1 - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

saguaros, barrel and cholla cactus, ironwood
trees, etc. Alongside our fourwheeler
stood a 10-foot ocotillo, ablaze
with red blossoms. Though it was late
November, a few wildflowers were
blooming. The southern desert country's
response to fall rain —"a winter spring"
— never ceases to amaze me. All the
flora seemed to be greening-up and the
various cacti were lush and plump.
After a bite of lunch, Jerry headed out
on the eastern slopes above the canyon. I
wandered.around looking for any signs
of cutting material or Indian chippings.
Eiefore too long, a voice echoed across
the canyon, "Come out here—wait until
you see what I have found." There was a
slight note of excitement in Jerry's
usually calm, quiet voice. I hustled along
the narrow cattle trail knowing he must
have located something special.
I was not disappointed. There he stood
on a slope covered with quartz crystals!
Veins of quartz outcropped everywhere
and the crystals had eroded from them.
Our search for the "lost green outcrop"
ended. It could wait for another time.
We Had a "ball," as they say today, and
didn-t'quit collecting until our backs
(really mine) gave out and it was getting
dark.
We spent the evening washing and
• sorting crystals which ranged from mi-
30
cromount size up to two inches in length.
There were clear, perfect crystals and
milky ones. A large number were covered
with a rusty-red coating, more red
than rusty. Crystals having a light coating
were very attractive. A few clear
ones were tinted pink—really beautiful.
Our personal pride and joy was a small,
clear, perfectly formed scepter crystal!
We still have quite a few to be cleaned —
so there may be other "goodies."
Like all such deposits, a large number
of crystals at Indian Summit are not perfect
specimens. You must dig and search
through great numbers in order to obtain
fine specimens. Many nice, single crystals
have weathered out of the veins, but
most of them have been chipped. In
some of the veins the crystals are so entwined
it is difficult to obtain a group
without ruining them. Use care and lots
of patience when collecting.
Personally, I have a thing for quartz
crystals. They are beautiful to behold
and I always get excited when digging
them out of a vein or finding a "beauty"
weathered out. There is something intriguing
about quartz crystals —almost a
mystical quality. Perhaps this is ingrained
from an association with the cult of
"crystal ball and fortune telling." It
matters not, I am just a quartz crystal
nut!
Campsites, chippings, points
and petroglyphs provide visual
evidence of Indian habitation.
The glyph [right center]
suggests a man
following a travois.
All the same, it is good to know that I
am not alone in my feelings. Early Indians
utilized quartz crystals in their
tools. They, too, felt the crystals had
magical qualitites and often used them
as tips on sacred wands, as well as for
good luck charms.
Several years ago, Jerry found half of
a clear, quartz point. It is about one-inch
in length and the flaking was well done.
He hunted for several hours but was unable
to find the other half. It now rests
comfortably in our collection.
Stone Age Man fashioned tools and
weapons from "stronger-than-steel"
crystals over 100,000 years ago. Arche-