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March 2025 News

You know, when you are out in the desert, you've got to keep a sharp eye out. You never know when you will find something interesting.

Things have been busy around here lately:

See below for all the news.

Exploring Joshua Tree Book

So, I'm excited. Are you excited? I knew it!

I've been working on this book project for more than a year. I went through and re-edited all the Joshua Tree trips last year and finished in October. We've spent the last six months working on editing, layout, and revisions. It has been a long process, and I have learned a lot about creating a book. I couldn't have done it without my good friend Hugh Smith, who served as my editor, contributed a trip, and let me use some of his incredible photos. Thanks Hugh!

Books
Exploring Joshua Tree Exploring Joshua Tree Exploring Joshua Tree is a comprehensive hiking and historical guide focusing on Joshua Tree National Park’s trails and mining history. Buy it now! This guidebook features 42 selected Joshua Tree trips you can bring along on your adventures. The information in the book is
Starbuck's ExploringGuy Starbuck

Exploring Joshua Tree has the same information that paid subscribers get here on the website but in book form! Yay for dead trees you can take with you! Also, if you aren't interested in being a paid subscriber, you can buy a book instead. You can see what trips are included here: Exploring Joshua Tree trips

Will there be more books? Stay tuned.

New Trips

New trips since the last update.

Greenwater Canyon Petroglyphs
The Greenwater Petroglyphs comprise two distinct sites scattered along Greenwater Canyon in Death Valley. Etched into the Pleistocene-era Funeral formation basalt and volcanics, these ancient markings represent a significant Great Basin Abstract rock art collection in the California desert region. One thing that makes this site particularly remarkable is the
Starbuck's ExploringGuy Starbuck
White River Narrows Petroglyphs
White River Narrows is an ancient gallery etched into the volcanic landscape of eastern Nevada, containing one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric rock art in the region. The winding canyon was carved by the White River during the Pleistocene Ice Age (2.5 million to 11,700 years ago)
Starbuck's ExploringGuy Starbuck
Corn Springs Petroglyphs and the Little Chad Cabin
Corn Springs Petroglyphs Out in the open canyon country of the Chuckwalla Mountains lies Corn Springs, one of Southern California’s most significant (and often forgotten about) rock art sites. More than 600 petroglyphs have been carved into desert-varnished granite boulders over thousands of years. This was a crucial stop along
Starbuck's ExploringGuy Starbuck
Emmett’s Lone Tree Cabin
High in the rugged Panamint Mountains, in the shadow of lofty Manly Peak, sits a humble aluminum-sided cabin that represents one of Death Valley’s last authentic prospecting camps. This was the base of operations for Emmett Harder, one of Death Valley’s final true desert prospectors, who spent decades exploring its
Starbuck's ExploringGuy Starbuck

Updated Trips

We've updated these trips since the last update. The Furnace Mine got a history update. The Tungstar Mine got a set of revised photos and text. And the Big Bell Mine got new photos from Hugh Smith, and I added a detailed history and directions. Check them all out.

Furnace Mine
Not far from the semi-famous Inyo Mine, perched at 4,375 feet on a rocky Death Valley ridge, sits what has become known as the Furnace Mine. If you watch carefully while driving on the road below, you can spot its namesake rusted furnace - a testament to 1940s mining
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Tungstar Mine Tram
This very adventurous hike follows an old mining trail which led to the Tungstar Mine, a 1940s tungsten mine high on the western slope of Mt. Tom, the prominent 13,658-foot peak just west of Bishop. The trail was used in the early days of the mine to build a
Starbuck's ExploringHugh M. Smith
Big Bell Mine
The Big Bell mine was discovered in 1904 by Johnnie Cyty, a prospector with the nickname “Johnnie-behind-the-Gun.” He earned this name because he was known to draw his machine pistol on more than one heated occasion. Johnnie optioned out the mine for a small fortune, but the operators only worked
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New Books

I've picked up a few books and reports for my library since the last update.

More books and reports are listed on my Reference Library page.

Some links are Amazon affiliate links. Purchases through these links support this site at no extra cost to you.

Have fun out there!

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