Deserts

The contradictions of iconic lands
The contradictions of iconic lands
The photos inside two new volumes show the grandeur and vulnerability of landscapes like the Grand Canyon and Bears Ears National Monument.
Michael Engelhard Photos Nov. 12, 2018 From the print edition
A high-stakes water reckoning looms in the West
A high-stakes water reckoning looms in the West
Be it a wet or a dry year, the water rich in Colorado’s North Fork Valley take their share.
Jonathan Thompson Perspective Oct. 30, 2018
The precarious plan for the Lake Powell Pipeline
The precarious plan for the Lake Powell Pipeline
Officials in Utah’s fastest-growing county are obscuring details of what a high-stakes project will cost taxpayers.
Emma Penrod Oct. 29, 2018 From the print edition
The allure of the gnarled
It took a while, but the writer eventually came to see the strange, harsh beauty of the gnarled old pinon and juniper trees in Canyon Country
Joshua Zaffos Essay May 16, 2005 From the print edition
Trees can be just another sacred cow
Only God can make a tree, but anyone can ruin a prairie.
Ted Williams Opinion Essay May 9, 2005
Developer under fire for destroying desert
Developer George Johnson is being sued by the state of Arizona for major violations of environmental laws, committed in the early stages of his planned La Osa Ranch development
Tony Davis April 4, 2005 From the print edition
Death Valley wakes up with a bang
The writer drives from Oregon to Death Valley to experience its once-in-a-lifetime wildflower bonanza
Pepper Trail Opinion Essay March 28, 2005
A thin, dry border between heaven and hell
In his anthology, God’s Country or Devil’s Playground, editor Barney Nelson gathers together an eclectic mix of the best nature writing from the Big Bend of Texas
Jessica Toubman Sept. 13, 2004 From the print edition
On a lonely road, time rolls to a stop
The writer travels from New York to Nevada every year, just to stop on one of the state’s empty highways and listen to the endless desert silence
Jim Harmon Essay Aug. 2, 2004 From the print edition
Journal of the Dead
Jason Kersten’s Journal of the Dead: A Story of Friendship and Murder in the New Mexico Desert is an interesting read, but fails to fully develop the story of Raffi Kodikian, who stabbed his best friend, David Coughlin, in an apparent mercy killing
Geordie Romer June 7, 2004 From the print edition
Hidden Waters resurfaces
Charles Bowden’s book, Killing the Hidden Waters, which explores the Sonoran Desert world of the Papago Indians, has been re-released after 25 years
Matt Jenkins June 7, 2004 From the print edition
Playing God in desert potholes
The writer plays God to a desert pothole filled suddenly with tadpoles
Gail Binkly Opinion Essay April 12, 2004
Getting under the desert’s skin: Biologist Jayne Belnap
Michelle Nijhuis Jan. 19, 2004 From the print edition
Leaving Las Vegas
Now that she’s left Las Vegas, the writer recalls the surrealistic city, and is haunted by the memory of the desert that surrounds it
Sarah Flick Essay Dec. 8, 2003 From the print edition
A love letter to a sewage lagoon
Andrea Jones recalls falling in love with the desert by visiting Lake Powell as a child
Andrea M. Jones Opinion Essay Dec. 1, 2003
Barren, wild and worthless? Anything but
Barren, Wild and Worthless: Living in the Chihuahuan Desert, Susan Tweit’s New Mexico memoir, is back in print
Renee Guillory June 9, 2003 From the print edition
Desert saved from ‘dingbat’ development
The Wildlands Conservancy buys 600,000 acres of Southern California desert, making the largest purchase of private land for conservation purposes in the country’s history
Jessica Toubman May 26, 2003 From the print edition
Nevada: A diamond in the rough
Earthtones: A Nevada Album pairs essays by Ann Ronald with photos by Stephen Trimble to celebrate the beauty of an austere landscape
Sierra Standish May 12, 2003 From the print edition
Fences go up along the Mexican border
The Border Patrol wants to erect 249 miles of fences along the Arizona-Mexico border, and some environmentalists are worried about their impact on desert wildlife.
Mitch Tobin March 3, 2003 From the print edition
Nevada’s desert beauty
In The Black Rock Desert, writer William L. Fox and photographer Mark Klett visit a remarkable corner of northeastern Nevada
Michelle Nijhuis Feb. 3, 2003 From the print edition
On the road with Edward Abbey, chaos as usual
Thirty years ago, the writer took a road trip through the desert with Ed Abbey, and the memories still bring a smile
Ingrid Eisenstadter Opinion Essay Jan. 13, 2003
Sagebrush artistry
In "Living in the Country Growing Weird," Nevada potter Dennis Parks celebrates his exit from the rat race by conveying the challenges of rural existence.
Crystal Mustric April 29, 2002 From the print edition
The oldest living thing is a quiet survivor
Shielded in anonymity, the "King Clone," a creosote bush identified as the "oldest living thing on Earth," can be found on a dirt road south of Barstow, Calif., where it continues to keep a low profile about the many benefits of its properties.
Matt Weiser Essay April 15, 2002 From the print edition
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