Eastern Mojave Vegetation Tom Schweich
|
Eastern Mojave Vegetation | Field Notes (Continued) |
| Tom Schweich |
 Topics in this Article: 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Contents Literature Cited | When I first
read the field notes of Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg, I was fascinated by the descriptions they wrote about the places they went and the plants and animals they found there. By publishing my field notes on the Internet I hope to follow a little bit in their tradition.
|
|
|
| 2000
|
212 |
Physalis acutifolia, the only one seen in the former railroad road bed. 11S 0563596 3878478
| |  "Rock Nettle" (Eucnide urens) in the Cave Mountain (Baxter) Limestone Quarry
213 |
Eucnide urens, several seen in rocks and cliff faces. 11S 0563596 3878478
| |
|
Drove back nearly to Interstate 15 on Basin Road, to a place at which I had seen Creosote Bush, Desert Willow, and Mesquite growing together. This location could be described as on Basin Road, 1½ miles South of U. S. Interstate 15, 11S 0566602 3882202, Mojave River Sink, Chilopsis, Prosopis and Larrea all growing on sand hillocks.
| |  Chilopsis linearis "Desert Willow" 
Chilopsis linearis "Desert Willow"
214 |
Chilopsis linearis, one of many. |
|
215 |
Prosopis sp., not many flowers here, though I had seen many flowers on other bushes elsewhere along Basin Road.
| |
|
Along the highway through this area, there were many Palo Verde, though I could find none away from the highway. I drove across the north side of Basin Road, parked, and then walked back under the bridge to a specimen that was accessible on the south side of Interstate 15, west of the Basin Road bridge.
| |
Other Articles: Interstate 15: at Basin Road
216 |
Cercidium sp. on Interstate 15 at Basin Road, 11S 0566494 3884448
| |
|
Spent the night at Zzyzx. | |
|
| Thursday, April 27, 2000 |
|
Next morning drive to Wild Horse Mesa. Checked my plot on the north slope of Wild Horse Mesa Clear and warm last night in Zzyzx, 75-76° F in Baker at 8:30 AM. Radio predicting record-setting temperature in the high desert. At NWHM and LP there is a nice breeze out of the southwest that is keeping temperatures down to 75-80° F. Excellent displays of Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) along I-15 above 2000 feet.
| |
217 |
Castilleja sp., solitary plants or growing in Prunus fasciculata.
| |
218 |
Silene sp., solitary plants and growing out of Coleogyne ramosissima.
| |
219 |
Astragalus sp., on the old road with Dalea searlesiae, just starting to bloom.
| |  Chamaesyce albomarginata on the north slope of Wild Horse Mesa.
220 |
Chamaesyce, in the old road. |
|
221 |
undetermined Asteraceae, occasional in experimental plots, no flowers when collected, with Junost, Pinmon, Colram, Erifas in Swealb plot.
| |  Possible Cryptantha on Wild Horse Mesa.
222 |
Cryptantha(?), sp., stinging hairs, solitary plants in open areas on limestone, with Swealb, Junost, Pinmon, Colram, and Erifas.
| |
223 |
Forestiera pubescens, in bottom of wash at the water tank.
| |
|
Drove over to Lobo Point for lunch. |
|
224 |
Sphaeralcea ambigua, with Ferocactus cylindraceus, Ericameria cooperi, on ridge line south of Lobo Point with southwest exposure. Most plants of this species in less exposed areas are not im bloom yet.
| |
|
At Lobo Point, I climbed up the ridge south of the campsite looking for Loeseliastrum and Salvia mohavensis but did not find either one.
| |
225 |
Lotus sp., on outcrops of pyroclastic mud flow, growing from fractures in rock.
| |
|
Along the road out of the Lobo Point campsite, between the Opal Beds and the Andesite outcrop.
| |  Male
Ephedra nevadensis in bloom near Lobo Point.
226 |
Ephedra nevadensis, from both male and female plants, great clouds of pollen are produced by the male plants when tapped. Finding this plant in bllom was a surprise; I don’t think I have ever seen such a heavy bloom in this species.
| |  Undetermined Poppy near Lobo Point
228 |
Eschscholtzia sp., on the andesite flat next to road. |
|
|
Walked over to the outcrop with the Salvia mohavensis, found 5-6 plants, but no buds or flowers.
| |
|
Drove to Pinto Mountain to check my experimental plots in Swertia albomarginata there.
| |
229 |
Blue flower, Linum(?), few seen. |
|
230 |
Thamnosma montana | |
|
There were some new rosettes of Swertia albomarginata at Pinto Mountain. The unknown orange flower with the petals that fall out was in bud, but not flower. I collected very similar, but a little taller and with blue flowers.
| Weather stayed warm 75-80°F and breezy. Worlds tallest thermometer at Baker said 101°F at 5:30 PM when I drove through there. Rob said the high was 104°F at Zzyzx. |
|
| Saturday, April 29, 2000 | Locations: Afton Canyon.
|
Drive through Afton Canyon as part of the DRS field trip. |
|
|
| Sunday, April 30, 2000 |  Tule
Spring, Alexander Hills in background. Locations: Tule Spring.
|
Tule Spring, in California Valley, Inyo County, 11S 0585779 3963649.
| |
231 |
Atriplex polycarpa | |
232 |
Atriplex sp. | |
233 |
Lepidium sp. | |
|
At Tule Spring there is a water tank and several foundations. Tamarisk has been cut recently.
| The Kingston Range isto the south, the Spring Mountains (with some snow on the top) to the east, and the Nopah Range to the north. The source of water for Tule Spring is probably the low axis of valley. The fine-grained sediments of alluvial fans from Alexander Hills and Nopah Range may have dammed water exiting the California Valley, or possibly there is a sill or ground water basin. Looking at the Kingston Range, there is a spring at the trees between the 2 talc mines. |
234 |
Lichen, in tufa at the white spring mound. |
|
|
Stop 6. Hidden Hills Ranch, Pahrump Valley Fault zone, cienega deposits.
| |
235 |
Lycium sp., on top of the spring deposits, 11S 0603473 3984730
| | Locations: Stump Spring.
236 |
Heliotropum curassavicum, bank of moist wash at Stump Spring, 11S 0605922 3982482
| |
|
Field trip stop at Black Butte, 11S 0615140 3970108 |
|
237 |
undet., colony on edge of wash north of Black Butte, 11S 0612767 3971874
| |
238 |
Undet. annual, perhaps a "Plaintain," such as Plantago patagonica, many seen along the road, 11S 0608236 3976215.
| |
|
| Monday, May 1, 2000 |
|
Monday morning, beautiful clear breezy desert day. |
| Locations: Shoshone.
241 |
Phacelia sp., on top of lake beds, possibly aligned to subsurface shrinkage polygons, on Highway 178, 1 miles east of Shoshone, CA, 11S 0567623 3981612.
| |
|
| Monday, June 5, 2000Monday morning I drove down to Lobo Point to check plots there and at Wild Horse Mesa. Started with my plot in Salvia dorrii. Discovered that I didn't have the work sheets for this plot. So I had to search for each plant and record information on a blank sheet of paper. I hope I found all the plants. Also found a few new plants, which I staked. Some of the smaller S. dorrii have completely dried up, and a few of those I could find no sign of.After checking my Salvia dorrii plot, I drove into Lobo Point. |
|
| Sunday, June 4, 2000Left Atascadero about 8:15 AM and arrived at Baker about 5 hours later, 1:15 PM. Tehachapi was breezy and cool when I stopped for gas. The next stop at Fields Road Rest Stop, then Baker at 106°F. Got gas and a Chulupa (I guess it's not politically correct to call them an "Indian Taco".) then pressed on to Pinto Mountain arriving about 3:00 PM. Staked one new Swertia albomarginata and saw a couple in bloom out side my plot. |
242 |
Purshia neomexicana, on Winkler Formation at Pinto Mountain, two bushes each about 1 meter in diameter.
| |
|
When I pulled into Mid Hills Campground the thermometer read 92°F, although sitting in the shade was quite comfortable. The flies, however, were horrible, I've never experienced them so bad. They went for my nose, eyes and ears. Plain water didn't interest them at all. Don't have any idea whether insect repellent would work or not.
| |
243 |
Salvia mohavensis 11S 0643477 3880238, on rhyolite outcrop with Skunkbush (Rhus trilobata), Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), and California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum).
| |
|
At Lobo Point, I climbed up the landslide looking at plants. The Keckiella antirrhinoides was not collectible. It looked more like the flowers dried up than the plant had finished blooming. The Krameria is in seed, and I should collect some on the way down.
| |
244 |
Acacia greggii, on the east faciong slope of Lobo Point, the only plant seen in bloom on the entire trip.
| |  Phacelia pedicellata A. Gray at Lobo Point
Other Articles: Field Notes: 20010424075
|
Near the top of the landslide, on the south side, I looked for the mystery "Phacelia" I saw here several years ago. Could not find any sign of it. However, I did see many Salvia mohavensis in bloom here.
| |
245 |
Nicotiana trigonophylla(?), only one seen, not in very good condition, in the watercourse on the south side of the landslide at Lobo Point.
| |
246 |
Unknown Composite, many of the flower heads had no ray flowers. |
|
247 |
Krameria erecta in seed. |
|
|
Walked up the landslide and across to the rim. Keckiella finished blooming but seed capsules have yet to develop. More Salvia mohavensis in bloom in the watercouse, not out on the landslide. Opuntia acanthocarpa finished bloom here, not like Pinto Mountain where many are still in bloom. Eriogonun fasciculatum in bloom. Goddam flies in my ears and up my nose. A few clouds went through and a good breeze, so maybe it won't be so hot today.
| |
|
Drove over the Wild Horse Mesa to check my Swertia albomarginata plot there.
| |
248 |
Astragalus sp. Seed pods, this plant is in the old road, near where an Astragalus was collected in April, 2000.
| |
249 |
Dalea searlesiae, look more dried out than finished blooming, common on the old roads on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa.
| |
250 |
Stanleya pinnata, colony under Pinyon Pine beside old road, just beginning to bloom.
| |
|
Walked up the trail to the saddle north of Wild Horse Mesa, and clambered down the wash looking for oaks and ashes. Found three more of the Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), so that now we know there are at least four in this area. Did not find any Single-Leaved Ash (Fraxinus anomala), so far I have only found one male plant of this species at this location.
| |
|
Drove to Winkler's Cabin. Read the recent logs, and added my own entry. Water no longer comes out to the entrance of the mine.
| |
|
Drove out, and stopped in a wide sandy ravine, often used by campers, to collect a bit more.
| |
251 |
Eriogonum fasciculatum 11S 0641620 3880590, alt, 1437 m, on the road to Wild Horse Mesa, sandy wash, with Juniperus osteosperma, Prunus fasciculata, Yucca baccata and Ephedra nevadensis.
| |
252 |
Eriogonum sp., not in bloom yet. |
|
254 |
Opuntia acanthocarpa, flowers collected and sectioned. |
|
255 |
Asclepias erosa, large colony in Wild Horse Canyon wash. 11S 0641928 3880944
| |
|
| Tuesday, June 6, 2000Drove to Caruthers Canyon, and walked up to the Giant Ledge Mine. Saw several S. albomarginata on bloom. Climbed hill looking for Petrophyton, but none found. |
256 |
Eriodictyon, along Caruthers Canyon Road, approximately 1/2 mile north of OX Ranch well.
| |
|
Swertia albomarginata, on Harris Springs Road, 11S 0630078 4012053, beginning to bloom, open forest on limestone fan, with Junost, Pinmon, Dalsea, Cercoparpus, Garrya, Arctostaphylous, Purmex, Ameuta, and Quegam(?)
| |
|
| Wednesday, June 7, 2000 |
257 |
Swertia albomarginata, beginning to bloom, on old road. |
|
259 |
Quercus gambelii | |
260 |
Swertia albomarginata Potosi Mountain Road, just past private camps, loose limestone soil on moderate slopes, 11S 0633558 3983993, alt, 1832 m.
| |
261 |
Asclepias sp. | |
262 |
Penstemon eatonii | |
|
| Saturday, September 17, 2000 | Locations: Alameda. Altamont Pass. Coalinga. Los Olivos. Atascadero.
|
After a long drive and late arrival in Atascadero from Alameda last night, this morning we took the morning walk up the hill with my dad. Near the top, in dry areas where the grass has been cut, we find a low shrub with ascending branches and a very pungeant odor. It has purple flowers with stamens and pistil extremely exserted. Later we key this out to be Trichostema lanceolatum Benth; common name of Vinegar Weed. After we left Atascadero, we could recognize the plant in the fields along the highway, as far south as Los Olivos along Highway 101, and then again as we came back north on Interstate 5 from about Coalinga to Altamont Pass There was also a buckwheat in bloom; the leaves were completely dried out, but the spindly stems had very small white flowers.
| |
|
| Sunday September 18, 2000 | Locations: Templeton.
|
In the evening we returned to a relative's home in Templeton, the local toads were waiting for us. I'm not sure what kind of toads they were. There were not Spadefoot toads (no spade on their feet) and not red-spotted toads, the spots weren't red, and they had stripes on their legs .... oh well another unsolved mystery.
| |
|
| Monday, September 19, 2000 | Locations: Los Angeles. Pismo Beach. Ventura.
|
Monday morning, we drove down the coast on Highway 101 so she could see the ocean. Unfortunately, it was a foggy day, so I think we saw the water for only a short portion at Pismo Beach, and briefly at Ventura. Then we plunged into the Wilderness of Los Angeles.
| |
|
| Thursday, September 21, 2000 | 
Palo Verde Mountains, Imperial County, California, with Milpitas Wash in the foreground.
Other Articles: California Highway 78: crossing Milpitas Wash US I-10: at Blythe Locations: Parker. Algodones Dunes. Chocolate Mountains. El Centro. Milpitas Wash. Palo Verde Mountains. Blythe. San Diego.
|
We left San Diego about 1:00 PM; heading east on I-8 to El Centro, then north and east on California Highway 78 through Blythe to Parker, Arizona, where we crashed for the night. At the Algodones Dunes overlook, we stopped for a photo where I discovered my camera wasn't working. Only much later, after buying new batteries at the Radio Shack in El Centro, did I discover the primary reason why my camera wasn't working. It had no film inside. Highway 78 makes a wide detour around the Newmont Mining Company Montezuma Mine on the southwest side of the Chocolate Mountains. Milpitas Wash, draining the Palo Verde Mountains was pretty impressive. A wide band of green coming out of the mountains. From Blythe we went north on U. S. Highway 95 to Agnes Wilson Road, and then crossed over to the Arizona side of the river. Had some pretty good Mexican food in a little place called Jalapeño's in Parker, Arizona.
| |
|
| Friday, September 22, 2000 |  Colorado River bridge between Earp, California and Parker, Arizona.
Remains of the general store and post office at the former town of Cross Roads.
Other Articles: CA Hwy 62: in the middle of the Colorado River Parker Dam Road: Cross Roads Locations: Colorado River. Cross Roads. Parker Dam. Watson Wash.
|
We drove up the California side of the Colorado side of the river looking for a place called Cross Roads. It's a place that Annie Alexander and Lousie Kellogg got supplies and mail in 1940 when they collected plants in this area. The location was pretty easy to find, as the BLM had a sign up next to the remains of the building that served as the post office and store in the 1930's and 40's. Seems that this was the only real town along the Colorado River when Parker Dam was built, and also served the local mines, etc. There is not much there now, except for the BLM sign and a couple of trailer parks for the snow birds. We crossed over the dam to the Arizona side and went to someone's Kountry Kitchen for breakfast.
| |  The
Mojave-Mobile poses before descending into Copper Canyon and the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation.
Other Articles: Power Line Road: View of Lake Havasu City Locations: Lake Havasu City. Chemehuevi Indian Reservation. Chemeheuvi Wash. Copper Basin. Colorado River. Parker Dam. Whipple Mountains. Whipple Wash.
|
From Parker Dam we explored Trails End Camp Road north into the Whipple Mountains. We found the road to Copper Basin and Copper Basin Reservoir. Unfortunately it had numerous No Trespassing signs so we didn't follow it. The Power Line Road looked pretty good, so we decided to follow it and see if we could get all the way through to Needles. It was a interesting road, pretty good, and only a few rough spots. The highest point of the road is about 400 m elevation, or about 200 m above the Colorado River. From several locations, we could see Lake Havasu City to the east across the river. There were a few spots to go back to, one would be Whipple Wash, a major wash into the heart of the Whipple Mountains. It's wilderness though, so it would take a long walk or maybe a backpack to get into there. We also recognized the boundaries of the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and Chemehuevi Wash, but otherwise it would have taken careful navigation on USGS quadrangle maps to know where we were.
| |  The
current station on Homer on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad.
Other Articles: Goffs Road: Homer Eastern Mojave Climate: 32800 U. S. Interstate 40: at Needles
|
At Havasu Lake Road, we left the Power Line Road and drove to U. S. Highway 95, which we took north to Needles. At Needles few got groceries, and then headed for the eastern Mojave. We stopped at Homer to take some photographs because Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg collected there. Homer now exists only as a railroad siding with another track for setting out bad orders, a station sign and some old Tamarisk trees. It looks like there might have been some railroad buildings there at some time, but now the area just consists of some trash and disturbed vegetation.
| | 
Goffs Other Articles: Lanfair Road: Goffs Locations: Goffs.
|
At Goffs, the school house was closed, so we did not stop. |
|
Looking south into Fenner Valley from the vicinity of Hackberry Mountain and Vontrigger Spring
Looking north at the Bobcat Hills in the southeast corner of the Lanfair Valley
Other Articles: Lanfair Road: 11800 Vontrigger Hills and Spring Locations: Bobcat Hills. Fenner Valley. Goffs. Hackberry Mountain. Vontrigger Hills.
|
Driving north on Lanfair Road, we clocked 12 miles north from Goffs thinking that I could find the place where Annie and Louise collected on May 10, 1940. At 12 miles north of Goffs, is the pull off from Lanfair Road between Hackberry Mountain and the Vontrigger Hills. In retrospect, however, this wasn't the spot where Annie and Louise collected, because they were 10 miles north of Goffs, not 12 miles like I thought.
| | Locations: Payne Well. Rock Spring. Watson Wash.
|
Before crossing Watson Wash near Rock Spring, we turned north and drove up toward the corral at Payne Well. Last June when I shared lunch in Caruthers Canyon with a couple of geologists from the Park Service, one of them asked me about a "pink-flowered" shrub to be found at this spot. Thinking he might be referring to Prunus andersonii Desert Peach, which I have never found in the eastern Mojave, I wanted to check it out. We found nothing unusual at this spot, but did see a lot of Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) in seed, with pinkish plumes as tails on the seeds. I suspect that the Apache Plumes were the pink "flowers" he was referring to.
| | Locations: Pinto Mountain.
|
We stopped at Pinto Mountain to collect data at my experimental plot there. There were a couple of curious burros, one kept getting closer and then running away. At Pinto Mountain most of my plants were still alive, I think one seedling died since last spring, but there were no new seedlings that germinated this summer.
| |
|
We got a flat tire just as we turned into the Mid Hills Campground. I think this is the first flat tire I've had on the 4 Runner. I learned a couple of things. One was that if the tire is really flat, there isn't room to get the Toyota-supplied jack under the front suspension A-arm. We had to dig a little hole under the A-arm to fit the jack.
| |
|
| Saturday, September 23, 2000 | Locations: Halloran Summit.
|
Saturday morning I got up early and tried to get the tire fixed at Halloran Summit on Interstate-15. But it turned out that there was an L-shaped cut in the tire about 3/4" on a side. It could barely be patched. The patch held air, but I would not have wanted to actually drive on the tire. When I tried to get a new tire in Baker, I learned that the 4 Runner had an odd-sized tire that dealers don't normally carry. Well, at that point, my choices were to take our chances with a bum-patched tire, or drive to Las Vegas to get a new tire. I decided to take our chances. I figured that if we had another flat maybe the bum tire could get us into cell phone range at Hole-in-the-Wall, where we could try to figure out what the step would be
| | Locations: Wild Horse Mesa.
|
At Wild Horse Mesa most of the Swertia albomarginata were in good condition, I think maybe two died over the summer out of 40 or so.
| |
|
Also at Wild Horse Mesa, a plant was in bloom for first time that I remember since establishing my plots. So I collected some of that, hopefully to identify it. It might be a Brickellia, but not B. californica, since I've seen that elsewhere. It might also be Tetradymia canescens.
| |
|
I also checked the Salvia dorrii plot, they're in good shape, with about 4 small plants dying out of about 80 plants.
| |
|
| Sunday, September 24, 2000 | Locations: Kettlemen City. Wild Horse Canyon.
|
020 Then Sunday we pretty much got up, packed and drive home. Driving down through Wild Horse Canyon, the Gutierrezia was blooming, making a bright yellow against the rock with desert varnish. Took a photo at the narrows in Wild Horse Canyon, but I suspect the photograph won't have same visual impact. From Essex to Mojave, the wind was pretty strong, but from the east, not the west as usual. Overall the drive home took about 8 1/2 hours including the hamburger at In-N-Out Burger in Kettlemen City.
| |
|
| Friday, October 6, 2000 | 
Digger Pine (Pinus sabiniana) along Highway 120.
Oak woodland along Highway 120. Other Articles: CA Highway 108: 40000 California Highway 120: Manteca in Oakdale 16400 16600
|
I left the Bay Area about 8:15am and drove through Manteca and Oakdale on Highway 120, stopping for the first time between Oakdale and Sonora to take a photograph. At this spot along the Sierra Pacific right of way, the first Gray Pines could be seen on the hills, while valley oak grasslands were on the surrounding prairie. A little farther on the road I was watching for a place to take a photograph of Table Mountain. But my role as a careful driver did not allow it, and a photo of Table Mountain will have to wait for another trip.
| |
|
The Old Priest Grade was closed, for road work, and the park in Groveland closed for construction, so I made the next stop at Big Oak Flat.
| | 
Tenaya Lake Other Articles: California Highway 120: at Tenaya Lake at Tenaya Lake Locations: Tenaya Lake. |
At Olmstead Point, I took the obligatory photo of the back of Half Dome, and then walked up onto the granite, for a view and photo of Tenaya Lake.
| | 
Tuolumne Meadows Other Articles: California Highway 120: at Tuolumne Meadows Locations: Tuolumne Meadows.
|
Stopped at the first view to Tuolumne Meadows for a photo, and then had lunch at Lembert Dome.
| | 
Glacial lake at Tioga Pass Other Articles: California Highway 120: at Tioga Pass Locations: Tioga Pass.
|
Was too shy to take a photo of the Tioga Pass sign at the Yosemite National Park exit booth. But I did take a picture of this lake which is right at the summit.
| | 
Tioga Lake. Other Articles: California Highway 120: at Tioga Lake Locations: Tioga Lake. |
Stopped at Tioga Lake for a photo. |
|
 Lee
Vining Canyon Other Articles: California Highway 120: in Lee Vining Canyon U. S. Highway 395: in Lee Vining Locations: Lee Vining. Lee Vining Canyon.
|
At Lee Vining, I got gas and then drove south on U. S. Highway 395 towards Big Pine, stopping at Von's in Bishop for food. Took me a while, but I finally learned that the only Chevron station in Bishop is along Highway 395 on the north end of town. I filled up again with gas in Big Pine and then headed east to Eureka Valley on Death Valley Road.
| |
So, is the road closed? Or Not? Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Jct: CA Hwy 168
|
The road to Eureka Valley is called Death Valley Road. It had a Road Closed sign in the middle of the road, and the highway mileage sign implies that Saline Valley Road, and Eureka Valley Road was closed, while the road should be open through to Scotty's Castle.
| | 
Waucoba Saline Road 
Looking into Owens Valley from Death Valley Road
Other Articles: Death Valley Road: View of Owens Valley at Wacoba Saline Road |
After climbing up the alluvial fan through Devil's Gate, the road comes to Waucoba Saline Road at the summit.
| | 
Little Cow Horn Valley Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Little Cow Horn Valley Locations: Little Cow Horn Valley. |
Starting down the east side, Little Cow Horn Valley is a small closed basin without an outlet for running water. The center of the valley has different vegetation, as might be expected, but no playa.
| | 
Joshua trees in Joshua Flats, Inyo County, California.
Joshua trees in Joshua Flats, Inyo County, California
Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Joshua Flats Locations: Joshua Flats. |
Joshua Flat wasn't too flat. The Joshua trees here seem to be more compact, in the sense that there are fewer branches, the branches are shorter, and the leaves are more crowed in a ball at the ends of the branches.
| |
Literature Cited: Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Eureka Valley 26100 Locations: Eureka Sand Dunes. Eureka Valley. Last Chance Range.
|
It was 28 miles to the end of pavement in the Eureka Valley. At this point one could see the Eureka Dunes about 14 miles to the south, at the other end of the valley. The pavement was followed by 6 miles of graded dirt road across the valley to the Eureka Dunes turn off. Then 10 miles down the valley to the dunes. Arrived at about 5:00 PM, after about 8 hours of driving. The temperature on October 6th, was about 85°F. The air quickly cooled after dark, and by 9:00 PM, I crawled into my sleeping bag.
| |
|
| Saturday, October 7, 2000 |
|
Saturday morning I got up early, about 6:30 AM. It was quite cool, perhaps 45°F. Had a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee. Packed up my tent and sleeping bag and started up the sand dunes about 7:30 AM. Some areas of the sand were hard and easy to walk on, other areas were very soft and wouldn't support my weight even on flat areas.
| | 
Ripples in the sand at Eureka Sand Dunes
Locations: Eureka Sand Dunes. |
On one of the lower slopes the angle of the sun was low enough to accentuate the sand ripples so I took a photograph.
| | 
Beetles on the Eureka Dunes Locations: Eureka Sand Dunes. |
Near the top was a small chute in the sand where small amounts of organic matter had accumulated. Here were many of the black beetles that I had seen lower down. One thing I noticed was that the beetle tracks would stop suddenly with a little mound of disturbed sand. I decided that this was the point at which the beetle burrowed into the sand for the day.
| | 
The crest of the Eureka Dunes. Other Articles: South Eureka Road: Eureka Sand Dunes Locations: Eureka Sand Dunes. |
The last pitch before the top I took on all fours, as the sand was slipping backward almost as fast and I could take steps.
| |
|
One thing I noticed upon arriving at the top, was that I had taken the longest and most difficult route to the top. It would have been much easier to walk around the dunes to the south side and then walk up to the top on a single slope without all the up and down I did while climbing from the north side.
| |
|
Some of the other treasures I found were a 45-caliber bullet, with the tip only slightly dented by the sand, and a much corroded and sand-encrusted 16p nail. At one spot were many pistachio nut shells. They were only slightly weathered, and repeatedly visited by the local kangaroo rats, as evidenced by numerous tracks.
| | Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Hanging Rock Canyon Locations: Hanging Rock Canyon. |
After returning to camp from climbing the dunes, I discovered that I had a good strong cell phone signal, so I made a few calls. Then, I drove out the Eureka Valley Road to Death Valley Road. Ascended quickly up Hanging Rock Canyon to Crater. This is a former mining area that looks to have undergone some restoration efforts, but is still quite a mess. As my objective was to find a convenient route into Last Chance Mountain to find Swertia albomarginata, I continued on Death Valley Road for several more miles. Finally I came to a point that allowed a view ahead for a few miles. In the canyon below was Crankshaft Junction.
| | 
Valley on east side of Last Chance Range.
Other Articles: Death Valley Road: 50400
|
One of the routes I had considered was to approach Last Chance Mountain from the east side by driving past Crankshaft Junction, taking a road to a place called Last Chance Spring, and then climbing from there. From my new vantage point it was clear that I would have to drop down into Last Chance Canyon, then climb a steep fan for several miles to get to the spring, followed by a steep climb from there on foot.
| | 
Crater, former mining town. 
Magruder Mountain, as seen from the Last Chance Range to the southwest.
Death Valley as seen from the Last Chance Range. 
View of unknown mine from Last Chance Mountain.
Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Crater Nevada Highway 266: near Magruder Mountain Locations: Crater. Death Valley. Last Chance Mountain. Magruder Mountain.
|
I returned to Crater and followed a small road that went north. After several miles it turned west into a narrow canyon before arriving at a fairly large mine. A faint track led into a canyon to the northeast and I followed it for another mile, before getting stopped by a washout. With another vehicle in the group, and maybe a minimum of shovel work, could have cleared this point and traveled perhaps another ½ mile up the canyon. Since I was by myself, I parked here and started walking. After a ½ mile walk I climbed to a ridge than I then followed northwest to the first peak. This is not the highest peak on the ridge, but with a little more time and energy the ridge could be walked another mile or so to Last Chance Peak.
| | 
Rosette on Last Chance Mountain 
Area on Last Chance Mountain where Swertia albomarginata was found.
Locations: Last Chance Mountain. 266 | Just
below the peak on the west side was a flat bench with some finely broken limestone gravel. I walked down there and found about six old Swertia albomarginata stalks, and perhaps a dozen rosettes. The rosettes were quite small, and had very distinct white margins. Associated with Swertia albomarginata were Pinus monophylla, Purshia glandulosa, Juniperus osteosperma, Artemisia tridentata, Salvia dorrii, and perhaps an Arennaria. Despite having carefully having gotten my GPS receiver out, I had left it in the back of the car, so I was unable determine GPS coordinates. However, from the Last Chance Mountain USGS 7½" quadrangle, I believe the coordinates are Zone 11, 4123900N, 439150E, elevation 2380 m (6,528 ft.).
| |
|
To return to the vehicle, I chose to cross the slope at that contour and then descend the ridge to the south. This was very steep with much loose rock. Even at the bottom of the slope near the floor of the canyon, the limestone cobbles and gravel from this slope were piled up several feet above the surrounding alluvium. I think next time, I would climb back up to the main ridge and then descend to the southwest along the right that I climbed initially.
| |
|
For lunch I drove back to the "mine." This mine has two adits that I saw and much bulldozing around. The mine does not appear on any maps of the area.
| |
Hanging Rock Canyon Other Articles: Death Valley Road: Hanging Rock Canyon Locations: Hanging Rock Canyon.
|
After lunch, I drove down Hanging Rock Canyon on Death Valley Road, through Joshua Flat and Little Cow Horn Valley, ending up in Bishop for the night.
| |
|
| Sunday, October 8, 2000 |
|
Sunday morning I drove into the White Mountains. My objective was to find Swertia albomarginata in Mollie Gibson Canyon. In my mind, Mollie Gibson was the first main canyon on the north side of Higway 168 as it heads down hill into Deep Springs Valley. I started to drive into this canyon, but found my way blocked by lack of a road. Thinking that perhaps the road had been recently washed out, I began to hike up this canyon. The rocks in the canyon walls were shale, not the limestone that I remembered from Mollie Gibson Canyon and that I needed to find Swertia albomarginata. I continued to hike for about a half-hour thinking that just around the next bend the narrow canyon would open up into a wide canyon in limestone. When it became obvious that that would never happen in this canyon, and I was painfully aware of the effects of yesterday on my body, I turned around and walked back to the car.
| |
|
I drove down the road a bit farther. I think Mollie Gibson Canyon would have been the next canyon. A mound of dirt blocked the road into this canyon. The third canyon had a road that immediately began to climb up a fan. I'm quite sure this third canyon was not Mollie Gibson Canyon. By this time, I had enough climbing and looking, so I decided to drive up White Mountain Road looking for Swertia albomarginata. I was surprised by how little limestone there was along this road. There was very little habitat on this road, and the two places that looked like they might have Swertia albomarginata did not.
| | 
Bishop and Mt Tom from the White Mountains
Locations: Bishop. |
I left Sierra View in the White Mountains at about 11:00 AM, stopping to take pictures several places along the way. Filled the gas tank again in Bridgeport and then headed for Highway 108 over Sonora Pass.
| | 
Sweetwater Mountains from Leavitt Falls.
|
I expected a bridge over the West Walker River at the intersection of Highway 108 and U. S. Highway 395. There was no bridge there, so the bridge I'm remembering must be a little farther north on U. S. Highway 395.
| | 
Leavitt Meadows and the West Walker River.
|
Had a sandwich Leavitt Falls Overlook. From here you can get a good view of Leavitt Meadows. By walking a short way to the north, one can obtain a good view of the Sweetwater Mountains.
| | 
Sonora Pass in October. Other Articles: CA Highway 108: at Sonora Pass Locations: Sonora Pass. |
Saw two dried stalks of Swertia radiata in the Sonora Pass summit parking area.
| |
|
Drove mostly straight home, stopping here and there for photographs, arriving at home about 6:30 PM.
| |
|
[Previous Page] [Next Page] | Go to page: [1941] [1942] [1943] [1944] [1945] [1946] [1947] [1977] [1978] [1995] [1996] [1997] [1998] [1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007] [2008] [A] If you have a
question or a comment you may write to me at: tas4@schweich.com I sometimes post
interesting questions in my FAQ, but I never disclose your full name or address.
|
| Date and time this article was prepared: 5/12/2008 7:49:31 PM | ||
