Long Shot Mine
Back in 2003, Alysia and I met up with my dad, Brad, and friends to hunt for a remote old mine out in the Mojave desert. Several quartz veins here worked for gold as late as the 1950s. The mines aren’t deep but don’t seem to be played
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Rosalie (Valley Wells)
Just off Interstate 15, in the shadow of Clark Mountain, lie the scattered ruins of Rosalie, also known as Valley Wells.
Rosalie's tale began in 1898 when the Ivanpah Smelting Company of Los Angeles recognized the potential of nearby copper deposits. They sank two wells at a site
Carlyle Mine
The Carlyle mine, also known as the Carlysle or Carlisle mine, is perched on the steep north slope of the Pinto Mountains. It was first discovered in 1902, but extensive mine development didn't start until 1911. A mill was built sometime in the 1910s. In 1936, the Carlyle
Moser Mine
In 2004, We met up with our friends Dan, Annie, and Micah to explore this old mine in the southern part of Joshua Tree. We spent most of the day hiking to this old mine camp. We were surprised to find a few old cabins, the mill remains, and an
Coyote Hole Canyon Petroglyphs
A seep called Coyote Hole Spring is tucked away in a small canyon near the town of Joshua Tree. Cattle ranchers developed the spring in the early 1900s. Today, it usually only has water after significant rain.
Most of the petroglyphs here are of Desert Archaic or Serrano origin. No
Alister's Cave Pictographs
Alister’s Cave is a well-known pictograph site in the Wonderland of Rock area of Joshua Tree. The cave (really a rock shelter) is full of pictographs, but they have faded over the years, primarily due to the exfoliation of the granite.
They are increasingly hard to see, so
Hollow Rock Pictographs
While exploring the Wonderland of Rocks, not far from Barker Dam, we came across an unassuming large granite boulder.
There is no shortage of granite boulders in Joshua Tree, and there wasn’t anything immediately particularly interesting about this one either. But we did notice a hidden, hollowed-out opening