Weird S**t (Stuff) in the Mojave Desert

 

The Raven (my van) in the Mojave Preserve

Marco and I are just back from our traditional winter solstice trip to the California desert.  It occurred to me that there’s weirdness out there.  I suspect that something about the Mojave attracts the somewhat odd and off-center, present company included.

First, to get the issue of spelling out of the way, it's controversial in some circles.  Having waded through Google search results, I offer the following.  In Northwest Arizona, there’s Mohave County, Community College, and County Hospital (now defunct). The native tribe of the same name seems to use both spellings in different contexts, likely because it’s an English-ization of another word entirely.  Places in the California desert, though, are spelled Mojave.

Zzyzx

Zzyzx

So, there we were, visiting Zzyzx, in the Mojave National Preserve, when this pattern occurred to me. According to the Wikipedia article, Curtis Springer made up the name Zzyzx, claiming it to be the “last word in health.” He established the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa in 1944, which was 12,000 acres surrounding the springs. Springer also imported animals from around the country to attract more families to visit his ranch. He operated Zzyzx until 1974, when the land was reclaimed by the government. It's now operated as the CSU Desert Studies Center.

Scotty's Castle, Death Valley

There are other examples of odd human undertakings in the California desert.  Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley National Park is a familiar example, among other (mostly abandoned) dwellings very close to the middle of nowhere.

A view of the Aiken Cinder Mine

The somewhat more attractive view from the Aiken Cinder Mine

You can’t swing a cat out there without hitting an abandoned mine site.  We’ve gone out of our way to see many, and this last trip we camped near the Aiken Cinder Mine in The Mojave Preserve.  Roads can be bad, but once you arrive there’s often scenery along with history.

Gas Island Shoe Tree. Rice, CA

Perhaps my first inkling of what you might call odd Mojave public art is this collective shoe display off highway 62 east of Joshua Tree.

Amboy Crater public art

Climbing Amboy Crater in Mojave Trails National Monument, you get a great view of art projects in its base.  These seem to be modified from year to year.

Marco and the Intaglio, Blythe California

We started our trip with a little stop-off at the Blythe Intaglios, just north of the California city.  These seemed interesting, and perfect subjects for drone photography. There’s some controversy about their age, from 900 BCE to 1200 CE. Unfortunately, the fences didn’t go up until the 1970s, and by then there had been considerable damage from unpleasant people driving over them and leaving tracks.  Marco was kind enough to pose for scale.  Weird may not be the word for these, but I can get behind “unusual.”

Mojave River, Mojave Road, Rail Bridge in Afton Canyon

Then there’s the Mojave River.  We spent some time nearby at Afton Canyon Campground in Mojave Trails.  It’s a beautiful, stark place and far from quiet.  Freight trains pound through all day and night.  This campground is traditionally the western end of an adventurous 150-mile off-pavement drive called the Mojave Road.

An older image of a "sailing stone" on the Racetrack Playa

Most everyone has heard of the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley.  Until recently the tracks left by moving stones were mysterious, but now the movement of rocks is thought due to a specific combination of rain and high winds.  Still weird.

Coyote Melons, Mojave Trails National Monument

Desert Gold Flowers in December (!) Mojave Trails National Monument

Nature threw me a few curves this year, too.  Because (I assume) of the very heavy rains last fall, there were flowers in December (like these desert gold Geraea canescens in Mojave Trails) and, oddly, coyote melon (cucurbita palmata) all over the place, from 600 ft to 6000 ft elevation. I’ve spent hundreds of days out there and never seen these gourds there before.

Ivanpah

I’ll just toss in the Ivanpah Solar Array. It qualifies.

There are more oddities I’d like to see, including the Mojave Phone Booth, Mojave Mailbox, and the Mojave Megaphone.

And, of course I’ll keep stumbling on things; there’s so much to explore out there.

A Little Diversion

Flagellum in the Dunes, Mojave Desert, California

We had a Spring weather preview a couple of weeks ago and kind of jumped the gun on our planning, intending to head to the Rim Country Lakes to camp last week.  Then the weather turned in the other direction with snow and high temperatures there in the 30s.

We decided instead on one more trip to California’s Mojave Desert.

Afton Canyon, Mojave Desert, California

The first night was windy, so we tucked into Afton Canyon, an odd little campground in the Mojave Trails National Monument.  A site runs $3 with Marco’s Senior Federal Pass (I’m not quite there yet). 

Afton Canyon Trestle, Mojave Desert, California

Why odd?  It’s a common starting and ending point for a drive of the Mojave Road, a historic unpaved route mostly through the Mojave National Preserve.  The Mojave River flows through Afton Canyon as well.  It does have many charms, but doesn’t quite meet its moniker, “Grand Canyon of the Mojave.”  Some campers there are troubled by train noise.  Because I’ve lived in several places near the tracks the frequent freighters coming through Afton don’t even wake me up.  Besides, I appreciate the trains and trestles for their photogenicity.

We stumbled on a burned-out truck during our travels, and I enjoyed geeking out on the patterns formed in several layers of scorched automotive paint.  I wondered about the story here and I wonder still.

Soft light on the dunes, Mojave Desert, California

The next night we scooted over to our favorite dunes in the Mojave, which we don’t name in hopes of keeping them pristine.  This won’t make everyone happy, but if you know me and want to go, you can ask.

Sunrise, Mojave Desert, California

There’s been a good deal of dune photography this year.  The last trip was a workshop with Jerry Dodrill and Todd Pickering.  Since then, with their encouragement, I’ve been shooting long focal-length images (which are impossible to make sharp with a single image) with focus stacking.  This technique requires shooting multiple images of the same scene, focused at different depths.  The images are combined, using the sharpest part of each.  Generally, this is done with specialized software but can be done manually in Photoshop.  I use Helicon Focus, and there are others.

Dune Detail, Mojave Desert, California

The photography was good, and the solitude was sublime.

Watching Gypsy the Wonder Dog’s joy was perhaps the best part.  It was certainly worth slogging up the dunes with the big wildlife lens.

There’s more on the website in the Spring 2025 Gallery. So far, it’s stocked with two trips through the Mojave.

Peak Baggers

 

Dune Detail, Mojave Desert

We’d been posted up at one of my favorite spots in the Mojave for half a day when the van pulled up, about 45 minutes after sunset. This place is isolated.  Earlier in the day I’d been thinking that the nearest human was likely 10 miles or more away.  The van contained a couple from Marin County CA who, it turned out, were “trying to see as many sand dunes as possible.”  Apparently they’ve seen dunes in 20 locations this season. When it became clear that they planned to camp 25 feet from us, I pointed out that there was another spot just up the road.  What I should have said, I suppose, is that camping etiquette dictates giving those who arrive first some space.  His response (I did manage not to laugh) was that he was not comfortable driving in sand.  I’m thinking safe driving in sand would be a good skill to have when driving from one dune field to another.

Yes, I’ve talked about rude campers before.  This is a different rant.  About the “peak bagger,” or the “been there, done that” phenomenon as I’ve heard Michael DeYoung call it.

The fundamental issue for me is respect for the land; the kind of veneration that comes from deep knowledge and humble exploration.  Perhaps right-minded bucket-listers exist, but I don’t believe I’ve met any, and furthermore I’m convinced that those who dash from one location to the next do the most damage, leaving trash and human waste and camping where they shouldn’t.  I respectfully submit that we can only know the land by slowing down and getting to know a place, spending time and being mindful.

Whew.  Rant over.

Cactus Detail, Mojave Desert

 It occurs to me that I’ve been communing happily with the Mojave Desert since my dad introduced us to its charms when we were kids.  Of course, the swimming pools in our Palm Springs hotels were a big draw, but the experience of feeling evening in the desert and seeing the bats come out of the mountains for the night have stayed with me.  Then my university botany class, which included a field trip to Anza Borrego State Park to learn about spring flowers, brought that all back.  I was hooked, and even before photography became important to me, I’d scoot off to the Mojave whenever I could. 

Sunrise Spotlight, Mojave Desert

There’s a sparseness and a specific magical quiet which, once experienced, is with you forever.  For solitude junkies like me, there are ample opportunities to get away from the famous places which are often overrun.  With patience and a good vehicle or the willingness to walk, there’s quite a bit to be discovered despite the Instagram syndrome. 

 

First Light, Caruthers Canyon, Mojave National Preserve

I’m on board with the “Tag Responsibly” movement, but I’ll identify one location from last week’s trip since it’s on the Mojave Preserve’s list of places to dispersed camp. So, not a secret. Besides, the road is not for the faint of heart.  Caruthers Canyon has long been on my list.  It contains a lovely Pinon Juniper forest and lies at about 5500ft elevation.  There was snow on the ground when we arrived.  That and the big granitic boulders made for lovely scenery.

Cloud Drama, Mojave National Preserve

A little lower in elevation is our favorite Joshua Tree forest.  The crazy, windblown clouds made for a particularly photogenic day.  In the morning I was surrounded by coyotes singing to each other while waiting for the sun to come up.  This is the music of a wild space.

Pastel Dunes, Mojave National Preserve

And then there were the dunes.  I can never get enough of dawn light on dune textures or the pastels when the sun is below the horizon.

I expect I’ll keep deepening my connection to this land as long as I’m able.  If I don’t see 20 different sand dune fields this year, that’s OK.

Thanks for the read.

There’s more on the newly minted Mojave Desert Gallery on the website.

 

Winds of Change

 

The Raven at the edge of the wilderness

I’ve really said enough about the wind in the Mojave Desert.  Blah blah blah.  I’ll just say that the sprinter is much more wind-stable in camp, which leads to a better night’s sleep.

A month or so ago I contacted the Needles CA BLM office and had a lovely conversation with a ranger there.  She helped me plan a boondocking visit to the edge of a wilderness area in Mojave Trails National Monument which had been on my list for years.  She was generous with her time and knowledge as I followed along with her on Google Earth.  She even invited me to call if I had more questions, which I will of course.

Cactus Detail, Mojave Trails NM

I wanted quiet places, and we got them.  We could hear the trains, but otherwise I’m sure there was nobody within 10-15 miles of us. These areas are a little stark, photographically. In my world, that’s nothing more than a fun challenge.

Streambed geology, Mojave Trail NM

The first night we were at my Ranger friend’s pick, a quiet spot with fascinating geology.

Bonanza Spring, Mojave Trails NM

Then we moved on to a small perennial spring.  I was staked out in the viewing area for hours, expecting (as dry as the weather has been) to see wildlife, but saw just a few small birds and heard the distant yip of coyotes just before dawn.

Speaking of dry weather, in three nights we didn’t see a single wildflower.  The first spot has fairly heavy growth of brittlebush, but not a single bloom.  I’ll need to go back there in a wetter year.

Mid Hills area, Mojave National Monument

The temperature got up into the 80s that second day, and we decided to go to a higher altitude for our last night.  We’d tried Mid Hills Campground in the Mojave National Preserve before, but had turned back on the muddy roads on the way in.  This trip we only needed to brave the washboards.  We had a spectacular campsite in the piñon juniper forest with views. The wind had abated and at 5600 ft elevation it was a great day for reading and exploring. 

The family, Mojave National Monument

Three entirely new places and some soul-cleansing peace; what more could a girl want? Change is good; wind not so much.

As always, there are more images on the website.