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S & O Cabin

S & O Cabin

As is often the case, I know about a ton of places but never have the time to visit them. This backcountry cabin out in the Death Valley area falls into that category. In 2020, I finally had the chance to get out and search for it. I’m not

Palen Tank Petroglyphs

Palen Tank Petroglyphs

I recently followed an ancient Native American trail out to a water tank and petroglyph site. What got my attention to this site was the report of historical inscriptions and the fact that it is way off of other Native American trails I knew about. The petroglyphs themselves are unusual

Holbrook Prospect

Holbrook Prospect

I stumbled across this remote mining prospect and cabin site in the wilds of Death Valley. I’ve looked through my research books but couldn’t find any information on this place. Judging by the debris, the cabin dates from the 1950s or earlier, but I’m only guessing. Someone

Black Hands Pictographs

Black Hands Pictographs

I found these solitary black pictographs hidden under a pile of granite boulders out at the northern end of Joshua Tree National Park. The pictographs here are very faded. A casual passerby wouldn’t even notice them. You have to know what you are looking for and stop a minute

Nampaweap Petroglyphs

Nampaweap Petroglyphs

Tucked away in the juniper-dotted canyons of the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in northwestern Arizona next to Mount Trumbull lies one of the region's most extensive collections of rock art - the Nampaweap Petroglyphs. Meaning "foot canyon" in the Paiute language, the name probably refers to

American Family Mine

American Family Mine

This is a small but interesting modern mine camp with some equipment still left on-site. The mine was probably last worked in the 1980s, but most of the work was done during the Depression era. The compressors and engines are neat to see still in place. The hoist indicators are

Old Dad Mountain Petroglyphs

Old Dad Mountain Petroglyphs

On a cold January day in 2015, I hiked out into the wilderness of the Old Dad Mountains in the Mojave Desert. Just driving out there was a bit of a challenge; the roads were long and rocky. After parking the truck, I hiked up an alluvial and entered into