Between 1968 and 1970, much of the midground hillslopes had been stripped of vegetation. Unrestricted hillclimbing by motorcyclists and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts had compacted soil and killed the vegetation. Soil erosion is not yet apparent in 1970, but the desert was in average- and below-average rainfall conditions in this period. Trails are coalescing in the bottomland areas, which by this time were used as campsites by large groups. (photographer unknown, courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management)