We were fortunate enough to have three days in a row for our trip to the area along the Bradshaw Trail, the old "Gold Road to La Paz", and we used every minute of it to check out some new (to us) rockhounding sites. One of those new sites was the location for the bloodstone in the Orocopia Mountains, located at Canyon Spring along the Bradshaw Trail. It is possible to start your journey at North Shore along the Salton Sea, where you can access the beginning of this historic trail, ending some 70 miles to the east at Palo Verde, CA. However, a somewhat more direct route to Canyon Spring consists of taking the Red Cloud Mine exit from Interstate 10 south along the old Eagle Mountain Railroad. This exit is the second one past Chiraco Summit, the location of the General Patton Museum. If you have time, make a stop at this interesting museum---it is very well done and quite informative about the military use of this high desert area during the 1940's. General Patton trained his troops for the war theater in Africa here-----that should give you some idea of the degree of the summertime heat out here!

We used the book "Rockhounding California" by Gail Butler and followed her directions for Site 10:Orocopia Bloodstone as our trip guide. Follow the main road that starts directly in front of you at the Red Cloud exit, for 13.8 miles, ignoring any side roads that may lead to the right or left. The name of the main road is signed as "Summit Road" at the 2.8 mile marker, where it crosses the old unused railroad tracks. Stay on the main road, through a sandy wash (four wheel drive recommended), passing by the sign on the right for the Red Canyon jeep trail, a nice scenic detour if you have the time and the right vehicle. After you pass the Red Canyon sign, you will continue south on the Bradshaw Trail for approximately another 1.3 miles to the right turn into Canyon Spring (no sign here). This turn should be at the 13.8 mile mark from your exit off Interstate 10. You will see a road to the right climbing up the hills (don't turn here). Canyon Spring will be just a couple of hundred feet past that steep road. You will make your way through the sand to the opening of the canyon, driving about 600 yards to a parking area where you must stop. Directly ahead is the Wilderness sign---no vehicles allowed past that point. Start hiking up the wash until you come to the spot where two washes converge. The bloodstone is located in seams on the slope between the two washes.

This canyon is really an amazing lesson in geology---we were in awe of all the tipping and tilting of the slabs throughout the canyon, with colors from green to cream to black crisscrossing the canyon floor and marching up the canyon walls in layers! There are a number of drill holes in some of the slabs with an old UCLA inscription high up on the wall above---apparent remnants from an old geology field trip! The main wash is quite damp and the rocks on the floor of the wash are ringed with alkali, as the water from the spring seeps the year-around. We located the spring for which the canyon is named, but as the water is strongly tainted with alkali, we just took pictures. Canyon Spring is a main source of water for the desert animals, which include Bighorn Sheep, so be sure not to linger too long in that area, as that might prevent some animals from getting their much needed drink. We did not see any animals, but the desert wildflowers were making a show for us instead!

The rock walls of the old Canyon Spring Station, a swing station for the mule teams used for travel along the Bradshaw Trail in the 1860's were visible until recent years. The station was located right where you made the turn into Canyon Spring. For more history on this area and the Bradshaw Trail itself, get yourself a copy of "Gold Road to La Paz---An Interpretive Guide to the Bradshaw Trail" by Delmer G. Ross. This book will give you a real feel for the great efforts people went to in the pursuit for gold, risking life and limb and the dangers of Indian attacks, all for the irresistible lure of that "yellow stuff"! Because of those intrepid prospectors, the West was settled far more quickly than it otherwise may have been. Many of the roads we use today began as ways to the new gold strikes of yesterday.