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Old Sites, New Things - New Sites & Sleeping Rings

Once again the Mojave has peeled back another layer and revealed hidden gems. It’s hard to understate how easy it is to miss petroglyphs and archaeological features in this vast and rugged wilderness. Every boulder is laced with cracks and lines. Patches of lichen further disrupt patterns. Heck, bird droppings…

Malpais Mesa Hike Video

Malpais Mesa Wilderness is one of the most arid regions I’ve ventured into. There are no springs and receives an infinitesimal amount of precipitation annually, positioned as it is in the Sierra Range’s rain shadow. Despite this, creatures still thrive here though not as densely as in other areas with…

The Grave Markers of Centennial Flat

Every time I drive out to my desert areas I pass this cross. I always assumed it was just another memorial to a tragic car accident but on my last trip curiosity compelled me to stop. And stumbled onto a forgotten corner of history.  In fading letters carved into the…

Eureka Dreamscapes

Cowhorn Valley

Cowhorn Valley is a high desert valley at an elevation of around 6800 feet in the Inyo National Forest. Long vistas of sage, tawny in winter spread across the valley and up the mountain slopes. Scattered juniper and pinyon pines, dark against the sage, line the ridges. It is a…

Cave Discovery and Traces of Ancient Peoples

There is considerable back story to how I ended up locating this site. I’d recommend anyone not familiar with my previous adventure out on Lee Flat to read that first for context: https://www.joshpatterson.photo/not-the-usual-places/an-adventure-in-the-mojave I went back up to my petroglyph find this past weekend determined to further explore the area,…

One Hell of a Weekend in the Desert

How the hell did I get myself into this scrape? I wondered as I sat under the one Joshua Tree that provided some shade but did little to shield me from the gusts of wind whipping up from the flat below. My skin felt like fine-grit sandpaper, my lips were…

Mine & New Friends

My final morning in **** I decide to take a quick side journey up another road since I’d never been. It is close to where I’ve been camping and I can’t resist a road winding into unknown parts. Figured I’d drive until the road got too rough or my brain…

Remnants of Ancient Peoples

Quick note: This is part 3 of a series of posts on my trip to the wilderness. If you are seeing this for the first time, it’d be worthwhile to scroll down and read Mustangs and Watering Hole first. Thanks for stopping by! I came here looking for specific things.…

Watering Hole

Quick note: This is part 2 of a series of posts on my trip to the wilderness. If you are seeing this for the first time, it’d be worthwhile to scroll down and read Mustangs first. Thanks for stopping by! Just like every African watering hole, where there is a…

Mustangs

I have been piecing together hints of a spring in a remote canyon on BLM land outside Death Valley. It fascinated me with mention of the ruins of a ranch, petroglyphs from at least 1000 years ago, mustangs who would water there and then retreat to the relative safety of…