Inspired by Ice and Clouds

The month of May has brought some brief, unexpected wintry blasts. With the current drought conditions, they were all welcome! Memorial Day weekend was full of weather surprises for us when we hiked up to Tahquitz Peak.

  Our hike up the mountain began in a misty cloud. Fortunately, we had our rain gear;otherwise, we would have been soaked by the end of our 3 hour hike.

 As we climbed higher, the cooler temperatures had created icy formations on the trees.

 At the highest elevations, we were stunned by the beauty of wind swept ice. We've never seen ice frozen sideways on branches.

 Our destination, Tahquitz Fire Lookout Tower, was covered in ice. Memorial Day weekend is the traditional opening of the tower. We were both quite happy that we packed extra clothes and hot chocolate! Brr...

 By morning, the sun returned and started melting the ice while a snowy blanket filled the sky.

Over the next two days, we were inspired by the newly created ocean and waterfall clouds below us. It was easy to imagine being surrounded by magnificent crashing waves and waterfalls. Views like this are rare on the peak. All the hikers who made it to the tower were equally inspired. I constantly remind myself that some of the best hikes occur when I venture out in "bad weather". It's quite tempting to stay inside until the sunny skies return.

When we hiked down the mountain, the clouds were dissipating and the ice had totally melted. Once again, Spring has returned to the mountain.

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think."

A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh

Zzyzx and the Mojave Desert - Part 2

When the sun rose, I anticipated seeing familiar insects, lizards and birds and hoped for something new.

Flame Skimmer dragonflies patrolled the "lake" with other dragonflies I have yet to identify.

Another familiar sight was the Tarantula Hawk wasps which grasped their food source enthusiastically.

 Amazingly, we had close to 100 different species of birds to admire. This Blue Grosbeak was found in the yard of a home in nearby Shoshone, another inviting place for birds to land when crossing the desert.

Dublin Gulch, the abandoned homes of previous silver miners is an invaluable reminder of the deep history of this small town. It was also the spot where I saw my very first Desert Iguana!

Shoshone is actively developing bird friendly areas while maintaining their historic past. Don't expect to find any big chain coffee shops or restaurants here. Everything is locally owned.

The last hidden place we visited was China Ranch. Besides growing and harvesting dates, they, too, are honoring their historic past and encouraging Nature explorers to hike their newly developed trails. One of them leads to the wild and scenic Amargosa River. 

I greatly appreciate the efforts of these communities who honor their heritage and  who protect the land which supports an abundance of life in the desert!

"For all the toll the desert takes of a man, it gives compensations, deep breaths, deep sleep and the communion of the stars."
Mary Austin
"The Land of Little Rain"

Back on the Road to Zzyzx - Part 1

 

 

Back on the road to Zzyzx! Like all the other road trips, the best part is looking for the quirky and interesting sights along the way. We found a new addition at Roy's on Route 66- A gigantic hotdog! Don't ask why....It's Roy's and it's Route 66.

Road signs like this, however, remind you that you are entering a special place!

There are miles and miles of beautiful desert landscape.

When you finally reach the historic Kelso Train Depot, it is a welcome sight! You might even get stuck at a train crossing, indefinitely. If so, the depot is home to an excellent Mojave Desert museum, gift shop and there is information for hiking unique places like nearby Kelso Dunes.

This short video is for my little buddy who loves trains!

 Along the open highway, you need to watch out for the endangered Mojave Desert Tortoise that might be crossing the road.

On this trip,we didn't see any tortoises but we stopped and saw this incredibly fast Zebra-tailed Lizard.

 

Also, we saw this lizard hunting bird, the Loggerhead Shrike, perched in a Joshua Tree.

When we arrived in Baker, the closest town to Zzyzx, and home to the tallest thermometer in the world, we saw that it was 99 degrees. What's new from last year is that the thermometer is now working. The highest possible reading on this thermometer is 134 degrees-the record for Death Valley.

Between 1944-1974, Curtis Springer owned Zzyzx. It was his resort creation. It was a place for "health tonics" and mineral baths. This is the sign you would have seen off the highway.

 

Zzyzx is now a place to take classes to learn about the incredible survivors found in the Mojave Desert Preserve. When we finally arrived at Zzyzx, the sun was beginning to set. It was absolutely beautiful! I began to get excited about what we would discover over the next 2 days.