Mojave Desert Lore: The wildflowers now grow...

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.
All rights reserved.

...around Walt Bickel's machinery.

This is the wheel on the old Fordson tractor at Bickel Camp.

Mojave Desert Ruins: Bickel Camp Relics...

Tools of Walt Bickel's trade...although I'm not sure how the sink wound up here.

Mojave Desert Ruins...The sad fate of...

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.
All rights reserved.

...the cabins near Burro-Schmidt's Tunnel.

When Toni Evelyn Seger passed away, no one was left to keep the site safe from vandals and the ravages of time.

Mojave Desert Landscapes: This is the view that greets visitors exiting...

...Burro Schmidt's tunnel.


1/80th sec. @f .20.

Desert Landscapes...

Majestic Mojave Desert...

1/60th sec. @ f.20.

Mojave Desert Ruins: More from the Alvord Mine...

Photograph by Scott Schwartz.
All rights reserved.

Shell of a building...

Mojave Desert Ruins...

Photograph By Scott Schwartz.
All Rights Reserved.

Company logo on the floor of a ruined building at the Alvord Mine.

Mojave Desert Ruins: Calico Mountains...

There was no serious exploring on this beautiful Monday after Easter.

My six year-old niece was with us, and we took her for a visit to the Calico ghost town.  After playing tourist for a couple of hours, I couldn't resist taking my wife and niece on a little detour into the Calico Mountains.

While my little niece played with some rocks, I poked around some of the old mining ruins, which included the foundation shown in the photograph.  Since this was my nieces first off-road trip, I didn't want to scare her by shifting into Low-Range and climbing the hill in search of the mine.  There's plenty of time for that...

Mojave Desert Life: I told my wife that we would try to find some wildflowers...

...on our trip to the Calico Mountains.  She wanted to try out the .22 caliber Smith & Wesson hand-gun that I'd purchased.

As we searched for a spot to set up our targets, we noticed that there were no wildflowers, despite the recent rains.

It wasn't until we were packing up for the trip home, that I noticed the flower in the photograph on the right, protruding through the gravel.  

1/160th sec. @ f 5.6.

Mojave Desert Ruins...

...entrance to old building in Randsburg.

Landscape photography in the desert...

Beauty in the desert is subtle.

1/30th sec. @f.22.