This is a lost mine story of an incredibly rich gold ore, located somewhere along the south slope of Arizona’s rugged Harquahala mountains. The desert southwest has many stories of lost mines, some more believable than others. This one has Read more…
Collecting Fire Agate Fire Agate is an unusual, rare and beautiful form of cryptocrystalline chalcedony. It can occasionally exhibit flashes of color similar to precious opal. The presence of dark reddish brown iron oxide layers, between layers of chalcedony is Read more…
Agates are a very fine-grained variety of Chalcedony, which is composed of two silica minerals, quartz, and moganite. Because agates are so fine grained, (called cryptocrystalline) they take on a very high polish, when worked with lapidary equipment such as Read more…
If you have ever thought of overlanding the old Bradshaw Trail across the Colorado Desert of Southern California, I highly recommend the journey. You can travel it in either direction, but for this post, I’ve started in Blythe, California, where Read more…
Gold panning is a small-scale method for separating native gold from stream and river gravels by using a gold pan. The first recorded use of a pan to collect gold dates back to Roman times. A simple form of placer Read more…
Under 20 ft. – Under 4000 lb – Under $25,000 Here are 6 affordable small travel trailers with bathroom. Plenty of headroom, RV queen or full beds and inside kitchen areas. Great for self-contained boondocking and off-grid camping. 2021 Jayco Read more…
Another lost gold mine story from the vast Desert Magazine archive. Written by Frank Eads, an occasional contributor, in the May 1952 issue, this isn’t your normal lost mine story. This one is about the lost gold of Mono Lake Read more…
Gold detectors have come a long way in the last 20 years or so. Gone are the frustrating days of trying to use a coin detector to find native gold nuggets. Modern gold detectors are less affected by the often Read more…
I first came across the story of the Lost Emerald Mine of the Santa Rosa Mountains back in the 1980’s in a guidebook to the Anza Borrego area of Southern California. Years later I found the complete article in the Read more…
Flash floods in the southwestern US are a yearly occurrence. The amount of water that can travel down a wash that moments before was dry is astonishing. In large dry riverbeds that cover many miles, there may not even be Read more…
