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Binding People & Place / Exploration

Jadeite samples

Jadeite samples

Storm Mountain Mine

Barry Storm spent his life searching for legendary riches, and brought his curiosity and penchant for storytelling to the desert. Born John G. Climenson (1910 – 1971), he came to Joshua Tree in the 1950s to look for gold, but instead discovered a nephrite jade deposit.

A born adventurer and story teller, he joined the hunt for the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains. He took the pen name “Barry Storm” after the publication of his first book, Trail of the Lost Dutchman, in 1939. Storm was one of the first authors to personally search for lost treasures, and wrote books and magazine articles detailing his first-person experiences.

Mr. Storm’s claim is one of the over 300 historic mine sites in Joshua Tree National Park.

H 10, W 9, T 6 cm (unworked)
Joshua Tree National Park, JOTR 2313

L 6.8, W 3.8, T 0.5 cm (cut and polished)
Joshua Tree National Park, JOTR 2316