As winter approaches and the Milky Way core takes a vacation in the southern hemisphere our friend Dave Ward reminds us that “clear frosty nights bring out the brightest stars of the year to dazzle us”. One must say that watching Orion’s Belt rise just after dark in the east is awe inspiring and checking..
Dave WardNovember, 2020 Winter may bring short, cold days, but on a clear frosty night the brightest stars of the year dazzle us. If you really want to see them in their glory, be sure to get away from distracting lights. The stars, bright though they may be, can not compete with Rudolf’s blinking red..
GOLD BUTTE ROAD CONDITIONS Conditions are subject to change — use your own good judgment. With the lack of rain during 2020, most roads remain about as they were in 2019, but with more washboarding. Gold Butte Back Country Byway. The Byway is composed of several roads: Gold Butte Road (paved section and unpaved..
In support of National Public Lands Day, Extreme Terrain provided $250 to support the ongoing trash cleanup efforts by Friends of Gold Butte. A group of about 20 volunteers worked on various sites in Gold Butte National Monument on Saturday, September 26th for a National Public Lands Day project coordinated by BLM (Bureau of Land..
On this day we celebrate our local neighbor, the desert tortoise. The desert tortoise (Gopherus agassazii), a very shell-tered reptile, is long-time resident of the Mojave Desert. Once common throughout its range, the desert tortoise has been under protection of the Endangered Species Act since 1990 due to a dramatic decline in their population numbers…
To Our Friends: As COVID-19 continues to spread across our country and the rest of the world, Friends of Gold Butte is committed to proactive measures to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and visitors. Because of this, we are temporarily closing the Visitor Center to protect all of our community members. For those..
It is that time of year where the Milky Way (actually The Carina–Sagittarius Arm, but that is a subject for another time) emerges from its winter in the Southern Hemisphere and begins to show its galactic center in our northern latitudes. Starting in February it rises in the South-East around 2 AM and rises earlier each..
When night falls out at Gold Butte N.M., do not just crawl into your tent and give up on the natural beauty of our scenic national monument. Some of the best treasures of our public lands in remote places come on display after dark. If you are enjoying a campfire, step away from it for..
Hollow-pipe mining-claim markers were set up by prospectors during about 1970 to 1990 to mark the corners of their claims. Prior to that time, prospectors in the western deserts used piles of stones (cairns) as corner markers. As would be expected, looking for a pile of stones in the desert, which many people feel is “just..
Black Butte Road has been groomed and is passable in a carefully driven sedan. 2WD-HC is better. Watch for rocks in the road. Beyond Falling Man Trailhead, 4WD is recommended. Jim Boone Las Vegas, NV www.birdandhike.com Sent from my iPhone
