MOJAVE TO JUNE LAKE

Too often in our hurried lives, we pass through countryside and towns with little more thought than – as my nine-year-old states – How much longer? This is a far too easy state of mind into which to lapse, especially while travelling in the west where distances are great, and the views not fully appreciated, at least to the unprepared. This road guide was written to assist in making your journey through one of my favorite areas of California more enjoyable and informative.

The text of this guide is written as traveled from south to north. Our starting point is the town of Mojave on the north side of the Mojave Desert. It's not that I expect many readers actually originated their trip from Mojave, but rather that, by now, you should have been on the road for at least one and one-half hours, eaten breakfast, and are thoroughly bored with the not-so-exotic desert scenery. The scenario then reads that, while making a pit stop in Mojave, in a desperate act to ward off boredom, you leaf through these coffee-stained pages.

Your route will take you through the northern Mojave Desert; along the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada through the Owens Valley, the Land of Little Rain; and into the alpine valleys of the eastern Sierra Nevada. Elevation above sea level varies from 2,756 feet at Mojave to 7,650 feet at June Lake. References are provided at the end of this trip log. A few of these collected in advance of your trip can greatly increase your knowledge of the area and quality of experience.


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January 21, 2001

In order to provide some degree of accuracy in locating yourself on the roadway, odometer reading are listed on the left, with a start in Mojave, opposite the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. Periodically, the mileage count will restart at zero to make up for differences in the accuracy of individual units.

Mileage / Destination
Total / Interval
0 / 0 / Mojave: I have performed considerable research on the town of Mojave and, to date, have found no valid reason for its existence. It's a place that railroads, stage coaches and mule teams traveled through, and then scattered in a multitude of directions. Mojave probably exists solely because of a convergence of trails. A rest spot, a place to change mule teams or engines before venturing on across the desert or into the nearby mountains.
Early mining activity at Soledad Mountain and the Silver Queen Mine south of town surely caused local population to swell, though it was probably the railroad that had the greatest impact upon the early growth of Mojave. A number of rail lines meet at Mojave and switching associated with this meeting along with extra engine power required to scale the Tehachapi Pass area to the north resulted in a large crew and support facilities.
10.3 / 10.3 / Though this area, Highway 14 parallels the south edge of the Sierra Nevada. These mountains have been uplifted along the Garlock Fault and separate the vast desert of the Mojave from mountainous terrain to the north. The Garlock Fault intersects from there eastward along the southern flank of the Tehachapi, southern Sierra Nevada and El Paso Mountains.
12.7 / 1.7 / A number of miles south of the highway are local isolated hills which rise above the general plain of the desert. These hills are the neck or plug of long extinct volcanoes that have largely eroded away and been buried in the valley alluvium. A few of these were minerally rich, and the scene of early mining activity.
16.7 / 4.7 / The lower elevations of the Cantil Valley has had a fairly plentiful supply of groundwater. This led to extensive agricultural development with emphasis on alfalfa. In the past, surplus waters ultimately drained to Koehn Lake, which is a saline sump. With heavy pumping for irrigation, the water table has continued to fall and has caused significant cutbacks in farming.
19.6 / 2.9 / North of the highway is evidence of old mining activity. Low grade cinnabar, an ore of mercury, was reportedly found in the area.
20.8 / 1.2 / Exit for Kelso Valley and Jawbone Canyon. Improved and dirt roads in this area provide access to the southern Sierra Nevada. The Kelso Valley Road will provide access to Lake Isabella. A good weekend tour in the Spring when wild flowers are plentiful.


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January 21, 2001

Mileage / Destination
Total / Interval
21.9 / 1.1 / Exit for Randsburg and Johannesburg. These near-ghost towns are located about 20 miles east of the intersection. Both were very important mining districts with large production of silver, gold and tungsten. Visit these in the Spring on a trip to Death Valley and Panamint Valley.
23.6 / 1.7 / Koehn Dry Lake is located a few miles southeast of the highway. This sump of Cantil Valley was formed when mountains to the north and south rose quicker than streams could erode to an outside base level. This result is an undrained depression where water leaves only by evaporation. Salts in the water are left behind when evaporation occurs. These salts have built into economic deposits which are periodically mined.
25.3 / 1.7 / Red Rock Canyon State Recreation Area: Colorful uplifted interbeds of sandstone, conglomerate, shale and volcanic basalts and tuff of the Miocene-age Ricardo Formation are displayed in the canyon. These terrestrial sediments have been eroded into unusual shapes and occasionally contain petrified wood and the mineralized bones of camel, horse, mastodons, rhinos, saber-tooth cats and mammals that roamed the countryside millions of years ago.
33.0 / 7.7 / Black Mountain, a lava (basalt) covered mountain, is located a few miles east of the road.
40.2 / 7.2 / Massive, isolated knolls of granitic rock are seen a few miles west of the highway afloat in a sea of alluvium. These last remaining peaks are all that remain of a retreating mountain front that was buried in its own sediment.
41.0 / 0.8 / Father J. Crowley Memorial.
43.6 / 2.6 / Exit for Highway 178 west to Lake Isabella by way of Walker Pass. In 1834, a scruffy and very capable mountain-main by the name of Joseph R. Walker passed this way with a band of 52, plus cattle and horses. Walker entered California the year before while exploring the potential of fur trapping for Captain Benjamine Bonneville. After wintering in Monterey, Walker began to search for new southern routes to cross the Sierra Nevada and, in the Spring of 1834, followed the Kern River eastward, ultimately crossing through the Sierras and exited near this location. From here, Walker and his men turned north to "discover" and explore the regions of the Owens Valley. Walker returned to the area in 1845 while guiding an exploratory force under control of Captain John Fremont.
46.4 / 2.8 / Exit for Chino Lake and Naval Weapons Center. Eastward across the cracked, dry bed of China Lake is the Argos Range which, in this area, is composed largely of granitic rock. West of the highway, the Sierra Nevada has encroached very close to the road, and in the vicinity of Indian Wells, the roadway passes over the frontal fault of the mountains.
48.5 / 2.1 / Indian Wells
48.7 / 0.2 / Exit west on an improved dirt road to explore Indian Wells Canyon. This canyon extends from a desert environment near the highway to one of pines, mountain mahogany and wild grape vines in the upper reaches of the canyon. Exploration of the area is best accomplished with a four-wheel drive vehicle.


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January 21, 2001

Mileage / Destination
Total / Interval
50.0 / 1.3 / Scars of the High Peak Mine, a tungsten prospect, are seen one-half mile to the west.
58.1 / 8.1 / There are small moments in everyone's life that occasionally flash back with pleasant memory. One of these must be attending a "Grande Preeze" at the world-famous Pearsonville Speedway.
60.8 / 2.7 / Exist west on Nine Mile Canyon Road to explore the beautiful upper Kern River plateau.
62.7 / 1.9 / Far to the east of the highway, in the southern hills of the Coso Range, are reddish volcanic cinder cones and black lava flows. Most of these volcanic features have occurred within the past 500,000 years (just like yesterday) and are the forerunner of similar volcanic features to be seen throughout the trip.
67.8 / 5.1 / Little Lake Hotel – This ancient pink relic was reportedly used by early travelers to the Owens Valley from Los Angeles as a layover on the two-day trip. Paving of the entire roadway from Los Angeles to Bishop was completed in 1931.
68.1 / 0.3 / Little Lake – Once called Little Owens Lake, this natural body of water is maintained largely by springs. Heavy concentrations of migratory waterfowl are found here in the Fall and Winter. Paiute and Shoshoni indians frequented the area and their artifacts have been found in the vicinity. The lake is presently a privately owned and maintained wildlife refuge.
69.4 / 1.3 / On the east side of Little Lake is a high, black cliff of basalt which displays a special type of fracturing called "columnar jointing". Excellent examples of columnar jointing are also in the Devils Postpile area west of Mammoth. The basalt (lava) in this area is about 130,000 years old.
70.9 / 1.5 / Following signs,
Exit to the east at Cinder Road for about one mile will take you to an area of an ancient waterfall. This fall existed many thousands of years ago when Owens Lake, now only a fraction of its original size, filled the entire basin to the north and outletted to the south at this point. The ancient river scoured the dense basalt creating a series of falls with natural arches, potholes and chimneys. The hardness of the rock and dryness of the land has helped to preserve this testimony in such fine order that it looks as if the river left only last year.
Obsidian flakes are found on the ground at the top of the "falls". Obviously, indian camps existed on each side of the ancient river in this area, just before the river dumped over the falls.
71.1 / 0.2 / Red Hill cinder cone is located immediately east of the highway. This feature was built entirely of hot cinders ejected from a volcanic vent and is similar to other cinder cones which can be seen in other parts of the valley. Red Hill is periodically mined for the cinders to be used as road and concrete aggregate and decorative rock.
82.0 / 10.9 / Haiwee Reservoir, owned by the Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles, is located about one mile east of the highway. A large grassy area called Haiwee Meadow once existed in the area of the present reservoir. In the early 1860's, a McGuire family ran a goat farm in the meadow. While Mr. McGuire was away on a trip in 1865, a dozen Paiutes attached the farm, killing Mrs. McGuire and their six-year-old son. Whites retaliated by killing 41 Paiute men, women and children at Owens Lake, a number of miles to the north of this spot.

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January 21, 2001

Mileage / Destination
Total / Interval
86.9 / 4.9 / A geologically recent fault scarp up to 10 to 15± feet in height is noted about one-quarter mile west of the highway. A house sits directly above the scarp.
89.6 / 2.7 / The large bowl area is situated west of the highway is the headwaters of Olancha Creek. Old cattle trails exist at the foot of the mountains and cut across the face of the uplifted granite face to give access to the sierra meadow areas above. Cattle were driven up the trail in the late Spring to feed the summer long in the Monache Meadow area. In late summer, the herds are again brought to the valley to winter.
92.6 / 3.0 / Town of Olancha. Olancha got its beginning in about 1861 when M.H. Farley built a mill nearby for his Olancha Mine. The area soon became a stage stop for the Owens Valley – Mojave Stage. A formal community developed as ranching interests settled the valley.
Exit on Highway 190 east will take you around Owens Lake. About 5 miles east on Highway 190 is Dirty Sock Mineral Hot Spring. Reputed to be great for what ails you. Enter at your own risk.
94.0 / 2.1 / Cartego Creek issues from a steep walled canyon west of the highway. Occasionally, small golden trout can be caught in the upper confines of the canyon.
94.9 / 0.2 / Town of Cartego. The town of Cartego is located at the southern end of Owens Lake. In the 1870's, the silver bullion was shipped from across the lake to Cartego where ingots were loaded on wagons and pulled by mule team for their trip south to Los Angeles.
96.6 / 1.7 / Owens Lake lies to the east. This lake is only a fraction of the size it had attained during the geologic past. Lake sediments have been mapped from as far as Little Lake to the south to ten miles north of Lone Pine.
Glacial melt waters caused the lake to swell in size at the end of the glacial stages, achieving depths of more than 200 feet and a length of 40 to 50 miles.
Other than the fossil falls north of Little Lake, Owens Lake has no outlet. Once the water level fell below the elevation of the falls, water entering the basin largely disappeared by evaporation. Water entering the lake are quite put but do contain slight traces of minerals dissolved from the surrounding bedrock. Evaporation of the water leaves behind a very small concentrate of salt, which, over a very long period of time, developed the salt deposits now apparent in the lake bottom.
Prior to diversion of Owens River water in 1913 by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power, Owens Lake had up to 30 feet of saline water. With diversion of the water, the lake has dried and the resulting salt crust was left susceptible to erosion by wind storms that sweep across the basin. Salts in the lake basin have periodically been mined for sodium carbonate and boron complex minerals. Colors in the brine are caused by algae growth.

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January 21, 2001

Mileage / Destination
Total / Interval
102.7 / 6.1 / A one± mile trip via dirt road on the east side of the highway will take you to adobe charcoal kilns built in 1876-77 to provide charcoal for smelters at Cerro Gordo.