Lost Apple Orchards of the High Desert

You are way out there, on a remote road next to a wild river, or out in the middle of a sea of sage and juniper. First you might notice a huge gnarled Lombardy Poplar, a few old broken boards, and pieces of barbed wire. Then you notice other trees that look out of place. In spring there may be white blossoms. In the fall sweet fruit falls unnoticed and unappreciated, except by bees, deer, and the occasional bear.

Pioneer homesteads often left few permanent traces on the land because of wildfires that quickly devoured old dry wood, or landowners who removed the ruins of old buildings. But acros...