Choral Pepper's 1973 & 1975 Baja Missions, Treasures, Strange Stories Book + Melchior Diaz

For many Southwest outdoor enthusiasts, Desert Magazine was a huge resource of trip reports, location advice, and just great lore of the desert.

During the 1960s, Desert Magazine was owned by Jack and Choral Pepper who contributed many articles themselves. When a subscriber, by the name of Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason books and TV show) dropped into their Palm Desert office, a new world opened up.

Uncle Erle (as his friends knew him by) invited the Peppers to join in on his extravagant but rough road Baja expeditions. A whole new world of Desert possibilities opened up for the Peppers.

Combining both historical stories and documented facts, Choral (she went by the nickname "Corke," silent e) wrote a little book I picked up when I was in high school that made the missions and Baja history so much more fascinating to young me. I was already aware of the missions and had seen some on our family Baja trips in the 60s.

In a California History class I had (10th grade?), I did a report on the Baja missions, as they were, after all, the first California missions. I used Choral's book photos for my report, in essence cutting out pages of her 1973 book. I got an A.

Flash forward to the 1990s... Growing my Baja book collection, I wanted to replace that 1973 book so I contacted Sunbelt Publications, who was the publisher of Choral Pepper's newer books about the Desert Southwest.

It was sometime before I got an email from her, but as it turned out she was asked to produce a revised version of her famous 1970s Baja book and my email to her was a spark of light she noticed and we became friends in short order.

I also recently met Jimmy Smith and Dave Deal, who both were bouncing around and flying Baja back in the 60s. As it turned out, Jimmy Smith's handle, "The Grinning Gargoyle" was given to him by Choral Pepper at San Ignacio when Jimmy crashed the Erle Stanley Gardner campfire party one evening. A good story for another time, but in the end, I reconnected Choral with Jimmy via email and Choral named me, "The Baja Connection" LOL

Here is that 1973 book and the 1975 revised edition (note the tiny change in the title):



Here is an article I wrote about Choral for Baja Bound (with photos):

https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/choral_p...

Jimmy Smith's book (illustrated by Dave Deal):



There are more stories to tell, but with the recent mission photos posted by Gueribo, I was inspired to share how I got excited about missions which led me to write my book...





If interested, I can share some of what is in Choral's book as she gave me the unpublished manuscript for the revised version she was not well enough to complete before she passed away in 2002. I have posted a few chapters here on Nomad, many years ago. The Melchior Diaz Grave story was from Choral's book and magazine articles.

[Edited on 3-16-2020 by David K]

OK... for tonight, here are the three pair of pages:

Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy

Need to read her book, crazy though, they are all going for about $20.

Ones I saw were over $100! I will add more of it to finish the Melchior Diaz chapter, which I am sure you would like to see...

Her 1980s Desert Magazine story differs from her book version, and both differ from the actual letter her story comes from... a letter I have shared with all of you from Walter Henderson.




[Edited on 1-29-2019 by David K]

[Edited on 1-29-2019 by David K]

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The May 1967 Letter:







Map 3 from Gerhard & Gulick:



[Edited on 1-29-2019 by David K]

[Edited on 5-12-2021 by BajaNomad]

Choral Pepper and Erle Stanley Gardner, 1966 expedition.

Melchior Diaz

Here is the additional direction sheet that Walter Henderson enclosed with the above letter to Choral Pepper:




I share this in hopes one of us will find the rock-pile and solve one of Choral Pepper's great desert mysteries!



[Edited on 5-12-2021 by BajaNomad]

Thanks for posting this.

Not to sure about a grave of Diaz's being out there though.

We are seeking a "Rock-Pile"

Grave, what grave???

Rock Pile

To be continued - maybe next winter
I never did try to drive up any side canyons W of Hendersons Parking place.

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

To be continued - maybe next winter I never did try to drive up any side canyons W of Hendersons Parking place.

The grave that refuses to be found!
While I have not heard back from my friend regarding the next trip, it would seem that any foreign travel plans will get postponed pending the passage of the current virus infecting the world.

Armchair adventures, only for now!