vigor, but not giftedwith the services of an engineer of Haw-ley's caliber, they encountered gradingproblems and fell behind schedule.

The hectic canyon activity caught theattention of Los Angeles newspapers.Th e Star sent a correspondent into theEast Fork to report the progress. On Oc-tober 31 , 1871 he wrote, " Tim es on theSan Gabriel River are getting lively.Henry Roberts and Co. have finishedfour miles of ditch, mostly heavy work,used over 30,000 feet of lumbe r for f lum -ing, got the hydraulic ready for action,and will commence piping in a day ort w o . " Several weeks later (December8) , in a long article on San Gabriel Can-yon minin g, the correspondent reported," Th e San Gabriel Min ing Company(Ferguson) finished a ditch four mileslong, covering 200 acres . . . building asuspension bridge 200 feet high to carrytheir flume across Cape Horn Canyon. . .Roberts' flume is almost completed . . . aportion of the flume is suspended on theface of an overhanging cliff with ironbars dri l led into solid rock."

Roberts was first to complete his con-du it , considered by historian J ,M . Guinnas "one of the most complete and sub-stantial ever constructed in any miningcamp in the state." Ferguson f inishedabout two weeks later. Both conduitswere completed in amazingly short timeconsidering the dif f icult terrain a tr ib-

18 Desert/October 1977


19/48

The Henry Roberts Mine,ca. 7873. Note the flumedescending the hillside.

ute to the determina tion of the two mineowners, the hard labor of over 100Mexican and Chinese miners, the spir itof competit ion, not to mention the es-t imated $60,000 expended in the dualefforts.

In January 1872 both Roberts and Fer-guson turned on their hydraulic moni-tors, accompanied by the cheers of spec-tators assembled for the occasion, andcommenced water-blast ing away theirhil lside claims. Init ial ly their venturesappeared to be highly successful as eachrecovered substantial quantities of gold- $5,000 the firs t mon th, it was re-por ted. Later they were averaging about$1,000 per month, according to Sed-ley Peck.

The apparent success of Roberts andFerguson encouraged others to try theirhand in hydraulic mining. The names ofMa t f i e l d , Crow, Higbie, Ford, Caley andJ ustice appeared on the register sheet ofthe county mining recorder, all bent onduplicating the efforts of Roberts andFerguson, But the most noteworthy ofthe later hydraulic ventures in the can-yon was the famous f iasco of "Uncle"Dave Buell. Buell secured a hil lsideclaim just downriver from Roberts, butcould not gain water rights to the EastFork. So after some weeks he decided toconvey water to his claim from the un-tapped North Fork of the San Gabriel.He hired a young engineer named Simp-son to survey his ditch line. To get waterfrom the North to the East Fork, Simp-

son proposed a 700-foot tunnel throughthe ridge separating the two water-sheds. Buell agreed to this plan andwork commenced on the ditch andtunnel . Canyon pioneer J m Roberts, sonof Henry Roberts, described the results:"Great preparat ions were made for theopening of the works and visions of un-l imited nuggets of gold crowded Buell 'smind . Then the intake gates wereopened and watchful wait ing was theorder of the day. But night fell and stillno trace of water had appeared. Buellbetook himself up along the conduit andwalked through the dry tunnel. A fewhundred feet from the upper portal heheard the sound of rushing waters andhe discovered that Simpson had lost theg r a d e . " The tunnel had been bored up-hi l l ! Simpson left in disgrace and Buellwent broke and departed for Mexico.The long abandoned tunnel, partly cavedin and both portals hidden in brush, stilllies high above the Forks of the SanGabriel.

Despite repeated breakdowns in theirditches and flumes, Roberts and Fer-guson continued to work their claims.Roberts apparently was more successful;in the summer of 1873 he turned downan offer of $250,000 for his claim from aSan Francisco Chinese Tong, accordingto Peck.

Roberts should have accepted theoffer. As it turned out, the returns ingold markedly decreased as his powerfulmonitor blasted deeper and eeper into

his hil lside claim. And then, legal ob-stacles arose. The large scale hydraulicoperations were sending down floods ofmuddy water into the populated SanGabr ie l V a l l ey , d i s co lo r i ng d r i nk ingwater and clogging irr igat ion pipes.Valley residents secured a court in-junction against the hydraulic miners inthe summer of 1874, and this was soon.followed by state laws designed to pre-vent the pollution of domestic watersupplies. Roberts, Ferguson and the restof the canyon hydraulic miners were ob-liged to close down their gold-seekingenterprises, and all but very minor hy-draulic efforts ceased forever in SanGabriel Canyon.

Today, few signs remain of the Rob-erts and Ferguson hydraulic mines of acentury past. The washed-down cliffs,hidden by brush, can be located aboveFollows Camp by the diligent eye, andtraces of the mountainside conduits canstill be found. Down at Follows Camp,Mr s . Sedley Peck can still show you theold iron monitor used by Roberts,fastened to a granite boulder above abronze plaque commemorating the saga.The East Fork of the San Gabriel is quietnow, save for the sound of churningwater, the rustling of the afternoonbreeze through the trees, and an oc-casional shout of glee from a Sundaygold-panner who discovers a fleck ofshining yellow in the bottom of his pan.The ghosts of the old hydraulic minershave long since dep arted.

Desert /October 1977 19


20/48

ALLS NOT SMOby MA RY FRANCES STRONG

photos by Jerry Strong HE MOR NING sky was exactly asf t we had orde red . Hu ge, co t tonyf clouds floated across an azure sky.I t would be a great day for exploring.True , there were dark cumulus clouds onthe far horizon. However, after nearly aweek of cloudy, rainy weather, we choseto ignore them and set our sights for theVelvet Mining Distr ict in the TrinityRange west of Lovelock, Nevada.

Our interest in this locale had beenaroused by a 1923 m ining journal reportwhich stated: "Some good f ire opalshave been found in the volcanic rocks ofthe dist r ic t . " I must admit we wereskeptical about f inding f ire opal, sinceany deposit of gem material would surelybe under claim. Such reports generallyturn out to be common opal which oftenoccurs in conjunction with agate and jas-per. On an earlier tr ip (De sert July1973), we had collected some beautifulopalite, agate and petrif ied wood nearthe Eagle-Picher Min e also in the T rinityRange about 10 miles north. Perhaps theVelvet Distr ict would be as rewarding.

Prospec ts fo r an in teres t ing t r ipseemed good as we headed west fromLovelock on Western Avenue. When thepaved road turned north, we kept aheadfor a half-mile then turned left and trav-eled southwesterly toward a pass in theTrinities. Off to the southeast, we soonhad a panoramic view of the HumboldtRiver Valley f lanked by the toweringHumboldt Range. We also noted someunusual "m ou nd s" and later discoveredthey were " tufa domes" along a formershoreline of prehistoric Lake Lahontan.

During the recent 5,000 or so years,evaporation has reduced this once tre-mendous body of water to only a fewvestigal lakes such as Pyramid, Carson,Winnemucca and Walker. The Hum-boldt and Carson Sinks, as well as SandSprings Marsh, are residual playas leftby Lake Lahontan. The tufa dom es, con-sisting of calcium carbonate, were pre-cipitated from mineral- laden water asevaporation progressed. In some cases,20

algae may have assisted in the process.Tufa domes are found in many places inthe west and their size and shape varywidely. At this locale, they resemble"rock pineapples," some possibly 20feet high.

Approximately nine miles from Love-lock, the road we were following gentlycurved we st and we could see the pass inthe distance. It also began to deterior-ate into a two-track t ra i l . In some places,considerable water had run down the

north track, eroding it deeply. We drovealong on quite a slant. From this point,the route is not advisable for trailers.There are several open areas in thevicinity for camping.

We continued another four miles andnoted there hadn't been any vehiclesover the route since the storm a few daysprevious. When a horn honked behindus, we rea l ly jumped. S ince theycouldn't possibly pass, we concludedthey wan ted us to stop. It was even more

Desert/October 1977


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I n d i a n L o r eTHE NAVAJO AND HIS BLANKET by U.S.Holllster. First published in 1903. One of therarest books on Navajo weaving and primitivetextiles. A famous collector writes about hisfamous collection. 10 vivid color plates. Largeformat, hardcover, 176 pages, $12.00.SPEAKING OF INDIANS by Bernica Johnston.An authority on the Indians of the Southwest,the author has presented a concise well-writtenbook on the customs, h istory, cra fts, ceremoniesand what the American Indian has contribu ted tothe white man's civilization. A MUST for bothstudents and travelers touring the Indian Coun-try. Heavy paperback, illus., $2.50.TH E CAHU ILLA INDIANS by Harry James. Acomparatively small and little known tribe, theCahuilla Indians played an Important part in theearly settlement of Southern California. Today,the Cahu illa Indians are active In social and civicaffairs In Riverside County and own valuableproperty in and around Palm Springs. This re-vised edition is an authentic and complete his-tory of these native Ame ricans. Hardco ver, illus-trated, 185 pages, $7.50.HOPI KACHINA DOLLS [With a Kay to TheirIdentif ication], by Harold S. Cotton. 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 do lls. Line drawings of each va-riety, p lus color and b/w photos make it a com-plete guide to learn more of the richness ofAmerican Indian culture. Paperback, 150 pages,$3.95.AMER ICAN INDIAN FOOD AND LORE by Car-olyn Nelthammer. The original Indian plantsused for foods, medicinal purposes, shelter,clothing, etc., are described In detail in this fas-cinating book. Common and scientific names,plus descriptions of each plant and unusualrecipes. Large format, profusely illus., 191pages, $4.95.NAVAJO RUGS, Past, Present and Future byGilbert S. Maxwell. Concerns the history, leg-ends and descriptions of Navajo rugs. Full colorphotographs. Paperback, $3.50.THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by LaVan Mar-tlneau. The author tells how his interest in rockwriting led to years of study and how he haslearned that many especially the complexpetroglyphs are historical accounts of actualevents. Hardcover, well illustrated, glossary,bibliography, 210 pages, $10.95.NAVAJO SILVER by Arthur W oodward. A sum-mary of the history of silversmithing by theNavajo tribe. Woodward presents a comprehen-sive view of the four m ajor influences on Navajodesign, showing how the silversmiths adapfedtheart forms of European settlers and Indians inthe eastern Un ited States, as well as those of theSpanish and Mexican colonists of the So uthwest.Paperback, well illustrated, 100 pages, $4.95.FETISHES And Carvings of the Southwest byOscar T. Branson. People all over the world havemade and used fetishes since the beginning oftime. Author Branson, using the same beautifulall-color format as his Turquoise, The Gam ofthe Centuries, describes and illustrates thefetishes used by the Indian tribes of the South-west. Large format, 64 pages, $7.95.TURQUOISE, The Gam of the Centuries byOscar T. Branson. The most complete and lav-ishly Illustrated all color book on turquoise.Identifies 43 localities, treated and stabilizedmaterial, gives brief history of the gem and de-tails the individual techniques of the SouthwestIndian Tribes. Heavy paperback, large format,68 pages, $7.95.

SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN TRIBES by TomBahtl. An excellent description, history and cur-rent status of the Indians of the Southwest, in-cluding dates of their ceremonies and celebra-tions. Profusely illustrated with 4-color photo-graphs of the Indian Country and the arts andcrafts of the many tribes. Large format, heavypaperback, 72 pages, $2.50.HOPI SILVER, The History and Hallmarks ofHopI Silversmithing by Margaret Wrigh t. Yearsof research have made this book an historicallydescriptive piece on the Hopi silversm iths. Illus-trated with many photographs of silverwork, andmore than a dozen pages devoted to the varioushallmarks beginning in 1890 and continuedthrough 19 71, naming the silversm ith, the clan,the village, dates worked and w hether or not thesilverwork is still being made. Paperback, 100pages, $4.95.FORKED TONGUES AND BROKEN TREATIESEdited by Donald E. Worcester. This book givesus a better understanding of the unequal strug-gle of native against Imm igrant w hile our nationwas being explored and settled. Profusely Illus-trated with excellent photos, a "must" refer-ence for historians, students, librarians. Hard-cover, 494 pages, $9.95.DICTIONARY OF PREHISTORIC INDIANARTIFACTS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH-WES T by Franklin Barnett. A highly Informativebook that both illustrates and describes Indianartifacts of the Southwest, It Is a valuable g uidefor the person interested In archaeology and an -thropology. Includes 250 major types of arti-facts. Each item has a photo and definition. Pa-perback, 130 pages, beautifully illus., $7.95.INDIAN BASKET WEAVING, How to WeavePorno, Yurok, Plma and Navajo Baskets bySandra Corrle Newman. Besides explicit infor-mation on gathering and preparation of naturalmaterials and weaving techniques, the authorbrings out the meaning of the craft to the par-takers of these traditions. Paperback, lavishlyillustrated, 91 pages, $4.95.THE CHEMEHUEVIS by Carobeth Laird. A su -perb enthnography destined to become a classicin anthropology, by the author of EncounterWith An Angry God. Based on information pro-vided by the autho r's hu sband, George, a Chem-ehuevi tribesman, the work is a delight to bothscholars and general readers. With glossary,maps, index, place-name index and appendiceson language and cartography. Beautifully deco-rated. Paperback, 349 pages, $8.95.LAND OF POCO TIEMPO by Charles F. Lum-m i s . A reprint of the famous writer and historianof his adventures among the Indians of NewMexico. Lummis was one of the foremost w ritersof the West. Paperback, 236 pages, $2.95.ISHI IN TWO WORLDS by Theodora Kroeber.Ishi was perhaps the most remarkable personal-ity of this century. A Yahi Indian, and lone sur-vivor of a doomed tribe, he was found In thecorral of a slaughter house near Orovllle, Calif.For the rest of his life, Ishi lived under the careand protection of the staff of the University ofCalifornia's Museum of Anthropology. An in-credibly sad but beautifully told story. Hard-cover, many excellent photos, both color andblack and wh ite, 262 pages, $14.95.TEMALPAKH by Lowell John Bean and Kath-erine Siva Saubel. Temalpakh means "from theea rth ," 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 illus-trated, 225 pages, hardcover, $10.00; paper-back, $6.50.

INDIAN JEWELRY MAKING by Oscar T. Bran-s o n . This book is intended as a step-by-stephow-to-do-it method of making jewelry. An in-triguing all-color publication that is an asset tothe consumer as well as to the producer of Indianjewelry today because it provides the basicknowledge of how jewelry is made so one canjudge if it is well made and basically good de-sign. Paperback, large format, $7.95.ROCK DRAWINGS OF THE COSO RANGE byCampbell Grant, James Balrd and J. KennethPrlngle. A Maturango Museum publication, thisbook tells of sites of rock art in the Coso Rangewhich, at 4,000 feet, merges with the f atlands ofthe northern Mojave Desert. Paperback, ilus-trated, detailed drawings, maps, 144 pages,$3.95.THE CREAT IVE OJO BOOK by Diane Thomas.Instructions for making the colorful yarn talis-mans originally made by Pueblo and MexicanIndians. Included are directions for wall-hungojos, necklaces, mobiles and gift-wrap tie-ons.Well illustrated with 4-color photographs, 52pages, paperback, $2.95.SOUTHWEST INDIAN CRAFT ARTS by ClaraLae Tannar. One of the best books on the sub-ject, covering all phases of the culture of the In-dians of the Southwest. Authentic in every way.Color and black and white illustrations, linedrawings. Hardcover, 205 pages, $15.00.RELICS OF THE REDMAN by Marvin & HalanDavis. Relics can be valuable! Those dating backto Indian history in our land are becoming al-most priceless, say the authors. How to searchfor these "hard to f i n d " Indian relics, where tosearch and at what time of year, and types oftools needed, are among the many helpful sug-gestions given. Large format, many color andb/w illustrations, a striking cover. Paperback, 63pages, $3.95.ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANGRY GOD byCarobeth Laird. A fascinating true story of theauthor's marriages to anthropologist John Pea-body Harrington, the "angry god," and to theremarkable Chemehuevi Indian, George Laird.The appeal of this amazing m emoir is so broad ithas drawn rave reviews throughout the countryand is being hailed as a classic. Hardcover, 230pages, $8.95.

G e m s / M i n e r a l sFIELD GUIDE TO ROCKS AND MINERALS byFrederick H. Pough. Authoritative guide to iden-tification of rocks and minerals. Experts recom-mend this for all amateurs as one of the best.Many color illustrations. Hardcover, $8.95.GEM MINERALS OF IDAHO by John Beckwith.Contains information on physical and opticalcharacteristics of minera ls; the history, lore, andfashioning of many gems. Also eleven reward ingfield trips to every sort of collecting area. Slickpaperback, maps and. photos. 123 pages, $4.95.CALIFORNIA GEM TRAILS by Darold J.Henry. This completely revised fourth edition isthe most authoritative guide for collectors ofrocks, gemstones, minerals and fossils. Profuse-ly illustrated with maps and contains excellentdescriptive text. Paperback, $3.00.HOW TO TUMB LE POLISH GEMSTONES ANDMAKE TUMBLED GEM JEWELRY by JeromeWexler. The author gives full details on how hedoes his work. By following his instructions, youtoo can turn rough rock into fascinating gemsand make jewelry of which you will be proud.Paperback, $2.25.


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UTAH GEM TRAILS by Bessie W. Simpson.The casual rockhound or collector interested incollecting petrified wood, fossils, agate and crys-tals will find this guide most helpful. The bookdoes not give permission to collect in areas w rit-ten about, but simply describes and maps theareas. Paperback, illustrated, maps, $3.50.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, $3.00.ROCKS AND MINERALS OF CALIFORNIAcompiled by Vinson Brown, David Allan andJames Stark. This revised edition will save youhours of time by the description and pictures ofrocks and minerals foun d in this state. C olor pic-tures with clearly developed keys show you howto identify what you have found and gives youfine tools to increase your ability as a field col-lector. Paperback, well illustrated with photos,locality maps, charts and quadrangle map infor-mation. 200 pages, $4.95.DESERT GEM TRAILS by Mary FrancesStrong. DESERT Magazine's Field Trip E ditor'spopular f ield guide for rockhounds. The "bible"for both amateur and veteran rockhounds andback country exp lorers, and covers the gems andminerals of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.Heavy paperback, 80 pages, $2.00.A FIELD GUIDE TO THE GEMS AND MINER-ALS OF ME XICO by Paul Willard Johnson. Tipson food, maps and informa tion, driving and tra i l-ering in Mexico. Border regulations, wrappingspecimens of gems and minerals and all aboutyour proposed mining venture are covered. Pa-perback, many good maps and illustrations, 96pages, $2.00.OEM TRAILS OF ARIZONA by Bessie W. Simp-ton. This field guide Is prepared for the hobbyistand almost every location is accessible by car orpickup. Accompanied by maps to show sandyroads, steep rocky hills, etc., as cautions. Lawsregarding collecting on Federal and Indian landoutlined . Paperback, 88 pages, illus., $4.00.NEW MEXICO GEM TRAILS by Bessie W.Simpson. Field guide for rockhounds with 40maps and 65 locations. 88 pages, profusely illus-trated. $4.00.

Wildlife/PlantlifeA FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN REPTILESAND AMPHIBIANS by Robert C. Stebblns. APeterson Fiejd Guide, 207 species, 569 illustra-tions, 185 in full co lor, 192 maps. The best bookof this type. Hardcover, $6.95.THE LIFE OF THE DESERT by Ann and MyronSulton. This fascinating volume explains all thevital inter-relationships that exist between theliving things and the physical environment ofour vast desert regions. More than 100 illustra-tions in full color. Helpful appendices containcomprehensive index and glossary. Special fea-tures on endangered species, lizards and poison-ous animals. Hardcover, 232 pages, profuselyi l lustrated, $5.50.BIRDS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN DESERTSby Gusse Thomas S mith. Thirty-one of the mostcommonly sighted birds of the Southwest are de-scribed and illustrated in 4-color artist drawings.Heavy paperback, 68 page, $3.95.

DESERT WILDLIFE by Edmund C. Jugar is aseries of intimate and authentic sketches depict-ing the lives of native animals of our South-western deserts, from mammals to birds andreptiles, as well as many of the lesser desertdenizens such as land snails, scorpions, mille-pedes and common insects. Paperback, well il-lustrated, 308 pages, $2.95.REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF THEAMERICAN SOUTHWEST by M. M . Heymann.Features 68 species, all In beautiful four-colorphotographs. Descriptions are stated in simple,non-technical terms. Extensive text tells of theirorigins and life-styles today. Extremely usefulbook for all who enjoy watching and learningabout w ildlife. Paperback, 77 pages, $4.95.FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RogerTory Peterson. The standard book for field iden-tification sponsored by the National AudubonSociety. 2nd Edition, enlarged, 658 pictures infull color. Hardcover, .$6.95.A FIELD GUIDE TO INSECTS of America Northof Mexico by Donald J. Borror and Richard E.White. This is the most comprehensive, authori-tative and up-to-date guide to North Americaninsects ever pu blished. It covers 579 fam ilies ofinsects and has more than 1,300 line drawingsand 142 color plates. Hardcover, 372 pages,glossary, references, $6.95.A LIGHT-HEARTED LOOK AT THE DESERTby Chuck Waggln. A delightful ly written and i l-lustrated book on desert animals which will beappreciated by both children and adults. Thesketches are excellent and , although factua l, de-scriptions make the animals seem like humanbeings. Large format, heavy quality paper, 94pages, $2.25.MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER NOTEBOOK byHenry and Beverly Mockel. The well-knownpainter of desert wildflowers has combined hisfour-color sketches and black and white photo-graphs to describe in detail so the layman caneasily identify wildflowers, both large and small.Microscopic detail makes this an outstandingbook for id entification . Special compressed fibe rcover which will not stain. 54 full-color illustra-tions with 72 life-size drawings and 39 photo-graphs, 316 pages, $5.95.100 DESERT WILDFLOWERS by Natt Dodge.Each flower is illustrated with a 4-color photo-graph and described in detail, where found,blooming period, etc. Habitats from sea level to4,000 feet. Slick paperback, 64 pages, $2.00.100 ROADSIDE WILDFLOWERS by Nat tDodge. A companion book and with the sameformat as 100 Desert Wildflowers, this book lists100 flowers found from 4,000 to 7,00-foot lev-els. Also has 4-color photographs. Slick paper-back, 64 pages, $2.00.COMMON EDIBLE & USEFUL PLANTS OFTHE WEST by Muriel Sweet. A description withartist draw ings of edible (and those not to touch)plants along with how Indians and pioneers usedthem. Paperback, 64 pages, $2.50.THE NORTH AMERICAN DESERTS by Ed-mund C. Jaeger. A long-time authority on allphases of desert areas and life. Dr. Jaeger'sbook on the North American Deserts should becarried wherever you t ravel . I t not onlydescribes each of the individual desert areas,but has illustrated sections on desert insects,reptiles, birds, mammals and plants. 315 pages,i lustrated, photographs, line drawings andmaps. Hardcover, $6.95.THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS by Edmund C.Jaeger. Revised 4th edition is a standard guideto Mohave and C olorado deserts with new chap-ters on desert conservation and aborigines.Hardcover, $4.95.

COLORFUL DESERT WILDFLOWERS by Graceand Onas Ward. Segregated into categories ofred, blue, white and yellow for easier identifica-tion, there are 190 four-color photos of flowersfound in the Mojave, Colorado and Western Ari-zona deserts, all of wh ich also have common andscientific names plus descriptions. Heavy, slickpaperback, $4,50; hardcover, $7.50.NATIVE TREES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAby P. Victor Peterson. Interesting and descrip-tive text with line drawings and four-colorphotos, as well as individual maps of area cov-ered. Handy size makes it ideal for glove com-partment. Paperback, 136 pages, $2.95.DESERT WILD FLOWERS by Edmund C. Jae-ger. One of the most complete works ever pub-lished on flora of the Southwestern deserts.Easily understood by amateur botanists andtravelers as it is informative to the professional.322 pages, well illustrate d, $3.95.CALIFORNIA DESERT WILDFLOWERS byPhilip A. Munz. Illustrated with both line draw-ings and beautiful color photos, and descriptivetext by one of the desert's finest botanists.Paperback, $3.95.BOOK OF CACTUS by Harry 'C . Lawson.Written for the amateur, this book tells how toplant, care for and identify cactus found in theWest. The 36 pages contain 409 small photo-graphs and descriptions of the plants. Paper-back, $2.00.WHAT KINDA CACTUS IZZAT? by Reg Man-ning. A friendly introduction to all the principalthorny inhabitants of the Cactus Belt along theMexican Border. This book not only calls a cac-tus a cactus, but more important, it points outwhat NOT to call a " cac tus. " Paperback, clever-ly illustrated, 107 pages, $2.25.DESERT, The American Southwest by RuthKirk. Combining her knowledge of the physicalcharcteristics of the land, and man's relation tothe desert from the prehistoric past to the prob'able future, with her photographer's eye and en-thusiasm for a strange and beautiful country, theresult of Ruth Kirk's work is an extraordinarilyperceptive account of the living desert. Highlyrecommended. Hardcover, beautifully illustrat-ed, 334 pages, $10.00.

GOLDEN CHIA by Harrison Doyle. The only ref-erence book on the chia plant and seed. Thisbook illustrates the great d ifference between thehigh desert chia, and the Mexican va riety sold inthe health food stores. If you stud y, practice andtake to heart, especially the last ten pages of thisnutritionally up-to-date, newly revised book, youwill find many answers you've been searchingfor to the achievement of health and well being,lengthen your life expectancy measureably, andbe 99% less susceptible to disease of any sort.Fourth printing, 105 pages, illustrated. Paper-back, $4.75; cloth, $7.75.DEEP CANYON, A DESERT WILDERNESSEdited by Irwin P. Ting and Bill Jennings. Thisis the first effort to describe for both the in-formed layman and the general scientist the en-vironmental relationships of plants, people andanimals in this special area of the Colorado Des-ert. It is also the first book ever to feature thelow-desert photography of incomparable AnselAdams. Large format, hardcover, $12.50.DESERT JOURNAL, A Naturalist Reflects onArid Ca lifornia by Raymond B. Cowlet In col-laboration with Elna S. Bakker. This book isfilled with the observations that made Cowles atop scientist and reveals the life-long curiositythat typifies the dedicated desert researcher. Itwill provide the occasional desert dwe ller as we llas the year-arounder with answers to many ofthe little questions you have been reluctant toask. Hardcover, well Illustrated, 263 pages,$10.95.


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D e a t h V a l l e yLOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by HaroldWeight. This is a new approach to the enigma ofDeath Valley Scotty's life and legends and givesadditional insight into the Lost Gunsight andBreyfogle bonanzas, plus other Death Valleymysteries. Paperbacks, historic photographs,reference material, 86 pages, $2.50.50 YEARS IN DEATH VALLEY by Harry P.Gower. First hand account of the dramatic min-ing years by a man who spent his life in themysterious valley. Describes the famous charac-ters of Death Valley. Paperback, illustrated, 145pages, $2.95.A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY by Dr. Ed-mund C. Jaeger. In this revised third edit ion,Dr. Jaeger covers and uncovers some of themysteries of this once humid, and now aridtrough. He tells of the Indians of Death Valley,the mammals, birds, repti les, amphibians,fishes, insects, trees, wild flowers and fossils.Paperback, 66 pages, $2.00.BALLARAT, Compiled by Paul Hubbard, DorisBray and George Pipkin. Ballarat, now a ghosttown in the Panamint Valley, was once a flour-ishing headquarters during the late 1880s and1900s for the prospectors who searched for silverand gold in that desolate area of California. Theauthors tell of the lives and relate anecdotes ofthe famous old-timers. First published in 1965,this reprinted edition is an asset to any library.Paperback, illustrated, 98 pages, $3.00.CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATHVALLEY by Arthur Woodward. A diary-like ac-counting of the day-by-day experiences of an ex-pedition for a survey of the boundary betweenCalifornia and the Territory of Nevada. Paper-back, 73 pages, $2.00.SELDOM SEEN SLIM by Tom Mu rray. Profilesand vignettes of the colorful "single blanketjackass prospectors" who l ived and died as theylooked for gold and silver in Death Valley. Slickpaperback, exclusive photos of the old-timers,65 pages, $3.00.LOAFING ALONG DEATH VALLEY TRAILS byWilliam Caruthers. Author Caruthers was anewspaper man and a ghost writer for earlymovie stars, politicians and industrialists. He"slowed down" long enough to move to DeathValley and there wrote his on-the-spot story thatwill take you through the quest for gold on thedeserts of California and Nevada. Hardcover,old photos, 187 pages, $4.25.DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS by Roger Mit-chell. A guide to the large ne twork of back coun-try roads leading to old mining camps, stampmills and other little-known areas of DeathValley National Monument. Paperback, illus-trated, 36 pages, $1.00.RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of Shorty,Harris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery, M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-lished the famous mining town near Death Val-ley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages, $1.00.DEATH VALLEY GHOST TOWNS by StanleyPaher. Death Valley, today a National Monu-ment, has in its environs the ghostly remains ofmany mines and mining towns. The author hasalso written of ghost towns in Nevada and Ari-zona and knows how to blend a brief outline ofeach of Death Valley's ghost towns with historicphotos. For sheer drama, fact or fiction, it pro-duces an enticing package for ghost town buffs.Paperback, illustrated, large format. $2.95.MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback, $1.95.

DEATH VALLEY SCOTTY TOLD ME by Elea-nor Jordan Houston. A fascinating and unusualrecount of famous Death Valley Scotty's adven-tures as told to the author while she and herranger husband were Scotty's nearest n eighborsin 1948. Some of these escapades have neverbeen told before. Illustrated, 116 pages, $1.75.BACKPACKING DEATH VALLEY by ChuckGebhardt. This 4x5 inch gu ide fits pocket or packand provides temperature, terrain, equipmentand survival information on hiking Death Valley.22 easy-to-read maps accompany 18 day hikesand 28 backpack treks. $2.50.

B a i a C a l i f o r n i aTH E CAVE PAINTINGS OF BAJA CALIFOR-NIA, The Great Murals of an Unknown Peopleby Harry Crosby. A sequel to his The King'sHighway in Baja C alifornia, the author presentsa tantalizing disclosure of a sweeping panoramaof great murals executed by an unknown peoplein a land which has barely been penetrated bym a n . Beautifully illustrated with color reproduc-tions of cave paintings and sketches of figureswhich appear on cave walls in four differentmountain ranges. Hardcover, large format, 174pages, $18.50.NEW BAJA HANDBOOK for the Off-PavementMotorist in Lower California by James T. Crow.Discover the real Baja that lies beyond the edgeof the paved road, the unspoiled, out-of-the-wayplaces unknown to the credit-card tourist. Theauthor, drawing from his extensive travels inthese parts, tells where to go, what to takealong, the common sense of getting ready. Illus-trated, paperback, 95 pages, $3.95.BAJA CALIFORNIA GUIDEBOOK by WaltWheelock and Howard E. Gullck, formerlyGerhard and Gullck's Lower California Guide-book. This totally revised fifth edition is up-to-the-minute for the Transpeninsular paved high-way, with new detailed mileages and desc riptivetext. C orrections and additions are shown for themany side roads. ORV routes, trails and little-known byways to desert, mountain, beach andbay recesses. Folding route maps are color andnewly revised for current accuracy. Indispens-able reference guide, hardcover, $10.50.A FIELD GUIDE TO THE COMMON AND IN-TERESTING PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIAby Jeanette Coyle and Norman Roberts. Over250 plants are described with 189 color photos.Includes past and present uses of the plants byaborigines and people in Baja today. Scientific,Spanish and common names are given. Excel-lent reference and highly recommended. 224pages, paperback, $8.50.BAJA CALIFORNIA OVERLAND by L. BurrBelden. Practical guide to Lower California asfar as La Paz by auto with material gleaned fromextensive study trip sponsored by Univ. of Calif.Includes things to see and accommodations.Paperback, $1.95.CAMPING AND CLIMBING IN BAJA by JohnRobinson. Contains excellent maps and photos.A guidebook to the Sierra San Pedro Martir andthe Sierra Juarez of Upper Baja Calif. Much ofthis land is unexplored and unmapped sti l l . Carroutes to famous ranches and camping spots inpalm-studded canyons with trout streams temptweekend tourists who aren't up to hiking . Paper-back, 96 pages, $2.95.BAJA [California, Mexico] by Cliff Cross. Up-dated to include the new transpeninsula high-way, the author has outlined in detail all of theservices, precautions, outstanding sights andthings to do in Baja. Maps and photos galore,with large format. 170 pages, $4.95.

THE KING'S HIGHWAY >N BAJA CALI-FORNIA by Harry Crosby. A fascinating re-counting of a trip by muleback over the ruggedspine of the Baja California peninsula, along anhistoric path created by the first Spanish pa-dres. It tells of the life and death of the old J esuitmissions. It describes how the first Europeansettlers were lured into the mountains along thesame road. Magnificent photographs, many incolor, high light the book. Ha rd cover, 182 pages,large format, $14.50.PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA byRandall Henderson. The beautiful palm canyonsand isolated areas of Baja California are de-scribed by the late Randall Henderson, founderof DESERT Magazine. Although these are hispersonal adventures many years ago, little haschanged and his vivid writin g is alive today as itwas when he first saw the oases. Paperback,Illus., 72 pages, $1.95.BYROADS OF BAJA by Walt Wheelock. In ad-dition to describing the many highways now be-ing paved , this veteran Baja explorer also tells ofback country roads leading to Indian ruins, mis-sions, and abandoned mines. Paperback, illus-trated, $1.95.SHELLING IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ by Paul E.Vlolette. The shelling techniques described hereare applicable anywhere. With the guides in-cluded in this book, you will be led to the mostprobable locations of each particular type ofshell. You will be told what to look for, the besttimes to search in relation to the tides, and howto preserve the specimens. Paperback, well il-lustrated, 96 pages, $2.45.BEACHES OF BAJA by Walt Wheelock.Beaches on the Pacific side of Lower Californiaare described by the veteran Baja explorer. Un-like California beaches, they are still relativelyfree of crowds. Paperback, illustrated, 72 pages,$1.95.

H i k i n gUPHILL BOTH WAYS by Robert L. Brown. Aselective introduction to a wide variety of attrac-tive trails in Colorado's Rockies. The hikes aredivided into six groups, and each group is ac-companied with a map. The hikes vary in diffi-culty, length and scenery from short easy walksto climbs of several 14,000-foot peaks. You willfind yourself on roads to ghost mining towns,stagecoach roads, and old prospector trails . Pa-perback, profusely illus trate d, 232 pages, $4.95.SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN TRAILS byJohn W . Robinson. Easy one-day and more rug-ged hiking trips into the historic mountains. The100 hiking trails are described in detail and il-lustrated so you will not get lost. Heavy paper-back, 257 pages, $5.95.TRAILS OF THE ANGELES, 100 Hikes in theSan Gabriels, by John W . Robinson. This is themost complete guide ever written to hiking andbackpacking in California's San Gabriel Moun-tains. Hikes vary from easy one-hour strolls toall-day and overnight rambles. Tours of the Mt.Lowe Railway and Echo Mountain ruins. Theauthor has walked, recorded and researched alltrips, and has graded them as "ea sy ," "m oder-a t e " or "strenuous." Excellent trai l map. 256pages, paperback, $4.95.PACIFIC CREST TRAIL, Vol. 1: California, byThomas Winnett. Even if you are in good physi-cal condition, just reading this detailed, inform-ative book and planning to walk the PCT, youmight sit back exhausted by the sheer prospectsof such an adventure. How to hike the tra i l , ap-preciate, and DO it, have been outlined in theproper order. 145 pages with photography, plus127 pages of topographic maps of the entire PCTroute and alternate routes. Paperback, $4.95.


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Mexico-TravelMEXICO'S WEST COAST BEACHES by Al andMildred Fischer is an up-to-date guide coveringthe El Golfo de Santa Clara to the end of thehighway at Manzanillo. Excellent reference forthe out-of-the-way beaches, in addition to thepopular resorts such as Mazatlan and PuertoVallarta. Although traveling by motorhome, theFischers also give suggetions for air, auto, ferryand train travel as well. Paperback, well illus-trated, 138 pages, $3.00.MEXICO Guide by Cliff Cross. All new, revisededition with excellent information of trailerparks, hotels, camping space; tips on bordercrossing, shopping, f ishing, hunting, etc., aswell as the history, culture, and geography. 210maps, 675 photos, 195 pages, $4.95.30,000 MILES IN MEXICO by Nell Murbarger.Joyous adventures of a trip by pick-up campermade by two women from Tijuana to Guatemala.Folksy and entertaining , as well as instructive toothers who might make the trip . Hardcover, 309pages, $6.00.BACK ROADS OF CALIFORNIA by Earl Thol-lander and the Editors of Sunset Books. Earlystagecoach routes, missions, remote canyons,old prospector cabins, mines, cemeteries, etc.,are visited as the author travels and sketches theCalifornia Backroads. Through maps and notes,the 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, $5.95.THE OREGON DESERT by E.R. Jackman andR.A. Long. Filled with both facts and anecdotes,this is the only book on the little but fascinatingdeserts of Oregon. Anyone who reads this bookwill want to visit the areas or wish they could.Hardcover, illustrated, 407 pages, $9.95.HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard.Well-known TV stars, Henrietta and Slim Bar-nard have put together a section of their tripsthroughout the West f rom the i r HappyWanderer travel shows. Books have excellentmaps, history, cost of lodging, meals, etc. Per-fect for families planning weekends. Both booksare large format, heavy paperback, 150 pageseach and $2.95 each. Volume One coversCalifornia and Volume Two A rizona, Nevada andMexico. WHEN ORDERING STATE WHICHVOLUME.ADVENTURES IN THE REDWOODS by Har-riett E. Weaver. The fascinating story of thegiant redwood is told by Harriett E. Weaver,whose career as California's first woman parkranger was spent among these living skyscrap-e r s . A detailed guide to all major redwoodgroves in both the coastal and Sierra regions isincluded. Beautifully Illus., paperback, $2.95.GOLD RUSH COUNTRY by the Editors ofSunset Books. A revised and up-dated practicalguide to California's Mother Lode country. Di-vided into geographical areas for easy weekendtrips, the 8x11 heavy paperback new edit ion isprofusely illustrated with photos and maps.Special features and anecdotes of historical andpresent day activities. Four-color cover, 96pages, $2.95.GRAND CANYON JEEP TRAILS I by RogerMitchell. Eight interesting trips on the forgottenShivwits Plateau on the Northwest rim of theGrand Canyon are described. A rating system isincluded to determine how rough a road is be-fore you try it. Much of the material in this bookis original research, never having appeared inprint before. Paperback, amply illustrated withmaps and photos, $1.50.

WESTERN SIERRA JEEP TRAILS by RogerMitchell. Twenty interesting backcountry tripseasily accessible from California's great centralvalley. A rating system included to determinehow difficult a route is before you try it. Paper-back, illustrated, maps, $2.50.ARIZONA by David Muench. The finest pictorialpresentation of the Grand Canyon State everpublished. One of the outstanding color photo-graphers of the world, Muench has selected 160of his 4-color ph otographs which are augm entedby comprehensive text of David Toll. Hardcover,11 x 14 format, 200 heavy slick pages, $25.00.CALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray Atke-s o n . Two of the West's greatest color photo-graphers have presented their finest works tocreate the vibrations of the oceans, lakes, moun-tains and deserts of California. Their photo-graphic presentat ions, combined wi th themoving text of David Toll , makes this a classic inWestern Ame ricana. Large 11 x 14 forma t, hard-cover, 186 pages, $27.50.NEW ME XICO , Photographs by David Muench,text by Tony Hi l lerman. Depic t ing NewMexico's many and varied contrasts in a uniqueblend that is her mysterious beauty and agrandeur that is our natural heritage. Hard-cover, large format, 188 pages, $27.50.UTAH by David Muench, text by Hartt Wlxom.The impress ions captured here by DavidMuench's camera and Hartt Wixom 's pen bringto life a most beautiful under-one-cover profileof the fascinating state of Utah. Large 11 x 14format, hardcover, 188 pages, $25.00.TIMB ERL INE ANCIENTS with photos by DavidMuench and text by Darwin Lambert. Bristle-cone pines are the oldest living trees on earth.Photographer David Muench brings them to lifein all their fascinating forms, and Lambert'sprose is like poetry. One of the most beautifulpictorials ever published. An ideal gift. Large 11x 14 format, hardcover, heavy slick paper, 1284-color photographs, 125 pages, $22.00.THE COMPLEAT NEVADA TRAVELER byDavid W. Toll. An excellent guidebook listingtowns of interest, campgrounds, ghost towns,state parks and recreational areas, ski areas andgeneral items of interest. This book will appealto the weekend traveler and vacationing familiesalike. Well illustrated, excellent index, 278pages, $3.50.THE NEVADA DESERT by Sessions S.Wheeler. Provides information on Nevada'sstate parks, historical monuments, recreatio

197710 desert magazine 1977 october

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