Indian Wells Valley and Northern Mojave Desert Handbook [Paperback]

Mark Pahuta (Author), Elsa Pendleton (Author), China Lake - Ridgecrest Branch of the American Association of University Women (Author), Betty Gross (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1996

The Indian Wells Valley of California lies between the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley, just south of the Owens Valley (source of much of Los Angeles' water via the infamous Los Angeles Aqueduct). Now the home of a major Navy research laboratory, the Valley has a rich history of silver mining, outlaws, and pioneers of all sorts. This guidebook includes sightseeing suggestions, history and natural history, including wildflowers and native animals. It is a useful and entertaining introduction to desert exploration. Proceeds from Handbook sales support college scholarships for local women.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Why would anyone choose to live out in the middle of the desert? Generations of Indian Wells Valley families have answered this question by sharing some of the information you will find in this handbook.

The China Lake - Ridgecrest Branch of the American Association of University Women proudly present our latest edition guide to our Valley. This new edition includes descriptions and directions for enjoyable visits to nearby scenic areas, museums, ghosts towns, and campgrounds, as well as historic information and an introduction to the ecology of the Indian Wells Valley.

The Indian Wells Valley stretches, roughly, south from the site of an inactive volcano twenty miles north of Ridgecrest to the railhead town of Mojave, from the edge o f the Sierra Nevada on the west to the Coso and Argus Mountains on the east. Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and the Naval Air Warfare Station are the only recognized population centers; between them, they are home to approximately 28,000 people.

The earliest known inhabitants, who arrived perhaps 12,000 years ago, left a fragmentary record of obsidian arrowheads, stone tools and enigmatic rock drawings. They were nomadic hunter-gathers who camped at ceremonial sites such as Black Mountain, Coso Hot Springs, and Petroglyph Canyon. They hunted birds on the shores of prehistoric Lake China, built a village below the basalt cliffs of Little Lake, and collected pion nuts on the higher slopes of the Argus Range. They were succeeded by local bands of Shoshone and Paiute -- the Owens Valley, Coso, and Panamint Paiutes; the Kawaiisu of the Tehachapis, and Tubatulabals of the Kern River Valley. A few of their descendants remain in the region, and though now part of the American mainstream, they preserve the fragile links to those who were, in fact, California's First Families.

The early 1800s saw the arrival of Spanish vaqueros and emissaries of the Church. Then came the mountain men, trappers, and adventurers in search of a shorter route to the Pacific. Miners began to arrive in the nineteenth century; their twentieth-century counterparts are still seeking elusive mineral deposits. Farming and ranching opportunities attracted settlers and tradespeople. The Owens Lake water wars brought bloodshed and destruction to our Valley as the Los Angeles aqueduct snakes its way along the mountain wall. The latest arrival, The United States Navy, came in the 1940s and put down roots which Valley residents hope will be permanent.

For this edition of the handbook, we divided the book into three major sections. The first section emphasizes the history of the area. The second section contains suggestions for sightseeing trips in the Valley and throughout the northern Mojave Desert. In the third section, you will find information on our natural environment: geology and climate, birds, wildlife, and flowers. We have included a section on desert safety; please read this section BEFORE you venture out into unfamiliar territory. Our handbook also contains references to books and other local sources of information. We hope you will be intrigued as you learn about the Valley, and will want to continue your education.

The China Lake/Ridgecrest Branch of the American Association of University Women first produced this handbook in 1948. We take pride in offering this completely revised and expanded edition, which includes local area information not otherwise available in one book. Corrections and additions will be easier to manage in the future. Perhaps you will want to share some of your own experiences, correct errors of fact, or propose new topics -- we, the Editors/publisher, look forward to hearing from you!

From the Back Cover

The Indian Wells Valley of California at the northern end of the Mojave Desert between the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley, shares its territory with coyotes, road runners and rattlesnakes as well as Navy aircraft and missiles ever since the last years of World War II, when the U.S. Navy, seeking clear air and uninhabited land for rocketry research, acquired a piece of property roughly the size of the State of Delaware.

Founded in 1947, the China Lake - Ridgecrest Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) began the area's first day care center, sponsored the Friends of the Ridgecrest Branch Library, and annually awarded a scholarship to the young woman graduating from an area public high school with the best academic record.

We now proudly present our sixth edition of the guide to our Valley. This new edition includes descriptions and directions for enjoyable visits to nearby scenic areas, museums, ghost towns, and campgrounds, as well as historic information and an introduction to the ecology of the Indian Wells Valley.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: China Lake - Ridgecrest Branch of the American Association o; 6 edition (August 12, 1996)
• ISBN-10: 0964957809
• ISBN-13: 978-0964957800
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,259,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)