NOVEMBER 11-13, 2016
NOTICE: The trip is now complete and we all made it back safely. The trip report, complete with some fantastic photos, starts on page two of this thread, beginning here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3995&start=10#p31787
The Kokoweef story began in 1934, during the depth of the depression, when Earl Dorr penned his now famous "Sworn Statement", concerning his find in the County of San Bernardino. The caves which he claimed to have found were (and possibly are) in the Eastern Mojave Desert near Kokoweef Peak (thus, it's name). The extent to which the desperate times of the depression helped fuel interest in his find, is impossible to know, but logic certainly suggests that it did. The prospect of finding this "river of gold" must have been nearly impossible to ignore, especially when times were so difficult.
One can look to countless reasons why the "find" may have been exaggerated, or even untrue, but the one that jumps out immediately is found in the last paragraph of the last page. As you read this paragraph, keep in mind that mining operations are work intensive, time consuming and VERY expensive, and rarely did the prospector who found the gold, have the resources to fund large scale operations to extract it. Mining history is rich with stories of gold strikes which were sold (or in which an investment was made) which turned out to be overstated or just untrue. In these cases, the seller would reap incredible profits, all based on false information. This paragraph states:
On the other hand, however, there are sufficient facts in Dorr's Statement that ring true enough to give credibility to the story. The mere fact that there are extensive efforts, even today, to make the discovery of this river of gold, lends significant credibility to Dorr's claims. All of the images below are from the Kokoweef website at http://www.kokoweef.com.I, E. P. Dorr, residing at 390 Adena Street Pasadena, California, make the following statements for the purpose of inducing investors to invest in the work of mining the gold in these caves, and I solemnly swear that all statements made hereinabove are true and that all persons will find the physical conditions in the cave as above stated.
This is the affidavit that started it all
- Earl Door Afadavit 001 (Large).jpg (86.62 KiB) Viewed 16563 times
- Earl Door Afadavit 002 (Large).jpg (94.89 KiB) Viewed 16563 times
- Earl Door Afadavit 003 (Large).jpg (48.61 KiB) Viewed 16563 times
- Dorr's Cavern Drawing (Large).jpg (247.98 KiB) Viewed 16563 times
- Kokoweef_Dorr_Peak_Cutaway.jpg (711.21 KiB) Viewed 16563 times
As mentioned, the search for Dorr's treasure continues today, more than 80 years after it' was first reported. The current owners of the Kokoweef project are actively searching the area in and around Kokoweef Peak, now using both traditional mining techniques and modern technology to search underground. We have received permission from the owner to visit the site. The tour of Kokoweef will take place during the weekend of November 11-13, 2016 (Friday through Sunday), and we will be camping in the Desert nearby.
The trip was initially limited to 8 vehicles, but we opened up another slot for late sign-ups, which will only take place here on this website. If there is sufficient interest, we may adjust things a little bit, and we will start a waiting list, if needed. For those who wish to join us, there are some important things you must consider:
- 1. Camping in the East Mojave Desert in November can become very cold, especially at night. You should be well prepared for below freezing temps.
2. This will be dispersed camping, meaning that there are NO facilities of any kind - no phone, spotty cell service, no water, etc. You must bring everything that you will need for three days of camping. The nearest store is much more than an hour away.
3. The majority of the road to camp is paved. The last mile or so is dirt and some sand. High clearance, two wheel drive vehicles can make it.
4. Bring your HF gear, if you have some.
1. DaveK
2. Phil T
3. Roger D
4. Gabe
5. Hector
6. Paul
7. Rick
8. Jeff
9. SAB
