On a scorching late spring day in 2015, we journeyed out to a lonely cabin in the central heart of the Mojave Desert. This is a barren landscape of sand and lava. Any roads that once traversed this wasteland were wiped out by monsoonal thunderstorms long ago.
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Cliffs of Crosses Petroglyphs
Most East Mojave rock art sites have a mix of abstract designs, the occasional bighorn sheep, maybe a few human figures. This canyon has those too, but what sets it apart is the number of enclosed crosses pecked into the basalt cliffs. I didn't name it, but whoever
Grass Canyon Petroglyphs
Native Americans passed through Grass Canyon thousands of years ago and left their marks on the basalt. I am not sure why they picked these rocks, though. There are plenty of other surfaces around that don't have anything on them. But this spot where a basalt butte meets
Pinyon Pine and Goldstar Mine Cabins
On the eastern slope of the rugged Old Woman Mountains are the remains of two weather-beaten cabins. Unlike the area's earlier gold and silver prospects, these mines targeted barite, a mineral primarily used in oil drilling. Barite (or Baryte) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate, generally white