197110 Desert Magazine 1971 October

8/14/2019 197110 Desert Magazine 1971 October

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OCTOBER, 1971 50j

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D e s e r t M a g a z in e B oCALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray At-keson. Two of the West's greatest color pho-tographers have presented their finest worksto create the vibrat ions of the oceans, lakes,mountains and deserts of California. Theirphotographic presentations, combined with the

moving text of David Toll , makes this a classicin Western Americana. Large 11x14 format,heavy slick paper, hardcover, 200 4-colorphotographs, 186 pages , $25 .00 .

NATIONAL PARKSOF THE WEST by The Editorsof Sunset Books. A pictorial interpretation ofth e 23 scenic preserves that encompass withintheir 12 million acres most of the nation's finestmountain and desert scenery. Contains 247photographs with 32 pages in 4-color, 43 2-color maps, drawings, geological diagrams,his-tory and other informations. Large9x1 1 format,heavy slick paper, hardcover, 286 pages $1 1.75.

NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA GHOST TOWNSbyStanley W. Paher. Directions to and history about23 of Arizona's most famous ghost towns.His-tor ical photographs and artist sketches enhance

editorial content. Large, 11x14 format, slickpaperback, 48 pages, $2.95.

GREENWATER by Harold Weight. Called the"monumental swindle of the century" this is

the story of the 1906 stampede to the BlackMountains and how $30 ,000 ,000 d i sappeared .Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00.

1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Updated edit ion of one of the best of the bottlebooks. $4.50.

NEVADA'S TURBULENT YESTERDAYSby Don Ash-baugh . The best book about Nevada's ghosttowns and the rugged individuals who buil tthem. 346 pages, $7.95.

LOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by Harold

Weight. This is a new approach to the enigmaof Death Valley Scotty's life and legends andgives additional insight into the Lost Gunsightand Breyfogle bonanzas, plus other Death Valleymysteries. Paperback, historic photographs, refer-ence material , 86 pages $2.50.

TRAVEL GUIDES TO BAJA CALIFORNIAby Kenand Caroline Bates. Published the Editors ofSunset Books, this is a useful book on Baja andshould be a companion piece to Gerhard andGulick's Lower California Handbook and CliffCross's Baja by Road, Airplane and Boat. TheBates' book takes the reader to the people withtext , photographs and maps. Anyone going toBaja should have all three books. Large 8x10format, heavy paperback, 80 pages, $1.95.

LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edward Arthur.Facts and how- to-do- i t on prospecting are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in California.For those who think there are no more valuablesleft in California, they wil l f inda new f ield inthis informative book. Includes marketing data,maps, potential buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format, i l lustrated, heavy paperback,84pages , $3 .95 .

LOST MINESOF THE GREAT SOUTHWESTby JohnD. Mitchell. The first of Mitchell 's lost minebooks is now available af ter having been out ofprint for years. Reproduced from the originalcopy and containing 54 articles based on ac-counts from people Mitchell interviewed.Hespent his entire adult life investigating reportsand legends of lost mines and treasures of theSouthwest. Hardcover, illustrated, 175 pages,$7 .50 .

\ . >

GHOST TOWNSOFTHE NORTHWEST

By NORMAND. WEIS

The ghost-town country of the PacificNorthwest, including trips to many little-known areas, is explored by the authorin this new book which is a first-handaccount of his travels into the backcountry of Oregon, Washington, Idaho,Wyoming and Montana. Hardcover, de-tailed maps, beautifully illustrated, heavy

slick paper, 319 pages.

$6.95

OVERLAND STAGE TO CALIFORNIA AND THEPONY EXPRESS by Frank A. Root. A f i rs t-handaccount of a mail agent who lived and foughtwi th the men who settled the West throughtheir efforts to establish communication acrossthe wilderness during the 1800's. First publish-

ed in 1901 and just republished. Heavy stockand hardcover, original artist illustrations,two1800 maps, 645 pages, this is a book forhistory buffs, $15.00.

RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of ShortyHarris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery, M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-ished the famous mining town near DeathValley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages.$1 .00 .

SPEAKING OF INDIANS by Bernice Johnston.An authori ty on the Indians of the Southwest,the author has presented a concise well-writtenbook on the customs, history, crafts, ceremoniesand wha t the American Indian has contributedto the white man's civi l izat ion. A MUST forboth students and travelers touring the Indian

Country. Heavy paperback, 10x7 format, illus-trated, 112 pages, $2.50.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailing

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSOADD 5 PERCENT SALESTAX

Send check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, California92260. Sorry, but we cannot accept charges

or C.O.D. orders.

GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James andBarbara Sherman. If you are looking for aghost town in Arizona this is your waybi lIllustrated, maps, township, range, cor-ordnates, history, and other details make this oneof the best ghost town books ever published

Large 9x11 format, heavy paperback, 208pages, $3.95.

MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOKby Henry andBeverly Mockel. The wel l -known pa in te r odesert wildflowers has combined his four-colsketches and black and white photographs todescribe in detai l so the layman can easilidentify wildflowers, both large and smalMicroscopic detail makes this an outstandinbook for identification. Special compressed fibcover which willnot stain. 54 full-color illusttions with 72 l i fe-size drawings and 39 photographs, 316 pages, $5.95.

PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA byRandall Henderson. The beautiful palm canyoand isolated areas of Baja California are described by the late Randall Henderson, found

of DESERT Magazine. Although these are hispersonal adventures many years ago, little hachanged and his vivid wri t ing is al ive today ait was when he first saw the oases. Paperbackillustrated, 72 pages, $1.95.

LOST MINES & BURIED TREASURES ALONGTHEOLD FRONTIERby John D. Mitchell. The seconof Mitchell 's bookson lost mines which was out-of-print for many years is ava i l ab le aga in . Maof these appeared in DESERT Mgazine yeag o and these issues are no longer avai labNew readers will want to read these. Contaithe original map first published with the boan d one pinpoint ing the areas of lost minMitchell's personal research and investigatihas gone into the book. Hardcover, 240 page$7 .50 .

WEST OF DAWN by Hugh D'Autremont. Thauthor's account of his life of adventure whistarted in the 1930s during which he lookfor lost mines, prospected for gold in Mexand hardrock mined in California. Reads likfictional wild west novel. Hardcover,1 87 page$5 .00 .

INYO MONO JEEP TRAILSby Roger MitcheAuthor of DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS, veexplorer Mitchell takes you on 18 differ4-wheel-drive tr ips into the Sierra NevaMountains, where he explores ghost towns, Idian terr i tory and scenic canyons and moutain passes. Paperback, 36 pages, illust., $1.

DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOKby Don Holm. Wilife editor of the Port land Oregonian, the auth

has spent his life exploring and writ ing abthe outdoors, so his recipes for preparing fin a Dutch Oven come from experience. If yohaven' t had food cooked in a Dutch Oven, yhaven't lived . . . and if you have you wfind these recipes new and exciting culinadventuresas well as his style of wri t iHeavy paperback, 106 pages, $3.95.

LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene ConrotBrief resumes of lost mine articles printedback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a formeditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00.

A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RoTory Peterson. The standard book for f ield idtification sponsored by the National AuduSociety. 2nd edit ion, enlarged with new secton Hawaiian birds. 658 in full color, Hardco$5 .95 .


3/44

WILLIAM KNYVETT,PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER,EDITOR

MARY FRANCES STRONG,Field Trip Edito

G L E N N VA R G A S ,Lapidary Editor

K. L . BOYNTON, Naturalist

JACK DELANEY,Staff Writer

Volume 34 Num ber 10 OCTO BER,

THE COVER:The majestic OwachomoBridge of Utah's Natural

Bridges National Monu-ment is reflected in thisphoto by David Muench,Santa Barbara, California.It is 106 feet high with aspan of 180 feet and is oneof several such naturalwonders in the Monument

CONTENTSF E A T U R E S

LITTLE KNOWN ALPINE COUNTY

FAULT FINDING

SUTTER'S POT OF GOLD

THE SINGULAR SALAMANDER

ARIZONA'S SELDOM SEEN SUNNYSIDE

CANON RIO DE LAS ANIMAS

THE LEGEND OF LOLA

T O O * % ? # ! G O O D

Van P. Wilkinson

Helen Walker

Lois Wolf Buist

K. L. Boynton

Ernie Cowan

Mary Frances Strong

Marion Holbrook

Ken Martjuiss

D E PA RT M E N T S

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE

BOOK REVIEWS

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

DESERT LIFE

RAMBLING ON ROCKS

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

William Knyvett

Jack Pepper

Information from Rea

Hans Baerwald

Glenn and Martha Va

Club Activities

Reader's Comments

ELTA SHIVELY, Executive Secretary MARVEL BARRETT,Circulation Manager

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea St. , Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone 714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUB SCR IPTIO N R ATE S: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00$9.50; 3 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresies with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthlclass postage paid at Palm Dese rt, California and at additiona l ma iling offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrig


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A T O R AND motorcycle racer Steve MQueen has a home in Palm SprinCalifornia, and undoubtedly knows arespects the desert. But if he wants maintain his reputation for honesaccuracy and not alienate thousands potential box office fans, he should wahis scriptwriters . . . and his intervie

An article in a current national spomagazine entitledHarvey on the Lampictures the actor and his friends tearup the desert with their "dirt bikes" aunless it was written with a tongue

cheek approach, it is so inaccurate as to be ridiculous.Copyright laws prevent us from quoting sections of the article ver

but we are certain his desert fans will not be pleased to read "By any name, McQueen gets all revved up over dirt bikes. Slamming one across the Caldesert is now his Great Escape."

This precede to the article probably does not mean McQueen is compoblivious to desert ecology, but it might give the wrong impression of a swhich today is, to say the least, very touchy.

And the impression will probably be compounded when readers who the desert read about an opening scene (presumably from a movie script) places Mount San Jacinto near Palm Springs in theMojave Desert which actually more than 100 miles north of the resort community.

The script writer also has a Gila Monster peering from behind a bas it watches McQueen and his motorcycle-riding friends approach, leavinwith the impression the desert reptile is about the size of a dinosaur. For the etion of eastern readers who are not familiar with desert wildlife, Gila Monstseldom seen west of the Colorado River.

The article ends by once again describing another (we hope mytscene in which McQueen, his son and friends are racing across the fragile across washes and through desert flora before retiring to a Mexican restaurcelebrate their race with margaritas and frijoles-

We hope these mythical scenes do not give the eastern reader a impression of Steve McQueen and our California deserts. For Steve McQuecology-minded and he does worry about the effect vehicles are having on theareas as is pointed out in the main body of the article . . . which gives an exinsight into McQueen's personality.

We certainly hope the main part of the factual and interesting artinot overshadowed by the impressions conveyed by the two mythical movie sc

While on the subject of desert ecology, I want to alert our readers article in our next month's issue which will discuss a recently introduced billHouse of Representatives which would designate the California Desert NConservation Area.

Introduced by Congressman Bob Mathias of Bakersfield, it is cosored by 27 other California representatives and calls for a $29 million progprotect the 17-million-acre desert area. Mathias said he introduced the bill "the overall environment of the California desert is in danger of being dest

The bill and its ramifications will be discussed in the November isDESERT M agazine. In the meantime, remember to always treat the dethough it was your own backyard.


5/44

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FortheBirds?Youknowit is!

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R e v i e w s

by Jack Pepper.

EXPLORING

CAIIFORNMnrW%HXPLORINGCALIFORNIA'SBYWAYSVOLUME IV,M O U N TA I N

COUNTRYByRUSH I .etidabraiid

This is the ninth California guide-book by world traveler and veteran ex-plorer Russ Leadabrand.The previousbooks cover individual mountain areas,the deserts and the seashores. Like thisguide, they are accurate, detailedandprovide historical background.

However, in his newest volume inwhich he takes the reader on trips tothe "little" mountains,the author not onlyprovides directions,but also conveysthemystic feeling he has about the moun-tains, which he started exploring whena youth.

"There are many ways to keep occu-pied in Cuyamaca Country,"he writes."One of the best is to seek out an oldoak, thick-barkedand lightning hammer-ed, sit in its shade and let the medicinewind mend your flatland "woundsand ill-nesses."

Passages such as the above make thibook one of the most outstandingof theauthor's series. Someof the areas coveredinclude the San Gabriels, Kern PlateaCountry, Greenhorn Country, SouthSanLuis Country, Mattole Countryand manyother "little" mountain areas.

Slick paperback, well illustrated w

photographsand maps, 142 pages, $1.95WHEN ORDERINGBE CERTAIN

TO STATE VOLUME NUMBER.

M YC A N Y O N L A N DByKent Frost

The author has the right to use thepersonal pronounin the title of his booas he was one of the first and few whitmen to hike through that vastand spectacular wilderness in southeastern Utnow known as the Canyonlands NationPark.

With the exception of two years ser-vice in the United States Navy duriWorld War II, Frost has spent more tha

40 years exploringthe labryrinths, plainmesas, rivers and mountains of his na-tive land.

While in his early teens,he startedhik-ing into the then little-known areas suas the Needles, the Maze and the LandofStanding Rocks. Later,he was associatewith the pioneer river runner, NormNevill, and for years took passengers ovthe rapids of the Colorado River folloing the trail of the first white exploreMajor JohnW. Powell,who exploredtheriver in 1869.

Long before the area was designate

DON HOEL'S Cabins"In the Heart of

Oak Creek Canyon"on 89A 19 miles south of Flagstaff

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7/44

as a national park, Frostwas taking hisfriends into the area by four-wheel-driveand blazing vehicle trails overthe pathshe once hiked. When moreand morepeople asked to be taken into the wilder-ness, he formed Canyonland Tours,Inc.,which operates todayout of Monticello,Utah.

Majorityof

the Canyonlands areais

just as wild and rugged today as it waswhen originally discoveredand can onlybe visited by 4WD vehicles. Experiencedguides such as Kent Frost have broughtthe spectacular scenery withinthe reachof everyone.

Frost's book is a fast moving accountof his adventures and the people he metd"ring his "growing up days" and hisadult years. Althoughno other whitemanhas exploredthe country more than Frost,

there are still many areas stillto be view-ed as he describes at the end of his book."For the biggest views, the brilliant

edges of dark, rolling storm clouds,thecontinual rainbows,the sunlight reflectedon rainbow-hued rock walls,I shall comehere. Here, whereI can stand in silentair under a starry sky watching the light-ning show of a storm that's so far awaythe thunder never reachesme.

"I shall alwaysbe able to find someempty corner where I can quietly ob-

serve the brilliance of the stars at night,smell the perfume of the sage, cedarand

Books reviewed may be order-ed from the DESERT MagazineBook Shop, Palm Desert, Calif.92260. Please include 50c forhandling. California residentsmust add 5% sales tax. Pleaseenclose payment withthe order.

Take a Jet B o a t . . .Take a Raft Trip . . .Take a Canoe . . .Take a Float Trip . . .Take a To u r . . .

Just be Sure to

T A K E O L E T E X !Se e DESEBT Magazine. May '71

pine in the air or in my fire, and observethe lives of all the birds, animalsandinsects interweaving aroundme."

Hardcover, artist illustrations,160pages, $6.95.

MAMMOTHLAKESMEMORIESByAdele Reed

This is a well-written and entertainingbook on the Mammoth Lakes areain thenorthern part of California's SierraNe-vada Mountainsby a veteran free lance

writer and long-time residentof the area.Illustrated with historic photographs,the book has hundreds of anecdotes aboutthe early day pioneers of the once flour-ishing mining area which today receivesits wealth from winter and summervisitors.

Paperback, well illustrated,80 pages,$2.50.

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BOOK STOREPalm Desert , California 92260

seenit on the road.Comesee it on the inside.

Ever see a Sightseer go by and ask yourself, "What's it likeinside?"

Well, big, for one thingroomy, comfortable and modern.There's a full kitchen, and complete bathroom with separate

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8/44

(Above) The Zaca silver mine of the 1870s along Mon itor Pass. (Below) Awater-filled tunn el entrance near the historic mining city of Loope.

Little

LPINE COUNTY, southeast of LakTahoe, is California's Sierra N

vada's prime anachronism, a place out

time, a portal to this state's oldest aroughest mining history.Snowbound and practically isolat

seven months a year, then temperate acoolingly green during the summer, Apine County has simultaneously lured arepelled the more adventurous.

Local Washoe Indians, eking out semi-nomadic life through seasonal gaering, migrating and camping, were marred by the presence of white men til well after 1840. The often-cited tr

els of Jedediah Smith (1827) and JoFremont (1843) through what was ththe Territory of Utah brought explorinto this region of paradoxes.

The 1848-49 gold finds along westerly river slopes of the Sierras shed an immediate need for a penetraland route east across the mountains. Carson and later trailbreakers traverAlpine County along numerous hipeaked ravines, establishing the fmajor passes in use today: Carson, LutEbbetts and Monitor.

But publications detailing Sierra vada adventures are common, and itmy intention to describe some historsites of Alpine County as you find thtoday. I was fortunate to spend some twith Artie Brown, State of CaliforFish and Game Warden for this area current President of the Alpine CouHistorical Society. Mr. Brown made avable their society's hard-to-getAlpinHeritage historical booklet, and he pvided invaluable personal anecdotes tips concerning everything from "min

l it ti d l g " t "f h


9/44

KnownAlpine Countby Van P. Wilkinson

ing-for-recreation."To Mr. Brown, and Alpine County's

1,203 other residents, theirs is an areathat has seen better days In 1864-65,Silver Mountain was a boisterous andgrowing community, supported by thesilver ore being hard-rocked out of the

mountains near Silver Creek (EbbettsPass); Jacob Marklee's 1861 staked-outland had become the town of Marklee-ville; and as the population grew, incomefrom toll-roads (Monitor, etc.) and tim-ber was expanding.

Today, 98 years after the demonetiza-

tion of silver, you are lucky to see lapsing tunnel entrance or washfoundation of what was once thefuture for over 11,000 people. SiteMt. Bullion, Loope, or Centervillnot enjoyed the minimal weatheriforded desert mining campsthese

A L P I N

C O U Nf V.U

MAJOR PAVEDPAVED

TO

\

ONLY)


10/44

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Wenden,Arizona

85357

though old enoughto make metal-detect-ing and excavation worthwhile (1850s-1920s), will probably only tire the ama-teur relic-seeker. Says Mr. Brown, "Col-lectors scratch arounda lot, but they don'tfind much; we (the Historical Society)have most of it in the museum, at leastthat not already taken by nature or van-dalism."

Travelers to Alpine County can enterfrom the west (Hwys.4, 88, 89), north(88), or east (89). That'sin the warmmonths. Otherwise, you're luckyto findHighway 88 down to Minden, Nevada,or Highway 88 over Luther Passnotsnow-blown; the others are closed forthe winter. Off-the-road travelerscanfollow Mr. Brown's advice:"In winter,it's snowmobile;in summer, an experienc-ed 4WDer will do all right; in spring,watch outon most jeep trails there'sathin crust of ice or dry dirt and a footof soup underneath."He noted thatthelocal rescue teamis busiest with 4WDersin the early autumn (first snowfall)andearly spring (first thaws).

Because of the steep-walled canyonsthrough which the paved highways wind,70% of the past timber and mining his-tory is right alongside the road. On High-way 89 east outof Markleeville, one pass-es Mt. Bullion, pre-1900 transport inter-

section; the Zaca mine, a silver bonanzaof the 1870s; and Loope, the originalsite of Monitor City (now minedandposted by a local resident). FromMt.Bullion southwesterly along Highway4,one passes Centerville,old timberandtrading hub; Chalmer's Mansion,1862estate of London-backed financier;andthe many mining spots along Silver Creek,most notably Silver Mountain.

When I spoke to Mr. Brown in thespring about 4WD travelin the ore-rich

areas north of the Zaca Mine,I was toldabout a curious space-age twistto the

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old mining game. About two yearsagoseveral French and Canadian miner

outfits began staking systematicand in-clusive claims near the long-abandoneZaca Mine. Other large scale expeditiary concerns soon joinedin and, eventually, they all merged into one vast miing venture which has already claimenearly l/20th of Alpine County.

This sudden re-interestin a sleepilydecaying and supposedly mined-outdis-trict is credited to mysterious satelliphoto readings which pinpointedthemountains north of Monitor Passand

Loope as the geo-center of a giant rarmineral deposit. Nobody really knoMarkleeville residents, though,see theubiquitous claim-stakesand see the bigmonied survey teams laboring year-rouwith their delicate electronic equipmen

But, in this ecology-conscious genetion, the mood is different. At least thremajor creeks along Highway89 easfrom Markleeville are permanentlypol-luted with sulphides dueto reckess openpit mining in the 1880s near the Leviathan Mine, a maneuver to producesul-phuric acid for mineral reduction and p


11/44

don't wanta repeat performance. Alreadythis new mining company has halted ac-cess to such classically beautiful tunnel-mines as the Morningstaror Curtzbe-cause they are re-opening virtually everycollapsed or abandoned minein the area.

Visitors to Alpine County are unawareof this back-country crisis because thereis so much to visit just ina passenger car.Grovers Hot Springs, three miles west ofMarkleeville, features warm mineral poolsset in a high-valley meadow adjacenttocamping sites. Mostof the county, stateor federal campgrounds are nearor onrivers, such as Kit Carson Camp, Snow-shoe Springs Camp, Crystal SpringsCamp, and Markleeville Camp.

There is only one "city" in AlpineCounty: Markleeville, Woofords, Paynes-ville and Fredericksburg are pocketsofrural settlements near the West Fork ofthe Carson River, but Markleevilleis thecounty seat and the commerce centerofthe county. The only hotel,a compactwooden two-story edifice, dates from1 8 8 5 . The museum,a gnarled early-min-

ing jail, and the original schoolhouse arell ithi t lli g di t f id it

Rugged but mineral-ladenterrain north of Monitor Creek.

The west-central and southernpor-

tions of Alpine County are spotted withsnow-melt lakes, many over 9,500 feet,and most accessibleby 4W D or back-pack trail only. Near the headwatersofthe West Fork of the Carson River(Burnside Lake Road, Hope Valley) youwill find abandoned tungsten mines fromthe early 1950s tungsten-boom. Mostofthe wilderness areas southof Highway4average 9,500 feet and are legally restrict-ed to foot travel. It is in this area thatdetermined collectors find valuable rem-

nants from the frenzied silver prospectingof the 1850s and 1860s.My story, my descriptionis not com-

plete. This tucked-away parcelof SierraNevada wildland is possibly the mostunder-mentioned countyin h i s to r i c a lworks covering early California miningand exploration. Manyof us feel that isafortunate oversight. j

F o r m eR E S To fy o ui fRelax and enjoy . . . where everythinis going for you . . . the climate, hudreds of hot mineral pools in modermotels, hideaways and great peopl. . . a l l eager to please. Come for aday, week, month . . . or the rest ofyour l i fe . Wri te for f ree brochurC h a m b e r of C o m m e r c e , D e p t . D,Desert Hot Springs, California 92240Directions: On Intersta te 10, near PalmSprings, go north on one of three turn-offsto Desert Hot Springs.

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12/44

F A U L T FCALIFORNIA HAS rugged and loftymountain peaks, wide and fertilevalleys, warm desert sands, and on thewest, it is bordered by a long and curva-ceous coast Jine. California also hasearthquakes.

The tectonic type earthquakes that

California is subject to are quakes thatthrust forth mountains, between peaksforms valleys, and by cutting off air

flows, creates our deserts.One of the greatest fault areas in the

world, looping around the Pacific basin,is called the circum-Pacific seismic belt.Within this belt 80 percent of theworld's earthquakes occur. The belt liesalong the western portion of California

and consists of a series of crustal blocks.These blocks are separated by cracks ofweakness called faults. In some sections

by Helen Walke

the fault extends to a depth of 50 milCalifornia's most famous fault is

San Andreas. It forms a continuobreak in a north-south direction, aextends beyond our International borinto the Gulf of Lower California. D

placement of ground surfaces is esmated to be 350 miles, perhaps moBranching fault lines, such as the o

An aerial view of the San Andreas fault cutting throu gh the Indio Hills n ear Palm Desert in Riverside Coun ty.


13/44

In many casesthe fault

can be tracedby ground cover

which growsin a linear pattern.

In mountain

areas thereis open a

variation in color.

between Tejon Pass and the Salton Sea,show signs of separation of terrain fora distance of 50 miles.

It may seem hard for us to imagineground surface becoming dislodged forsuch distancebut we must considerthe movement has taken place over aperiod of 100 million years. Studieshave shown that the drift averages twoinches a year--so, it is indeed possible.

Fault lines that exist through oursouthern desert areas leave tell-tale lineswe can observe when we are familiarwith the pattern of topography. Beforewe begin fault finding, let's review someof the details to watch for.

Keep in mind when geologists men-tion a recent activity, they are speakingof occurrences that happened hundredsor possibly thousands of years ago. An-other important tip is that tracing isbest done in low light. Early morning orlate afternoon hours supply the best light.At these times, one sees the landscape atsharp reliefand the lack of glare bringsout color variations.

Fault lines along San Andreas are lin-ear in characteristicwhich arranges sur-

face details in straight lines. A line oftrees or fence posts normally in a straight

then continue on in pattern.In our southern desert, the path of the

fault line is marked by small oases wherepalm trees grow. They are supplied

with trapped spring water blocked byearlier activity. Another feature to watchfor is rounded surfaces and long low hills.In windswept areas such as the CarrizoPlain, these scarps are very prominent.

Beginning at the southern tip of thedesertthe San Jacinto Fault, a branch ofthe San Andreasshows activity in thesouthern end of the Salton Basin where.1 wall of mountains encircles the northend of Borrego Valley.

Differences in soil texture and color

are a great aid in tracing fault lines.North of the Salton Sea, and east of thecity of Mecca, the fault enters PaintedCanyon. By following State 195, south-east from Mecca, you travel throughscenic towering rock. They show evi-dences of twisting, tilting, and foldingbeing contoured into imaginative shapes.Their surfaces have been weathered andcolor in the exposures runs rampant.Squeezed from within the earth to thenow -exterior surface are granites, vol-

canic and some sedimentary rock.Indio Hills follow this same pattern

are the results of material being exfrom cracks along the San Andrealine.

South and east of San Bernard

the Mill Creek Canyon road. Thcrosses the San Andreas fault bthe Mill Creek Ranger Station anCreek Canyon. You will notice calling your attention to the faulthe only such sign in the 700 mileof the fault. As you drive along thwatch for differences in colors thpregnate the rocksthey are sigyou showing opposite sides of thNotice the mountains to the noformed of granites which appear

Exposures to the south are beds oand eroded red sandstone.Fault lines continue in a northw

direction toward the outskirts oBernardino, onward through Cajotoward Los Angeles. As you speethe freeway through Cajon Pass, ygive thanks to this famous fault Contouring of the mountains havided the cut through the mountatraffic to flow eastward.

The fault cuts across the freew

in some areas it lies a mile widesures here are of Pelona schist


14/44

A good exampleof the

folding andtilting

caused bymountain-building

forces alongthe fault line

can be seenalong the

Antelope Valleyfreeway

near Palmdale.

excellent spot for close examination isbehind the weighing station.

Lost Lake is west of the freeway. It isa sag pond created by complex faultingin the area. Perhaps the most recent activ-

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ity along the fault line is seen in a shal-low trench on the south side of the roadabout a half mile west of Lost Lake. Theactivity represents a rupture during thequake of 1857.

Watch again about a mile to the westof Lost Lake, where an outcropping ofpink sedimentary rocks appear on thelandscape. This outcropping stands onthe north side of the San Andreas fault,and is a part of the Cajon Beds. An-other group of these rocks is found atthe Devil 's Punchbowl, a distance of 25miles to the north. (SeeDesert, Decem-ber 1969.) It is believed that the rockformations at the Punchbowl remainedon the south side of the fault, while theseat Cajon Beds moved the distance on thenorth side of the fault.

Color is the clue to the fault line alongthe foothills north from Devil 's Punch-bowl. Distinguishing lines of separationare shown in the pink and green rocks.An example is easily spotted from theroad a mile south of Ft. Tej on R oad, on106th Street. Watch on the right for thehill capped with green and based in pinkrock.

Across from the intersection of HaroldPalmdale Road and State Highway 6, parkand walk north a few yards to the rail-road track. You will observe a line oftwo-foot high white posts following the

tracks. These posts are set beside benchk d b h U S C d

Geodetic Survey. Their purpose is measure any movement along the faline in that area. Every 10 years they re-surveyed for the record. There three other sets of similar markers placat Gorman, Whitewater Canyon and Cjon Pass.

A very dramatic display of tilting afolding was revealed when the Palmdportion of the freeway was constructThe last section of cuts before the Paldale turnoff is one of the out stan din g amples of the magnitude of earth moment and folding during a time of strand force in an effort to create motains.

The fault lines continue northwashowing a picturesque display at VasqRocks, which is another segment of Punchbowl and Cajon outcroppings. Eless other examples will be brought your attention now that the signs aware to you. A flight from Los Angeto San Francisco is a prime time to wafor signs of the fault, as commercial lines usually fly the inland route whfollows the fault line.

As you drive the desert highways amountain byways, watch for the pulvized and softened rocks, most of whhave been altered by the action of wand weather. You will discover th"fault finding" can be funwhen it

observed in the landscape that has mS th t l d f b t


15/44

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Documents

197110 Desert Magazine 1971 October