120 Adventures in Scenery 



of mountains having no system of arrangement, and separated 

 by broad stretches of alluvial deposits in the form of fans and 

 playas. To the north, in Inyo County, mountain ranges are 

 prominent and are arranged in a somewhat definite north- 

 south system. 



A striking feature of the landscape in many parts of the 

 desert is the presence of flat areas ranging in extent from a few 

 acres to many square miles, which are entirely devoid of vege- 

 tation. This intensely arid region, lying between the Sierra 

 Nevada Range and the Colorado River, is in extreme contrast 

 with the region lying west and south of the San Gabriel Range, 

 in Los Angeles and Orange counties. However, wherever suffi- 

 cient water can be obtained in the desert ranches have been 

 developed, and their bright green is a welcome sight to the 

 traveler weary of the interminable desert waste and the dark, 

 forbidding mountains. Many of the valleys or basins that sepa- 

 rate the mountain ranges are absolutely desert, totally destitute 

 of water, and treeless for distances representing many days' 

 journey, gray sage brush alone giving life to the landscape. In 

 the larger basins the land slopes toward a central depression into 

 which an intermittent stream may convey water during rainy 

 seasons, forming playas or mud plains. Some larger valleys 

 have permanent lakes, and these are saline or alkaline. The 

 shores of such lakes are devoid of all forms of life except salt- 

 loving plants. 



Arid Conditions Due to Mountains 



The great Sierra Nevada mountain system is the factor 

 which determines the climate of the desert region. The 

 moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean shed their mois- 

 ture upon the high mountains, and the lands to the east are left 

 literally "high and dry." 



Death Valley Region 



An outstanding feature of this great desert region is Death 

 Valley. This remarkable sink of the earth's crust is located 



