Quartz, water and prospecting

Dome Rock Mountains

Wandering the hills around Quartzsite, more specifically the Dome Rock Mountains around Sinni, was an enjoyable experience filled with new plants, surprising discoveries and a taste of the past.

Everything except area circled in red are campers!
And thousand have already left for the season!

We are camped 6.6 miles west south-west of Quartzsite at the base of Sugarloaf rock which is part of the Dome Rock Mountains. We are much lower than we were at Rock Hound State Park where we were camped at 4,600 ft. Here we are considerably higher than the town of Quartzsite but still only at an elevation of 1,257 ft. The lower formations of the Dome Rock Mountains, like Surgarloaf, rise to a maximum of 1,436 ft. with the highest peak in the range being <2,500 ft. I guess I've been influenced by Montana and the Rocky Mts where the Belton Hills are almost 6,000 feet high. Despite their low stature, they are formidable rock formations and quite beautiful.

Quartz outcropping

When you hike these hills you know why Quartzsite got its name. There are beautiful pieces of quartz crystal lying everywhere. I ran across what appeared to be an outcropping of quartz. It was a mounded area comprising mostly of quartz with several enormous bolders of solid quartz buried in the ground. I have no idea how far down they might go. Since there are several large rock and gem stores and traders in Quartzsite, I'd guess that this outcropping had been frequently visited.

Almost everything green is found in either a wash or some other depression. There is a depression near our camp that is filled with shrubs. When I went to explore it I found a large trough that had been dug out. I decided that it must be rock hounds looking for specimens to sell at their shops.

One of the "oasis" I discovered

I followed a wash - dry stream bed - northward. I was admiring the vegetation and taking pictures when I made a startling discover. It was wet! There has not been rain here for weeks yet there was mud. If, like you're taught in survival, I had dug a shallow hole I'm sure it would have filled with water. This was one of three such oases I encountered on my hike.

Gold mine entrance

As I came up out of the wash I saw what appeared to be fenced areas ahead of me. As I drew closer I could see that the three structures were cages made of heavy metal. The first cage covered what appeared to be a sink-hole. I wondered why the government would go to such extent to cover a sink-hole. Why not just put a fence around it and say 'stay out'. Upon closer inspection down the dark hole I could see timbers. These were the entrances to mines. I remembered that a local group called QIA has a Gold Show next week. I wondered if these were old gold mines and determined that I would check it out next time I was in town. Two of the three appeared to go almost straight down while the third had two entraces and a tunnel extending back into the mountain. The tunnel was only high enough for a large man to crawl through.

Another of the gold mines

I climbed one of the smaller formations. It offered a panoramic view. As with most of the rest of the area it is covered with quartz and shale. This peak offered a much closer look at the Dome Rock Mountains. Amazingly there were no signs of ATV on this feature. All the others have trails up and down the sides, except for this small mound on which I stood and the top hundred feet or so of Sugarloaf which would require a reasonably skilled rock climber to ascend. There were two cairns at the top of my mound, so I had to add my own.

My cairn 

As usual I had taken the hard way up because I wasn't really planning on climbing to the top. I had spotted this group of lovely Ferocactus. Actually much of the side of this feature was covered with Ferocactus. At this point I have identified three types of cacti - Saguaro, Ferocactus and the Cholla which is a part of the genus Cylindropuntia. I'm still working on learning the bushes and small trees. There was one plant, which I assume is in the cacti family, that I have been unable to identify. We'll be stopping at the local bookstore soon. If you know its name, please drop me a note.

On my way home I followed a draw that ran between Sugarloaf and the mound I had climbed. Again I saw lots of evidence of humans digging. A short distance before I arrived at the trail on which we are camped I saw a dig with buckets, shovels, and other tools. There was a small trailer and a truck camper parked just above the site. I asked a lady, who was sitting outside watching me, about the dig. She was reluctant to tell me why they were digging. A man came out. He said nothing. He just watched me. Finally the woman said they were digging for gold. I wished them luck and moved on thinking "I sure hope there isn't a rifle pointed at my back."

Unknown cactus - let me know if you know its name!

Looking at a topographic map later I found spots all across this area designated "prospector". Since I'm still here this morning, they were evidently not too threatened by my discovery of their dig. It was well hidden in the brush along the draw. That's the only reason I was there was to see the vegetation. From what I understand it is legal to prospect for gold on BLM land, but, if they think they have a good spot, I'm sure true modern-day prospectors don't like to share their location.

There is so much to see in the desert. We check each morning to make sure that some desert animal hasn't nested in the truck engine compartment. We keep a close eye on the dogs because the coyotes are known to be very stealthy and are quick to snatch and run. It gets hot during the day but the temperature drops quickly and suddenly as the sun begins to go down. A moonless night leaves you with a marvelous astronomic display. Even I can identify some of the constellations when it is this clear.

If you haven't camped in the desert. It is an experience you don't want to miss and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land affords you that opportunity.

Saguaro cactus and tree in the Sonoma Desert