The Journey is the destination
The Joshua Tree was named for the biblical character by the Mormon Setters as they crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid 19th century. It is told that the tree reminded the early Mormon’s of Joshua who, much like the tree, held his hands up in prayer. From these humble beginnings, the Joshua Tree and their undulating shadows have become of an icon of the desert southwest.
Joshua Tree
Blown by wind, and ravaged by time, the Bristlecone pine tree is a silent sentinel of the White Mountains in eastern central California. Only growing high in subapline mountains, Bristlecone pine trees are among the oldest living organisms, reaching ages of 5000 years old, with on specimen being documented at 5,067 years old by Tom Harlan who aged the tree by ring count. That calculation confirms this one individual tree to be the oldest living non-clonal organism on the planet.
A Bristlecone Pine (not the oldest) located in the White Mountains, CA
The Bristlecone pine groves are found between 5,600 and 11,200 ft of elevation on mountain slopes with dolomitic coils. This harsh alkaline soil gives the Bristlecone a competitive advantage because over plants and tree are unable to grow. The trees grow very slowly due cold temperatures, arid soil, wind and short growing seasons.
Originally known as Blake, Goffs, CA is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains. Originally named for Isaac Blake, builder of the Nevada Southern Railway, the town was named Goffs in 1902, when it served as a railway stop, and housing for the Santa Fe Railroad.
Goffs, CA
The story of the westward expansion is the story of the railroads. Beginning in 1862, the Union Pacific Railroad sought expansion opportunities along the western coast of the United States. To secure a foothold into California the railroads must cross the Mojave Desert and the depot in Kelso was crucial to accomplish this goal. Located at the junction of Kelbaker Road and the Kelso Cima Road, the Kelso Depot stands in testimony of the technological progress of the nations trains.
Kelso Depot, Mojave CA
The Success Mine is an gold mine site located just off Masonic Road, the between McMillan Springs and the Chemung Mine in Mono County, CA.
Success Mine, Bridgeport, CA