hi-chris--they test holes are drilled here but the blm (bureau of land management) now requires them to fill in the holes with cement, or pour cement down the holes when they are done. i guess the ecolgists are afraid that a lizard will fall into the hole and not be able climb out. here you will find cliam markers all over the place. these are 4 foot long stakes with claim info attached to them. they have to have 4 corner markers, and 2 center line markers. they used to use pvc pipe but in arizona these are not allowed any more i guess again the blm is affraid that a lizard will fall down one and not be able to climb out ---of course they never explained how the lizard could climb up the outside in the first place. you find these markers all over the place and most of them are out dated or no longer valid. it's too bad that the blm doesn't m,ake the previous claim owners remove thier old stakes. i can envision the day when there will be stakes all over with no room to walk in between. your right about the trumpet plants. they grow in areas where there is no gold, and there are areas where there will be gold and no trumpet plants. they are found in areas where the ground has been disturbed (pushed), i guess because there is not so much competition from other plants. and it may have to do with the altitude also---the old timers used to look trumpet plants, and then check to see if there was gold. the scientific name is --eriogonum inflatum. the discription is --"this remarkable plant was discovered by john c fremont, on his journy accross the mojave deasert in 1844. the leaves form a flat mat against the ground. the leafless ,branching, flower stem eises 13 cm or more abouve the mat of leaves ti likes washes and diturbed soil, but grows abundantly in othe rconditions also. the plant has many uses. stem tips taste a bit sour, but can be used in salads. deasert animals, such as the big horn sheep, find it an excellent food the hollow, inflated stem is sometimes used by a tiny wasp as a rearing chamber. drilling a small holein the top of the inflation, she inserts several insect larvea into the cavity and lays her eggs on them. when the eggs hatch, her offspring have plenty to eat. look for a small hole in the top of the stem, if you see one it was probably made by the tiny wasp. the deasert trumprt most always grows in auciferous soil. that is soil that has the mineralization to support gold --the old timers used to look for the trumpet plant, when looking for ereas to prospect for gold" ----hoss