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..
Gold Butte Winter Star Gazing
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..
Friends of Gold Butte receives $250 Clean Trail Grant
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..
Endangered Species Day May 15, 2020
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…
COVID-19
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’s Milky Way Season
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..
Spring star gazing in Gold Butte
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 in Gold Butte
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..
Sunsets
My wife, Susan, and I love sunsets. We love to watch the sunset, and we love to photograph the sunset. We have photographed sunsets from Isle au Haut in Acadia, to Glacier Bay N.P. in Alaska; from the eastern tip of St. Croix to the westernmost shore of Kauai. We have taken pictures of beach..
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) live throughout Gold Butte, but must remain fairly close to water (e.g., Lake Mead, mountain springs). Look for Bighorns on ridgelines and near rocky cliffs where they feel safe from predators. Desert Bighorn Sheep are large sheep of desert mountains with a tan coat and white rump. Adult males are..