Gold Butte Road

Gold Butte Road begins nine miles west of Bunkerville, Nevada. Eventually it wends its way to an old mining community of the same name. The townsite is now a ghost town, which is not surprising in a place such as this. Those who settled there must have been hardy individuals, as would anyone who lives in an area as rugged as the Mojave Desert.

The first several miles along Gold Butte Road follow the Virgin River. About a mile-and-a-half into the drive, I see a large ply-wood sign painted yellow, with the inscription, “Bundy Melons” brushed across the front and an American flag waving off to the side. It's too bad that we're here in February because a juicy watermelon would taste really good. The climate seems perfect for raising melons.

The sign, however, reminds me of something else. We are in Bundyland! The melon patch, which is well-known locally, is owned by none other than Cliven and Carol Bundy. Their grand-kids help with the family business. Now days, Cliven is more famous for his stand-off with the Federal Government over the grazing rights of his cattle. The battle made big national news. Even though I can't pinpoint the exact location, I remember from the television clips that the scuffle took place somewhere close to here.

The drive along the riparian area of the river is green with several large ranches. A stop along the top of a butte reveals the the twisty and sinuous nature of the Virgin River. From here it travels south toward Lake Mead. No major roads follow the river here, which is a sign that this area is very remote and desolate.

The route that we travel would be considered a very unmaintained paved road. Along some sections, the surface is gentle and pleasant. Most of it, however, is missing the smooth layers and is very bumpy. Some of the lower sections along the river are covered in sand.

After several miles, the road leaves the company of the river and bends inland toward the desert. Moving away from the river and reaching slightly higher elevations, it is fascinating to watch the flora of the Mojave Desert in action. Creosote bushes are everywhere. This scrubby little tree wont win any beauty pageants, but it still amazes me how it can flourish in such a hot and arid place like the Mojave.

Next, I notice the cholla cactus creeping into the scene. Then come the tall California barrel cactus that sometimes have a red or pink tint to them. Finally, there are the Joshua trees. These are my favorite. These Gumby-like trees fill the landscape like a field full of scarecrows. Instead of leaves, the branches of these trees have sharp projections like the yucca plant. Right now they are beginning to bloom.

Juanita Springs

Roughly five miles from the point where the road leaves the Virgin River, a surprising oasis comes into view. This section is fenced off as private property, and is known locally as Juanita Springs. The palm trees and other lush vegetation that grow here stand out from the creosote bushes and cholla cactus. I don't see any water that gushes from beneath the earth, but the underground aquifer must be close enough to the surface to enhance the plant growth. An oasis is quite a site to see in this arid country. As the road climbs a hill, with the oasis on the right-hand side, there is a lone palm tree to the left. A mailbox sits in front of the premise, suggesting that someone still lives here. 

After traversing another small hill and entering another drainage area, we are rewarded with a distant glimpse of Lake Mead. A dirt road forks to the right and leads toward the water. Even though the shore is about twelve miles away, the combination of water and desert always fascinate me.

It is here that the Joshua trees are very prevalent. Juxtaposed with the barrel cactus, this Mojave landscape is blossoming like the rose. The barren mountains and the tooth-like Virgin Peak pose majestically as a backdrop.

We come to tall cluster of Navajo Sandstone. This is the perfect place to let the dogs out and eat some lunch. The kids immediately flee to the rocks and begin climbing all around the boulders. This cluster of rocks is interesting because it creates an island in the middle of the desert, about the area of a baseball field, and several stories high.

My two youngest, Jenna and Savanah, find the ideal venue to eat lunch: a large alcove that provides shade from the beating sun with a sandstone floor that furnishes a spot to sit and eat.

Our two schnauzers are having fun walking through the rocks and bushes and sniffing things out. Moqui is the mother and she is gray with silver streaks. Her black-furred little puppy, Lovey, is only a few months old and finding this experience as a novel idea. She nibbles at a small ball of cactus and quickly learns that it's a little pokey. Jenelle puts out a Tupperware of dog food and water next to the Trailblazer.

Next thing I know, Jordan is at the highest pinnacle of this rock formation yelling out, “Hey Mom! Look at me!” – He sure knows how to quickly find the top of anything. He's standing way too close to the edge and waving his arms. The drop-off right there is far enough that it would probably kill him if he fell.

I wander through the rocks, intending to explore, but then I see Kaitlyn following Jordan up to the very top. She is fourteen and very much a Tomboy. A very steep crevice leads to the top and Kaitlyn is almost there, attempting the trek in her cowboy boots. That worries me since I know that sometimes the tread on cowboys boots isn't so good.

As the protective father, I follow Kaitlyn to the top. The climb is very tricky. Small hollow rings in the sandstone become ideal hand-grips. I manage to find narrow niches to place my feet, and within a few minutes I am at the top.

I will admit that one of my objectives in climbing to the top to join my kids is to make sure they're safe. “Get away from the edge!” I repeat over and over. I confess that I am terrified of heights. I wish that Jordan suffered from at least a smidgen of acrophobia, but he is dauntless when near death's edge. I snap a couple of pictures to prove we were at the top, then I order the kids to climb back down. (The decent always looks steeper and scarier than the climb up.) I am grateful that we all make it down with no broken bones.

Nearby is an unmarked road that leads away in a perpendicular direction. We all load into the vehicle and drive along this rocky pathway, maneuvering around large rocks and taking it slow. We arrive at a place to park where we climb out of the vehicle and begin to walk along a trail that winds through sandstone boulders and Joshua trees.

The trail leads to a rock-face with a short three-foot gap in the rock. Above the gap on the rock wall are Indian petroglyphs of a cornstalk and some zigzagged lines. I crouch down to my knees and crawl through the window and enter into similar world of sandstone hilltops and rocky ledges. I look high and to my left and I see that Jordan has found the highest pinnacle again. He sits there, nonchalantly as if he was just magically poofed there.

The girls immediately find a group of faint petroglyphs of three big-horned sheep on a varnished rock. They admire the rock art for only moments before racing off to find another adventure. Then they find a small, but deep collection-pool of dark, murky water. They kneel down at the water's edge, press their faces down to the surface, and search for pollywogs.

I move in a different direction. Within minutes I find a large rock-face with well over a hundred glyphs etched onto the surface. This isn't the only place that I find petroglyphs. They seem to be everywhere! There are more around the corner, some high on the cliff-face, and others in the next canyon over . This must have been a major crossroads.

I look at the petroglyphs and wonder of their meaning. I see zigzags, footprints, multi-layered circles, sheep, scary-looking stick men, rainbows, combs, and corn. One glyph that catches my attention, that I don't recall seeing at other sites, is a simple cone with a loop on top. There are many ways you could describe it: a magnifying glass with a short stubby handle, an ice cream cone, a lollipop, or a stumpy spoon. But what could it be to the Paiutes who probably drew them? Perhaps a basket, although some are placed upside down. It could be a moccasin. One of the glyphs has a knob on top and is connected to a three-ringed chain. Could it represent a ceremonial pendant that was worn on a necklace, or a concho belt? In two other places I see the three-ringed chains by themselves. I see the “basket-looking” glyph multiple times and in various locations. It has to have some significance and can't be just random doodling.

Reluctantly, I know that it is time to collect the kids and the wife and the dogs and return the way we came. The shadows cast from the Joshua trees are now growing in size and I know that we have a good little drive ahead of us. Although I have found several different panels, I would want at least a full day to search every nook and cranny here and find all the glyphs I missed.

On the way out, we walk up a perfect crevice in the cliff and reach the upper level of the rocks and toward the gap that punctures through the rock-face. It is here that I make one last search for a petroglyph that I couldn't find earlier.

Then I see it. Exactly above my head about three feet, but directly below the pinnacle where Jordan climbed to earlier, there is stick-man, arms out wide and legs bent upward, and turned side-ward as if falling swiftly to the ground. Looking back up at the steepness of the cliff, I have no doubt that the Indian who chiseled this picture into the rock was recording history.   

Tuweep

The inner reaches of the Grand Canyon have always fascinated me. I once hiked to the bottom from the South Rim with my grandpa, and although that was an unforgettable experience, there are thousands of people every year that explore that same trail.

I've often wondered what kind of marvels exist in the canyon, especially where humans have not yet trod. I would have to think that there are many places that have rarely, if ever, had human foot step upon it. The trail system in the park covers just a scintilla of what is actually there. I am sure that there are huge sections of land that are completely inaccessible to man, and therefore, insufficiently explored.

One of the corners of the canyon that is accessible, but lightly visited is Toroweap, or Tuweep, as the locals call it. This may be the only place in the park where you drive to a point and see the Colorado River straight below you. The look-off point doesn't draw very many people, largely because to get there, you have to drive over sixty miles on a dirt road across the very desolate Arizona Strip. This made it all the more desirable for me to go there, and I was elated recently when a friend invited me to go there.

My friend, Billy, comes from a true cowboy family. We spent the night at his folk's home in Moccasin where we ate fresh beef roast, corn from the garden, mashed potatoes and gravy, huge slices of homemade bread slathered in butter, and large glasses of milk. His family ran cattle on the Arizona Strip, a huge parcel of isolated terrain that is detached from the rest of the state by the Grand Canyon.

West of Fredonia there is a brown sign that reads Toroweap 61 and the arrow points south toward a dirt road. All the brochures and travel web sites warn you about this road. Bring a spare tire and a high-clearance vehicle, they all advise. Also, bring plenty of extra water and food in case you get stranded, and don't plan on anyone coming to your rescue, possibly for a long time. And just to scare you even more, they state that a tow in this remote area could cost up to a thousand dollars! 

The first dozen miles from the highway were very lackluster. Not even any trees. Only small scrub brush stretching for miles and miles. Red cliffs became visible in the distance as well Mount Trumbull, bulging prominently in the direction that we were driving.

Gradually, a juniper tree here and there began to sparsely dot the landscape and the road began to gently heave up and down. We spotted a couple small herds of antelope, all distant, their white rumps being the most salient, and their backs the colors of red clay.

There is a spot just off the road where there is a huge hole. Not a sink hole, but more like a crevice in the rocks and all the rocks other than where the hole exists are covered by ground dirt. The hole is very deep, but the bottom can be seen by shining a flashlight into it. At its nether parts, there are the bones of a horse. As the story goes, there was snow on the ground when the cowboy's horse didn't see the opening and fell right in.

Along the way we saw a blow snake cross the road. Other two-track roads occasionally jutted off from either side. A barren, volcanic hill loomed in the near distance.

As we approached the flanks of Mt. Trumbull, pinyon pine mingled with the juniper and a large patch of snow was visible high atop the slopes of the mountain. But soon we were past Mt. Trumbull and slowly descending into Toroweap Valley. Prickly pear cacti became more abundant, as well as the “jumping” kind that are in the shape of sausage links.

Approaching us in the distance was the chasm of the Colorado River, or the inner depths of the Grand Canyon. We could only see the upper flatland of the mesas, their steep flanks only slightly suggesting that a gorge of monstrous proportions existed there.

The final several miles were very rocky and required high-clearance. Cacti, heavy in bloom, flourished as did other flora. Puddles of water sat as ponds on the sandstone floor.

We drove to a little parking spot at the rim of the gorge. Only a twenty second walk and we were at the brink. No hand-rails and no fence. Only flat sandstone rock on the ledge and a perpendicular cliff that drops three thousand feet to the river below.

From the level where the truck was parked, there is another level that steps down about four feet and that is as far as you can go and still stay alive. This escarpment is wide enough to walk along, but I always hugged the safer side. To get a good look at the river, it is best to get onto your hands and knees and inch toward the drop-off. Even then my head gets a little bit dizzy.

The river runs from east to west and from our view high above it looks like a wide ribbon. For the most part it is serene, but in a few places the white-water is visible. The churning of Lava Flow Rapids to our west is noticeable. A faint rumbling echoes through the canyon.

We looked for rafters floating down the river but saw none. They would be mere specks, but nonetheless visible. 

Springtime was very apparent as it seemed that a small veneer of grass covered much of the ground within the gorge. On the sides of the river, larger amounts of green growth flourished.

Vegetation on the rim thrived also. Red blossoms crowned the tops of the prickly pear cactus. The shorter agave plants, as well as the taller yuccas abounded. Brigham tea, Indian paintbrush, and other flowers, both gold and scarlet in color, painted the landscape all the way to the edge of the cliff.

We walked to another look-off point that gave much of the same view, but from a slightly different angle. Billy told the story of a horse that almost backed off the ledge. They were lined up for a picture and instead of stopping when they pulled the reins, the horse backed up, his hind legs slipping beyond the edge, and the horse hunching down and the cowboys pulling on the reins and the horse scraping his hooves on the rock to regain sure footing.

We drove a few miles to another area, this one called Lava Flows. This is the only place in the area where one can hike all the way to the river. But the warnings are there: Do not hike this in the summer as temperatures can get as high as 120 degrees. Do not hike unless you have plenty of water. Be aware that there is no trail, it is very steep and exposure is great. In other words, be very careful or you might die.

To our left was the very prominent, but dormant volcano called Vulcan's Throne. At one time this volcano spewed enough lava down the hillside to now make a hike to the river feasible, although still very difficult. 

We hiked down a little ways, but only on the relatively easy part. The thing that impressed me the most, however, is how the flora in the canyon seemed to change with every level that we dropped. The road from Tuweep descended about 500 feet in elevation and as we hiked, we probably dropped another 500 feet. The cacti grew more abundant, but now, large barrel cacti of several varieties mingled with the prickly pear. We also saw a plant that looked like a cousin to the yucca plant, but lighter in it's shade of green and with black tips on the blades. Honestly, it looked like a plant that belonged on a coral reef in the ocean.

The hike down was steep, but mostly it was the small, loose lava rock that made it difficult. From our spot where we turned around, only a small section of the river could be seen. Across the gorge on the south side of the canyon, a dirt road could be seen that streaked across the plateau. Looking down at the river I could see a small trail along its banks. I wondered if it was a game trail and if possibly there was a trail that connected it with the dirt road above. More than likely it was a path made by rafters who had a camp nearby.  

Snowshoeing

We have no choice but to ascend the steep slope for the first three hundred feet. I step forward with the snowshoe, letting the metal crampon beneath the shoe grip the crusty snow. Then I grab the branch of a spruce tree and pull myself upward. The scent of resin flies through the air.

But there isn't always a branch or a sapling to grab onto. And sometimes the slope appears too steep to crawl up and I worry that if I slip I will slide far down and crash into a tree. So then I step sideways and move the other direction, until I find another tree to clutch onto.

Sometimes the snowshoes will hold my weight above the surface of the snow, but sometimes, especially near the trunk of a tree where dead logs and unseen saplings grow beneath the surface of the snow, the white powder will give and my leg will puncture the snow and I will be up to my thigh in slushy, icy powder. My hand will pierce the snow also, and it is during these times that I wish that I had my gloves. But they are in my backpack, which I carry on my shoulders.

We finally arrive at the top of the hill where the slope becomes more gentle and snowshoeing isn't so bad. We rest for several minutes and let the flow of blood in our heads wind down to a slower pulse. I take a couple swigs of Powerade from my pack.

This is the first time in my life that I have put on a snowshoe. Believe it or not, I have never skied either. I just haven't done much with winter sports, period.  

My friend, Jordan, has been trying for years to have me go snowshoeing with him. He is much taller than I am, and was a heck of an athlete in his youth. He still is amazing, but like all of us, age has taken its toll.

We drove up the mountain and parked the truck just off the highway about an hour ago. At 10,000 feet in elevation, we began our hike, not knowing exactly where we would end up.

Now, we trek along the top of the hill, mostly among Engelmann Spruce. I am learning to walk with the snowshoes. Mine are more modern and made of aluminum. It isn't difficult. The flatter you can place the shoe, the more likely it will hold you up on the snow. If I accidentally step with the toe pointed downward, perhaps when the surface of the ground isn't so even, then sometimes my leg falls through the snow.

Jordan's shoes are more traditional in appearance. They have the lattice-work on bottom and look like tennis rackets. He has to stop several times to adjust the binding on the shoes.

I see a Golden Eagle soaring above the the treetops. I recognize the white spots on the eagle's belly. I am curious to find out what other animals live so high during the winter months and hope to see elk, but suspect that they have moved down lower.

This year has been very mild. Here on the top of the mountain there is probably only two feet of snow. We are now in mid-March. There should be at least five feet of snow.

We skirt the rim of the mountain. To our right, the slope moves rapidly downhill and into Deep Creek. Our expansive view allows us to see an extensive drainage system of canyons that eventually merge into the deep red gorges of Zion National Park.

Our view from the rim over the rolling forest surrounding Deep Creek is perfect to spot elk. If I would have brought binoculars, I could spend twenty minutes glassing below and searching for a herd of bulls bedded down, basking in the sun on the southern slopes. Of course, their antlers wouldn't be too long now, as they probably just lost them last month. But they grow back quickly. We scan the area below with our naked eyes and see nothing.

We walk parallel with the rim of the slope. When we are not talking, the only sound we can hear is the crushing of snow beneath the shoes. Occasionally we hear the engine of a snowmobile far away. Below us in Deep Creek, a woodpecker hammers on a tree and unseen birds squawk back and forth from the treetops.

Tracks from several animals cut our path. We find footprints of both rabbit and coyote. At one spot we find the two tracks converge at a muddy wallow in the snow. I'm sure the coyote won that battle. We also find a small burrow beneath the bough of a pine tree where the coyote must have bedded down.

We see another set of prints that are slightly bigger and look like they might have a heel. I wish now that I were better at identifying tracks. I don't think that these are big enough to be a bear or a mountain lion, but they are certainly bigger than the coyote tracks. I remember now that I didn't bring my little pistol and certainly hope that there isn't a mountain lion in the area. Even though I have never seen a cougar in the wild, Jordan reminds me, “I'll bet that they've seen you.”

We find another set of tracks. These are definitely cat tracks, and they are light enough that they stay on top of the crust of snow, without breaking through. These are probably bobcat.

We encounter a patch on the west slope that faces Deep Creek where the snow has melted away. We remove our packs and unbind the snowshoes from our feet. It feels good to have the burden released from our shoulders and to be able to walk normal again, without the clumsy companion of the snowshoes. The breeze picks up a little stronger here on the bare slope.

From the dead branches that litter the ground, we gather twigs and break them off into sections about the length of a hand. After building a little mound about the size of an ant pile, Jordan places a trioxane bar beneath it. Then he takes a match and strikes it on the box and ignites the trioxane bar, which in turn, sets fire to the kindle of twigs. Soon, the entire mound is in flames and we find bigger branches to keep the fire going.

Jordan finds a flat-faced rock and places it next to the fire and cuts open a package of five frozen brats and lays them on the rock to thaw. When the mound of twigs has burned down to coals, we place three green limbs over the coals and lay the brats atop the limbs. There they slowly roast over the heat and begin to brown and sizzle.

For nearly two hours we warm our hands over the fire and eat bratwurst. We talk of religion, raising kids, cowboy caves, and survival in the Peruvian jungle.

Once again, we strap on the snowshoes and continue in the same direction as before. The snow is softer now and the shoes are sinking a little further into the powder. But we are still able to stay atop the snow and walking is easy.

As we walk we are alone. Occasionally we cross with snowmobile tracks, and once with those of a cross-country skier, but never do we see another person. The thought comes to me that someday I would like to snowshoe about ten miles into the middle of nowhere and there I could build a snow-fort and camp out for a few days. That would be nice.

But then I wonder if the snowshoes could support the heavier weight that would come from a backpack. Then I worry of the danger that I would be in if a storm unexpectedly moved in and dropped four feet of new snow on me while I was camped out. That would still be fun to do someday.

Instead of returning the way we came, we decide to make a loop and walk further away from the rim. The shadows from the trees are now casting longer impressions onto the snow. At one time I wished to come unexpectedly upon an animal, but now, most of our time is spent conversing back and forth, so the chances of sneaking upon a coyote or eagle is pretty slim.

Coming across and open flat, we see the pink cliffs of Bryce Canyon in the far distance. I soon realize that I am quickly becoming very tired. Not much longer and we will be returning to the truck.

At last we arrive at the final downhill of the trek. It is near the same 300 foot slope that we had to ascend earlier. This time we descend in baby steps. Jordan chooses to angle diagonally, directly toward the truck. I decide to move straight down, then cut across once I reach the bottom. This slope is steep enough that there is a small fear of avalanche.

I reach the bottom and begin cutting toward the truck, which is at least another half-mile. By now, my legs are exhausted and every step forward is laborious. I stop momentarily to notice a weather station that has been hidden among the trees.

Finally, we arrive at the truck and are happy to know that we will be home before dark. I find my Powerade that I have hidden in the snow and begin guzzling it down. It feels nice to finally sit in a soft seat without those clunky shoes strapped to my feet. But on the other hand, I kind of wish I were still out there shoeing.