The Journey is the destination
San Bernardino County, located in Southern California, is renowned for its vast expanses of diverse landscapes ranging from rugged mountains to expansive deserts. Home to both bustling urban centers like Apple Valley and Barstow as well as serene natural wonders such as Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest, the county offers a blend of urban convenience and outdoor adventure. Its economy is diverse, encompassing industries like logistics, healthcare, and tourism, buoyed by its strategic location between Los Angeles and the rest of the Inland Empire. With a rich history dating back to the days of Spanish missions and a vibrant cultural tapestry woven from its diverse population.
Located deep in the Mojave National Reserve exists a small stone building, known as Bert Smith’s Cabin, which serves as an ongoing monument to a national hero. Bert Smith was a World War One veteran who moved to the Mojave in order to prolong his live and recover from the poison gas attacks which damaged his lungs during the war. The original structure was built from wood, and later finished in stone. Bert Smith lived at the site despite his prognosis, until the 1950’s.
The Kokoweef Mine and in fact all of the trails and mines located in the Ivanpah / Mountain Pass area represent exactly why I started Destination4x4. My wife and I routinely drive between our home in Las Vegas, NV and Los Angeles, CA to visit family and friends. One trip we decided to jump off the 15 and just investigate the Mountain Area off of Bailey Road. After a few nice discoveries, we continued our drive home and that night I opened up Google Earth and started investigating the area.
One of my discoveries was Kokoweef. Immediately upon exiting the I-15 at Baily road was a sign for Kokoweef. Little did I realize that I had just walked into a legend of the “Kokoweef River of Gold”. Obviously, I don’t think I have discovered anything, but rather learned more of the desert history which surrounds us all and seldom seen or learned about.
According to Legend, three Piute Indians discovered cave system which became known as the Crystal Cave. The cave system was reported to be thousands of feet deep, and contained an underground river 300 feet across which was rich with placer gold. The location remained a secret for many years, until the 1930’s when Earl F. Dorr learned of the cave system from a Indian ranch hand who worked on his fathers ranch. According to the ranch hand, three brothers Oliver, Buck and George Peysert worked / mined the cave system and recovered some $57,000.00 for 6 weeks of work. During one visit George Peysert is reported to have died
Armed with this little bit of knowledge, Mr. Door reportedly investigated the site with two other men. Reportedly, we found the underground river which “Rises and Falls with Tidal Regularity”, along with fantastic geologic formations. To protect his new find, Mr. Dorr blasted the tunnel closed. On December 10, 1934 Mr Door swore and affidavit to which, he stated that he prospect the area for several days and with 10 lbs of of placer sand from the banks of the underground river was assayed a$2,144.47 per yard and $20 per once of gold.
Mr. Dorr died in 1957 without revealing the location of the cavern entrance to the underground river of gold. From the point of his affidavit in 1934, the site has been submit to multiple mining claims, rumor, story and lawsuits. It is of some note that Earl Dorr worked for another 23 years with the knowledge of a vaste cache of placer gold yet did not seem to act on this information.
The latest lawsuit in the area was closed in 2012, but to my knowledge no vast river of gold at the bottom of a 3000 foot canyon has yet to be rediscovered in the Mojave.
Currently, the two roads to the mine are closed on both sides, so you have to walk up to the mine sight. The terrain is moderately steep, however erosion channels and loose rock make to hike more difficult but well worth the effort. Access from the southern access road on considerabley shorter and not as steep. Once at the top, you are great of the mine portal with is mostly closed and the mine cart rail.
The Evening Star Mine first came to our attention in the winter of 2014, while researching the mining history of the Mountain Pass located in California near the border with Nevada. On a whim, while driving home we did a little exploring in the Mountain Pass area just inside of the California border outside of Primm, Nevada. We frequently drive past this area, marveling at the Wild Burro population, but just did not stop to investigate. Our brief stop opened the flood gates as we “discovered” gold fish in a water trough. After some investigation the mining districts of the Ivanpah mountains were exposed, at the Evening Star Mine is principal among them.
Operating between 1939 and 1944, the Evening Star Mine was the only producer of tin ore in the eastern Mojave Desert. Located in the Mescal Mining District, the site maintains an impressive sixty foot head frame which is built upon three towers of different heights and supply ore to an ore bin. The mine is unique in that the crusher is located at the top of the head frame.
The Evening Star Mine began life in 1935 as a copper claim. J. Riley Bembry prospected and then within a year, sold the claim to Trigg L. Button and Clarence Hammett of Santa Ana, Califonia. The two men began digging the Number 1 shaft. In 1940, the claim was again sold, this time of Vaughn Maynard of Santa Ana who then sold it to the Tin Corporation of America in 1941. The Tin Corporation of America continued sinking the shaft, and shipped 25 tons in June 1942 to Texas City, Texas.
Carl Wendrick Jr. secured the lease in 1943 with a government loan and soon the site hosted eight men who built a larger head frame. Over 400 tons of ore were processed and several tons of tin concentrates were sold to the government stockpile in Jean, Nevada.
The structure is essentially sound, and in good condition, however steps are being taken to stabilize the head frame. The mine shaft itself is closed to access by BLM using a cable net.
Located south of Baker, CA on the edge of a large soda dry lake bed in the Mojave, Zzyzx Road is a short road which leads from the I-15 highway to a soda spring with an eclectic history. The springs were the site of a prehistoric quarry and early human activity undoubtedly taking shelter from the heat in the Oasis which is the spring site.
During the 1860s, the springs and surrounding areas host a U.S. Army camp which serviced the Mojave Road as Fort Soda Springs and a local train depot for the Tomopah and Tidewater Railroad.
In 1944, a radio evangelist, self proclaimed medical doctor and methodist minister Curtis Howe Springer filed a mining claim for 12,800 acres of land south of Baker, CA and along the coast of the large dry soda lake. The 8 miles by 3 miles track of land included the old army fort and the train depot. Mr. Springers goal was to establish a “Health Spa” for anyone who felt the need to improve their Health. The cost of a visit was free of charge, but undoubtedly he pressured his visitors to make “donations” to his organization.
The area was developed over time, and Springer named the site after his own invented word Zzyzx, as to be the last word in the dictionary, and the phrase the “last word in” was used as part of his marketing campaigns for all his endeavors. The location was built up over a period of 30 years (1944 – 1974) starting with a 20 tent camp which soon turned into a primitive concrete settlement built using laborers recruited from Los Angeles “Skid Row”. The warm soda springs were of his own manufacture which used boilers and man made pools for this natural healing site.
Years of development Zzyzx Mineral springs featured 60 room lodging, a radio station, mineral spa, a private airport dubbed the “Zyport” and or coarse a church. In addition, Curtis Springer would peddle his cures using his national and international radio broadcasts which promised cures for almost every disease. In the late 1960’s, Mr Springer gained the attention of the Federal Government for building homes for large doners to his “Ministry”. Since the original Mine claim never transfer ownership of the land to him, but rather gives him mineral rights, and he had not produce any profit from mining he was not entitled to development the land, because he did not own the land.
After loosing in court, he was evicted from the site in 1974, and in 1976 the California State University system incorporate the site into their field studies and research programs which, I am sure, has provided a far better use of the property. The property continues to operative within the Mojave National Preserve as the Desert Studies Center by the California State University. Visitors are welcome to tour the area, there are picnic tables and a self guided tour around Lake Tuendae.
Over Presidents day weekend, my wife and I were travelling back from Big Bear, CA to our house after a visit with family towards our home in Las Vegas. Â Frequently, my wife will point out an old road or mine and comment that we need to take that trail someday. Â During out drive home, we were talking about the mining district in Mountain Pass and the Evening Star mine. Â On this journey, we chanced upon the ultra rare Mojave Goldfish.
This is one of the great reasons for owning a 4×4 and the Mojave Desert is a prime location to explore.
So, we exited the I-15 travelling north on Baily road near the Kokoweef mine. Typically, I have a route mapped out ahead of time, but a spur of the moment decision left our route to happenstance. We drove straight off the off ramp and headed up the hill. Immediately I sensed the I took the wrong route, but since we were exploring I just drove on, you never know what you will find. Soon, we found a private property sign, and opt towards a road to the left. I found 4×4 low in the transfer case and we climbed a short hill. Upon cresting the hill, I noticed something metal down the the left. I road the gears down in low until we reached the small canyon where I made a tight left towards the metallic object I saw from the top of the hill.
Within a quarter of a mile, I found an juniper tree with a metal water trough. These are not uncommon in the mojave and can be found throughout the dessert. I parked the jeep to investigate and was shocked…
We stumbled upon Goldfish, in the Mojave Desert and these things were pretty big. Â I mean, I have eaten trout smaller than some of these. Â Goldfish are used to keep the algae in check inside the water trough. Â An elegant solution to a problem I didn’t think existed, but that makes sense. Â The water trough was plumbed with a PVC pipe to bring the spring water to the trough. Â The overflow, did just that and the rocks on either wide of the trough edge allow for animals to escape the tank. Â An endless supply of fresh water would keep the urea concentrations down, so the fish grow into their environment.
My biggest question is that in a remote area with a lot of preditors, why are these fish alive? I thought that an oportunistic coyote, fox or raven would make quick work of this exposed tank, but these large fish prove they have been here for time. Regardless a very fun find and a true 4×4 destination.