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Sun Sword and Whale Rock Petroglyphs

Sun Sword and Whale Rock Petroglyphs

With a tip from a friend, I went out searching for a remote set of petroglyphs in the backcountry wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park in early 2020. I had a few clues in my search. I was looking for petroglyphs that were near an old campsite and hidden on

Hunting Grounds Mill

Hunting Grounds Mill

Lost in the woods of central Idaho, we found a Chilean-style roller mill still full of ore waiting to be processed. The mill is a C.C. Lane slow-speed roller mill and was installed at the mill site around 1930. It once had a steam engine to go along with

Canebrake Skeleton Pictographs

Canebrake Skeleton Pictographs

Hidden in a granite rock shelter near an ancient Kumeyaay village site is a unique set of pictographs. Most of these pictographs are typical of the La Rumorosa Style, but what is unusual here are the skeleton figures. I have not seen them anywhere else in the Kumeyaay territory. Some

Lemoigne Mine

Lemoigne Mine

Jean François de Lamoignon (shortened to Jean or John Lemoigne) was a black-bearded Frenchman who differed from most of the other early Death Valley prospectors; he was a well-educated mining engineer. He came to Death Valley around 1879 to supervise the Eagle Borax Works. Unfortunately, by the time he had

Owlhead Mountains Slot Canyons

Owlhead Mountains Slot Canyons

Back in early 2019, I met up with Dale and Brian to explore some slot canyons in the southern reaches of Death Valley – namely in the Owlhead Mountains. I hadn’t spent much time out in the Owlheads. Like most people, I just overlooked the area. It does have some

Toroweap Overlook

Toroweap Overlook

High above the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is the Toroweap Overlook. It is the steepest cliff in the canyon, with a 3,000-foot drop to the river below. It is an incredible view and landscape. It is worth the journey to reach it. The overlook is a day-use-only

Forest Rose Mill

Forest Rose Mill

During the summer of 2017, we visited a few cabins and mills in Montana. While tiring, we covered a lot of ground, and it was a great trip! I was a bit surprised about how many mill ruins are left. This one, the Forest Rose, is almost completely ruined, but