The
SURVIVOR
The Quarterly Journal of Desert Survivors
DEDICATED TO EXPERIENCING, SHARING AND PROTECTING DESERT LANDS
WINTER 2001
Crunch Time in the Mojave: Bring on the SUVs
Saving the Tortoise Requires Unlikely Alliance
By Bob Ellis
Twenty one years after the BLM promised
to designate vehicle routes in the California
Desert, the first “interim” route systems are
being put into place in the West Mojave
desert. In certain areas the BLM has closed
as many as 70 percent of the existing routes.
These are in critical desert tortoise habitat.
The BLM is finally acting as a result of the
Center for Biological Diversity’s (CBD) lawsuit
settlement, which forced them to admit that
they had not followed proper procedure
regarding protection of endangered species in
the desert.
After years of over-indulgent BLM over-
sight, the off-roaders and the ranchers are
starting to feel the pressure of a three-armed
squeeze. The decline of the desert tortoise
has brought on the following: 1) The CBD’s
lawsuit forced the BLM to implement “interim”
restrictions on OHV use and grazing; 2) BLM
is being forced to complete management
plans for the Northern and Eastern Colorado
(NECO), Northern and Eastern Mojave
(NEMO), and Western Mojave (WEMO)
deserts, which contain long-term restrictions
on OHVs and grazing in favor of the tortoise;
and, 3) In spite of all the recent evidence
showing their obsolescence, the military has
insisted on expanding the Fort Irwin heavy
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
tank base which will require greater OHV
restrictions on the remaining tortoise habitat.
As desert protection advocates and non-
motorized recreationists, we support the BLM
in its efforts to implement these restrictions.
However, we are skeptical that these begin-
nings will be followed through so as to result
in tortoise recovery. It took a lawsuit to get
the first steps under way. We don’t think the
BLM will really be able to enforce the restric-
tions they are starting to implement, or that it
wiill demand sufficiently strong protection in
the final plans. We don’t trust the US Fish
and Wildlife Service and BLM to stand firm on
continued on page 16
Inside:
Feature Stories:
Desert Trail Relay: Nevada or Bust 2
Peril in the Panamints: Dave McMullen 10
Spring On the Escalante: Dave Holten 32
Travels in Nevada:
Three Mountains: Bill Johansson 26
Reveille Range: Steve Tabor 27
American Ground Zero: Chris Schiller 29
Issues:
Briggs Mine Imperils Panamints: Bob Ellis 14
Cadiz Groundwater Grab: Bob Ellis 17
Wilderness Plan for Inyos: Bob Ellis 24
Issues Watch: Janet Johnson 18
 DESERT TRAIL RELAY REACHES NEVADA BORDER
by Steve Tabor

On November 10, 2001, under a clear

blue sky, thirteen Desert Survivors sat on the
Nevada border drinking champagne and
celebrating completion of the second leg of
the Great Desert Trail Relay. Participants in
the second leg had just crossed 352 miles of
desert in 38 days, from Kelso Depot in the
Mojave National Preserve to the northeast-
ern tip of Death Valley. Together, the first

“This trail is not a

Sunday walk in the park.”

and second relays had crossed the entire

656 miles of the California Desert Trail from
Mexico to Nevada.
Heat was our most significant obstacle
this fall, especially on the early segments.
We had decided to start the trips immedi-
ately after Labor Day, to beat the snow and
cold at the end of the Relay in the higher
elevations of Death Valley. Unfortunately,
September and October turned out unsea-
sonably hot, which made the first three
-Dan Seneres
segments especially hard going (and dra-
matically demonstrated why we call our-
selves Survivors). But the leaders were
determined, the members were hardy, and
the trips went on.
Fourteen members and seven leaders
participated in the second Relay, many of
whom hiked two or more continuous seg-
ments. My thanks to all who participated.
Despite the extreme heat, sparse atten-
dance, long car shuttles and road wash-outs,
we didn’t miss a single segment. This was
largely due to the strength and commitment
of the leaders, and I am especially grateful to
them. I only hope that those who come after
us on the Desert Trail will savor the adven-
ture as much as we did. As one hiker told
me, “this trail is not a Sunday walk in the
park”. The experience is fluid and uncertain,
like the wilderness itself. Most of us, I am
sure, would not have it any other way.

2 The SURVIVOR Winter 2001

The following are taken from the notes prepared strenuous trip down that wash and out into
by our trip leaders, edited for space. Wild Horse Canyon. When we got to Hole-
in-the-Wall, we were out of water and real-
Providence Mountains (Segment M): Mojave
ized that we’d lost a camera and the Desert
National Preserve Survivors pennant. We were overheated,
dehydrated, footsore and exhausted. We lay
Jessica Rothhaar, Dan Seneres, Chris Tenney
in the shade and gulped down water from the
September 27 began with a seven-mile pump. Hole in the Wall is a wonderful place,
mindless plod along a paved road and jeep rhyolite cliffs eroded into fantastically
trail, under a relentlessly hot sun. I cursed sculpted holes – but we were too tired to
the Desert Trail. By 10 a.m. the sun was enjoy it. We left a note for Lucy saying that
high overhead and we began to wilt on the the pennant had been lost, then headed for
shadeless plain. Our rest stops became Baker and the cool interior of the Mad Greek.
longer and more frequent, and our walking
spells became shorter and slower. We were
gulping down our water at an alarming
rate. At 1:00 we stopped to rig up tarps for
shade and wait out the heat. It was 95° in
the shade. We lolled around for 3 hours,
listening to the flies buzzing and the tarps
flapping in the breeze. At 4:00 we ven-
tured out again and entered the mountains
via Summit Wash. We camped in the
wash below Summit Pass at mile 11.9.
On September 28, we started early to
beat the heat. We found no water at
Summit Spring, except for a few muddy
teaspoons in the bottom of burro foot-
prints. We got to the crest and hurried
down the other side and up the west side
of Wildhorse Mesa, a pink and white layer
cake of lava with steep sides all the way
around. The top is covered with cactus
and yucca, and would be stunning in the
spring when everything is in bloom. We
saw lots of wolf spider webs, and Chris
managed to coax one hairy brown spider
out of its den by vibrating the web.
We cut directly across the top of the
mesa on a shortcut, since we were low on
water. This ended up being more work,
since the mesa is cut by several deep
gullies. We dropped off the mesa and into
a steep canyon, but found it to be bouldery “No Whiners” - Dan Seneres
and clogged with catclaw. It was a long, hot,

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 3

Mid Hills (Segment N): Mojave National
Preserve
Lucy DuPertuis, Hedayat Rasti
We hiked this segment as two day hikes,
with car shuttles both days.
On September 29,
because it was so hot, we
drove north to Mid Hills
campground and hiked
south back to Hole-in-the-
Wall, so that we could
travel downhill. The trail
meandered down a narrow-
ing valley to weird and
haunting Banshee Canyon,
complete with rings to pull
ourselves up. We lunched
there where we toured a
delightfully cool cave
September 30 began
with a steep and rocky
descent from the juniper
and pinyon pine of the Mid
Hills Campground to a
winding wash. Here the
yuccas, chollas and other
plants looked well-watered Hole in the Wall
and healthy, probably from
summer thundershowers. We followed dirt
roads to Cima. The roads passed through
increasingly thick stands of healthy-looking
Joshua trees. We explored an abandoned
ranch called Thomas Place and the shafts of
Death Valley Mine. Burro Spring was only
damp sand. The only mammals we saw on
this segment were jackrabbits with huge ears,
jumping out of every other bush. The lonely,
grimy Cima store had a sign saying it would
be open at 4:00 pm. It was too hot to wait. I
tucked a note and my bandana (as a substi-
tute pennant) in the fence for Bob and began
the long drive home.
4 The SURVIVOR
Cima Dome (Segment O): Mojave
National Preserve
Bob Ellis
On the afternoon of September 30, I
stopped at the trailhead near the Cima Store.
I found a coyote melon wrapped in a ban-
dana with the message: “The
flag is lost. No one from my
trip is continuing on yours.
Lucy”. Fortunately, I was
accompanied by a fellow
member of the BLM Desert
District Advisory Council. He
agreed to give me a ride
back from dropping my car
off at the end of the segment
so I could do the trip alone if
necessary.
When my other potential
hiker did not appear on the
morning of October 1, I
started off on a warm but
partly cloudy day for the
thirty-five-mile journey
across Cima Dome and
Cinder Cones National
Landmark to I-15. I carried
-Lucy DuPertuis four gallons of water, as I
had not been able to cache
water and did not want to trust the springs
and possible water tanks. With this water
weight, I could allow myself only one book, so
I carried a Tom Clancy novel, which I enjoyed
during my long rest stops.
After a pleasant but warm morning I was
atop Cima Dome, having passed through the
now cattle-free lands of the former Kessler
allotment. This area is going to be important
as a baseline in measuring the effects of
cattle grazing on these hot desert lands. I
rested under a juniper tree on the flat
toplands and realized I had drunk three
quarters of a gallon of water already that day.
Oh well, it was downhill from here. I passed
up the chance to get water from the cattle-
impacted Deer Spring a couple miles along
Winter 2001
the way and by five o’clock found a campsite
Shadow Mountains (Segment P): Kingston
about twelve miles into the hike. I did not Range BLM Wilderness
need the raingear I had brought in case of a Steve Tabor
thunderstorm. The dark clouds covering the
The route was easy walking and, by the
full moon passed by to the south and all I felt
end of the second day on October 6, I was
were a couple of fat drops.
within 5 1/2 miles of the end of the seg-
October 2 was clear and warm. I passed ment. The segment’s chief water source,
up potential water again in the cattle-ridden Francis Spring, was a badly corrupted
Water Tank #3 and finished the morning mudhole when I visited on Day One. I was
heading down Black Tank Wash, sometimes able to get water, but used it only for cook-
pushing through lush desert willow thickets ing. When we did the reconnaissance, it
in the sandy bottoms between the black had been a fresh pool 20 feet long, ten feet
lava-cliff banks. I rested four hours in the wide and four feet deep. On this trip, it was
heat of the day under a one tenth the extent and
shady lava arch and then I slowly got up to look,
three inches deep.
turned north, up and over the and saw a full-curl bighorn
lava flows. By six the sun sheep bounding away!
was setting and I was high on a
west-facing lava cliff top: Darlington’s View, Valjean-Amargosa (Segment Q): Kingston
hazy now. I watched the sweeping vista Range BLM Wilderness
narrow down to the sparkle of the red Bun Bob Lyon, Bill Roff
Boy thermometer as the light faded. On October 8 Bill and I met and set up
By the morning of October 3 I was down the car shuttle but could not find the relay
to three liters of water. I enjoyed a wonderful bandana. After half an hour we gave up and
hike north along the cliff tops to Halloran headed for the Valjean Hills. We hiked 8
Summit. While resting in the shade of a miles and camped near the westernmost hill.
rock, I heard a scuffle ten feet from me. I Saw a jackrabbit and bats at dusk.
slowly got up to look, and saw a full-curl On October 9 we set out early across
bighorn sheep bounding away! open desert for the old Tonopah & Tidewater
Up here along the cliffs the land had not Railroad grade, following an azimuth of 295
been grazed in recent years. Foot-and-a- as directed by the guidebook. We missed
half-high grasses of several species were the Dumont site by 1/4 to 1/2 mile. In the
the dominant plants in some areas and distance we could see the single wood post
cryptogamic soils were common. Quite a that marks the bend in the railroad. Our route
change from grass-poor Cima Dome. A was too far north and took us into the Sperry
petroglyph marked the route down from the Hills. We corrected by following a wash
cliffs and I had a few swallows left when I got southeast until it took us back to the railroad
to my car. This route is definitely recom- bed. About noon we reached the Amargosa.
mended for future travelers. At this nearly dry end the river was tinted
green and smelled of sulphur. There was
fresher water upstream in the canyon, under
the vegetation, and we filled our water bags.
At the old Sperry siding we found a building
and porch foundation, cona cistern, a trash
dump, and an “Area of Critical Environmental

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 5


Concern” sign punctured with bullet holes.
After hiking 13 miles and pushing through
thick growth of tamarisk and mesquite, we
camped below a spectacular 350 foot high
wall with fluted columns.
October 10 was a slow, muddy hike
across the grassy river bottom. For the last
two miles, the east wall of the canyon has
several springs and seeps
and two small creeks. It We hadn’t got far
is thick with brush, wil- “Mud!” A moment later,
lows, and wild grapes. she was up to her knees in it.
After a six mile hike we
reached the end of our trail about noon.
Ibex Hills (Segment R): Ibex BLM Wilderness
and Death Valley NP
Craig Deutsche, Sandy Nancarrow
Our walk began on October 12 at the
Amargosa Natural Area just south of Tecopa
Hot Springs. The first mile or two is along a
road and passes the only store in this some-
what decrepit town, then passes the hot
springs for which the town is named.
The guidebook says to turn left through
the parking lot and out onto the old berm of
the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. Although
the guidebook suggests that there is some
water and mud along this route, we foolishly
chose to avoid the grass and walked instead
on the apparently hard and firm ground.
We hadn’t got far when Sandy, who was
ahead of me, called “Mud!” A moment later,
she was up to her knees in it. Then my right
leg broke through the crust, and I was in up
to my thigh. We thought it couldn’t last long,
so we struggled ahead to reach firmer
ground. My walking stick, which I laid flat on
the surface, provided no support, but sunk
my arms in up to the elbows.
6 The SURVIVOR
I was waist deep and the bottom of my pack
was floating. There was no possible way to
get up on the surface, and I waded through
the muck. My hat blew off. I retrieved it with
my walking stick and pasted it back on with
my muddy hands. Sandy hadn’t gone so
deep and reached dry ground first. By the
time I arrived she said that only my eyeballs
were visible, but she reminded me that some
people pay
when Sandy called hundreds of
dollars to spas
for mud facials.
We stopped at a
nearby water pool and washed off some of
the goo before continuing. With a bit more
attention to where we walked, this segment
of the trail need not have been so hazardous.
October 13 began with a walk west
through a narrow wash to the crest of the
Sheepshead Mountains. In the early morning
the temperatures were reasonable and the
route was extremely pleasant. We enjoyed
good views from the crest and then headed
north along the west side of the mountains.
There is a moderate amount of up and down,
and wonderful views. At about 2:00 p.m., we
were above Salisbury Pass and it was over
85 degrees. We rested in the shade until
5:00 p.m., when we continued another hour
before camping on the edge of the
Greenwater Valley.
It was warm on October 14, so we were
walking by 7:00 a.m. It was a two or three
hour walk north to reach the Greenwater
Valley Road, then a walk along the road to
the car. Afterward, Sandy went back to the
hot springs at Tecopa to wash away the last
of the mud.
[Editor’s Note: At this point, the Desert Survivors/
Desert Trail Pennant was returned to the Relay
following Dan Seneres’ solo recovery mission to
Wildhorse Mesa.]
Winter 2001
Black Mountains (Segment S): Death Valley
Hall Newbegin
It’s one of my favorite Desert Survivor
rituals - driving all night, stumbling around in
the dark to find a place to sleep, and then
waking up in an utterly transformed, beauti-
ful landscape. I was all alone
on this trip, so I took some
time the morning of October
17 to poke around in the
rocks and hills around my
camp, and soak in the dra-
matic, sunrise-lit landscape
before me. I began to wel-
come the freedom the solo
hike would give me. In the
afternoon I found myself a
little slice of shade, put my
pack down and snoozed
away. When I woke, it was
still a little bit hot, so I just lay
there and read for a while.
On Funeral Peak
Once the cool of the evening
started to set in, I got up and started walking
again. I didn’t knock off 10 miles on the first
day like I had planned, but I had a wonderful
day. I ended the day with a pasta dinner,
watching the sun set over the Black Moun-
tains, and enjoying the solitude and silence
all around me.
I woke on October 18 feeling energized.
In the morning, I hiked the 9 miles to the high
saddle in the Black Mountains overlooking
Death Valley. Since I had another day to kill
waiting for Steve and Lawrence to pick me up
at the end of my hike, I decided to take a little
detour off the DT and climb Funeral Peak
(6384’). The hike was spectacular but hot,
and I burned through my water at an uncom-
fortable rate. I made it to the peak with about
a quart of water left. I ate my lunch and read
through the register - two of the seven entries
(dating back to 1994) were Desert Survivor
groups. By the time I got back to camp, I
realized that I had a water problem. I was
Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR
down to my last 3/4 gallon and still had an-
other day and night to go.
On October 19 I began my hike in the
cool morning, well before dawn, in order to
conserve water. The hike down Sheep Can-
yon was beautiful, with dramatic views of
Telescope Peak. I dropped
about 1200’ down a steep
ridge into the soft, sandy
streambed of Sheep Canyon.
Aside from a few minor
dryfalls, the hiking was pleas-
ant and easy. The Canyon
closes in at several places,
and the sheer cliffs and Utah-
esque erosional features in
these tighter spots make for
a dramatic descent.
I reached the bottom by
10:00 a.m. and had nothing
to do until Steve and
-Hall Newbegin
Lawrence picked me up the
next morning. So, I decided to find a shady
spot and read my book. However, when I sat
down, I found myself besieged by large,
aggressive and persistent flies. I would have
liked to hike away from the moist, shady area
where they hung out, but I was so low on
water I couldn’t afford to do anything but sit
there. I became obsessed with trying to kill
the flies, and nearly destroyed my book using
it as a swatter, when I realized that, no matter
how many I killed, more would take their
place. So I consigned myself to the incessant
buzzing and just lay there, trying to read,
eyeing my water and wondering how long it
would last.
When the sun started to go down I hiked
to the mouth of the canyon and - Bammm!
There it was, the wide open, panoramic heart
of Death Valley. The lowest point in the U.S.,
Badwater, was just north of me and the
towering Panamints, with majestic Telescope
peak (11,049’ ) dominating the skyline, were
7
 from the valley floor. They began with the
directly in front of me. The sky turned a dark
true, hardcore halophytes (i.e. salt fiends) on
purple as the sun went down. I went to sleep
the valley floor, dominated by atriplexes (“salt
a little thirsty and, in that foggy transitional
bushes,” named for their ability to store
state between consciousness and sleep, I
excess salt in their leaves). Higher, less
imagined that there were glacial streams
saline soil had pure stands of pickleweed.
running out of the Black Mountains, rippling
Finally, leaving the salty valley floor entirely,
right by my sleeping bag.
at the edge of the bajadas we found the
usual Mojavean suspects including creosote
Death Valley (Segment T): Death Valley NP and burrobush. All along the base of the
Hall Newbegin, Steve Tabor, Lawrence Panamints we found thick groves of Honey
Wilson Mesquite, which use their lengthy taproots to
In the morning of October 20, Steve and feed from deep springs. One botanical
Lawrence picked me up, and we raced off to anomaly was the huge stand of cattails in the
a gas station where there were cold root (not dry) dry lake around the old Eagle Borax
beers sitting in a giant barrel of ice - civiliza- Mine.
tion! The car shuttle took six hours, so we We unsuccessfully searched for evidence
didn’t start hiking until 3:30 p.m. of the Bennett-Arcane camp, where stranded
It quickly became apparent that the ‘49-ers spent an unpleasant winter ruing their
valley walking would not be as easy as I had decision to take a “shortcut”. We passed the
imagined. We made our way over an in- hottest part of the day at the lovely Eagle
creasingly thick crust of hard, dried mud with
foot-deep crenellations. We crossed a
couple of perfectly smooth, salt crusted
streamlets of the Amargosa, which con-
trasted beautifully against the fluffy dried
mudscape. Crossing the first streamlet,
though, we sank ankle deep into the wet silt.
After a difficult 3-hour walk across the valley,
we were glad to find a lovely sandy area
next to a mesquite grove for our camp.
On October 21, we headed north, follow-
ing the west edge of the valley at the foot of
the magnificent Panamints and enormous
bajadas. The temperatures got into the mid-
90’s, and it was very humid. We found
ourselves resting every 45 minutes or so,
even in the relative cool of the morning.
We encountered many different environ-
ments along the valley floor: salt crust, wet
mud, sand dunes, great flashflood channels,
arrowweed thickets, and wonderful mes-
quites for shade. We crossed through sev-
eral distinct plant communities, which corre-
sponded to the salinity gradient moving up -Hall Newbegin

8 The SURVIVOR Winter 2001

Borax mine site, laying in the shade of some
mesquite trees next to the cattail bog. We
sampled some of the musty, salty water from
Tule Spring. The scenery along this seg-
ment was absolutely gorgeous and the wide
open beauty of the valley was extremely
memorable.
Salt Creek (Segment U): Death Valley NP
Steve Tabor, Lawrence Wilson
After Lawrence and I finished the previ-
ous segment with Hall Newbegin, it took us
most of the day to set up our next car
shuttle. Finally, at 2:00 p.m. on October 22,
we were back on the salt crust. It was 95
degrees.
At first, we followed George Huxtable’s
route directly across the pan to the Blackwa-
ter fan. But our feet were already blistered
and battered from the previous trip and, after
an hour of hard going, I decided to stay off
the crust and instead hike the pebbly “shore-
line” at the interface between crusty salt and
rocky fan.
For the rest of the day we hiked the
easiest ground we could find, traveling from
mesquite tree to mesquite bush, using them
for shade. We used nylon umbrellas to keep
the sun off our heads. We were aided by
the late afternoon shadows from the
Panamint Range to the west as the sun fell.
We camped in a small mesquite grove and
were treated to a spectacular coyote chorus
from close range.
On October 23 we were on the trail right
after sunrise. We continued around the salt
pan on pebbly ground, stopping every 45
minutes or so to rest at mesquites. We saw
several foxholes, and a large marsh hawk
sailed by as we approached Blackwater fan.
It was a tough day rounding the rocky
Blackwater fan, threading between rocks
brought down by flashfloods and four-foot-
high salt crust and lake mud remnants from
ancient Lake Manly. Part of our route was
Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR
shadeless, and when we rested we had to sit
under our umbrellas. In the intense heat, on
a long run, I panicked, and led us full throttle
across the rocks to get into the shade.
When we got to the shade, I realized that we
could have stayed on course and followed
the “shore” all the way there. It would have
been ¼ mile longer, but it would have used
much less energy. We arrived at camp at
nightfall, tired and sweaty. We’d done 15
miles.
Next morning, we were down to ¾ of a
gallon of water each. We got up early and
hiked north toward Salt Creek. George’s
route required a long hike over rocky fans
directly toward Stovepipe Wells. Neither of
us wanted to undergo that ordeal with our
sore feet. Instead, we hiked partway across
the fan and into a near-barren landscape of
desert pavement, then down an easy wash
to the creek. We crossed the creek at the
old gauging station, beneath photogenic
cliffs of upturned lakebed. On the east side
of the creek, we followed an old wagon road
along a marsh of saltgrass, reeds and mes-
quites. There was good shade when we
needed it, well-spaced.
At 2:30, we stopped in the shade of some
huge mesquites. If we persisted walking in
the heat of the day directly into the sun, we’d
run out of water before we got to town. We
rested in the shade for two hours until the
sun dropped behind some clouds. An hour
before sunset, we began the last four miles
to Stovepipe. We started by winding along
the tops of the high Death Valley Dunes, but
that was tiring, so we soon dropped down to
the foredunes, where we had easier going.
We reached the ranger station at 7:00 p.m.,
with a last pint of water each. We celebrated
our ordeal with a big meal at the lodge and a
beer at the saloon.
continued on page 20
9
 Peril in the Panamints:
The McMullen Incident
by Dave McMullen
Anyone queer for maps would under-
stand. Anyone interested in the history of
miners and Native Americans would also
understand. To follow their old footpaths
over the crest of the Panamint Mountains
had been my quest since I first saw the
single dashed line marked on the 1952
USGS Telescope Peak 15 minute map.
Reading histories of their lives and times
heightened the sense of adventure I felt
whenever I reviewed that map, or passed by
that mountain range. Meeting descendants
of the Timbisha and Panamint Shoshone
also piqued my curiosity about the desert
places they once called home.
One place in particular, with its promise
of flowing water, fruit trees and grapevines,
walls of stone, and terraces drew my atten-
tion more than the others: Hungry Bill’s
Ranch. Named for a local Native American,
he, his family, and other tribe members had
used the site to grow fruits and vegetables.
They called it Puaitungani, or “mouse cave.”
Miners apparently moved in ahead of them
circa 1872 and commandeered its resources
for their own agriculture. The canyon cra-
dling this site now bears the last name of
one of these men, Albert Johnson. The
mines quickly went bust, and the miners
moved on. Hungry Bill returned and contin-
ued to use the area for many years after-
ward.
Tales from other hikers revealed that a
route from the west up Surprise Canyon and
over Panamint Pass to the ranch was well
established and well traveled. However, no
information was forthcoming about a south-
western trending route up toward Porter
Peak. The ranch is also accessible from the
10 The SURVIVOR
east via a hard rocky road from Death Valley
proper, followed by a short hike along the
canyon bottom.
Coming in that way in early May of 2000, I
easily found the ranch site, but was thwarted
by burro trails etched along the canyon’s
walls in my efforts to find the southwest leg .
Following several of them led me to dead
ends high up on bare ridges pockmarked
with dust wallows and dried burro dung. That
portion of the route from the ranch to an
unnamed pass near Porter Peak remained a
mystery to me.
Wanting to preview the route in prepara-
tion for a DS backpack, I headed out solo in
another attempt to locate the old route and
mark its path for my return in October. How-
ever, this time I would do it from the upper
end via Pleasant Canyon.
Using a borrowed 4WD truck I drove up
early on Saturday, September 1st. The way
in was gnarly at the lower end where the
road follows a water course - very rocky,
steep, and slippery. Riparian vegetation
crowded in on both sides as well, obscuring
my view. It took me well over an hour to
traverse the nine miles from Ballarat on the
floor of Panamint Valley (1200’) to where I
parked just below the Cooper Mine (6400’).
After breakfast I walked up the mine’s
access road, spent some time inspecting
several adits (mine entrances) and the inter-
esting geology, and then located a USGS
benchmark as a point of reference on the
map. Once oriented, I struck off for the trail,
but it wasn’t immediately noticeable where I
expected it to be. I continued in the direction
indicated on the map and found only scree,
Winter 2001
talus, and a few cairns strewn out among burned to the ground only two years ago had
brush and trees on a steep slope. Neverthe- many new healthy branches up to two feet
less I made it to where the supposed trail high.
crosses over a saddle into Happy Canyon to After a brief lunch and signing the register,
the north. I headed off to resume my trail search, hiking
From there I had a view of all of upper northward along the spine of the mountains to
Pleasant Canyon and almost the whole of the unnamed pass. The fire had burned along
upper Happy Canyon. The devastation this ridge line as well, coursing down the
caused by a forest fire that scorched the area eastern side of the mountains to the lower
in 1999 was plainly visible. The entire bowl- timberline. The entire face of the south fork of
shaped area of upper Happy Johnson Canyon was burned
Canyon is bare, save for the Every step was clear. An eerie landscape to
blackened skeletons of pinion brutal...It took me be in. At the pass I looked
and juniper trees, their dark over an hour to finish again for the route. With
nude trunks and branches that last bit of trail. some difficulty and traipsing
pointing skyward. The burn back and forth I spotted the
swept upward to the ridge between Happy trail. Old, faded, and not maintained, it was a
and Pleasant canyons where I was standing, barely visible line along the contour of the
but didn’t cross over. Pleasant Canyon main- hillside. I saw no prints of any kind on it and
tains its cover of arid verdancy. followed it downslope.
Along the ridge among the ebon trees At an open area covered with scree the
were patches of wildflowers, their bright trail gave out, or perhaps my eyes weren’t
colors offering stark contrast to the charcoal sensitive enough to follow it. Picking my way
and ashen landscape. I saw scattered stands as best I could along this jumble of loose
of yellow Nevada Viguiera (Viguiera multiflora rocks and gravel, I tried to stay true to the
nevadensis), dense clusters of Prickly Pop- map’s representation of the route. Soon a
pies (Argemone intermedia corymbosa) with rough rock outcrop impeded my way and I
their white crepelike petals dancing in the was forced to ski down the loose rocks in an
breeze, Desert Tobacco (Nicotiana attempt to get around it. There, several hun-
trigonophylla) with its long tubular creamy dred feet below, the trail was visible again,
white flowers, and dense round clumps of a and for the next several miles it was relatively
pink and yellow mimulus with pale blue green easy to follow.
leaves that were hairy and sticky. As my pace quickened I imagined how
Following the ridge eastward and keeping difficult it would have been to see the route
the burned area on my left, I soon came upon before the fire cleared the way. Blackened
the open quartz dome of Porter Peak at tree trunks and the charcoaled stumps of
9101’. Flames had licked the top, singeing bushes were standing smack dab in the
shrubs and charring rocks. Amazingly, bright middle of the trail, and dead branches
green Mountain Joint Firs (Ephedra viridis) crowded in from both sides. The little trodden

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 11

Peril in the Panamints, continued...
path was visible as it passed under these
branches for more than 20 feet in some
places. At first I tried stepping off the trail
and walking around these thickets, but found
the slope too steep and loose for safety, and
opted instead to bust my way through.
Those following in my footsteps will have an
easier go at it.
The trail so far had followed a roughly
northeast line along the eastern slope of the
mountains, dropping easily as it went along.
This changed abruptly at 6400’ where the
route began a 1000' plunge straight down a
soft drainage channel toward the bottom of
the canyon. The map shows only a few
switchbacks near the top. Here the trail
again vanished from my view.
I took a short break for water and
snacks, then began a swift descent, being
mindful the trail is supposed to leave the
drainage before hitting the bottom of
Johnson Canyon and cross over a rise to the
next drainage north. I found no trace of the
trail anywhere along this downward section,
the terrain being very steep and tracks easily
washed away.
Near the lower tree line a trail of sorts
became visible again. But it is confused with
many crisscrossing burro or game trails. I
again tried to stay true to the map’s course,
and soon came out on top of the rise be-
tween the two channels. There the trail
seemed to vanish once more. I rested again,
drinking water and eating snacks, staying for
a good twenty minutes, lying on my back,
with legs elevated and resting on my pack.
Realizing sunset was rapidly approach-
ing, I put away my gear, and consulted the
12 The SURVIVOR
map. Somewhere on this little rise was once
a path down to the next wash, then around
the opposite side straight into the ranch. For
the life of me, I could not find it. Walking
back and forth across the area several times,
I became frustrated. Looking across the
wash I could clearly see a well-trodden path
heading in the right direction. Another burro
trail perhaps? In the waning light I saw no
other, and elected to make my way into the
wash and to that path.
It’s 120 feet from the top of the rise to the
bottom of the wash. I saw only two ways
down. A loose dirt and gravel slope filled with
thorny brush that would put me in a thicket
once in the wash proper, or a steep rocky
face with considerable exposure to fall haz-
ards that put me right on the path. Back and
forth I paced, examining each as best I could
from above. Much to my later regret, I chose
the second option.
Making my way down the rocks was easy
at first, sidestepping this way and that, and
sometimes doubling back a few paces to find
a shorter stretch for my tired legs. I had to
use my hands a few times as well, to brace
my body and control my weight as I swung
around points of rock or leaned into a step-
off toward the next foothold. About two thirds
of the way down I found myself having to
choose between several undesirable direc-
tions. I paused there a moment, grumbling
inwardly about how impossible it would be
for me to lead folks up this way. In that
moment the choice was made for me.
The rock I was standing on, about the size
of a dining room chair, began to roll out from
under me. I quickly grabbed another rock
Winter 2001
with my right hand, but it too let go. Exple-
tives issuing forth, I crashed hard on the
ground below, then tumbled further down
the slope toward the bottom. As if in slow
motion I can recall my attempts to avoid all
the rocks falling with me. Twisting and
turning to keep an eye on them, yet trying
to watch where I was falling, we somehow
managed to avoid each other.
When I came to a stop against a small
bush, I curled up, covered my head and
listened for the dirt, gravel, and rocks to
halt as well. They soon did, and I began to
assess my condition. Taking off my pack, I
stretched out as best I could and elevated
my legs. I stayed there for a few minutes
letting my heart rate and breathing slow
down. Soon I felt a throbbing pain in my left
ankle. Still on the slope, and not able to
fully stretch out, I decided to scoot down on
my behind to the bottom of the wash.
Luckily this was easily accomplished
across loose sand and small rocks. Once
there I reassessed my situation. I had
about one pint of water left, a very sore
ankle I couldn’t stand on, darkness was
falling fast, there was little room to lie
down, I was in the bottom of a wash, and
there was approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile
between me and Hungry Bill’s. I knew there
was water at the ranch. All the reports I’d
read or heard indicated there was a peren-
nial stream flowing there. Also, I knew there
was plenty of open ground to camp on, with
trees for shelter from the sun.
I decided to not let my adrenaline edge
fade and to make my way hastily toward
the ranch. After popping some ibuprofen
Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR
and putting on my head lamp, I tried to hoist
up my pack. It was then I discovered that
during the fall one of the shoulder straps had
torn away from an anchor point. I cinched it
up as best I could and hobbled off into the
night.
Every step was brutal. The ground was
uneven, and loose rocks I’d have disre-
garded before suddenly became obstacles
needing thoughtful negotiation. Small rises
became barricades I had to figure out a way
around or over. It took me over an hour to
finish that last bit of trail.
A full moon was rising and begining to
flood the canyon in soft light. In its beams
the ranch site with its old stone walls was a
welcome view. I halted just above it and
quietly asked the Timbisha permission to
stay there for as long as I needed. Without
further ado, I climbed down and over a break
in the wall, grabbed up a dead branch for
support and thrashed my way through the
brush to where I hoped the flowing water
would be.
As I approached, a burro snorted through
the darkness. “To hell with you,” I replied, “I
need the water now.” I hardly noticed the
retreating sound of its hoofs as I pressed
forward. Sure enough, in the location I’d
seen over a year ago, beneath overhanging
fig trees and grape vines was a steadily
flowing stream about three inches deep and
two feet wide.
Painfully stepping through the tangle of
branches, I made my way to the creek’s
edge, took the boot and sock off the throb-
bing joint and plunged it into the cool water.
Damn, that felt good. I lay back on the moist
13
 Peril in the Panamints, continued...

earth and breathed a sigh of relief. For some instant calm and gave me a sense of rever-
time I simply lay there letting my foot chill in ence for the place.
the water. Then I got out my water filter and The bottle filled slowly, but when it was
began refilling my empty jug. full I packed it and the filter away and pre-
This gave me time to meditate on my pared to find a place to sleep. In the process
situation. How in the hell did I manage to my support pole shattered. It happened, of
screw up my ankle? How bad was the in- course, just when I needed it most. Losing
jury? Luckily, nothing else was bothering me my balance, I leaned fully on it and quickly
save for scrapes on my hands, arms, chest, found myself face to face with the dirt floor of
and legs. Would I be able to walk out tomor- Hungry Bill’s ranch. I laugh about it now, but
row? The next day? There would be plenty believe me, there was plenty of cursing going
of water for me here if I had to stay. If I didn’t on just then. Out loud. (My apologies to the
return home Monday night, when would a Timbisha.) When that happened, I just
search and rescue mission likely be initi- plopped down right there adjacent to one of
ated? Thankfully I’d left an itinerary with my the many surviving fig trees. Not as level as
wife so if someone had to come looking for I’d like, but it would have to do, at least for
me they’d know where to look. How much one night. Pulling out my tarp, pad and bag, I
food did I bring? All these thoughts and stuffed the rest of my gear back in the pack
many more I reviewed over and over again, and used it to elevate my ankle, then climbed
but none as much as concern over the into the bag and tried to doze off.
ankle.
Soon, however, bats began flying around To be continued…
me, snatching up bugs attracted by the
headlamp I’d hung on a branch above. I’ve
only been that close to a flying bat once
many years ago in an old mine shaft. Here,
two or three were harvesting dinner in mid
air right before my eyes, seemingly oblivious
to my presence, except they were very
careful to avoid hitting me. I could hear their
wingbeats and the air rushing across their
bodies as they glided by my head. One flew
so close to my face I could feel the air cur-
rents as it passed by. Several times I
watched as one or two sipped from the
stream right next to my foot while in flight.
This impromptu aerial ballet brought me

14 The SURVIVOR Winter 2001

 PANAMINT VALLEY LANDSCAPE THREATENED
BRIGGS GOLD MINE WANTS TO EXPAND AGAIN
By Bob Ellis
An environmental assessment is being
prepared for an application to do extensive
exploratory drilling in the Panamint Moun-
tains southwest of Telescope Peak. The
Briggs Mine, operating a heap leach open pit
gold mine in the southern Panamint Valley,
Few landscapes in
California have the vast
grandeur of Panamint Valley.
now wants to expand northward several
miles as far as Pleasant Canyon. The drill-
ing activity would create roads and drill pads
which will permanently scar the now-un-
marked face of the Panamints in full view
from the Slate Range Crossing on Highway
178.
Few landscapes in California have the
vast grandeur of Panamint Valley. Eleven
thousand foot Telescope Peak in Death
Valley National Park tops the range with the
1800' Panamint dry lake at its foot. More
than nine thousand feet in a few miles. Most
Death Valley visitors are awed as they en-
counter the valley driving from Ridgecrest
and Trona north over the Slate Range. Just
at the pass the range rises ahead, wrinkled
canyon after canyon plunging down from the
crest. Here the Argus Range is to the left,
the Panamints to the right, and the valley
opens northward, culminating at the
Panamint Dunes, miles and miles away in
the distance. This is an immense land-
scape, a colossal viewscape, a precious
natural aesthetic resource.
Exploratory drilling would cut roads into
this face in several places directly across
Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR
from the Slate Range pass. Visitors would
be confronted with the damage of senseless
gold mine scars for the rest of our lifetimes.
The BLM generally does not rate dramatic
views as something which would ever be
valued more than the potential return of a
short-lived mine. A large outcry will have to
be heard. The value of a view will have to
be loudly defined, defended, and that value
repeated over and over again.
The value of a view will
have to be loudly defined
and defended.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
A N
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
CT OW
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Now is the time to get
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
involved. Contact the BLM
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
about the Briggs Mine Explora-
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
tion Environmental Assessment.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Write, fax or phone:
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Hector Villalobos, Field Manager
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
BLM, Ridgecrest Field Office
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
300 S. Richmond Road
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Telephone: (760) 384-5400
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Fax: (760) 384-5499
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
www.ca.blm.gov/
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
ridgecrest
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
15
Crunch Time in the Mojave...
continued from page 1
“We need to tell the story of the tortoise.”
demanding necessary recovery measures
under this administration. We continue to
oppose the expansion of Fort Irwin as taking
desert tortoise lands for unnecessary tank
training.
We also hate to see the desert being
managed for the benefit of only one species,
even if the measures taken for that species
benefit many others as
well. Finally, we’re
starting to see some
backlash as the OHV
folks get more orga-
nized and as some
deliberately violate
closure areas.
So what can we
do? We need to tell
the story of the tor-
toise. We need to let
our urban friends with
SUVs know that there
is a problem out there
in the desert. The BLM
must start to hear from average people who
are concerned. People who go to the desert
for peace and quiet, not vehicular noise and
dust. People who want to take back-road
drives in their SUVs and see untrammeled
landscapes, not eroded “play” routes and
the denuded areas surrounding watering
troughs for exotic species. People who
want to occasionally camp away from an
organized campground, not a staging area
blasted by those emitting their “piss and
vinegar.” People who drive out for a day
16 The SURVIVOR
hike and want to have a chance to see some
wildlife, not motorized thrill seekers.
SUV people are our allies. They are not
represented on BLM Advisory panels, they
are not an organized “partner” in desert
management; but they are a growing group
interested in a peaceful desert. It’s in our
interest to find ways to engage them.
ACT NOW
Educate yourself and
your friends about the
the threats facing the
Desert Tortoise.
Useful web sites:
Desert Tortoise Pre-
serve Committee,
www.tortoise-
tracks.org
Center for Biological
-Janet Johnson Diversity,
www.sw-center.org/
swcbd/goldenstate/
cdca
NEMO: Northern and Eastern Mojave -
area north of I-40 and east of Baker to the
Colorado River. Comments closed on draft
plan 11/1/01 - Final EIR early 2002.
NECO: Northern and Eastern Colorado --
area south of I-40 and east of Joshua Tree
Park to theColorado River. Comments
closed on draft plan 11/1/01 - Final EIR early
2002.
WEMO: West Mojave - area west of Baker
and northwest of Joshua Tree to Palmdale
and Ridgecrest. No draft out yet, maybe in a
year.
Winter 2001
 DESERT SURVIVORS FILES PROTEST ON CADIZ PROJECT
FINAL EIR
By Bob Ellis
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
Background
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
The Cadiz Project proposes to mine up to two million acre feet of ancient groundwater
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
from beneath the Mojave north of Joshua Tree National Park. USGS and San Bernar-
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
dino County reviewed the proposal and found that recharge rates for the aquifers
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
would be 10-15 times less than claimed by Cadiz. The role of groundwater in support-
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
ing the Mojave ecosystem is not fully understood.
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012
123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012

On November 5th, Desert Survivors filed
a formal protest of the Cadiz Project Final
EIR with the BLM headquarters in Washing-
ton. The BLM’s preferred alternative for this
project would disturb 12 miles of pristine
desert lands with a pipeline, maintenance
road, and five story powerline.
Desert Survivors protested that the EIR
did not fully analyze reasonable alternative
routes which would use existing utility corri-
dors and existing disturbed right-of-ways as
mandated by the 1980 California Desert
Protection Plan. We also protested the
scheme used to rank alternative routes,
which improperly valued historic landscapes
and cultural sites and actually was set up to
choose the cheapest alternative, regardless
of impact. In addition we protested the lack
of an alternative which used nearby natural
gas for powering the wells, rather than the
proposed 35 mile long five-story electric
powerline.
Desert Survivors also signed on as a
participant in a multi-group protest filed by
the Western Environmental Law Center.
This protest is a fairly comprehensive pack-
age which addresses many environmental
and procedural deficiencies in the Final EIR.
Once the protests are “resolved” by the BLM,
a Record of Decision will be issued. Unless
our protests are successful, this would result
in the BLM approving an amendment in the
1980 Desert Plan to allow the Cadiz Project
an exemption from the requirement to use
an existing utility corridor for facilities like
this.
The next step will be an effort to dissuade
the members of the Board of the Metropoli-
tan Water District (MWD) from voting in favor
of the Cadiz Project. We feel that it is a bad
business decision to get involved in a project
which will cost the southern California water
rate payers more than twice as much for
water than they are paying now.
It is quite possible that this project will
result in a lawsuit if the very real environ-
mental questions about this proposal are not
resolved. Desert Survivors has been oppos-
ing this project from the inception and will
continue to do so. Stay tuned.
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
A CT N
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
OW
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
If you live in Southern California, please
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
consider sending a letter to your repre-
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
sentatives on the MWD. For a complete
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
list of MWD Board members by city, go
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
to www.mwd.dst.ca.us/mwdh2o/pages/
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
board/bio01.html. For more information
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
on the Cadiz project, see the Spring
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
2000 Survivor.
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789
1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123456789

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 17

 Issues Watch – December 2001
By Janet Johnson
Military: Fort Irwin
On October 16th, the Department of De-
fense posted a Notice of Intent to Prepare a
Supplemental Draft EIS (DEIS) for the Fort
Irwin expansion. The DEIS is expected to be
ready by December 2002. Written comments
were being accepted until December 29th.
More public comments will be solicited after
the DEIS is released.
Significant issues include impacts to two
listed endangered species: the desert tor-
toise and the Lane Mountain milkvetch.
Additional concerns have been raised over
the military’s proposed expansion into parts
of the Silurian and Superior Valleys, as well
as impacts to air quality,
noise (aircraft/
range firing), soil
erosion, water
quality, and
cultural re-
sources. The
-Janet Johnson DEIS will consider
new alternatives
consisting of various configurations of land to
the east, west and south of the existing
boundaries and also utilizing land within Fort
Irwin boundaries that is currently off limits to
mechanized training. A no action alternative
(continue operations with existing ranges and
facilities) will also be evaluated.
Desert Survivors, in coalition with
thirteen other conservation groups, sent a
letter to members of the Senate and House
Armed Services Committees voicing our
concerns regarding the Defense Authoriza-
tion legislation. The coalition stated its oppo-
sition to the Fort Irwin expansion as pro-
posed, citing the threat to endangered spe-
18 The SURVIVOR
cies and wilderness areas. Members of
Congress, including Senators Dianne
Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and Represen-
tative Barbara Lee, were receptive to our
concerns and also raised concerns of their
own. Representative Susan Davis (D-CA),
along with eleven other members of the
House, sent a letter to those members of
Congress who will be part of the conference
for the Defense Authorization legislation. The
letter expressed their desire to protect desert
wildlife and its critical habitat as well as
potential wilderness areas, while meeting the
needs of specific types of military training.
Military withdrawal of public land will
continue to be an issue to monitor. Even
before the events of September 11th, a move-
ment was underway within the Defense
Department to ask Congress to rewrite the
Endangered Species Act and other laws to
give the military greater freedom to train and
conduct exercises in areas where there are
threatened or endangered species. The
military would like the Secretary of Defense
to be able t o grant exemptions “for reasons
of military readiness.” Military officials are
said to be frustrated by growing friction be-
tween these protections and training exer-
cises on California’s military bases – includ-
ing Fort Irwin.
Mining
Of grave concern is the Interior
Department’s recent reversal on the pro-
posed Glamis Imperial Mine in Imperial
County. The proposal would put an open-pit,
cyanide heap leach gold mine on 1,571 acres
of BLM land near Indian cultural and religious
sites. Under Clinton-era mining regulations,
Winter 2001

the Interior Secretary had the authority to
prohibit new mine sites on federal
land where they could cause
lasting harm to communities and
the environment. Secretary Bab-
bitt used this power to block the
proposal, stating that sites sacred
to the Quechan Tribe would be
irreparably harmed by opening the
mine. The Secretary’s authority to
make that decision has now been
overturned by the Bush adminis-
tration. This action could revive
the proposed gold mine.
The Western Mining Action
Project has filed a protest with Shining Milkvetch
-Gerald and Buff Corsi,
the Department of the Interior to California Academy of Sciences StevTabor@aol.com. Watch also
halt the patenting of 672.5 acres
of mining claims associated with the Cima
Cinder Mine inside the Mojave National
Preserve. If the Interior Department issues a
full patent, the land will leave park ownership
and become private land.
Grazing
On November 29th, the director of the
Department of the Interior’s Office of Hear-
ings and Appeals reinstated a grazing ban on
500,000 acres of High Desert habitat in the
Mojave for the threatened desert tortoise.
Landfill
The proposed giant landfill at Eagle
Mountain, covering 2,300 acres directly
adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, is on
hold as project opponents wait for a legal
ruling giving them standing to sue. If the
judge rules that they have standing, they will
file suit against the National Park Service.
Sandboarding
JT Reynolds, new superintendent of
Death Valley National Park, has informed the
Center for Biological Diversity that he intends
to close the Eureka Dunes to sandboarding.
This is a step that the previous superinten-
Winter 2001
dent repeatedly refused to take. The dunes
are in designated wilderness and are home
to the endangered Swallenia
alexandrae (Eureka Valley dune
grass) as well as the threatened
Astragalus lentiginosus var micans
(shining milk vetch).
Issues Group
The monthly Issues Group has
ceased to meet. Monthly issues
updates will still be prepared and
distributed to members wishing to
receive them. If you would like to
be placed on the Issues Update
mailing list, please contact Steve
Tabor at 510-769-1706 or
for expanded issues coverage on
the Desert Survivors website, which is being
redesigned and should be online by January
31.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Desert Survivors Needs
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
You!
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
We need more members to provide
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
content -- articles and illustrations -- for
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
the Survivor and the DS website
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
(www.desert-survivors.org).
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
If you are interested in contributing
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
desert-related content, design elements
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
or ideas to The SURVIVOR or the
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
website, please send your articles,
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
artwork, photographs, news, trip re-
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
ports, letters and poems to Jessica
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Rothhaar, Editor.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
* Please provide written materials
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
via email to:
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Jessica@RothhaarCom.com.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
* Photos and artwork may be pro-
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
vided via email or hard copy to: 6710
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
Schmidt Lane, El Cerrito, CA 94530.
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234567890
The SURVIVOR 19
Desert Trail Relay, continued....

Marble Canyon (Segment V): Death Valley NP Cottonwood Mountains (Segment W): Death
Bob Lyon, Steve Tabor, Lawrence Wilson Valley NP
We hiked up the the Cottonwood Canyon Bob Lyon, Sally Greensill, Skip Smith, Mike
Yantos
fan on October 26, resting underneath our
This 16-mile route crosses two valleys
umbrellas as there was little shade. This
and two ridges at the west end of Death
segment was awash in flashflood evidence.
Valley National Park. The
Mudcracks and flow
group found pictographs
marks were everywhere.
at the “petroglyph site”
At the mouth of Cotton-
shown on the map at the
wood were giant piles of
south end of Sand Flat,
fresh rock, and big
and enjoyed beautiful
swathes of flood-swept
views of the limestone
terraces now encased in
bands on the east side of
hard adobe mud. We
the flat as they climbed
camped just inside the
above it on the north side
canyon mouth.
of the valley. They
On October 27, we camped on the ridge
hiked the length of between Sand Flat and
Marble Canyon, camping Hidden Valley. Numerous
at the confluence with limestone, quartzite and
Dead Horse Canyon. dolomite layers and the
Marble is an outstanding faulting and tilting of the
nine miles of dolomite layers give variety to the
narrows, colorful lime- landscape.
stone layers, faulted
Once again, a long car
canyon walls, and amaz-
ing flashflood deposits, shuttle slowed things
down at the start, but the
complete with driftwood
group still finished in less
piles several feet high.
than 2 days. This short
Close to nightfall, we did
segment would be best
a short hike up Dead
coupled with the Marble
Horse to get water, which
Canyon Segment, to cut
was ample, even this late
down on shuttle time.
in the season.
There is reliable water in
On October 28 we hiked Dolomite Narrows -Paul Brickett
Dead Horse Canyon, about
up the remainder of Marble two days into the Marble, that would make
Canyon, enjoying the cottonwood trees and things easy.
grapevine patches. More vegetation came in
toward the end, with lots of Mojavean and
Racetrack Valley (Segment X): Death Valley
Great Basin species, such as joshua trees NP
and bitterbrush. When we rounded the last Steve Tabor, Bill Spreng, Spencer Berman,
bend, we saw Sally Greensill’s red 4WD Lois Grunwald, Lawrence Wilson, Skip Smith,
parked on the hill at the road end. By driving Theresa Johnson, Dina Robertson
in that far, Sally saved us from an eleven-mile The first few miles on November 2 were
hike up onto Hunter Mountain and along its easy, mostly on sandy valley with few rocks.
top on a boring dirt road.

20 The SURVIVOR Winter 2001

The Racetrack is flanked by beautiful banded views to the east of Tin Mountain rising high
limestone on both sides. The classic Ordovi- above us.
cian sequence of Antelope Valley Limestone The next day’s hike was a long one
(gray), Eureka Quartzite (creamy white) and across the incredibly rocky fan, then crossing
Ely Springs Dolomite (black) rose high on the the soft pumice of the Ubehebe Volcanic
left near Ubehebe Mine. Wonderful altocu- Field and passing by Little Hebe Crater.. It
mulus clouds filled the sky. would have been easier to hike out the valley
Late in the day, we crossed a low pass along Racetrack Road, but we were here for
between Racetrack Valley and Round Valley wilderness. The whole morning we clattered
to the north. I wanted to take the group over up and down across the rocks. Luckily, there
to another low pass to the west, where we were no sprained ankles or twisted knees.
would have a view down into Corridor Can- Grey clouds hung to the north, and
yon and across Saline Valley to the Nelson strange bulbous cloud formations holding a
Range. But it was getting late and the group great deal of water drooped down from
was itching to set up camp, so we dropped them. Shadows rose and fell on the peaks to
down into Round the west. It was
Valley. Gradually, we became aware that the
great hiking
On November lower sky to the northeast was turning red weather. We
3, we got up early in spots...It was the Northern Lights! got to the cars
and hiked quickly at 1:45 p.m., and
north across Round Valley, heading for “Line the storm broke up as we drove out.
Canyon”. In the canyon, we were treated to a
beautiful wall of Lost Burro Formation on the Eureka Dunes (Segment Y): Death Valley NP
left, banded light and dark gray. It was Bob Ellis, Lawrence Wilson, Skip Smith, Mike
straight as an arrow, with high vaulted cliffs Tedeschi, Lynne Brei
that got higher as we proceeded. Gray Heading north from Ubehebe Crater
limestone on the right side contained an under partly cloudy skies on November 5, we
abundance of fossils. crossed pumice and ash sands and dropped
We hiked the canyon for three miles, then down into the main channel of Death Valley
proceeded eastward along a tributary. We Wash. Early September rains had run down
came to the top of the Tin Mountain Land- the wash, making the bottom firm and
slide, a 50-100 thousand year old agglomera- untracked. New growth foliage was dotted
tion of material that slid off the west face of here and there, brightening the generally dry
Tin Mountain, burying Racetrack Valley and dun-colored landscape. The route was easy
the east side of the Last Chance Range. The to follow and the hiking quite pleasant, al-
surface of the slide is hummocky, and there though warm enough to cause us to con-
are several dry lakes on top at almost 6000'. sume water at a good rate.
It was a strange topsy-turvy world of That evening we stopped part way up the
mixed-up drainage, with plants that seemed alluvial fan heading westward up into the Last
out of place. This part of the Park gets 90- Chance Mountains. By 6:30 p.m. we were
degree days during summer, but it snows in watching the stars from our sleeping bags.
winter and can be bitterly cold. We hiked Gradually, we became aware that the lower
down a long canyon as the sun set, and sky to the northeast was turning red in spots.
camped at the edge of huge fans coming We stared, amazed, as it grew brighter and
down from Dry Mountain. We had great vertical bands began to appear, pulsing and

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 21

shifting in posi-
tion and bright-
ness. We
speculated
about a terrorist
attack on the
Nevada Test
Site and some
new Area 51
secret weapon
extravaganza. I
had been lucky
enough to see a
similar effect in
Eureka Dunes
the Mojave this last
March. It was the northern lights! After an
hour or so the reds faded and a white glow
remained for quite some time. It was quite a
treat.
On November 6, we entered canyon
country. The Desert Trail twisted upward
through two different limestone narrows as
we approached the southern crest of the Last
Chance Range. In the second narrows, as
we passed a reddish limestone belt of late
Cambrian Pogonip formation, we spotted a
group of Dedeckera eurekensis. This mem-
ber of the buckwheat family was only discov-
ered in 1972 by the late Mary Dedeckera.
Only about 15 populations have been re-
corded, and this wasn’t one of them. It had
about forty plants scattered on the steep
north-facing scree slopes here on the eastern
side of the Last Chance Range. We took
some pictures and after the trip I stopped in
at the Death Valley botanist’s office to record
the new finding.
By early afternoon we were over the
crest. We climbed a small rise, hoping for a
view of the dunes, but could only see a
portion of Eureka Valley. To the south the
imposing bulk of Marble Peak filled the sky-
line. We made a rapid descent down a
twisting wash to Dedeckera Canyon and the
Eureka Saline jeep corridor, where we
camped.
22 The SURVIVOR
On the
morning of
November 7
we paraded
down the can-
yon for the
grand view of
the Eureka
Dunes. We
bee-lined to the
northeast cor-
ner, got our
boots sandy,
and spotted some
-Dan Seneres
of the endangered
Swallenia alexandrae (Eureka Valley dune
grass) as well as the threatened Astragalus
lentiginosus var micans (shining milk vetch).
The birdcages of prior years’ evening prim-
rose were scattered on the benches of the
lower dunes. A short march around the
northern end of the dunes brought us to the
cars. This is another good route: washes,
canyons, narrows, high views and, best of all,
that pile of sand.
Last Chance Range (Segment Z): Death
Valley NP
Jessica Rothhaar, Lawrence Wilson, Skip
Smith, Mike Tedeschi, Lynne Brei, Ron Cohen,
Dan Seneres, Nick Vasquez
November 8 brought yet another long car
shuttle. A “Road Closed” sign forced us to
take the long way around to Cucomungo
Canyon Road. When we got there, we found
Cucomungo Canyon Road washed out, and
had to leave our car 5 miles from the end of
our route. The yellow hazard sign in the
canyon had been modified to read simply
“Dang Washout” - our sentiments exactly.
We started walking from the Dunes at
1:30 p.m. under a brilliant blue sky. We
headed straight up the alluvial fan toward a
low saddle in the Last Chance Range. From
the Dunes, the slopes of the fan seemed
covered in a red mist. As we got closer, we
Winter 2001
saw that the mist was actually knee-high
thickets of dry desert trumpet, whose many
delicate branches were interlaced in a sea of
color. Though we could have driven to the
Crater mine site and started our hike from
there, I would not have missed the beautiful
views back to the golden dunes and the high
valleys around them. From the saddle, we
dropped into an unnamed wash and followed
it north. Night fell, and we camped at a
broad, rocky spot in the wash, just south of
the road to Crater. The night was clear
and cold, and the
stars were great.
Next morning,
our route took us
past the Crater
mine and up a
canyon, and we
started our climb in
earnest. This was
good, hard uphill
walking, with plenty
of shade from
pinyon and juniper.
We made it to
the first saddle, at
7200’, by 12:30
and took a leisurely Lawrence Wilson, Sweetie the Desert Bear, Skip Smith and
Jessica Rothhaar on Last Chance Mountain
lunch, enjoying the
views back to the Dunes and the valleys,
lolling about in the shade. From here, we
hiked 2.2 hard miles along the ridge over a
series of five peaks, each one higher than
the last, culminating in Last Chance Moun-
tain at 8456’. The hiking was challenging,
and the views were glorious. To the west,
we could see Eureka Valley and the snow-
covered peaks of the Inyos. To the east,
valleys and ranges spread as far as we
could see. Thick groves of pinyon and juni-
per sometimes made navigation challenging.
We enjoyed the last ½ hour of daylight at
the peak of Last Chance Mountain, admiring
the shadows cast on the ridges below us.
Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR
As the light faded, we descended a very steep
slope of loose rock in time to make camp in
the next saddle just before dark. Our camp
had good views to the east and west and
plenty of flat spots. Our water froze that night.
On November 10, we continued along
the ridge, hiking up and down a series of
short, steep peaks and saddles. Most of the
saddles would make good camps, having
plenty of flat spots and soft pine duff. The
navigating got a bit tricky, the guide book a bit
unclear, and I took us down the wrong ridge to
Willow Spring,
descending more
steeply than we
need have done.
When we
headed down the
mountain we
also lost contact
with Dan, who
had been slowed
by knee trouble
and who had
gotten off route.
He had a GPS
and I knew he
would find his
way, but it was
- Dan Seneres unnerving.
In fact, Dan beat us down to Willow
Spring, where Steve Tabor and four other
Survivors were waiting to join us for the final 2
miles to the border. We reached the Nevada
border at 1:56 pm and cracked a bottle of
champagne. Then we hoofed it five miles
back down the canyon on the jeep trail to
where Steve and the others had parked. We
drove back to Eureka Dunes in the twilight,
tired and footsore but satisfied. This is a
great segment. It has wonderful scenery,
huge views and challenging hiking.
In the evening, we enjoyed a potluck meal
and celebrated the successful completion of
the Desert Trail Relay through California.
23
 BLM, WHERE’S THE WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT PLAN?
By Bob Ellis
Recently the BLM proposed to allow a
commercial group to run wilderness trips into
the Inyo Mountains Wilderness. The 1964
Wilderness Act discourages any commercial
use of wilderness areas unless necessary for
recreational wilderness purposes. In the
recent Wilderness Implementation Schedule
(WIS) “plan” for managing the Inyo Wilder-
ness, the Ridgecrest BLM promised that no
commercial activities would be permitted in
the Inyos until a formal wilderness manage-
ment plan with public input was adopted.
Based upon this, the commercial groups
permit is being appealed.
The BLM chose not to include wilderness
planning in its recent NEMO, NECO, WEMO
planning process. It currently has no sched-
ule to create wilderness management plans
for the 69 wilderness areas created by the
1994 Desert Protection Act. Maybe its time
to ask WHY NOT?
24 The SURVIVOR
Planning efforts like this are a big job;
they are costly in staff time and money.
However not doing plans leaves the interpre-
tation of the proper level of protection for
wilderness up to the individual manager’s
latest interpretation of a fairly complex set of
regulations and precedents. We start to see
wilderness protections eroded. More guz-
zlers are proposed, more commercial uses
are permitted, more areas are developed
without proper inventory of what is there.
Particularly in the Inyos, complete archaeo-
logical and historic inventories must be com-
pleted before any added activities are permit-
ted there. The unique sensitive resources of
the area are already being carried away by
visitors.
How about it BLM? Where’s the Wilder-
ness Plan?
April Nellson, Robert Armstrong and
Ella Mental atop Waucoba Mountain
(11,123’) in the Inyos , pointing to the
eastern Sierra (1998)
- Jessica Rothhaar
Winter 2001
Spring Along the Escalante, continued from back page...
the historic Bowington Road (really a trail)
back across the Escalante, and again up a
sweeping slickrock route to the mesa top;
finally, we reached the trailhead.
More of the same on days three and four
- down another shallow dry wash called
Phipps. It quickly became Phipps Gorge, and
we walked its whole length to the Escalante
River. Along the way were several great
pour-offs and a marvelous arch to climb up to
– Phipps Arch, of course. We continued
tracking down the Escalante and several
crossings later, made camp at the mouth of
Deer Creek. On the morning of day four, we
explored Deer Canyon, and climbed up to
and through Bowington Arch. There are
some ghosts in these canyons: Phipps and
Bowington were friends and ranching part-
ners. In 1878, they had a falling out. Their
disagreement came to a head on this very
upper Escalante, with Phipps attacking
Bowington and the latter shooting (and killing)
Phipps. Bowington was later acquitted on
grounds of self-defense. We thought about
all this as we exited the Escalante via a
hidden exit route (so well hidden we almost
didn’t find it) up to the mesa. After a mere
five more miles across the mesa, we did
manage to find our vehicles.
Day six, and it’s 35 degrees F at the
trailhead, but at least it’s stopped snowing.
We have just passed the inverted airplane
fuselage that marks the Boulder International
Airport (and UFO landing site). We are at the
upper east end of the Boulder Mail Trail, an
ancient Indian route across mesa, gorge and
slickrock, 16 miles to Escalante. In 1902, it
became a twice-a-week mail route; the mail-
man was paid $200/year: that’s $1.92 per
round trip. Lonely cowboys walked the route
to go to dances in Boulder and Escalante. In
1924, a telephone line was strung along the
route. The California Conservation Corps
Winter 2001
road building programs of the 1930s finally
made the mail trail obsolete, and left it to
people like us. The route, mostly over open
slickrock, descends and climbs out of numer-
ous washes and canyons. The best of these
is Death Hollow - big time deep, very narrow
and, thanks to a perennial creek, choked with
riparian growth. As we start our descent into
this awesome maw, right on schedule, the
clouds and rain come running out to meet us.
Halfway down, a huge alcove gets in our
way. Since it’s already late (3 pm), we crash
in this snug dry place. We spend a short but
memorable afternoon watching sheets of rain
play off the vertical gorge walls opposite.
Our last morning, and we are learning
what “riparian” means. We are tiptoeing
through about a half-mile of gorge bottom
jungle trail. We tiptoe because of concern
about these fresh new waxy sprouts that
almost totally cover the trail - a green hell of
poison ivy ! By mid afternoon, we are high up
on the open slickrock. All along the route,
one can follow the intermittent telephone line:
here it’s carried by an old tree snag through a
weather-tarnished porcelain insulator; here
it’s still stretched tight across an open stretch
of smooth slickrock; now it lies on the ground
surrounded by many parallel grooves, all
worn into the sandstone by the wire’s flapping
through 75 years of Colorado Plateau winds.
Clouds are again building up, soon followed
by a light drizzle. Now, through the mist, we
can make out the green fields surrounding
Escalante Town, some 1000 ft below us. Who
was it who said “rain enhances?” He’s right!
The final slickrock descent to the
Escalante River is a true joy - the smell of wet
sandstone, the now vividly colored domes,
pinnacles, abutments, drop-offs, and other
landforms that just don¹t have words to de-
scribe them. It’s serious rain by the time we
reach the vehicles, but by now it doesn’t
matter: we really own this place, at least in
the memory banks of our minds.
The SURVIVOR 25
 Road Trip:
Three Mountains and Three Springs in Nevada
By Bill Johansson
Every summer since ’95 I’ve been taking
road trips to Nevada. My interest in Nevada
began after my 1992 Easter trip to Death
Valley via Lida Summit. I was struck by the
snowcapped peaks of Magruder Mountain
and the mysterious feel of the land. I’ve come
back again and again, first to climb Magruder,
which took 2 tries. Since then I have found it
fascinating to discover hidden springs in the
desert, climb other mountains with great
views, and find petroglyphs, wildflowers, and
semi-precious stones.
This summer, my parents, my friend Louie
and I headed out through Fallon to Big
Kasock Mountain. I had seen this peak on my
relief map and it called me. From U.S. 50 we
turned south on route 839 towards the ghost
town of Rawhide. We hiked from below
5,800’ to the southeastern peak of the moun-
tain at 6,722’. From here we could see the
mountain’s highest peak at 7,142’. The
climb was rather steep at times, so we
stopped short of the summit, but the climb
down was easy!
We continued east on Hwy 50, then took
a detour along picturesque Highway 722, up
Carroll Summit to Tonopah. The green along
the Reese River Valley was amazing.
The next day we hiked from 5400’ to the
top of Monitor Peak (6,374’), southeast of
Tonopah. The mountainside was sandy and
hard to climb up, but a cushion to the feet on
the way down. From the top we could see
Ralston Valley to the west, the Monitor Hills
to the south, Hwy 6 to the north and moun-
tains and hills on the horizon. We were high
enough to identify all the surrounding peaks
on the map. From the top our van looked like
a little speck.
26 The SURVIVOR
Next, we headed northeast to look at
Lunar Crater and Easy Chair Crater, in
Nevada’s “Moon Country.” Lunar Crater, 6
miles on a dirt road from Hwy 6, is impressive
– 420 feet deep and nearly 4,000 feet in
diameter. The entire area has a purplish
haze, perhaps because of its volcanic nature.
On our way back we hiked to Iceberg Spring,
which can be seen from the highway.
The following day, we headed to Palmetto
Mountain. We drove almost to Lida Summit,
then started hiking. Our goal was to get high
enough to take a panoramic picture of
Magruder Mountain from the north. The view
was almost perfect. Returning to the car, we
then went to find Kline Spring. We were able
to find the road off the highway without any
problems, and began following a dry wash
“flowing” east. The wash was flowing in the
wrong direction, though, so we backtracked
and began following another wash. When we
encountered some moss and grass, we
became optimistic that we were on the right
track. Soon we were following a trickle of
water! We followed the spring for quite a
while, finally turning back when it became
difficult to continue. We didn’t go far enough
to find the source, but I believe we had found
Kline Spring.
Our last spring was Gap Spring, on our
way to Bishop.. No water here but quite a few
trees and a marshy area. The only animal we
saw in the area was a skinny jack rabbit with
tall ears– the proverbial jackalope.
All in all, this was a satisfying trip— three
mountains and three springs, and new ideas
for further exploration.
Winter 2001
 tailed on

We stopped for lunch at the first rocky

outcrop we could use for shade. Here, we
REVEILLE RANGE CARCAMP found sagebrush and twist-leaf rabbitbrush
growing in the rocks. Rubber rabbitbrush and
September 1-3, 2001
desert peach grew in the wash. A single
honeysuckle hid beneath the cliff. On the
By Steve Tabor
hillsides were Indian rice grass and
Labor Day Weekend - into the heartland! cheatgrass.
We sought to beat the heat and the crowds, We hiked up the wash and into a narrows
and we did both, with long walks on jeep toward the “Goblin Knobs”, a terrain of pink
trails and washes. latite and rhyolite outcrops called “Monotony
The Reveille Range is 60 miles east of Tuff” on the geology map. We negotiated a
Tonopah, just south of the ghost town of small dryfall, above which we found a wide
Warm Springs. Remote and little-known, the amphitheater with latite knobs (“hoodoos”) all
range is even mis- around. Knobs
labelled on the It was an exquisite little shangri-la, rose on both
state tourist map. presided over by jackrabbits and coyotes, sides, and at the
Most of the east
and the occasional band of wild horses. head of the little
side of the Rev- valley was a
eilles is easily hiked from a paved road, basalt flow, almost horizontal, layered over
Route 375, the “Extraterrestrial Highway”. the tuff. It was an exquisite little shangri-la,
Perhaps that is why the range is so little- presided over by jackrabbits and coyotes,
visited: people are afraid to get out of their and the occasional band of wild horses.
cars. After lunch, we took an easy path to the
We met at Warm Springs, then drove top, a long broad shadscale and sagebrush
down the E.T. Highway to a point just oppo- flat, gently rolling and quite rocky. We hiked
site Echo Reservoir. We parked the cars by southward across the flat, and dropped down
the side of the road and walked. Nevada is the rim toward the east on a rough switch-
like that. You can just park and walk; no backed trail that probably dated from the
“Adventure Pass” stickers are needed. early mining days. Its western destination
There’s always the chance that an out-of- was probably Tonopah or the springs in the
control drunk might whack your car on the next range over.
shoulder, but what the hell. We aimed for a The trail was a joy to hike as it led down-
good-looking canyon on the east side and hill and across the benches. We got back to
hiked toward it. the cars early, then headed for Reveille to
As we walked the alluvial fan toward the camp. When the road began to enter the
mountains, I was surprised at the greenery canyon, though, I called a halt. If we contin-
this late in the season. This country had ued to Reveille, we’d lose a view of the valley
been washed over by the same series of and would miss the rising of the full moon.
storms that had hit Death Valley the last week The group agreed we should stop, so we
of August. We spooked jackrabbits and did. It was a good camp.
lizards as we walked. Those of us in the lead In the evening, we had a delicious potluck
car spotted a couple of coyotes coming down meal. The moon rose orange over the south
to water at the reservoir. It was in the high end of the Quinn Canyon Range. We stayed
70s F. as we hiked, warm but not hot.

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 27

up late, watching and listening for signs of
UFO presence. It was a warm night.
In the morning, we hiked up the road
toward Reveille, and visited Hyde Spring en
route. I’ve always liked to investigate desert
springs that I’ve seen on maps, and this one
was no disappointment. It had a collapsed
building, a broken-down corral, a trough full
of water and algae, and a tromped-up
mudhole frequented by wild horses. Near
the trough was a tub of molasses with a
dead bird floating in it.
Water dripped from a pipe
into the trough and was
probably drinkable. The
highlight of the place was a
large apple tree with hun-
dreds of nearly ripe apples
hanging from its
branches. The tree was
riddled with woodpecker
holes.
We cut cross-country
over the hills toward Lost
Burro Canyon, a deep cut in the limestone to
the west. Scattered junipers provided
shade. Wild horse trails criss-crossed the
landscape. We were solidly in the Great
Basin now, with sagebrush, rabbitbrush,
desert peach, matchweed, a few bitterbrush,
and four-wing saltbush.
A rough jeep trail led up the canyon.
High limestone walls rose on both sides. We
encountered a roofless stone cabin and a
couple of mine shafts. Laura Pace and I
hunted for fossils, and found a few. The
group rested under a juniper tree for awhile,
eating, talking and dozing. Later, we
climbed a low pass to the crest on a crude
trail through the junipers. A refreshing
breeze blew through the pass, tempering the
85-degree heat.
At the top, we found the canyon and the
ridge had been extensively bulldozed by
miners, probably during the tax-dodge min-
28 The SURVIVOR
eral explorations of the late 1970s. Further
up the canyon to the right, an old cabin of
rough-hewn juniper trunks stood sentinel. Its
roof was of juniper branches and dirt. There
was handmade furniture inside.
From the mouth of the canyon, a couple
of us hiked the high road to Reveille. The old
site had a few buildings standing, most
notably a large white clapboard house dating
probably from the 1950s. A couple stone
walls still stood, but the roofs were long
gone. The spring just
downstream was flow-
ing strong. It and Hyde
Spring to the northeast
would make nice water
stops for a backpack
trip through the range
from south to north.
We hiked back to
the cars, arriving just
after sunset. A baby
rattlesnake, barely a
foot long, frantically
shook its tail at us, but no sound came out.
Next morning, we headed west on Route
6 to the Volcanic Hills. There, we hiked in a
canyon of extremely fissile green shale.
Later, we drove to the hot springs in Fish
Lake Valley for a dip. By this time, the hu-
midity was palpable, and huge thunder-
storms were forming over the mountains to
the south and east. From the springs, we
had a great view of showers falling on Piper
Peak. Reluctantly, we finally left at 3:00 pm
and headed for home. We helped a family
in an overturned car in Adobe Valley, then
drove through a powerful hailstorm near
Sagehen Summit. The trip retained its aura
of adventure all the way to the end. It was a
great way to finish the summer.
Winter 2001
 A Visit to an American Ground Zero
By Chris Schiller

In the Nevada desert, just a few hours from San Francisco, ordinary citizens can walk freely around a
nuclear test site.

There are many euphemisms used to
describe what happened east of Fallon at
10:00 a.m. exactly on October 26, 1963:
project, event, device, test or, in the nomen-
clature of the times, a shot. It was a small
nuclear bomb, smaller than Trinity or the
bombs we dropped on Japan. It produced a
yield of about 12 kilotons, equivalent to
12,000 tons of TNT.
Hundreds of bombs had already been set
off on American soil by 1963, and many
hundreds were to come. As of 1992, the
US had detonated over 1000 nuclear bombs.
The vast majority were
detonated at the Ne- “...with a half day or so to
vada Test Site in south- spare, I decided to engage in a ground zero is close to
ern Nevada, a military
reservation where little nuclear motor
unauthorized trespass-
ers are subject to immediate arrest. About
100 were atmospheric tests; the rest were
set off underground. In late 1963, the US
had just signed an atmospheric test ban
treaty with the USSR. Shot Shoal was part
of the new era of underground testing.
While the US government had recog-
nized the dangers of fallout from nuclear
blasts since the Manhattan Project, it had
nonetheless chosen to sacrifice the health of
US citizens in the name of expediency,
convenience and national security. Not so
with Shot Shoal, at least on the surface.
For Shot Shoal, public health officials
were called in to sample milk and water both
before and after the blast. Mines were
photographed before the blast to determine
if the detonation would cause any damage.
Thousands of gallons of water and large
amounts of equipment were brought to the
site to decontaminate people, clothing and
machinery. A dizzying array of instrumenta-
tion was deployed around ground zero to
record the shakes, rattles and rolls resulting
from the blast. The stated purpose and
selected location of the test were to help
determine the difference between earth-
quakes and underground nuclear blasts.
The US wanted to know if the USSR was
cheating on the size and type of blasts
covered by the newly
inked treaty. Shoal’s
the Dixie Valley
tourism.” andFairview Peak
faults, where earth-
quake activity is frequent. By comparing the
profiles of these earthquakes and the artifi-
cial quaking caused by a blast, the US
hoped to determine the difference in vibra-
tions emanating from the Soviet Union.
On that October morning, observers less
than a mile from ground zero reported being
“jarred by a severe ground shock” and, a
few seconds after detonation, “a loud roar
filled the air and a cloud of dust a thousand
feet long began to rise over ground zero”.
Seismometers recorded a 5.2 magnitude
temblor. The shot produced a rubble-filled
chimney 170ft in diameter and 460ft high.
However, unlike the craters one might find at
the Nevada Test Site from the large bombs
continued on page 30

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 29

detonated underground there, the rubble
chimney from Shoal did not extend all the
way to the surface. After the blast, crews
drilled several sampling wells, capped them,
and by February, 1964, the site was vacated
and the project declared a success.
I had long known there was a blast site
near Fallon but I’d never bothered to seek it
out. Last October, finding myself nearby with
a half day or so to spare, I decided to engage
in a little nuclear motor tourism. Twenty
eight years after the blast, almost to the day, I
drove the short spur road to ground zero of
Shot Shoal and found…nothing. Well, not
nothing. Everything, in a desert sense: short
sage brush, cheat grass and rice grass, a
high cloud-shot sky, distant brown ranges,
memories of secret clefts on nearby moun-
tains choked with aspen. But at ground zero
there was only a warm October breeze in the
shin-high brush. No crater, no fence, not
30 The SURVIVOR
even a commemorative plaque. Several
other public land ground zeros at least have a
plaque, but at ground zero Shoal there is
nothing to mark the event . In the wild stam-
pede of late 20th century blasts, Shot Shoal
was nothing but a minor hoofbeat.
A little more reconnoitering of the area
revealed several large drill heads set atop
concrete slabs. The concrete was fresh and
the paint on the 12-inch pipe caps looked
newly dried. The labels on the pipes indi-
cated the drilling went deeper than 5000 feet,
well below the 1200 foot depth of the center
of the blast. These, and their tailings piles,
are the only indication that anything of note
happened at the site. An uninformed ob-
server would take them for oil exploration
wells.
In fact, the drill heads are part of a ground
water monitoring effort that has been ongoing
for the last few years. The wells were drilled
Winter 2001
 Desert Survivors
and water samples taken, and the results of Board of Directors
testing were used to develop a computer
model for the subsurface water activity in the Steve Tabor, President
area around the site. Further monitoring (510) 769-1706
activity just last year added tracers to the StevTabor@aol.com
Janet Johnson, Secretary
subsurface water to aid in the analysis. The
(510) 531-9430
goal of the effort is to predict groundwater David McMullen, Activities Director
flows near the site for the next 1000 years. (510) 841-9757
Given what we have done with the last 30 Jerry Goss, Managing Director
years, do we really have the vision to see a (408) 248-8206
thousand years hence? Loretta Bauer, Volunteer Director
(510) 799-7489
Sampling wells drilled just after the blast Jessica Rothhaar, Communications Director
left “contaminated soil [mixed] with clean soil Jessica@RothhaarCom.com
to reduce concentrations of radioactive mate- Bob Ellis, At Large
rial, and [buried] under several feet of uncon- bobellisds@earthlink.net
taminated earth”. Apparently, this contamina- Dave Halligan, At Large
(510) 528-3360
tion is no longer present at the surface. In
David I. Barr, At Large
the 1970’s, the soil and plants at ground zero w: (510) 622-2313
Shoal were sampled and found to have radio- h: (510) 465-9762
activity no higher than background levels. Paul Menkes, At Large
The same testing was performed in 1996 with (510) 525-9347
similar results. But I wondered what radiation Peter Ruddock, At Large
might still lurk underground. Nearly 30 years bighorn@desert-survivors.org
on, this small slice of the Nevada desert is
underlain with radionuclides harmful for who Desert Survivors Bandanas, Caps
knows how many half lives. and Tee-Shirts Available
You can easily visit this site in a half hour The Desert Diversity bandana sage or terra-cotta ink
diversion on your next trip across Nevada on on natural-colored cotton cloth is available for $7.00
Hwy 50. Take a break from the driving, eat a each which includes tax, postage and handling.
sandwich, wonder at our nuclear past and Desert Survivor Caps are khaki-green with a blue bill
future. There are no gates, no warning signs, and feature the bighorn sheep logo, with the motto,
Experience Share Protect. $12 each plus $1 postage
and there will likely be no other nuclear tour- and handling.
ists about.
Designed by Gregor Nelson, the Desert Survivor tee-
shirts feature the Survivor Petroglyph in rust with navy
lettering on a heavyweight tan all-cotton shirt. Specify
Directions: 32 miles east of Fallon on
Small, Medium, Large, or Extra-Large (men’s sizes)
Hwy 50 take a right on Nevada Hwy 839. and send $12.00 per shirt, plus $2.00 postage and
There’s a Navy bombing range visible to the handling per order.
left as you drive south on Hwy 839. Approxi-
mately 5 miles south of Hwy 50 on Hwy 839
Send Orders to:
will be a well graded dirt road to the west into
the low Sand Springs Range. Take a right. A Desert Survivors
little less than a mile up the road, on the right, P.O. Box 20991
is ground zero Shoal.
Oakland, CA 94620-0991

Winter 2001 The SURVIVOR 31

 Thrills and Chills:
Spring along the Upper Escalante
By David Holten

May 2, 2001. It’s snowing in Escalante
Petrified State Park, Southern Utah. Four
people sit in their vehicles, reading, thinking,
meditating, and watching the ice, rain, and
snow accumulate on their windshields. We
have a campsite but haven’t gotten out of our
vehicles to use it. Since we have all been so
closely associated with one another the past
four days, this weather break from each other
is really not too bad. So far, we are in good
spirits , possibly due to the pizza and salad
bar lunch we ate in Escalante just two hours
ago. More likely though, its because of two
great overnight backpacks we have just
completed.
On the first day, we struck out from the
highway and, in a quarter of a mile, hit a
small dry wash leading downhill to the left.
Shortly, the wash turned right and began to
grow deeper. Next, slickrock on both sides,
and several moderate drop-offs. Then, less
than 30 minutes from the highway pavement,
our little dry wash plummeted via an awe-
some drop-off into a 5-star gorge. We could
only stand on the rim and view this drop,
which was stair-stepped all the way down
with deep, dark, and completely inaccessible
pot holes of ink black water. We did, how-
ever, persevere by doing exactly as the trail
guide told us. We climbed a shelf on the
right, to a pinnacle north-northeast of us.
Next, we sighted on and climbed to a toad-
stool-like rock on the slickrock horizon to our
right, then walked north 50 yards to the lip of
another cliff edge. All this to gaze and gasp
at what we saw: Navajo domes, towers,
alcoves, and canyons without limit - the
drainage of the Escalante River.
Next, a 700 foot drop to the river, across
and up another slickrock drainage on the
other side: miles of rolling slickrock. Finally,
we made camp along a chain of gently slop-
ing water-filled potholes. Walkout the next
day was by another route with even more
domes, cliffs, drop-offs, etc., as we followed
continued on page 25

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Return Service Requested BERKELEY, CA

PERMIT NO 648
Desert Survivors
P.O. Box 20991
Oakland, CA 94620-0991

Visit Desert Survivors on the Web:

www.desert-survivors.org

32 The SURVIVOR Winter 2001