196906 desert magazine 1969 june

8/14/2019 196906 Desert Magazine 1969 June

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D e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k S h o pGEMS, MINERALS, CRYSTALS AND ORES byRichard M. Pearl. A paperback edit ion of hisbest-selling hardcover book which has been outof pr int for a year. From agate to z ircon, thebook tells where gems, minerals, crystals andores can be found, how they are ident i f ied, col-lected, cut and displayed. Paperback, slickpaper , 64 color photographs, 320 pages, $2.95.GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by Nell Murbar-ge r is a fast moving chronicle of Western boom-camp and bonanza. Rich in human interest aswel l as authentic history, this book covers ghosttowns of Nevada, western Utah and easternCalifornia. Hardcover, 291 pages. Price $6.75.DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES by Lake Erie Schae-fer. The story of Frank Fish, controversial trea-sure hunter who met a mysterious death, as to ldby his close friend and business associate. Lastpar t of book is a rehash of alleged lost minesand bonanzas. Intimate glimpses into the l i fe ofa professional treasure hunter. Paperback, i l lus-t ra ted, 80 pages, $3.00.

T h eO R E G O ND E S E R TM*E. I. l u i m n a id I. A.L u g

THE OREGON DESERTBy E. R. JACKMANan dR.A. LONG

Filled with both facts and anecdotes,this is the only book on the fascinatingbut little known deserts of Oregon. Any-one who reads this book will want tovisit the areaor wish they could. Hard-cover, illustrated, 407 pages.$6.50

GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCKIESby Robert L. Brown. Writ ten by the author ofJeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns this bookdeals with ghost towns accessible by passen-ge r car. Gives directions and maps for f ind ingtowns along with historical backgrounds. Hard-cover, 401 pages, $6.25.

BEACHES OF BAJA by Walt Wheelock. The au-thor has personally explored the beaut i fu lbeaches of Baja, which, unlike those of UpperCa l i fo rn ia , are uncluttered and uncrowded. Hetells how to reach the beaches and what type oft ranspor tat ion is needed. A companion book toGerhard and Gulick's Lower California GuideBook. Paperbook, i l lustrated, 72 pages, $1.95.

TheCaliforniaDesertsE d m u n d C J a e g e r

THE CALIFORNIA DESERTSBy EDMUND C.JAEGER

This revised fourth edition is an excellentguide to the Mohave and Colorado des-erts with new chapters on desert conser-vation and aborigines. Mr. Jaeger is thedean of desert naturalists. Hardcover,221 pages.$4.95

A GUIDEBOOK TO THE MOHAVE DESERT OFCALIFORNIA by Russ Leadahrand. IncludesDeath Valley, Joshua Tree National Monumentand Antelope Valley. Well i l lustrated. Paper.$1 .95 .HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard. Well-known TV stars Henrietta and Slim Barnardhave put together a selection of 52 of theirtr ips through California taken from their HappyWanderer travel shows. Has excellent maps,history, costs of gasol ine consumpt ion, lodging,meals plus what to wear and best time tomake t r ips . Cant be beat for famil ies planningweekend excursions. Paperback, large format,150 pages, $2.95.ROUGH RIDING by Dick Cepek & Walt Wheelock.Two veteran drivers have completed an excellentbook on how to drive and survive in the backcountry. Although based on dr iv ing in Baja Cali-f o rn ia , the in format ion is appl icable to all areasof the West. This dollar book could easily saveyou many dollars. Paperback, 36 pages, $1.00.

BIRDS OF SOUTHWESTERN DESERT by G. T.Smith. Informal, but informative with coloreddraw ings and l ively tex t . $2.95.S U N , SAND AND SOLITUDE by Randall Hender-s o n . For more than 50 years Randall Hendersonhas traveled across the deserts of the West untiltoday he is known as the voice and prophet ofthis region of mystery, solitude and beauty .Founder of Desert Magazine in 1 9 3 1 , he has de-voted his l i fe to understanding the great out-doors. His second and latest book is a culmin-at ion of his experiences, thoughts and philoso-phy. Hardcover, deluxe format, deckle-edgedpaper , 16 pages full color, excellent i l lustrations,$7 .95 .METAL DETECTOR HANDBOOK by Art Lassagne,2nd edition. Includes history, operating tech-niques, interpretation of signals, and Directoryof Manufacturers. One of the most completehandbooks of its kind. Paperback, 65 pages.$3 .00 .

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailingCALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO

ADD 5 PERCENT SALES TAXSend check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, California9 2 2 6 0 . Sorry, but we cannot accept charges

or C.O.D. orders.

100 ROADSIDE FLOWERSBy NATT N. DODGE

A companion to his "100 Desert Wild-flowers," this book lists 100 flowersgrowing in the 4 5 0 0 to 7000 foot levels.Like the companion book, every floweris illustrated in 4-color photographs. Ex-cellent to carry in the car. Both booksare slick paperback, 64 pages.$1.50 EACH

JEEP TRAILS TO COLORADO GHOST TOWNS byRobert L. Brown. An i l lustrated, detailed, infor-mal history of l i fe in the mining camps deep inColorado Rockies. Fifty-eight towns are includedthe almost inaccessible mountain fastness of theas examples of the vigorous struggle for exist-ence in the mining camps of the West. 239pages, i l lustrated, end sheet map. Hardcover.$5 .50 .THE MYSTERIOUS WEST by Brad Williams andChoral Pepper. Rare book examines legends thatcannot be proven true, nor untrue. New evi-dence presented in many cases which maychange the history of the West. Hardcover.$5 .95 .

FOR COMPLETE BOOK CATALOG WRITE TO DESERT MAGAZINE, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260


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WILLIAM KNYVETT PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER EDITORKENT MERIDETH CREATIVE DIRECTORJACK DELANEY, Staff WriterBI LL BRY A N , Back Country Editor

Volume 32, Number 6 JUNE, 1969

FEATURES

THE COVER:Spring is popping upal l overand so arethe wild f lowers . Darwin Van Campen cap-tures the spirit ofspring in his coverphotograph at the Ton-to National M onumenttaken from the ApacheTrai l over looking Ari-zona's Roosevelt Lake.

DIG THOSE CRAZY GEODESPLAYING IT BY EAR

HANDS ACROSS THE BORDERSOUR DOUG H IS THE YEAST OF MY WOR R IES

FIFTY MILES OF FURYBILLY THE KID

W HE N A FOR TUNE WAS A DR O P IN TH E B UC KETDOWN UTAH'S SAN JUAN R IVERCOLORFUL CLARAVILLE

TR IP TO TIC K C ANYON

by Jack Pepperby K. L. Boyntonby Jack Delaneyby Richard W. Brooksby Al Pearceby Phyllis Healdby Bill Knyvettby Walter Fordby Mike Engleby Dorothy Robertson

DEPARTMENTSBOOK REVIEWS by Jack Pepper

A PEEK IN T HE PUBLISHER'S POKE by BUI KnyvettB ACK C OUNTR Y TR AVEL

C ALENDAR OF WESTER N EVENTSW O M A N ' S V I E W P O I N T

LETTERS

by Bill BryanClub ActivitiesFeminine FactsReaders' Comments

ELTA S H I V ELY , Executive Secretary LLO Y D S H I V ELY , Circulation M A RV EL BA RRETT, Business

EDIT ORIA L AN D CIRC ULA TION OFFICES: 74 -109 La r rea , Pa lm Deser t, Ca l ifo rn ia 92260 , AC 714 346-8144 . NA TIO NA L ADVER -TISING OFFICES: 8083 Melrose Street, Los Angeles 90069, AC 213 653-5847. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. Subscription rates:United States, Canada & Mexico, 1 year, $5.00; 2 years, $9.50, 3 years, $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 currency for each year.See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allow five weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codesDesert Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act ofMarch 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured from publisher or editor in writing.Unsolic i ted manuscr ipts and photographs W ILL N O T "BE RE TU RN ED unless accompanied by a self-addressed and s tamped envelope.


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ROCK DRAW INGS OF THECOSO RANGEBy C ampbell Grant, James W. Bairdand ]. Kenneth Pringle

Of the many mysteries of the Westone of the oldest and still unsolved isthat of prehistoric carvings and paintingson rocks and caves which have beenfound from the far northwest to the tipof Baja California and into Mexico andCentral America.The carvings which are gouged intothe rock surfaces are called petroglyphs,whereas the paintings on the surface ofthe rocks are called pictographs. Sincethere is no Indian-type Rosetta stone tohelp unravel the mystery of these hiero-glyphics, their exact meaning is still amatter of interpretation.

" B O T T L E S A N D R E L IC S "IS H E R E !

"BOTTLES AND RELICS" by Marvin & HelenDavis is the book you have been waiting for."BOTTLES AND RELICS" has over 150 pagesand covers Bottles, Insulators, Fruit Jars, JimBeams, Relics and Treasure Hunting. There aredozens of sharp full page Black & White photosand over thiry full pages in breath taking color.Most all items are priced. This book is alsopacked full of information that will be helpfulto experienced as well as beginning collectorsThis book will be a prized addition to anylibrary.OTHER BOOKS BYMARVIN & HELEN DAVIS"Antique Bottles"This popular book is in its

5th printing in less than a year and a half."Antique Bottles" is loaded with sharp black &white photos as well as 12 pages in full color.All bottles are priced. "Antique Bottles" coversall types of bottles and Where to look for them.How to clean them , Tools needed, Where to sellthem, etc. This is a beautiful and very popularbook."Pocket Field Guide For The Bottle Digger" This little book is designed to be taken intothe field in your pocket. Packed full of informa-tion and all bottles are priced. ORDER NOW!"Bottles and Relics" $4.50 postage paid."Antique Bottles" $3.00 postage paid."Pocket Field Guide For The Bottle Digger" $2.00 postage paid. Foreign countries add 25c.

Send your order to:OLD BOTTLE COLLECTING PUBLICATIONS

P.O. Box 276 Ashland, Ore. 97520DEALER INQUIRES INVITED

Finding and photographing these in-scriptions is fast becoming a hobby ofoutdoor enthusiasts, along with gem andbottle collecting. One of the outstandingleaders in the field of discovering andinterpreting these ancient writings isCampbell Grant, whose two previouspublished books, The Rock Art of theChnmash and The Rock Art of theAmerican Indian are probably the mostauthoritative books on the subject.

With his co-authors, Grant has pro-duced a fascinating book in which he usesthe petroglyphs found in the Coso Rangein California's Inyo County to piece to-gether the habits and activities of the pre-historic people who roamed the continentduring the pluvial period at the end ofthe last Ice Age.The study of petroglyphs and picto-

graphs as a key to the history of ancientman is a comparatively new scienceascience that combines mystery with imag-ination and today is a challenge for alloutdoor enthusiasts. For a new reason toget out into the back country and forfascinating reading, Campbell Grant'slatest book is highly recommended. Oncethe petroglyph bug bites you, you are anincurable addict-I know I have been anaddict for years. More than a hundredphotographs, maps and drawings, 145pages, soft cover, $3.95.

WILD FLOWERS OF THEPACIFIC COASTBy L eslie L. Haskin

A completely revised and enlargededition, this guide to western wildflowersgives a broad scientific basis for under-standing plant families as well as defini-tive identification of the specimens.Plants are grouped according to naturalrelationship and clear-cut descriptionssimplify recognition.All of the nomenclature has beenbrought up to date in this new edition,which also contains more than 60 origin-

a l, full-color photographs of species de-scribed in the text.The book's 450 pages describe 332flowers and shrubs of Washington, Ore-gon, Idaho, Alaska and California. Spec-

ial features include 182 full page, black-and-white photographs, a glossary, andan index to scientific as well as commonnames. Hardcover, $5.95.

EARTHQUAKE COUNTRYBy Robert lacopi

Although the catastrophic earthquakewhich mystics predicted would dumpCalifornia into the Pacific Ocean did notmaterialize, earthquake authorities say weare long overdue for a good-sized tremor.Since rumor and unfounded predic-

tions seem to capture the attention ofpeople more readily than facts, it is abouttime to face reality and refute the pre-dictions of those who capitalize on thefears of people for their own materialand mystic gains. Earthquake Country,published by Sunset Books, does just thisand is recommended reading for anyonewho thinks an earthquake is going toend the worldor destroy their home orthe office building in which they work.Mr. lacopi has written a factuallysoberand soberingbook. Those look-ing for exciting and sensational materialwill be disappointedthe serious-mindedcitizen of California will not. The sectionon Prospects For The Future includes achapter on What To Do When the Next

One Hits.Even if we do not have an earthquakefor another 100 years, the book is inter-esting reading in that it shows throughthe text and aerial photographs just where

the main faults are located, what causesan earthquake, and describes the geologi-cal formations of the Pacific Coast. Italso has graphic photographs of buildingsdestroyed during previous tremors, andwhy newer construction is more earth-quake proof.I recently saw a sign, on the marqueeof a supermarket, which read: "Earth-quake Predictors Are Just Fault Finders."It's fine to have a sense of humor, but itis also necessary to know what to do in

case we have an earthquakein otherwords don't get shook by listening torumorsget the facts. Large 8 x 1 1 for-mat, slick paperback, profusely illustrated,160 pages, $2.95.Unless otherwise stated in the re-view, all books reviewed in DES-ERT MAGAZINE are availablethrough the Desert Magazine BookShop. Please add 50 cents perorder (not per book) for handlingand postage. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS MUST ALSO ADD 5 PER-CENT SALES TAX


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A P e e ki n t h eP u b l i s h e r ' sP o k e

U1P ON REVIEWING back volumes ofDESERT Magazine it becameapparent to me that since the veryfirst issue of November, 1937 eachand every publisher had contributedarticles to the magazine and were infact the backbone of its existenceand editorial concept. If I was to fol-low in the footsteps of Randall Hen-derson, Charles Shelton and JackPepper then I too would have to penstories about the desert. F or my firstorbit into the literary world it wasmy good fortune to have Lurt Knee, of Sleeping Rainbow Guest Ranch and Tours,as my guide and companion. It was he who inspired the story of the old uraniummining area (See story page 23) and provided me with much color for the article.Lurt is a story in himself, but is modest and unassuming. Back in 1939 he had thevision to foresee that one day Utah, and in par-ticular Capitol Reef National Monument, wouldsome day be one of the West's most scenic attrac-tions. With this in mind he made what I consider

to be a little "heaven on earth." On a hugemound overlooking Pleasant Creek in the middleof the Reef, he built his home. This mound wasthe site of prehistoric Indians dating to BasketWeavers I, as is evidenced by artifacts discoveredby Lurt while excavating for footings and a largecistern for the water supply. Sprawled beneath theranch are the vegetable gardens and lush pasturelands where Lurt and his wife, Alice, raise fineArabian horses. Three of these Arabians weresold to finance an 11-mile power line. Lurt, witha twinkle in his eye, said: "I guess we are the onlyfolks in these parts with a 3-horsepower system."Right then I knew he was my kind of guy. Whenthe article was finished I told him I needed some information on his background andhis reply was: "My background is red Wingate Sandstone." And he really means it

for the backdrop of the ranch is a 1400-foot cliff!Writing the article at first was a problem as I donot compose too well on a typewriter and my handwriting is not very legible. So I reverted to whatI had learned when I was in the printing busi-nessI set the story directly on our linotypemachinea machine which sets lines of type frommolten lead, and which creates the columns yousee in DESERT Magazine. I eliminated the type-writer and had fun writing the article and hopeto do many more. However, if my first literaryventure falls on deaf ears I do have one outIcan run an ad in classifieds under "Equipment"which would read as follows: FOR SALE. Oneauthor's linotype machine. Used only once!

In closing, remember that effective May 24thPublisher at "typewriter" t h e DESERT Magazine Book Shop will be closedSaturdays and Sundays for the summer months.

Lurt Knee

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

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4

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Digging for geodes and nodules in theHauser Beds (above) near Wiley Well

is not easy, but it has its reward s asshown by Fred and Marian Wheeler,

Fontana, California (right) who displaythe results of their morning dig.

While their husbands were geode hunting,the ladies (opposite page) collected

agate, found among the volcanic rock.

4' ' * -^ i


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M ILLIONS OF years ago the southeastcorner of California's RiversideCounty was a volcanic furnace with heattwisting the earth into rugged mountainsand covering the landscape with boilinglava. When Mother Nature blew her topshe created a hotbed for rockhounds whotoday dig into the now quiet and coolearth for semi-precious stones and collectvolcanic rock for gardens and patios.I recently visited the area with a groupof outdoor enthusiasts who gather everymonth in some part of Southern Califor-nia or Mexico for a weekend of fun andrelaxation. Although they have been tak-ing trips together for years, the groupdoes not have a club name, officers orwritten rules.When I arrived at the camping loca-tion I found their vehicleswhich in-cluded campers, trailers, passenger cars

and four-wheel-drivesparked in a largecircle inside of which was a communalbonfire. Gathered around the fire, thefamilies were singing and toasting marsh-mallows.Al Pearce, a member of the group anda frequent contributor to Desert Maga-

zine, explained that although the fam-ilies share vehicles and exchange foodand beverages, members are free to dowhat interests them most. Their mutualbond is a love of the outdoors and ahatred of regimentation, he said.

Located near Blythe, California, theWiley Well area where we camped is atriangular valley surrounded by theChuckwalla, Palo Verde and Mule moun-tains and the Black Hills. The broad,hard surface between the mountainsmakes excellent camping grounds andthere is ample firewood from the washesfor firewood. Passenger cars can easilytravel over the well graded roads, withthe exception of the last leg of the roadto the Hauser Beds. It can be negotiatedby passenger car, but with caution.

At the apex of the triangular valley isWiley Well. The well was dug in 1908by A. P. Wiley, owner of a little outpoststore and postmaster of Palo Verde whenhomesteaders were trekking into the mes-quite jungles of the Palo Verde to fileclaims. Later abandoned, the water be-came brackish and today there is nodrinking water in the area.However, within a few months, thanksto a project by the Bureau of Land Man-agement, there will be ample water. The

Continued7

D igT h o s eC r a z yby Jack Pepper


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B.L.M., which supervises this UnitedStates public domain land, is constructingcampsites at Wiley Well, Coon Hollowand Corn Springs. Since wells are notfeasible, underground water tanks willbe installed at the campsites which willalso include toilets, fire pits and tables.Present plans do not include electricity.Wiley Well is located on the old Brad-shaw Trail over which prospectors fromLos Angeles and San Bernardino traveleda century ago en route to Yuma duringthe short lived gold boom along thatsection of the Colorado River. The trail,which followed water holes from Yumato Mecca, was named after the man whohad the United States mail franchise be-fore the railroads were built.Unfortunately the water level at the

foot of the Chuckwalla and Palo Verdesmountains is extremely low today. Notonly are the springs dry but the once

flourishing Washingtonia palms are grad-ually dying due to lack of undergroundwater. These springs many years ago werealso the campsites for nomadic Indiansand today you can still find potsherdsand an occasional arrowhead.We found traces of old Indian andwild burro trails as we drove to the Hau-ser Beds the morning after keeping thecoyotes awake and howling during ourfirst-night campfire serenade. We allagreed it was the cooytes and not us whowere off key.Although people have been collectinggeodes in the area for years the blisteredround rocks can still be foundyou justhave to dig for them a little deeper.Jerry Jenkins, Outdoor Editor of the Es-condido Times-Advocate and a rock-hound authority, explained as we headed

for the site in my dune buggy that geodesand nodules range in size from golf ballsto canteloupes.

A collection of volcanic rocks for gardens and patios makes an ideal playgroundfor little Jeffrey Jenkins. The public domain land in California's RiversideCounty is excellent for camping, rock collecting, exploring and just loafing.

The large ones are usually hollow andfilled with hundreds of diamond-likecrystals, some of which are amethyst.These should not be broken with a ham-mer, but cut with lapidary equipment.The smaller ones are usually solid andmake excellent cutting material for boloties and jewelry. They are called nodules.While some of the group were diggingfor geodes at the Hauser Beds others hadgone to Coon Hollow in search of agate.Jerry said that in the Wiley Well area youcan find fire agate, opalized agate andbrown and white agate.Located in the Mule Mountains, CoonHollow was formerly called the Williams'claim and is a good source for fire agate.The area is being reworked and the own-ers of the claim charge $3.00 a day for

digging. You can keep anything you find.Veteran rockhounds are always happy toshow neophytes what to look for and

Although many desert ironwoods aremore than 100 years old they even-tually succumb to a parasitical growthwhich strangles the majestic trees.

TO DE S E RT CE NT E R 6 INOIO:>** r o l lQUMTZSITE aWIENBUBG


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U NLIKE THEIR small cottontail rela-tives, the big members of the hareclan are not burrowers. This means thatdesert hares spend 24 hours of the dayoutside, subjected year-round to the ex-tremes of heat and cold of the wind-swept desert.

Big-footed, rangy creatures, jack rab-bits are basically defenseless, living inan open terrain without good hidingplaces, but with enemies everywherefurred, feathered and scaledto add totheir troubles.

Like all mammals, they have a hightemperature, but this cannot vary morethan a few degress from its normal lee-way for very long without fatal results.Moreover, if the hares are to survive,they must somehow secure liquid in aparched land where water is practicallynon-existent.

Yet anyone who has seen these crea-tures shooting off by the scores in alldirections knows desert hares have notonly solved their environmental problems,but are flourishing in the process.

Salad days for the hares are sadly lim-ited, since desert plants are green and fullof moisture only a very small part of theyear. Tp nnswer to this short season ofplentv. they have evolved both a remark-able tolerance for all kinds of vegetablefood, and an ability to select what issafest yet has the greatest water content.

Ha re teeth equipme nt is well designed

playinqIT byEARby K. L Boynton 1969


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for handling tough desert fare. The bigchisels right in front gnaw off chunks tohe passed along to the back teeth forshredding. Hare molars have sharp edgesinstead of rodent-style crushing surfacesand they work like scissors. Tn chewingaction, the upper ones slice down outsidethe lowers to achieve fast efficient cut-ting, good-sized jaw muscles furnishingthe power.What with such good eating tools anddigestive machinery geared to processtough and untasty food, the hares are allset in the grocery line, exploiting to thefullest the desert's sparse and uncertainvegetation throughout the entire year.

Desert hares know how to make themost of what little shade is available.Stamping out a shallow depression or"form" under a bush or rock or cactus,they crouch in the deep shadows duringthe hottest period of the day.Temperamentally calm and collected,they sit quietly, accepting a hot environ-ment without becoming restless. This ismost important, for they do not addactivity-generated heat to the heavy loadalready aboard their bodies from the hotair and ground surface. While the hare isbehaving in the proper fashion, parts ofhis body are also at work to cool him.His fur coat, for example, serves as a

barrier, slowing down the transfer ofheat from the environment. From timeto time, the fur itself can be lifted byspecial muscles to allow a cooling circu-lation of air.His ears, however, are the real cham-pions in the anti-heat department. Dec-orative, handsome, they are indeed tower-ing pillars of strengththe jackrabbit'sanswer to the mighty desert, the mainfactors in tribal success.Marvelously constructed, they first act

as reflectors, their great surfaces turninglight aside before it is absorbed as heat.They also become depots from whichshipments of heat from deep inside thebody can be unloaded into the atmos-phere. Laced throughout their generousexpanse are hundreds of tiny blood ves-sels lying just beneath the skin. Whenthe heat of the day is upon the desert,these vessels increase greatly in size, al-lowing more blood to be brought up intothem. The extra heat carried by theblood is lost through the surface of thebig ears, and the blood itself cooled.And, as it circulates throughout the body,

the cooler blood in turn lowers the ani-mal's temperature.This built-in air conditioning systemcontinues to operate as the hare sitsquietly in the shade, thus performingthe double-barreled function of unload-ing heat from the body, and preventingexcessive heat of the environment fromentering. The desert hare's rangy form,

his long legs and long neck provide stillmore surfaces for heat radiation, andsince the animal is lean, there is littlesubcutaneous fat that might add bodywarmth.The desert hare and his cousin, theArctic hare or Snowshoe rabbit, are ascientifically famous team. They illus-trate beautifully two principles concern-ing animals and their environment setforth by a couple of zoologists who dida lot of thinking.Bergmann pointed out that heat ismanufactured inside an animal but islost at its surface. So, he said, the lesssurface an animal has compared to itsinside volume, the less heat it is goingto lose. A big animal has much morevolume inside compared to its surfacearea than a small animal, and thereforeloses less heat. Hence, he said, those in-dividuals living in cold regions tend tobe bigger, the increased size helping to

conserve heat.Allen picked it up from here, statingthat surfaces where heat could be lostare reduced in mammals living in coldclimates by making the body more com-pact. This is achieved by cutting downon the size of ears and tail, shortening1


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Gates at the Algodo nes border station (left) are now open eight hours longer as a result of a joint effort by Mexican andUnited States officials. T he charm ing little M exican com mun ity of Algodones offers a variety of services and stores.

F OR MANY years when United Statesofficials locked the gate and turnedoff the lights at 6 p.m. daily at a smallbut important port of entry near Yuma,Arizona they were imposing a curfew onthe citizens of a foreign nation.After the gates were shut at that earlyevening hour the border remained closeduntil 8 a.m. each morning. During theclosing hours residents of Algodones,Mexico and travelers from the United

States had to travel an extra 60 miles tothe 24-hour port of entry south of Yuma.To the average observer this schedule,administered for economic reasons by theUnited States Immigration and Naturali-zation Service, appeared to be an un-friendly gesturea sort of good neigh-bor policy in reverse!Because of Desert Magazine's concernfor the well-being of our Mexican neigh-

bors, I was requested to go to the An-drade-Algodones port of entry and in-vestigate the effect of the restrictedschedule upon the good people on the12

other side of the fence. Editor Jack Pep-per had heard the policy was causinghardships to the residents of Algodonesand United States turistas headed forthe east coast of Baja and the mainlandof Mexico.After interviewing Mr. O. T. Miller,Port Director in charge of Customs, whooperates the Algodones border stationwith Mr. Carlos Sears, Officer in chargeof Immigration, I departed with the

definite opinion the international gateshould be open longer hours.Others evidently agreed for, by coinci-dence, at the same time I was having myconference at Algodones another confer-ence was being held at Yuma after whichSenator Barry Goldwater announced that,starting April 1, the Algodones port ofentry would be open from 6 a.m. to mid-night dailyeight hours longer than theprevious schedule.The Yuma meeting at which SenatorGoldwater and his teammate, SenatorPaul J. Fannin, met with the UnitedStates Commissioner of Immigration, Ray-

mond F. Farrell, and a group of civic-minded business men in the Yuma area,produced results. All were convinced theexcellent over-the-border relations be-tween Mexico and the United Statesshould be encouraged. The decision to ex-pand the border crossing hours was basedupon the needs of the area and the desireto improve the economic, social, and cul-tural relationships between border com-munities.I learned from Mr. Miller that trafficthrough this gate has increased 58%since 1962. Also, in discussing the prob-lem of emergency incidents when the gatewas closed at 6 p.m., I was told that asmall Mexican hospital is located only 12miles from Algodones at Cuidad Morelos,and that several clinics are available inthe town and surrounding area to servethe residents. The roads leading out ofcommunity are paved, so out-of-towntravel in cases of illness or accidental in-

jury has not been difficult.The procedure followed, in cases ofextreme emergencies during the night


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by Jack Delaney

35-Mf*'c'7& Phoenix STucson

when the gate is closed, is interesting. AMexican official in Algodones runs to thegate and fires a gun into the air; thenumber of shots provide a clue to the dif-ficulty. Mr. Miller, who lives near theborder, responds to the shots by dis-patching a summons for any emergencyservice that was needed. In cases of fire,equipment comes from Winterhaven orYuma, but is not permitted to cross theborder. The fire engines approach thegate and firemen hand hoses through tothe Mexican officials who, it is hoped,put out the fire.

Algodones provides an opportunity fora look into the hometown of many Mexi-can citizens who are doing very well intheir farming activities. You'll enjoy thepleasant sensation of being in a foreignland, if only for a short coffee break, orfor a visit of several hours. Drive alongU.S. 80 (Interstate 8) east from El Cen-tro, California or west from Yuma, Ari-zona. A paved road about five miles fromYuma is clearly marked by a highwaysign. Two miles along this road will takeyou to the international line.

This community is not listed in thepopular travel brochures, mainly becauseit does not feature bright lights and tin-sel to attract the tourists. You won'tfind an elaborate spread of curio and sou-venir shops. What you will find is hun-dreds of friendly neighbors who have asincere appreciation of, and affection for,visitors from the United States and no de-sire to put on an artificial show for them.The town has several clean motels anda hotel featuring steam baths that arepopular with tourists; a number of eatingplaces serving good native food; andmore than a dozen beauty shops that at-tract customers from the Yuma area be-cause of the fine work and low prices.Many tourists from the United Statesfind in this village a real interior Mexicoatmosphere. You'll enjoy its typical oldfrontier buildings and the friendly ac-ceptance you'll receive from the residents.There are four entry cities along the in-ternational line of California and BajaCalifornia. Algodones is one of them

in fact it was the only one for many yearsduring the 1800s. The town site wasfounded in 1887 by pioneers who camefrom Sonora and other states of oldMexico, to the south. Today, it is a smallbut prosperous town with a population ofaround 8000, in an important Mexicanagricultural center (Mexicali Valley)which supports more than 60,000 people.Most of the area's residents are farmers,and the main crop is cotton. The town'sname, Algodones, means "cotton" in theSpanish language.

Soon after Senator Barry Goldwaterannounced the news about the extendedopening hours at this historic port ofentry, a grand fiesta was being plannedto celebrate the occasion. Both Yuma andthe Mexican community had reason to re-joice over this achievement. An immedi-ate announcement was that a new Mexi-can-American Border Athletic Leaguewill be formed in the area soon. It isevident that everyone is happy with thenew 6 a.m. Buenos Dias and the mid-night Buenos Noches! 11


14/44

SOURDOUGHisthe Yeastof myWorriesby Richard W eym outh Brooks

IAM a photographer of the desertand open country. My work de-pends on light, which generally ismore to my liking toward the end ofthe day or early mornings. Duringthe slack period of flat and uninter-esting light I relax, take a siesta, orexperiment with my camp cookery.

One day, while relaxing in a coolcave of Arizona's Organ Pipe CactusNational Monument, I thought of theold-timers who wandered throughoutthe West. What was their life andmethod of sustenancethe every-day things that we all do, but are notrevealed in history books? This trainof thought brought up visions ofsourdough, pancakes, panbread andbannock.Back home I looked for informa-tion on sourdough. Since I couldfind very little, I decided there wasnothing to lose except a couple ofcups of flour and some water.Mixing flour and water together

to make a heavy batter, I set the mix-ture over a heater which was builtinto a counter so the temperaturewas indirect and averaged about 80

degrees. The crock had been on thecounter a couple of days when afriend told me about the SunsetBook of Breads. They had a recipeto make a starter which called for acup of milk and a cup of flour set ina warm place to start fermenting.Now there were two crocks decora-ting the side counter.

Things haven't been quite thesame around our house since. Sixdifferent brews have passed throughour kitchen, and I have learned alittle about leavening with ferment-ed batter.The milk starter turned out to bemy least favorite. It doesn't keepwell without refrigeration. It must bethe lactic acid in the milk, as it de-veloped quite a bitter, upleasantflavor. The water starters seemed tobe the most durable of all. My planwas to have a sourdough starter tocarry with me on my desert photo-graphy jaunts, and I take no refrig-erator with me.Here is one starter formula thathas worked well for me. A cup ofwater and a cup of flour, a smallhandful (closed) of sugar mixed to-

14


15/44

gether and set aside to ferment.There areseveral others aroundChoral andJack Pepper havecol-lected onethat works well, it's ntheir book Cooking and Camping onthe Desert.

Since everything depends on thestrain of wild yeast that takes overyour particular pot,each will varyfrom time tot ime and place toplace.The individual starter itself wil lchange character, too, astime goeso n . It generally takes from four tosix days for the lour-water mixtureto ferment. If the mixture isspoonedout after about sixdays, the interioris fi l led with many bubbles or lookssimi lar to asponge, if thick. Infact,some rec ipes read "add yoursponge" rather than "add acupofstarter."

Various starters will have differ-ent odors. There aresome that aredefinitely sweet, andotherswel l ,they allwork if the yeast spores areactive. Many times after theactionhas ceased, aclear liquid will rise tothe surface of the mix. This isnor-mal and is related to booze. Juststir the fluid back into the total mix-

ture and carry on as per recipe orprevious experience.There is another phenomenonthat occurs if thestarter is left atroom temperature for a long time

without replenishing. The spores willrise to the surface when all heaction has stopped and will appearas aredoryellow toorange powder-like substance. Some cooks skimthis offand discard. This is amis-take. Stir it all back into themainmix and pour offabout half the totalvolume. Then add water tobring ithalfway to theoriginal mark. Nextadd flour tobring it tothe originalvolume or until theconsistency isthat of fairly thick cake batter. Fin-ally set aside so t will replenish itsaction. Generally over night will doit .

Don't throw your starter out be-cause it looks strangeyou'l l knowwhen it is really bad. Generally itturns green or dark grey and thesmell isout ofthis worldand you' l lwish it were. If this happens, throwthe entire mess away. I have neverbeen able toget the odor out ofthepot.There areseveral approaches to

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16/44

making pancakes, the thick caketype or the small dollar size. I'vetried everything from straight start-er, to adding the lug wrench; fromimmediate use, to letting it waitfrom one hour to a full day for aging.Some of the concoctions have beenquite good and othersanyone fora ti reboot?For dollar size pancakes, use thestarter as it comes from the crockafter it has smoothed from the diges-tive action of the yeast buds. Putabout a cup and a half of the starter-batter into a bowl, add two eggs andmix. Then take about a quarter of ateaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of bak-ing soda, and about a teaspoon ofsugar. Mix these together dry andthen sprinkle over the batter andstir gently. Now the fun part watch, wait and listen. If your batteris good it will begin to hiss (verygently) and froth and rise, aboutdoubling its original volume. Be sureyou use a large enough bowl. Bakequickly on a lightly greased griddleor frying pan about 400 degrees.Serve immediately, straight, withbutter, or your favorite syrup or jam.Makes about fifty.To make thicker and more bready

pancakes, you have to start the nightbefore. Into a non-metalic bowl, com-bine a cup of starter with two tothree cups of flour, add water tomake a very thick batter. It will bequite lumpy but don't worry as thelumps will disappear during the pro-cess of the multiplying yeast buds.Put the bowl in a warm place (about80 degrees) overnight. The followingmorning, add your eggs, soda, salt,and sugar as before with a littlemore of the dry ingredients due tothe increased volume of batter. Thisrecipe makes larger pancakes, aboutfour to five inches in diameter. Cookthese a litt le more slowly than thedollar size ones.

Sourdough pancakes are the easi-est thing in the world to make. Yourbatter is always ready, just add eggs,and the dry ingredients and bake.Be sure you replenish your starter

after you take o ut wha t is used. Al-ways remove the starter from thecrock to another vessel for use.Never add anything to the starter ex-16

cept more flour and water, as neces-sary. If the starter is not used forawhile, when out in the field, pourout part and replenish as previouslydiscussedthis will keep it working.In the field I have found that atwo-pint plastic container with asnap-over lid, similar to Tupperware,works very well and is easy to keepclean. In the desert flour dries al-most as you think about it, butflakes off the plastic container assoon as it is totally dry. Two contain-ers are recommendedthe secondone to mix the batter of the meal in.Six-inch plastic bowls with sealinglids work very well for preparing

bread mixture or allowing it to workwhile driving to the next area of ex-ploration.Now for bread or bannock, drop

biscuits, or you name it. Basically itis the same method as with the thickpancakes, only the batter is stifferand toward the dry side, then setaside to let the yeast buds multiply.This takes about 12 hours if warmand up to two days if the weather iscold. I sometimes put the plasticcontainer next to my sleeping bagduring the night so it will stay warmenough to work, but not in it, assome of the legends have said of the"old sourdoughs." There are manyways to solve this temperatire prob-lem, each to his own imaginationand equipment. A note on tempera-turethe action increases with therise of temperature, (to a point) andslows down with the lack of warmth.So if you want to plan on some formof sourdough bread for dinner, it's


17/44

A pbotograpber-journaltst,the author spends two weeks ofevery month exploring the West.His vehicle is completely equippedfor comfort and emergencies.

best to give it a bit of advancedthought. Starter can also be storedin the refrigerator indefinitely, orfrozen and then warmed up again forfurther use. Allow about eight hours.About noon the day you are plan-ning to have the bread, mix in thesalt, soda, and sugar, about a 1:2:4ratio is how I have it worked out soI don't have to bother with measur-ing devices. A little oil may be addedif desired or bacon fat if one wantsthat flavor. Knead in flour unti l avelvety texture is obtained. Thedough is again set aside to rise. Itshould about double in size, whichtakes three to five hours. If this isdone while driving over rough coun-try roads the jouncing around wil lslow the rising down by breakingthe gas bubbles as they form. Thisis all right if you are not too fussyabout light bread; it will still risewhen it is baked, but not as much.The bread may be baked slowly ina skillet over a stove (I have a smallalcohol one), in a dutch oven, orover the coals. For this latter meth-od, a "keyhole" fire pit works wellin the desert. This is a shallow de-pression scraped in the soil theshape of an old fashioned keyhole,the round part for the main fire andthe straight part is where the coalsare raked to be cooked over. The fire

is built up again to make more coalsto be used when needed. This ar-rangement can keep an even heat,and the utensils don't get sooty overthe coals.The old sourdoughs of yesteryearare not wandering the desert anylonger, but we, who today explorethe desert can carry on some of thetradition of those days when thewind blew clear and clean and smell-ed just faintly of that sweetish-sour

vessel bubbling away as it joggledalong on the back of some little greyburro.

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fifty.miles ofA s i STOOD on the top of the moun-tain and gazed across miles ofdesert, it was hard to believe that thisland had once been so violent. It wasnow beautiful. A slow setting sun castlong purple shadows across the sand.The brilliant red of the sky reflectedfrom the boulder covered mountains, -and seemed to magnify the bloomingcolor of the ocotillo.

It was, for a fleeting second, likestanding before a great masterpiece ofart. The color seemed painstakinglyplanned; each blending easily with theother. Here, nature was putting forthher best. Perhaps she was boasting.

But as the sun sank lower and lower,the land became sinister. The bright redsand yellows turned to grays and black;and, suddenly, it was no longer hard tobelieve. The shadows became long anddark; the sky was opaque.This was the way it must have beenmillions of years ago when nature turnedloose its fury. The land boiled and

trembled. It formed mountains, suddenlyand violently. It opened valleys and toss-ed about giant boulders the size of ahouse as though they were mere play-things. Then the anger ceased.Perhaps it was not really anger thatcaused this violence. Mother Nature,possibly, was thinking ahead. Maybe sheknew that in 1969, thousands of enthu-siastic recreation seekers would floodthis area, eager to be surprised and

amazed at the marvels of her handiwork.With this in mind, she started tossingabout bonuses. "I'll give them something

18

furyby Al Pearce

extra," she must have said. "I'll givethem a land that will keep them so busy,they will never tire of coming here." Ifthis was her promise, she kept it.And, after all these years, a generousMother Nature put an invisible markerin the middle of this land and said,"within 50-miles of here, things willhappen." And they did.For 500,000 years, this land racedheadlong through geological changes,Indians, Spaniards, pioneers, cavalry mas-sacres to become a modern day haven forrockhounds, desert lovers, historians,

amateur archeologists, and people whoare merely "trying to get away from itall."

I was standing at the Desert ViewTowers, a few miles east of Jacumbain Southern California on U.S. Highway80, out of San Diego. Before the sunhad disappeared, I could see the SaltonSea far to the northeast. The desert un-folded below me like a topographicalmap. To the southeast was Signal Moun-tain, a "guidepost" for the first settlersto California. Just under my nose wasIn-Ko-Pah Gorge. Beyond was Dos Ca-bezas Springs, long ago buried by a greatocean.

I've often referred to this area as "My50-miles." I've been coming here foryears; always drawn back by the know-ledge that there is more to see and a lotmore to do. The eastern edge of "My50-miles" is Painted Gorge, just a fewmiles east of Coyote Wells on U.S.Highway 80. With a little publicity,this gorge could easily become more pop-ular than the famous Painted Desert in


19/44

Millions of years agowhen nature turned looseits fury giant boulders weretossed around like paper cups inthe wind. Erosion later created theformations which today are in sharpcontrast to the surrounding desert.

The desert of California's Imperial and San Diego counties (below) is dottedwith wild flowers, blooming ocotillo and cholla cactus. It is also rich in historicallore and Indian legends. The author's wife, Iola Pearce (opposite page) examinesa hill for possible fossilsor traces of the Pegleg gold bonanza.

New Mexico. Its fantastic spectrum ofcolors change hourly as the sun creepsoverhead.

Traveling west from Coyote Wells,evidence that this land was once anocean floor becomes more and morevisible. A few miles north of Ocotillo,beyond the end of Fossil Bed Road (localservice stations can give direct ions) ,thousands of rockhounds and amateurarcheologists have uncovered fossilizedremains of ancient sea life. The oceanevaporated 500,000 years ago. But evi-dence lingers on. The shells, some as bigas pie pans, are as plentiful as fruit fliesin an orchard.

Fossil Bed Road actually ends near asand and gravel pit, but an easily navi-gable dirt road continues into a uniquecanyon. About two miles beyond the endof the pavement , a number of foot trailsca n be seen going over the western ridgeof the canyon. Follow these trails a scant150 yards and you'll find yourself in themiddle of one of Southern California'slargest fossil beds.

Highway S-2, northwest out of Oco-tillo, follows the old Butterfield StageLine, passing through country that musthave been formed when Mother Naturewas the angriest. It's as beautiful as it isviolent. Its colors and shadows changequickly as the sun travels across theusually blue sky above.

Tust a few miles out of Ocotillo, thehighway enters Anza-Borrego State Parkwhere there are several campgrounds. Atthe edge of this park is the old VallecitoStage stop. A few years ago it was littlemore than crumbling ruins, its four-footthick adobe walls beaten by t ime, weather

Continued onPage 5619


20/44

B I L L YT H EK I D by Phyllis Meald

C URIOSITY KILLED more than a cat. Itkilled one of the most famous, leg-endary, ruthless and youthful outlawsthe West ever produced. If Billy theKid had shot first, then asked, "Who'sthat?" he might have lived beyond his21 years and 21 murdersnot countingIndians and Mexicansand made south-western history even bloodier.Born in New York in I860 and bap-tised Henry McCarty, he came to NewMexico in 1872 with his widowedmother and younger brother. Mrs. Mc-Carty married William Antrim and the

boys took their step-father's name.Affection ran strong in the Antrimfamily and Billy's first step from thestraight-and-narrow was in his mother'sdefense. Mrs. Antrim was insulted whileat a bar. There are two versions of thestory; one that 13-year-old Billy stabbedthe man to death; the other claims hegrabbed a gun and shot the offender.Whatever the facts, the outcome was thesameBilly committed his first murder.Against his mother's urging to let youthand parental devotion plead his case,Billy skipped the country.

Eventually reaching Arizona Territoryhe swaggered through three years ofmayhem. Tombstone, Galeyville andTucson knew his trouble-making pres-ence. He gambled, made love, foughtand always shotthen asked questions.Young, fast and fearless, his recordwas impressive even in the lawless West.Soon the "good men" started hunting

the "bad boy." So Billy headed forMexico. There he terrorized the country-side, finally moving into Texas wherecattle-stealing became a lucrative business.20

But Billy hadn't forgotten New Mexi-co. Although his mother had died andhis stepfather and brother faded fromsight, he returned. He quickly discoveredhe wasn't forgotten. Large posters wereeverywhere offering a reward for thecapture of Billy the Kiddead or alive.

Billy, now 18, got himself embroiledin the famous Lincoln County Cattle Warand added Sheriff Brady to his list ofkillings. Even in those days it was unwiseto shoot law officers and Brady's replace-ment, Pat Garrett, dedicated himself tocatching The Kid. Sheriff Garrett hadknown Billy as a youngster and sent wordhe wanted to take him alive. Billy justlaughed.About this time national politics enter-ed the picture. President Hayes learnedof the Lincoln County War and of Billythe Kid. Someone convinced the Presi-dent that Samuel Axtell, Governor ofNew Mexico Territory, could not copewith the situation so a request came from

Washington for his resignation. LewWallace was appointed in his place.Wallace, busily writing Ben Hur, de-sired peace. He offered Billy and the


21/44

The Lincoln County courthouse andjail from which B illy the Kid-escaped just be fore h e was to behung is now an Arizona StateMon ument. The marker (left)is seen from the window whereBilly shot and killed one of hismany victims.

entire Lincoln County faction pardons ifBilly would give himself up, stand trialand thus clear the records. Billy justlaughed.So Sheriff Garrett took over once more.He trailed Billy to La Mesilla and theremanaged to capture him. Billy was triedand sentenced to death. Some technicalityrequired the prisoner be returned to Lin-coln for execution. Under heavy escortBilly was delivered to the Lincoln Countyjail, 150 miles from La Mesilla. Timewas running out for The Kid, but hestill had a couple of tricks up his sleeve.On April 28th, while eating supperwith handcuffs removed for conveniencehe knocked the guard down, grabbedhis gun and shot him.As he hobbled inleg-irons past the window he spottedDeputy Bob Ollinger running toward

the building. Billy took aim and droppedOllinger on the first shot. He got a horse,forcing a blacksmith to file him free andlaughingly rode out of town.Although Garrett was away at the

time, to clear his own reputation, the offi-cer started his famous man-hunt.

It took seven weeks to track down TheKid. Garrett knew Billy was in the areabut the country was rough and big andBilly's outlaw friends kept him informedof the sheriff's moves.

On the night of July 14, Garrettcamped near the ranch-house of PeterMaxwell. About midnight he went totalk to the cowman who was in bed. Dur-ing a whispered conversation Pete ad-mitted The Kid had been there. Justthen, from the doorway, came a softlyspoken "Quien es?" Garrett recognizedBilly's voice and quickly fired two shots.Luckily, as he was aiming in the dark,he hit The Kid above the heart, killinghim instantly.

Billy the Kid was buried in the mili-tary cemetery at Fort Sumner, New Mexi-co on July 15, 1881. He was 21 years, 7months and 21 days old. And thus itwas New Mexico's famous juvenile de-linquent played the star role in a south-west saga that included a president of theUnited States, a territorial governor, anauthor of international reputation andturned a local cattle feud into an histori-cal bloody range war.

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22/44


23/44

When afortune wasa dropin thebuckety Bill Knyvett

/I wagon that once carried equipment through the Utah deserts is now coveredwith sand mute testimony to our early day pioneers. Giant cores (oppositepage) were discarded by the uranium engineers as they drilled the 200-foot deepshaft. Photo by author.

A CHANCE REMARK, in tt>S COOKS 0* i.dinner conversation led me into aninteresting area of southeastern Utah'snow rejuvenated uranium fields.

W e ha d spent a delightful day inCapitol Reef National Monument photo-graphing the breathtaking red-rock coun-try that has to be seen to be fullyappreciated and had returned to theSleeping Rainbow Guest Ranch, right inthe middle of Capitol Reef. After ahearty meal with ou r hosts, Lurt an dAlice Knee, we adjourned to the com-forts of a log fire an d soft chairs. Itwas then that Lurt mentioned an oldmining operation where th e miners werelowered to the tunnel area more than 200feet below the surface through a verticalshaft only 36 inches wide! On hearingthis I had only tw o words:"Show m e ! "

The next morning our small party con-sisting of my wife Joy, Edward Porter ofFairview, South Carolina, an excellentblack-and-white photographer who vaca-tions each year at Sleeping Rainbow, Lurtand myself left for a day-long tour ofthe old mining area.Driving the 11 miles of dirt roadfrom the ranch to the main highway ourguide gave us a lesson in geology, ex-plaining the different stratas and colora-

ations and described th e changes thathad taken place in eons passed to causeall these different formations.As we reached the Capitol Reef Visi-tor Center and park headquarters thepavement began and we turned east on U-24 which follows th e Fremont River formany miles. W e passed through the littlecommunity of Hanksville which wassettled by the Mormons in 1883 andnamed after Ebenezer Hanks, one of thefounders of the village. It is a rustic

little town as yet untouched by th e com-mercialization of modern day.Past Hanksville the road turns northand enters the Green River Desertarea. Approximately 12 miles north Lurtpu t the big eight-passenger station wagoninto low gear and took off across thepink-colored entrada dunes. The trail wasbarely visible and the drifting sands ha dpiled up in the center of the ruts, makingpassage difficult. T he area on either sideof us was sweeping fields of wildflowers.Lurt told us this was a grazing area fora herd of approximately 30 antelope.

Continued21


24/44

We kept our cameras ready but the herdmust have been elsewhere.We came to Molly's Castle, a sand-stone butte rising some 175 feet abovethe desert floor, and on past Wild HorseButte where a gravel road makes a shortsix-mile detour to Goblin Valley (DES-ERT, Oct. '67). The valley defies de-scription and everyone interprets thenaturally formed "goblins" to his ownliking. Lurt pointed out this was one areadevoid of artifacts, not even an arrowheador point, which leads many to believe the

Indians of years gone by gave this areaa wide berthbeing superstitious perhapsthey thought it was a valley of goblins.Retracing our trail north again we passedWild Horse Butte and Buckskin Springswhere small outcroppings of coal arevisible along the banks of the road.The gravel gave way to pavement aswe picked up the Temple Wash Road

2nd turned west. Only a short distance upthis road we came upon some prehistoricIndian pictographs. The elements haveworn many of the figures away, but whatremains are very vivid having been datedas old as 1200 to 1400 years.A mile up the road from the picto-graphs Lurt made a right turn and wecame upon evidence of the old miningoperations. It was at this point I got myfirst lesson in the advantage of a fluidtransmission in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.The road leading up to the mesa abovehad been subjected to heavy rains andwas in very bad shape. We literallyinched up this road. Although Lurtstopped several times to point out variousfeatures, there was no roll-back at all.Joy ordinarily would have been extremely

aware of the sharp drop-off but she camethrough smiling.As we topped the hill the reason forthe whole trip was apparent. Wh enuranium was first mined the conventionaluse of a tunnel directly into the side ofa mountain was used and various lateraltunnels were dug as the veins were fol-lowed. In drilling the sample cores from

the surface it was decided that a largevertical shaft could be drilled to thedesired level and the uranium ore minedfrom this shaft. As the drill cores werenormally 4 inches in diameter, somethingmuch larger was required to facilitatethe removal of both workmen and ore.A special 36-inch core drill was madeand the drilling begun. The cores werebrought to the surface in 12-foot sectionsand lay scattered around the area likepieces of jelly roll with the differentcolorations appearing as multi-coloredbands. At a depth of 200 feet a goodgrade of ore was discovered and themining operation began. A crew ofNavajo Indians was brought in andlowered down in ore buckets. These samebuckets were then loaded with ore and

Lurt Knee examines the %-inch cores which look like jelly rolls. Old m ine entrance (right) shows ore-loading shute.24


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taken to the surface to be dumped intowaiting trucks. A system was arrangedwhere two bells meant ore was in thebucket and three bells signaled a bucket-full of miners!After the working area was enlargedit became evident that more mechaniza-tion was necessary. This was solved verysimply! A small bulldozer was taken

apart and all the pieces were loweredto the cavern below. A crew of mechanicswas then sent down the shaft and thedozer completely reassembled and asfar as I could determine is still downthere!Lurt told of a funny incident thathappened while the bucket operation wasgoing full blast. He had taken a tour ofshutter bugs to the area and they allassembled around the shaft head, poisedto photograph the ore being dumpedinto the trucks. Their expressions werehilarious when up popped several smilingIndians! Someone had forgotten to tell thegroup that the little ore cars served adual purpose.That the uranium search is being re-born is evident everywhere in this area.

Continued on Page 39

En route to the uranium site the author and party stopped to photograph pre-historic Indian pictographs painted on a canyon wall. There are many in Utah.

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Wild Horse Bufte "

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DOWN UTAH'SSAN JUAN RIVER

From Muley Point (left) the SanJuan River is seen below as it winds through The Goosenecks.26


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by Walter Ford

I F A RIVER voyage where you examine ancient petroglyphs,visit prehistoric Indian ruins, gather quarter billion yearold fossils, and shoot exciting rapids appeals to your spirit ofadventure, this trip is made to order for you.Over the years, when passing through Utah, I oftenthought about traveling down the San Juan River, but it nevergot beyond that stage. Then I read an advertisement in DesertMagazine which read: "One day river trips with Ken Rosstranquil San Juan River valley." Two days later, along withtwo companions, I was on my way to Bluff, Utah.Ken uses inflatable rubber rafts on his river expeditionswhich meet the rigid requirements of the Utah State Park andRecreation Commission. His river experience dates back to theearly 30s when he served with archeological reconnaissanceparties on the Yukon and San Juan Rivers. Later he becamedirector of Southwest Explorations and set up geological rivertrips as part of their summer program. In 1957 he startedrunning on his own and has been at it ever since.

In 1959 Ken was engaged to handle the boating locationsfor filming of Major Powell's 1869 expedition on the Colo-rado River. At the start of the production the director notedthat Ken bore such a strong resemblence to John Beale, whostarred as Major Powell, that he was asked to double forBeale in all of the boating scenes. The film was shown underthe title, "Ten Who Dared," during the early 60s and re-leased for television on Easter Sunday, 1968, under, "Won-derful World of Color."

The morning after our arrival Ken met us at our Recap-ture Lodge diggings and took us to the take-off point a shortdistance west of town. Fifteen minutes later the rafts werelaunched and ready to go. My party included Baylor Brooks,geologist, and Charlie Crytser, a retired mechanical engineer.Charlie had passed his eighty-second year and we wonderedabout his being able to make the river journey. Our concernwas unnecessary as he came through in excellent shape. Ac-Continued

The com munity of Mexican H at is named after the rock formation (above) carved over thousands of years.


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companying us in a smaller raft was Orson Anderson, geolo-gist, and his teen-age son, who was helping Ken during thesummer.During the early part of our journey we floated smooth-ly downstream on tranquil water. At our first stop we examin-ed a large display of petroglyphs on a sheer cliff near theriver. There were numerous designs representing reptiles,birds, and animals, but what was most interesting were sever-al nearly full-size human figures with exaggerated shoulderswhich look like a modern football player in full regalia. I hadseen a few similar figures in the Salt Creek area of Utah'sCanyonlands and wondered about their significance. Do theyrepresent a race of supermen whose culture predates the CliffDwellers or perhaps some armored Spanish invaders?

Farther along the river we stopped to explore ancientIndian cliff dwellings, easily accessibleonly 30 or so feetabove the river. Since most of the cliff dwellings in the can-yons along the Colorado Plateau were built high above groundlevelwhich archeologists say was done to forestall hostileattacksthe most formidable enemy the low-level dwellersalong the San Juan had to fear may have been the; flood-waterof the river.We stopped for lunch where a student of paleontologywould have had a field day. We found fossilized remains, im-bedded in the canyon walls, of creatures which are consideredto have lived around two hundred and fifty million yearsago. Gastropods, which looked like the common garden snail,and Brachiopods, which resembled small clam shells, were the

most numerous, but there were many other varieties availableto anyone with the patience to dig them out.A short distance beyond our lunch stop the river enteredthe gorge and there we traded the tranquility of the first stageof our journey for the excitement of riding the rapids. Withcomplete confidence in our guide's boatmanship, all we didwas hold on and enjoy the thrills and fun. In the other raft,Ken's young protege handled his craft like a professionalriver runner.The flow of the San Juan River may vary widely fromseason to season. In 1927 the maximum flow was around

70,000 cubic feet per second. Dead tree trunks still visiblealong the gorge indicate the river reached a record height of40 feet at that time. In 1934, the river ceased to flow. Thisfluctuating water level caused a tragedy that has become alegend in the San Juan country.Around 1910 James Douglas, who had earlier gone brokeprospecting for oil near Mexican Hat, found a bonanza ofgold in a San Juan River sand bar. Before he could recover itthe river rose and covered the bar. He waited patiently, yearafter year, for his bonanza to reappear but the river remained

..During their trip down the San Juan Riverthe river-runners stopped to explore ancientIndian cliff dwellings. Why the prehis-

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toric commun ities were abandoned is amystery. Snake-like drawings above columnmay represent the nearby river gorge.

MEXICANWATER\-

196906 desert magazine 1969 june

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