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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN ROBERTS
The Narrows of Lovell Wash
STORY BY DEBORAH WALL
Although narrow slot canyons are more commonly found in southern Utah and Arizona, a great narrows hike is located just outside of the Lake Mead Recreation Area. Narrows come in many sizes and shapes, but all are drainages where erosion has cut a tight canyon with comparatively high walls. Hiking at the bottom of such a deep slot emphasizes one's tiny size in comparison to the surroundings, making one feel just vulnerable enough to endow the experience with a sense of adventure.
My 5-year-old daughter, Charlotte, accompanied me on a visit to the narrows of Lovell Wash. Though a veteran hiker for her age, she is not always a happy one; it's a constant challenge to find a new hike where I get some miles in and we both remain interested. Lovell Wash met the need, and I recommend it to other hikers whose short relatives may also have short attention spans.
We parked the car at the trailhead and descended the old jeep trail into the wide Lovell Wash, then headed right, or north. Within a few minutes Charlotte discovered what was perhaps an old cabin, and then more timber structures.
We had stumbled upon the remnants of the Anniversary Mine. The mine was discovered in 1921 by F.M. Lovell and G.D. Hartman of St. Thomas, Nevada. They quickly sold the property to Francis Marion "Borax" Smith, the famed developer of Death Valley mines. The Anniversary Mine produced colemanite, a form of calcium borate, until 1928 with a total production estimated at 200,000 tons. The mine was finally closed because the California mines could produce boron ores cheaper.
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The March/April 2003 Issue is out. Find it at Las Vegas bookstores today.
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