Geography

A: Following is a map of all the places I know water can be obtained in the eastern Mojave between Laughlin and Barstow.

1. Ft Piute. Perennial stream, must be purified.
2. Goffs, at the Museum at the school house. Maybe other places also. There is nothing at Homer or Arrowhead Junction. Fenner is very doubtful. There used to be a Texaco station there, but sometimes it's open and sometimes not.
3. Essex, pretty reliable.
4. Providence Mountains State Park, campground, caverns, water. Walk through Foshay Pass to Kelso?
5. Hole-in-the-Wall Campground, National Park Service, reliable, telephone.
6. Mid Hills Campground, National Park Service, reliable. I'll be camping here Memorial Day Weekend. There is a post office, phone, and store at Cima, but the store is often closed.
7. Baker, ugly highway town. Between Baker and Mountain Pass are a couple of places: Valley Wells (gas station and store, pretty reliable), Halloran Summit and Halloran Springs (pretty reliable). Between Baker and Crucero is the Desert Studies Center at Zzyxz, academic facility.
8. Chambless, gas station, very small store, trailer park, ugly. Last I heard Amboy was closed. There is nothing at Bagdad.
9. Kelso, Railroad town, beg water from railroad, or National Park Service ranger.
10. Afton Canyon Campground, Bureau of Land Management
11. Lake Dolores, water slides, location uncertain, somewhere between Calico and Afton Canyon.
12. Calico, amusement park and county park.
13. Ludlow, ugly two gas station town.
14. Newberry Springs Highway Rest Stop
15. Highway Rest Stop
16. Nipton, bed and breakfast.
17. Newberry Springs, gas stations
18. Dagget, etc.
19. Granite Mountains Reserve, University of California.

A: No, I'm sorry I don't.

Driving In Spain

A: Anything in red or yellow on the Michelin map are excellent roads. Solid whites are also usually fine. Exercise caution or bravery, as you prefer, for the dashes and dots.

A: You have to drive like you mean it. No hesitation or pussyfootin' allowed.

Locations: Almaden.  

Almaden

Locations: Rio Tinto.  

A: Sue, We were in Almaden on a Monday in February. There was no one around, and all the gates were locked. I think I found the place of the museum, but couldn't see much through the cracks in the gate. There is also a small museum at the University. They were a little bewildered when I walked in and asked to see it, but the receptionist grabbed a student out of the library, handed him the key, and instructed him to conduct me to the museum. They have a few artifacts and historic maps of the mines of Almaden, as well as a photo of a man taking a bath in a vat of mercury.

Locations: Almaden. Almaden.  

A: I was in Almaden once in late February, so it's difficult for me to generalize to the entire year. Southern Spain is roughly the same latitude as northern California. For example, Sevilla is about the same latitude as San Francisco. The climate, though, is more like we would find in Sacramento and Redding, i.e., 10° to 15° F. warmer. Were I to return there, I think I would go in March or April, but I would expect May would be getting pretty hot and dry. I would plan to be there later in the week, not Monday, in hopes that the mine museum would be open. I don't think that I would plan to spend more than a half day in Almaden. But I might plan to slowly tour the area south, between Cordoba and Almaden, and northwest, from Almaden to Siruela to Guadalupe. HTH.

Area 51

A: I think both Groom Lake and Papoose Lake are in what is also called Area 51. Did you try searching Google for them?

QQ: Thanks for the reply and yes they are in area 51......but...google has no maps show the mountains or lakes in that area. On the oposite side of area 51 is a military instalization called "S4" on a sand lake bed at the foot on some mountains. Maybe I'll try National Geographic for maps. Thanks again. You may be interested to know that one photo on your site, taken in 2000, shows a UFO. ( when magnified 800 times.) Here's your original photo, the color enhanced photo, and the enlargemant showing the UFO. You can match the pixels in each photo to see none were altered to add a phoney object. Interesting? The other white object appears to the left, has no shape to it and may be dust on the negative.

AA: Uh-huh.

Other Articles: Alpujarra: 090000  

La Alpujarra

I wonder if I may use your photograph in my talk, assuming that I will give full credit and copyright to you?

A: Dear Tom,

Thanks for your interest in my pictures. I do have many more but not uploaded, lack of time I guess. Of course you can make use of the pictures and every content there. My parents are from Almegijar (close to Trevelez) in La Alpujarra, and I feel so atteched to the place that I must go there every year, even though I am from Barcelona. I've seen your wonderful webpage and I felt very proud that you liked our country so much. Spain, and Granada and La Alpujarra are an example, is full of a misterious history that enchants many people.

Anyway, talking about the plants, these are "Geranios" which as you say are there for colour. The other one used for shade is usually one variety of grape, so in late august /september you enjoy both grapes and shade, wonderful. We always need this kind of tricks in a so dry place.

Regards,
Jesus

Andalucia

Michelin Map No. 446 Southern Spain, is available from Amazon.com for $11.95.

Other Articles: Black Canyon Road: at Cedar Cyn Rd 20000

Locations: Black Canyon.  

Black Canyon

A: I know of 2 Black Canyons in the Mojave. One is northwest of Barstow, i.e., straight north of Hinkley. My experience with that area is only a short portion of the road from Copper City Road to the Grass Valley Route. So, there may be a prison south of there and north of Hinkley. There is a prison in the general area, that would be on Highway 395, just north of Kramer Junction.

The other Black Canyon is in the eastern Mojave, runs past Hole-in-the-Wall, and I believe entirely within Mojave National Preserve. This road I've covered from end to and there is no prison.

It's also possible that there are other Black Canyons, just like there are lots of Cedar Canyons, etc.

Caruthers Canyon

Locations: Caruthers Canyon.  

A: Caruthers Canyon is on the south side of the New York Mountains in Mojave National Preserve. By road, it is about 200 miles northeast of Redlands.

Cholame

Locations: Cholame.  

Locations: Capileira.  

A: The Cafe Europa in my photo is in Capileira, (Granada), Andalucia, Spain. The area is generally known as "the Alpujarras." There was a small street that seemed to be the commercial center of Capileira. Along this street were several tourist stores, such as a leather shop, Cafe Europa, a grocery store and the bank with an ATM. I would describe Cafe Europa as small with perhaps 10 tables inside, and perhaps another 8 tables outside when the weather was nice. You could buy coffee and ice cream or get a small meal. We only got coffee in the morning and ice cream once for dessert, preferring to eat at the Pizza place down the hill and Restaurant Alpuxarra at the top of the town. Cafe Europa also had some tourist supplies, such as maps and books about the Alpujarras. The owners were very nice, coming over quickly to take photos of the four of us when we got our cameras out.

There was also a restaurant in Berkeley, California called Cafe Europa. It was small, maybe 8 tables, decorated in funky mediterranean stuff, and served very good food of the Greek/Morrocan fusion type. It's gone now, replaced by a restaurant called Zatar Ecletic Mediterranean Cuisine.

Clark Mountain

A: Kathi,
I don't think the canyons really have names recognized by the USGS. Usually people looking for the White Fir climb from the north side, off of Keany Pass Road, also not a name recognized by the USGS.

Q: Do you have the coordinates (at least) for Keany Pass Road for entry to Clark Mountain?? We have GPS. Thanks in advance. Kathi.

A: Kathi, Hmmm ... no, don't have GPS coordinates, but get off of I-15 at Valley Wells, go north on Kingston Road to the power lines, about 8 miles, then turn east 5-6 miles on the power line road (Keany Pass Rd) to a road going south in a pretty large valley. Take this road south turning east. Just before Coliseum mine is a road heading south. Take this road as far up the mountain as you dare. Happy hunting!

Q: Hi, Tom. Your directions to Clark Mountain are like all the others I have!!! :-) I have an order in to the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section for their book, "Desert Peaks". I think it will give more precise details.

Other Articles: North Highway: Scotty's Castle

Locations: Scotty's Castle.  

A: I would be very surprised if Scotty's Castle had an address. Most locations, like cabins, ranches, and castles in the American West do not have addresses. But, if I were to write to someone there, I would write to:

Death Valley National Park
P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

On the other hand, if you are trying to find driving directions, here is a map:

http://www.ziggy1.com/ays/dv/dvsc.htm

Does this help? Let me know if you need more information.

Other Articles: U. S. Highway 50: Frenchman

Locations: Frenchman.  

Frenchman, NV

A: I think like you Frenchman is a place I've been through rather than stopped. I think last time, I was sandwiched in between a hay truck and a pack of Harley hogs. So, I'm afraid I have no information to add. Let me know what you find out. Yes, I agree there are lots of roads lonelier than US 50, US 6 is one. NV 375 is another. If you go thru the area again, try NV 722 as an alternate to US 50.

Locations: Garlock.  

Garlock

A: Thank you for writing to me. I am always interested to hear from people who have lived in the little towns that I have visited. I have also heard from people who lived in Kelso, Barnwell, Death Valley Junction, and Baghdad(!). I would love to take an oral history from you, and then turn it into an article or a web site. Unfortunately, my time is limited, and if I don't stay focused on my eastern Mojave botanic research then I'll never get that done.

Perhaps it is something you could consider doing: writing down your memories, interviewing your family and friends, go back and visit the spots you remember, taking new photographs, saving any old photographs, and assembling it all into a scrap book or an article. Anyone can do it. The hardest part is just getting started.

Good luck, and thanks for writing.

Q: As teenager in the mid 1950's, I lived for a while down in Ridgecrest, CA. with Aunt and Uncle Chris and Harry ___________ . Harry and I trucked bottled water weekly, to a lady living in what was the town of Garlock. I think, I still have some photo's of the old crinding wheel (sort of a small round sunken turntable affair). Do you know anything of this woman? Harry always referred to her as Grandma. If you have any info. please drop me a line.

A: Unfortunately, I haven't a clue who Grandma was. Years ago, mid-50's I guess, we would drive through Garlock on our way from Palmdale to Death Valley. More recently I've been there on a couple of geology field trips. Otherwise I know very little about the town. It's surprising how many people write to me who lived in, or knew someone who lived in, Garlock. Someone ought to put together a Garlock reunion site!

Other Articles: Kingston Road: Goodsprings

Locations: Goodsprings.  

Goodsprings

A: What did you find? Was the Pioneer Saloon open?

AA: Tom, thanks for your response. I called Pioneer Saloon before we left and found it to be opened and welcoming. Chuck and I truly enjoyed the saloon and the story of the gambler that was shot, very interesting history and ambiance. We enjoyed our drive around Goodsprings. Your photos of Goodsprings truly depicted its rural nature. Everyone in the saloon recommended that we visit Sandy Valley if we are looking for property. We did and found the valley to be very beautiful and remote, but not for long. Andre.

Locations: Hole-in-the-Wall.  

Hole in the Wall

A: There are many places called "Hole in the Wall," two in Arizona, two in California, 1 in Nevada, and three in Utah. The Hole in the Wall mentioned on my web site is in Mojave National Preserve in southeastern California. You can check this yourself and obtain maps at:
http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form

Locations: Kelso.  

Kelso

A: It was a pleasant surprise to hear from you. You're right the boards are off the windows, but they have been replaced by plexiglass. One of the priorities that the Park Service determined in public hearings was preservation of the depot with possible future use as a park headquarters.

My first visit to the eastern Mojave was in 1980, so by that time the Beanery was closed. If you're not already familiar with them, the Citizens for Mojave National Park might be very interested in your memories. They've published a number of small books including "The Kelso Depot Story." I thought they had an email address but I dont see one on the latest issue of their newsletter. Their address, though, is: Citizens for Mojave National Park, P. O. Box 106, Barstow, CA 92312, phone: (760) 256-9561.

Also, depending upon your interests, Cal State San Bernardino runs a number of classes at Zyzzx.

Literature Cited:
- Gibbons, W. & M. T. Moreno., 2002.    

A: I'm not an expert on the Kelso deport; I just drive by several times per year on my way to the Mid Hills. The park service is restoring the depot now. See:

http://www.californiadesert.gov/zine/issue3/features.html

They may have some archival records. You might try contacting the Union Pacific railroad, or you might try contacting the Mojave River Valley Museum in Barstow.

Locations: Kingman.  

Kingman, Arizona

A: It depends upon how you define the Mojave desert. Tectonically, Kingman is probably not in the Mojave desert, because it is defined by the San Andreas and Garlock faults in California. Petrographically, Kingman has a strong relationship to the eastern Mojave because of the great outcrops of Peach Springs Tuff. Physiographically, Kingman might be if you exclude interior drainage from your definition. Floristically, you could define Kingman in the Mojave desert, if you have Joshua trees there. There are also climatic definitions, with the Great Basin being a cold desert, the Mojave a warm desert, and the Colorado desert being hot.

What you won't find is sharp boundaries between the Mojave and the Sonoran deserts. In my own area of research, I use a floristic definition, and consider my area to be "Mojave," but still have to deal with California floristic elements (such as Rhamnus ilicifolia, Quercus chrysolepis, and Keckiella antirrhinoides), Sonoran floristic elements (such as Agave desertii, Krameria grayii, and Chilopsis linearis), Great Basin floristic elements (such as Artemisia tridentata and Agave utahensis), Rocky Mountain floristic elements (such as Fallugia paradoxa, Juniperus osteosperma), plus several other species that don't follow anybody's model of how species are distributed.

The key point is that labels such as "Mojave Desert" or "Sonoran Desert" are convenient labels for humans who need to see things in neat arrangement, but probably have no meaning in the everyday lives of plants and animals.

Mystic

Other Articles: Field Notes: 6-Jun-02 Interstate 80: Mystic

Locations: Mystic.  

A: Ken, I just stopped and took the photo because it was pretty and I was looking for sites with the sagebrush growing down to the river ... sorry, wish I had more info for you.

New Idria

Other Articles: Clear Creek Road: Idria

Locations: Idria. New Idria Mine.  

A: Ralph, I'm sorry to hear about your brother. The Clear Creek Road still goes through, but there is a gate at the pass. I don't know when or for how long it might be closed. The last two times I went through it was open. Clear Creek is a Motorcycle Sacrifice Area, on weekends, it's full of people on their motorcycles, OHV's, etc. You don't need four-wheel drive, but I would recommend high-clearance, such as a pickup. There are some people living in New Idria, but I had the feeling it was some sort of drug rehab half-way house sort of thing, but I have no definitive information. BLM is the land management agency, and they have a phone number to call for Clear Creek at: http://www.ca.blm.gov/hollister/clear_creek_management_area.html

A:Sorry, I don't have any information to add to what you already know.

Panamint Valley

Locations: Argus Range. Modoc Mine. Panamint Valley.  

A: Nope. Never heard of such a thing. His father, however, was George Hearst, a mining engineer and had a financial interest in the Modoc Mine in the Argus Range.

Other Articles: CA Highway 108: at Pickel Meadow

Locations: Pickel Meadow.  

Pickel Meadow

A: Harry, The Marine Corp high altitude training base is in Pickel Meadow on Highway 108, the Sonora Pass Highway.

Pumice Flat Campground

Other Articles: California Highway 203: Pumice Flat Campground  

A: Yes, I would say it's nice. It's on a river, and there is some hiking around. And, if you're tired of cooking you can go into Mammoth to a restaurant.

Palisade, NV

Locations: Palisade.  

Other Articles: California Highway 14: at Pine Tree Cyn Rd Pine Tree Canyon Road: at CA Hwy 14 Field Notes: at Pine Tree Cyn

Locations: Pine Tree Canyon.  

Pine Tree Canyon

Any info. would be appreciated. (Cliff, 8 Feb 2008)

A: Cliff, Pine Tree Canyon is on my list of places to visit, but I've not been there yet. It's on my web site because an interesting collection of Salvia dorrii (Purple Sage) was made there. I would have assumed that one could just drive up the canyon from CA Hwy 14. Not so? Tom

Reese River

Other Articles: Nevada Highway 772: Reese River Valley

Locations: Reese River Valley.  

A: Dixie, I would guess your family was following the Humboldt River west on the California Trail, and stopped on the Reese River near Battle Mountain, near the present day Interstate 80. The photograph on my web site was taken about 60 miles south, near where it is crossed by US Highway 50, just west of Austin, NV. That's fairly close to the Central Overland Trail, also followed by the pony express. It's possible you family followed that trail. There are many stories about wagon trains following the Humboldt River, or the "Humbug" River as some called it. See: http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/

Locations: Sevilla.  

Sevilla

Renting a Car

A: There are a lot of rental car agencies at Estacion Santa Justa. My daughter living in Sevilla prefers Europcar, I rent from Hertz because of a corporate discount. There is a fairly easy escape to the highways from Santa Justa. Even if you want to go south, drive northeast on Avenida Kansas City (or east on Calle de Luis Montoto) to the Ronda Urbana and then circle around the city until you find your outbound freeway.

Toledo

Other Articles: Field Notes: 19990209060

Locations: Toledo.  

A: In addition to the other nice things that have been said about Toledo, including Hostal de Cardenal, add the following: "Lunch at the Restaurante Maravilla, nice, friendly, home cooking, good food and very close to Plaza Zocodover. After lunch we did the Museo de Santa Cruz. Saw another El Greco, the light in this painting was obvious from a long way away. Saw a bust of Christ and Virgin Mary from the 17th century that was very impressive. The eyes seemed to glisten, and the teeth and tongue were very lifelike. Talked to the docent at Museo Santa Cruz. The docent told us that these particular pieces were from the 17th century and quite unique in their lifelike-ness."

A: In 1999 there are all there. Although, I have to say you couldn't tell who was who without the name plate screwed to each painting because they all had the same long sharp nose and pointed chin. Also so far unmentioned is the Museo de Santa Cruz, just off Plaza Zocodover, which I recommend.

Other Articles: Field Notes: 19990216080

Locations: Tabernas.  

A: Well, I gotta say that four years ago I pretty much just drove thru on my way from Almeria to Granada, stopping at a market in Tabernas for lunch supplies. That said I would expect that you could easily find the spaces you're looking for.

Other Articles: Utah Highway 56: near Uvada

Locations: Uvada.  

Uvada

Don, I don't think there is gas in Uvada. Gas for sure in Caliente and Pioche Nevada and Cedar City Utah; likely in Panaca, Nevada and Enterprise, Utah.

Winnemucca

Locations: Nampa. Winnemucca. Winnemucca Dunes.  

A: According to the DeLorme atlas, it's 241 miles up US Hwy 95. Seems like a good ride, about 5 hours or so. Might want to stop at the Winnemucca Dunes. Otherwise I've not been up that road, so I can't advise about things to see.

Locations: Winklers Cabin.  

Winklers Cabin

A: Tone, Sorry, I don't give out locations of Winklers Cabin or archeological sites. However, armed with my web site and a good map you should be able to find it after a bit of looking.

Locations: Winklers Cabin.  

A: Well, the guy who gave his name to Winkler's Cabin was known as Jim Winkler. The information about him says he lived in Needles. He died maybe 10 years ago, and was probably in his 70s. Could he have been Julius Winkler's son?

QQ: I know that Julius had a son named James William Winkler, b-11 Jan 1912 and d-25 Jul 1986 in San Bernadino. He had a daughter named Edna May. (Rhea, 6/23/2003)

A: The name, date of death and approximate age would fit with what little I know about the Jim Winkler of Winkler's cabin. I have no information about a daughter.

Other Articles: Interstate 15: at Zzyzx Road

Locations: Zzyzx.  

Zzyzx

A: Zzyzx was the name that Doc Springer chose for his resort at what is now known as Soda Springs. You can find out more about him at: http://www.wordways.com/zzyzx.htm

As a matter of interest I came to North America for twelve weeks and drove through four Canadian provinces, 38 American states and walked into Mexico. My total mileage was just under 18,000 and I thoroughly enjoyed every mile of it. The scenery was stunningly beautiful and the people I met were kindness personified. I wish I was back there instead of in cold old England. Jack.

A: Well ... close but no cigar. Hwy 127 is the road that goes north from Baker to Death Valley. You saw Zzyzx Road about 10 miles west of Baker on US Interstate 15. As far as the name, there is a former resort on the margin of Soda Lake, the big dry lake you could see in that area, that was at one time called Zzyzx. It is now a California State University research station, known alternatively as Zzyzx or Soda Springs Desert Research Station.

Locations: Cima. Kelso.  

A: I am aware of two sources of humming noises.

1. In the San Francisco Bay we have the Humming Toadfish, which keeps the poor occupants of houseboats in Sausalito awake in the summer. No joke! See: http://www.cnnsf.com/newsvault/output/humming.html
2. In the eastern Mojave desert a humming noise can often be heard. I believe it is from the diesel engines of the Union Pacific Railroad climbing the steep grade from Kelso to Cima. Looking at the map the distance would be 6 miles, and over the Mid Hills ridge.

Geology

A: Pressed to the wall, Amazon.com (USA) now says that the Geology of Spain book is back-ordered and they don't know when they will have it. So I ordered direct from the Geological Society of London. It turns out that membership in a major geological society earns one a discount almost large enough to pay for international shipping.

Paleozoic

Cambrian

Latham Shale

Literature Cited:
- Hazzard, John C., 1933.
- Hazzard, John C., 1954. Julie looks for trilobite fossils in the Latham Shale. Location of Hazzard's Locality P-11  

Locations: Providence Mine. Summit Spring.  

We were wondering if you would be so kind as to give us some information on you location for the Latham shale. Is it north or south of the summit spring? Is it accessible via Globe canyon road? Any info would be more than appreciated. (Perry, 20 Feb 2006)

A: Perry, I presume you're interested in the site shown here: http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/1621-17.html

It's south of Summit Spring as shown in the attached map. This is locality P-11 from Hazzard, John C. 1954. Rocks and structure of the northern Providence Mountains, San Bernardino County, California. pp. 27-35 in Jahns, R. H., ed., 1954. Geology of Southern California. Bulletin 170.

Not sure how the roads are these days. In 1995 my Scout could not quite get up to the divide just north of Summit Spring. So we had to walk about a mile.

Bonanza King Formation

Other Articles: CA Hwy 178: Resting Spring Range in Chicago Valley  

Locations: Resting Spring Range.  

Other Articles: Eastern Mojave Geology: 165000  

QQQ: Mae wrote: Tom, Thanks, this sounds very interesting and I'll be sure to go to Shoshone real soon to see Mr. Troxel. I tried several times to get that e-mail you sent before but they would not let me see the map or any information. I'll go to the library with this information from you and see what I come up with. Thanks again, Mae.

A: "Large bodies of granitic magma intruded older rocks in the Sierra Nevada in the Mesozoic Era. Before being largely removed by erosion, a roof of Paleozoic rocks lay over the granitic rocks. Later deep erosion has left many fragmented sections and small bodies as roof pendants in the granite," pg 110, in Oakeshott, Gordon E. 1971. California's Changing Landscapes. McGraw-Hill. Accompanied by photograph on pg. 111 of Split Mountain, about 25 miles south of Bishop, Inyo Cty, California. There are similar photographs and discussion in Shelton, John S. 1966. Geology Illustrated. W. H. Freeman and Company.

Geomorphology

A: What is appropriate certainly depends on what level of information you are looking for (technical, laymans, etc.). A couple of possibilities are the following:

Don Grayson has a nice chapter on the pluvial lakes of the US Southwest in his book: Grayson, D.K., 1993, The Desert's Past: A Natural Prehistory of the Great Basin. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. 356pp. It is a well written account of the subject for an informed layman or professional interested in an overview of the subject. He provides extensive notes with references in case you want something more technical.

Some of his information is from the somewhat more technical: Benson, L. and Thompson, R.S., The physical record of lakes in the Great Basin, IN (W.F. Ruddiman and H.E. Wright, Jr., eds.) North America and Adjacent Oceans During the Last Deglaciation, The Geology of North America, Volume K-3. Boulder, CO: Geological Society of America. p. 241-260.

Another interesting source of info is Anthony D. Feig 1998 thesis called Paleolimnology and Paleoecology of the Coal Valley Region, Lincoln County, Nevada. It is availableonline at http://www.law.unlv.edu/unlv/Colleges/Sciences/Geoscience/QAP/cvthesis.html

Rick Toomey, Illinois State Museum, toomey@museum.state.il.us

Literature Cited:
- Armato, Ivan., 1991..
- Criswell, D. R., R. E. Hutton, J. McBryde, and R. W. Shorthill, 1974.
- Criswell, David R., John F. Lindsay, and David L. Reasoner, 1973.
- Criswell, D. R., J. F. Lindsay, and D. L. Reasoner, 1975.
- Higgins, Charles G., 1997..
- Lindsay, J. F., D. R. Criswell, T. L. Criswell, and B. S. Criswell, 1976.
- Trexler, Dennis T., and Wilton N. Melhorn, 1986. Matt near the top of the Kelso Dunes.

Other Articles: Eastern Mojave Geology: Singing and Booming Sand Dunes Singing and Booming Sand Dunes: Title Page U. S. Highway 50: Sand Mountain

Locations: Eureka Sand Dunes. Kelso Dunes. Sand Mountain. Big Dune. Crescent Dunes.  

A: There are a number of dune fields in various parts of the world that emit sound when disturbed. Sounds produced by desert dunes have been variously described as roaring, squeaking, singing, and musical. The production of sand in desert dunes is not as common as the squeaking of beach sands. Shearing between adjacent layers of moving sand appears to cause the sounds; although, the cause is by no means settled. Lindsay et al. (1976) reported that only 27 areas in the world were known to exhibit the booming sound phenomenon. Criswell et al. (1975) reported their extensive investigation of sound production at Sand Mountain, Nevada. Trexler and Melhorn (1986) extended Lindsay's list by several additional sites in the southwestern United States. Overall, they reported booming or singing at Big Dune, Crescent Dunes, and Sand Mountain in Nevada, as well as the Eureka Dunes and Kelso Dunes in California.

Q: I read with great interest your posting about Singing Sand Dunes. Is there anywhere I might be able to obtain a recording? (Leslie, 6/13/2003)

A: Go to http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~nori/booming_sand.html

Economic Geology

A: Funny you should ask. I sat through a presentation titled "The Mojave's legendary Underground River of Gold: facts, fiction and speculation" by Ralph E. Lewis, Vice President, Crystal Cave Mining Co., P.O. Box 135, Mt. Pass, CA 92366, email: cocoweep@aol.com. The entrance to the underground river was supposedly under Cocoweep Peak, which is south of Mountain Pass. I dunno, seemed like mostly fiction and speculation to me.

Botany

London Plane Tree (Plantanus x acerifolia)

A: Well ... here in Alameda the trees have lifted the sidewalks, overturned the curbs, and even buckled the asphault five to six feet out in the street. Alameda has tried trimming the roots, re-pouring the sidewalks, removing the curbs, replacing concrete sidewalks with free-set brick, and replacing the concrete sidewalk with asphault. Nothing works permanently and the street, curbs, and sidewalks require frequent maintenance. A few years ago the city maintenance department floated the idea of replacing the trees with a less disruptive species. The public reaction was pretty unanimous: the trees are very beautiful, and add significantly to the character of the neighborhood, therefore keep the trees, and deal with the maintenance.

Wildflowers

A: Wildflowers are hit and miss depending upon rain and sun. I started going there at Easter, then moved to Memorial Day and think next year I'll hit the middle of June. But if I only had one chance, I'd pick the third week of May.

Books About Desert Plants

Literature Cited:
- Hickman, James C. (Ed.), 1993.
- Knute, Adrienne, 1991.    

A: About books, the most topical to the Eastern Mojave is, Plants of the East Mojave by Adrienne Knute, Amazon.com Price: $12.95, Paperback (November 1991) Wide Horizons Pr; ISBN: 0938109081 Adrienne Knute lives at the Quail Rock Ranch, close to Pinto Mountain.

Another is, California Desert Wildflowers, Philip A. Munz, $11.95. University of California Press; ISBN: 0520008995

And then, when you really intend to get serious about this, the standard for California is, The Jepson Manual : Higher Plants of James C. Hickman(Editor): $75.00.

Books are good, but the best way to become familiar with natural history (geology, botany, zoology, etc.) is the weekend field trip or class. Cal State San Bernadino offers the classes at Zzyzx, and there should be some pretty good things available at Anza Borrego State Park. I've met quite a few people who are active in the natural history association there. You might also check with San Diego State or a local community college, not to mention the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

Revegetation Resources

A: Not a clue ... You might try posting the question on ECOLOG-L, that's a pretty active list server.

Miscellaneous

A: No, sorry, I don't have this information.

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

A:Louise, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you write that. I've got one dying in my yard now (Alameda). It's about 10 years old, about 20 feet high and something similar across, and it's hiding the monstrous remodel job of the house behind us. But, I think it's time to start cutting it down.

QQ: Tom, Keep reminding yourself, again and again, "It is not my fault!" (Louise, 5/31/2003)

Literature Cited:
- Hickman, James C. (Ed.), 1993.
- McMinn, Howard E., 1939.
- Welsh, Stanley L., et al., 1987. Brickellia sp. From southwestern Utah.    

Brickellia

A: Well, it's certainly a Composite, which puts it way outside my area of expertise. However, it looks a lot like a Brickellia. The Utah Flora lists a B. atractyloides that seems to fit. Neither the Jepson Manual of California nor the Utah Flora note a pungent odor to the species. However, I have a copy of McMinn's California Shrubs that lists a "Pungent Brickellbush" Brickellia arguta that has a synonym of B. atractyloides var. arguta. So maybe Brickellia atractyloides is a good guess. The way to find out for sure is to take your specimen to the herbarium at a local university and ask them.

Field guides for the desert are a problem. However, the Jepson Herbarium at UCBerkeley is working on the Jepson Desert Manual, which I believe is scheduled for publication this year.

Good luck! Let me know if you get another identification.

Coleogyne ramosissima -- Blackbrush

Other Articles: Blackbrush: 410001  

A: I'm not aware of any studies that would indicate the maximum age of blackbrush, although it has been a couple of years since I did an extensive literature search on the species. I would be skeptical of most anything published anyway, given the amount of variation my own puny little studies are showning. If you find something, I would be interested.

Larrea -- Creosote Bush

A: You're probably thinking of Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata). I can't think of any references right off, but you could go to the ASU biosciences library and ask the librarian to help you with a BIOSIS search for the species. You should find at least one reference to clonal rings in Lucerne Valley, California, and maybe other references as well. While Creosote Bush probably forms clonal rings as described in the television show, I'm not sure how unique that is. Many plants spread by roots, or rhizomes (underground stems). In my back yard there are Sweet Grass (Hierochloe odorata), California Rose (Rosa californica), Olallie berries (Rubus sp.), and probably several others that spread in similar fashions to Creosote Bush. Many other plants spread by layering from above-ground stems. The point is that many plants could possibly be found to have thousands of years of vegetative reproduction in their history. So, I'm not sure how unique Creosote Bush is. Perhaps it is simply a matter that the rings of Creosote Bush have made the vegetative reproduction more visually dramatic, and the desert environment has preserved the old wood so it could be dated.

Literature Cited:
- Balls, Edward K., 1962. Larrea tridentata "Creosote Bush" Larrea tridentata "Creosote Bush"    

A: I'm sorry to hear about your brother. It seems to me that Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) has also been called "chaparral" as well as "la Gobernadora" for its healing qualities. I think I read that in Edward Ball's "Native Uses of California Plants." I checked CalFlora and it lists 23 plants whose common names begin with chaparral, but lists none simply as chaparral. This is the problem with common names; they aren't defined rigourously and thus could refer to several different plants. In your research you may want to search for "ethnobotany" and remember that many of the servers, such as the USDA Plants data base and many of the USGS servers are shut down for Y2K.

A: I dunno. It depends upon what you mean by oldest living thing. Single celled organisms that reproduce asexually by cell division are probably older than any creosote bush ring or aspen grove. I also read someone's opinion that some northern forest fungus was likely the oldest and LARGEST single organism. Whatever the answer is, it certainly makes for lively discussion over beer.

AA: Dear Tom, Thank you for your answer. The idea with the beer discussion is great as my supervisor is a real "home-brew-pro"!

Lewisia cotyledon

Ps How did you break up the plant? Did you just split the central whorl?

A:Kate, If they're happy they do. They seem to like plenty of water, on the roots not the leaves, and some shade through the day. I've had mine in 3 or 4 places until I hit the right spot. I grow them in straight compost in the strawberry pot. The Lewisia(s) in the strawberry pot were originally one plant. It got root rot. So I just cut it up with a knife, trimming all the rot away, letting the cut portion sit in the sun for a day, dusting with Roottone, and then just plugging them into the ground.

BTW, I do find them very senstitive to some disease either spread or encouraged by spittle bugs. For that reason, in spittle bug season, I examine all the plants and carefully remove the spittle bugs with a pair of forceps. Also, they also produce quite a bit of seed that germinates easily, but the seedlings grow very slowly.

A: Hi Diane, This plant is fairly common at plant sales in northern California. You might want to try some northern California Nurseries, to see if they can mail them to you. You might also try subscribing to the CA-NATIVES list server and post your request there.

Salsola -- Tumbleweeds

A: We call them "Tumble Weeds" -- Salsola tragus, in the Chenopodiaceae. Another common name for this plant is “Russian Thistle.”

Yucca

A: Yucca baccata does not grow a trunk. The Jepson manual suggests Sunset zones 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14-16, 18-21, 22, 23. HTH.

A: I guess I'm not entirely sure what you are asking of me. Do you want to grow a Joshua tree of that shape? Generally, I think Joshua trees are grown from seed. That particular Joshua tree in Joshua Tree National Park is well-known and often photographed because of its shape. If I had to guess, it's probably such a fine specimen because of its location next to a road that concentrates water from rainfall. The "edge effect" along roads in the desert is well known.

A: The Mohave Yucca (Yucca schidigera) has a trunk, and the leaves are yellowish green. The Blue Yucca (Yucca baccata) almost never has a trunk and has bluish-green leaves. You can almost always use the "trunk" or "no trunk" character to distinguish the two species, resorting to leaf color only in juvenile plants. The Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) has a trunk and short leaves with toothed margins. Check it out next time you're out on I-15.

A: Both J.W. Cornett (1991. "The Joshua Tree" Palm Springs Desert Museum Natural Science Publication 1-91, p. 1-4) and W. Bronaugh (1993. "The Biggest Joshua Tree" American Forests. May/June, p. 36) attribute the name to Mormon pioneers travelling across the Mojave Desert from Salt Lake City, probably to San Bernardino.

Native peoples used compounds derived from several species of yuccas for a variety of purposes. Among these include the flowers as food, as well as soaps and medicines made from the leaves, stems, and roots.

Surprisingly little is known about the biology of yuccas beyond the pollination story. I am not aware of any studies that have shown an interaction with myccorhizal fungi; based on the current literature on diversity of soil fungi I would not be surprised to find out that such interactions occur. Research in my laboratory and with colleagues at other institutions (Travis Huxman and Stan Smith at UNLV, and Erik Hamerlynck at Rutgers) is investigating various aspects of yucca biology, such as how global change could influence the distribution and abundance of different yucca species in the future. Michael Loik, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Gardens

Animals

Deer

Other Articles: Nevada Highway 278: 10000 Nevada State Route 306: 00000  

A: Well, I wasn't really looking for deer. The closest I've seen was the antelope between Elko and Eureka.

Archeology

Cedar Canyon? Mesa? Butte? Mountain? Gulch? Chips?

A: Terry, I don't think there are any Anasazi ruins in the Cedar Canyon of Mojave National Preserve. Possibly the ruins you've heard of are in another Cedar Canyon. There are lots of them.

QQ: There is a book coming out in June 2001 that documents by GPS coordinates dozens of ruins in the Cedar Canyon area that are mostly known by archeologists. There is a dialog going on between many archeologists complaining about how these ruins will now be know and the potenial problems.

AA: Perhaps the area covered by the book is the Cedar Mesa / Grand Gulch area of Utah.

A: Robb, I don't think I've come across any aircraft crash sites recently, but I'll keep you in mind if I do.

QQ: Hello back Tom, How about some old ones that you've found? In fact the older the better.

A: See also: Budinger Jr, Fred E. Artifacts from Lower Member B of the Manix type section, central Mojave Desert (Abstract). San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly 46(2) 1999, in which discusses "Modified lithic specimens, interpreted here as artifactual, have been recovered more than 5 m below the 185,000 +/- 15,000 yr bp Long Canyon Tephra (volcanic ash) in the Manix Type section of the central Mojave Desert." My take is that the date establishing a lower limit on the age of the specimens is reasonable. You just have to be willing to accept that the specimens were shaped by prehistoric humans, and not some other process.

Other Articles: Wild Horse Canyon Road: 60000  

A: The hollowed out rock site shouldn't be too hard to find. It's officially designated SBr-291 so if you have access to archeological resources you can get exact location. Some people call it "Womb Rock" or "Re-Birth Rock." The ranger at Hole-in-the-Wall may tell you where it is. Failing that, some careful sleuthing from my description of Wild Horse Canyon Road and the photographs, should help you find it in an hour or so. When you do find it, be sure to examine all the surrounding rocks carefully. There are a lot of surprises at this location.

A: Thank you for your very kind note about my web site. I really enjoy putting up the road logs, and often wondered if anyone else used them. Keep looking, you'll find the pictographs.

Culture

Books To Read

Fiction

Literature Cited:
- Pawel, Rebecca, 2003.    

Madrid 1938. Carlos Tejada Alonso y Leon is a Sergeant in the Guardia Civil, a rank rare for a man not yet thirty, but Tejada is an unusual recruit. The bitter civil war between the Nationalists and the Republicans has interrupted his legal studies in Salamanca. Second son of a conservative Southern family of landowners, he is an enthusiast for the Catholic Franquista cause, a dedicated, and now triumphant, Nationalist. This war has drawn international attention. In a dress rehearsal for World War II, fascists support the Nationalists, while Communists have come to the aid of the Republicans. Atrocities have devastated both sides. It is at this moment, when the Republicans have surrendered, and the Guardia Civil has begun to impose order in the ruins of Madrid, that Tejada finds the body of his best friend, a hero of the siege of Toledo, shot to death on a street named Amor de Dios. Naturally, a Red is suspected. And it is easy for Tejada to assume that the woman wearing a red scarf, caught kneeling over the body, is the killer. But when his doubts are aroused, he cannot help seeking justice.

Literature Cited:
- Pawel, Rebecca, 2005.    

Carlos Tejada, newly promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Guardia Civil, has been transferred to Salamanca, the city where he studied before the Civil War. There he finds Elena Fernandez who, having lost her job because of her political sympathies, has returned home to Salamanca where she and Lieutenant Tej