A lone ranger
National Park Service Ranger Tim Duncan patrols the vast Mojave National Preserve near Kelso, Calif. The preserve, a sweep of serrated mountains, feral deserts, Joshua tree forests, dry lakes and lava beds, is five times the size of Los Angeles and is patrolled by eight law officers (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
On patrol, Ranger Tim Duncan carries a handgun and a Taser. Next to him in his truck are a shotgun and an M-16 assault rifle with extra magazines. Out here, you have to be prepared, he says. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Visitors to the preserve leave refuse behind. Ranger Duncan examines trash left at New Trail mine. Union Pacific trains carrying goods east are targets for thieves. Robbers typically strike at night, making off with flat-screen TVs and other valuables. When Duncan arrived in 1997, the railroad was losing more than $1million a month there to robbers. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
A coyote is seen near the Kelso Depot in the Mojave National Preserve. Park officials stress that the overwhelming majority of people come to admire the preserve¡¦s austere beauty. Three of North America¡¦s four desert ecosystems meet in its 1.6|million acres to form more than 30 distinctive plant and animal habitats. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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A Joshua tree frames the vast landscape. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
