©Bert Gildart:  My father’s words rang in my ear as we parked our vehicles at Vista del Malpais and then stepped out into a windy evening.  “Stick with your objectives,”  he always said, and ours was to enjoy the incredible vista of badlands offered from THE VISTA as we munched on a locker full of cheese and snacks and then wash it all down with several fat bottles of red wine.  All this, of course, set up the conditions for much philosophical discourse.

Forgive me Betty for including an image that makes your checks look swollen, but you’d  just munched a slab of cheese and the other photos were blurred because of the wind.  Image on Right: our “fort” against the wind.

The setting was absolutely incredible but the wind was creating a challenge, making it hard to even sip wine, but Tony Feathers was inventive. “Let’s do like we did when we were kids and make a fort.”

So that’s what we did. We positioned our vehicles beneath several ocotillo bushes now touched with their fiery torches of red, opened the doors, sat in the lee of the wind and watched the sun slice the badlands into a myriad of tiny entities — and downed our bottles of wine.  Then we discussed our place in the universe.

Dad, we were sticking to our objectives.

View from Vista del Malpais

We sat there until dark, then returned along the four-wheel drive road to the state road.  We bid Tony and Betty a sad farewell (“Stay in touch – see you next year.”), and then we drove to one more place I wanted to photograph. I wanted to capture THE DRAGON beneath one of the famous Borrego “dark sky nights.”

THE DRAGON, beneath one of Borrego's famous "dark sky nights."

By now the wind had died down and my long time exposure complemented the feelings of immense space and a timeless universe that badlands, wine and clear skies can create.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FOUR YEARS AGO:

Night Photography in Organ Pipe

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(One of our new books, below)

©Bert Gildart: My how the time flies!  Several days ago we spent one of our last nights at Pegleg trying to create a campfire scene with Lou and Larry Woodruff, another Airstream couple with whom we’ve shared fun times.  We wanted an image that would highlight all the time  we’ve spent in and around Pegleg.

One of our last setting at Pegleg

The image is one of the last taken this year at Pegleg, for we’ve now moved to a commercial campground.  We’ll be staying at “Springs At Borrego” long enough to thoroughly wash our truck and clean the camper after almost four months of boondocking.  On Tuesday we’ll be leaving Anza Borrego heading to an Airstream rally near Apache Junction, Arizona.

It has been a good winter and I’ve accomplished my major goal, which was to complete another book manuscript for Globe Pequot, and do so in a warm climate where at day’s end we could step out the door and hike to our heart’s content.  An extreme example is my climb up Coyote Peak.

Just by stepping our our backdoor we've been able to hike and climb to our heart's content, such as climbs up Coyote Mountain.

But we also wanted to maintain contact with friends we’ve made here in this sprawling California park.  Many have come from distant areas, and because so many things can happen in the course of a year, we’re not  sure just who will make it back.  But we’re hoping the power of campfire settings, the beauty of the night skies, the exhilarating card games and the charm of the desert will lure them all back.

It’s been a good winter and we leave with regret.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FOUR YEARS AGO:

*Amargosa Opera House

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©Bert Gildart: About a week ago life-long friends Dave and V.V. Shea flew down from Montana and have been exploring parts of Anza Borrego Desert State Park with us. I think they are beginning to understand why we’ve become desert rats, and why we’ve been making winter visits each year to this part of the Sonoran.

Trail through Indian morteros and pictographs concludes at incredible overlook of Smugglers Canyon.

I met David in Glacier National Park (This link is about my new Glacier book, mentioned below. Lots of pictures.) back in 1966, where we both served as rangers.  We both were involved in the park’s first fatal grizzly bear maulings.  David was at Granite Park Chalet where I was at Trout Lake, and each of us shot the grizzly bears that were thought to have killed the two girls that one night in August of 1967.  David married V.V. 30 years ago and then he and his bride packed into Belly River Ranger Station.  The historic station is the park’s most remote station, which is according to David and me, another word for “the best.”

L to R:  Trail to Smugglers Canyon Overlook provides opportunities to study ancient Kumeyaay Indian pictographs and morteros.  Another outing took us through Split Mountain to a trailhead that lea to caves sculptured  by wind, called therefore, “Wind Cave.”

Both David and I say that it was in part because of our experiences in Glacier that our interest in natural history mushroomed, and appropriately, David eventually worked as a permanent botanist for the Forest Service.  He is also a first-class writer and editor and has published a book on Glacier’s Chief Mountain.  As well, he reviewed the manuscript on my new book Glacier Icons, so for a host of reasons we were delighted they wanted us to share Anza Borrego with us.

David and V.V. both enjoyed our camp at Pegleg in part because the nights are so clear and the stars so vivid.  One evening we saw five planets: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn.  Seems as though David knew every single one of the 88 constellations, and he says his interest in astronomy began when he was in high school.

During the day the four of us made a number of hikes several to old Indian ruins, the others to see desert vegetation and the park’s incredible geology.  While here, the four of us hiked to an overlook that peered down onto Smuggler’s Cave, to several Indian morteros, to a panel of Indian rock art, and to an area known as Wind Caves.  We also made the drive to Sonny Bono to see owls, the subject of my last posting.

So far our only disappointment is that we have not found bighorn sheep, but that’s OK, for people should always leave a place wanting more.

AND NOW A NOTE: David, you should be here now as huge flocks of Swainson’s Hawks are flying north from Argentina. We saw them last night flying over our campsite.

AND YET ANOTHER NOTE TO OUR READERS: Finally our book Glacier Icons has hit the Amazon books shelves, and is described as follows:

From the mountain goats who linger by the visitor’s center on Logan Pass to the crystal-clear glacier-fed lakes, from the magnificent views from the Many Glacier Hotel to the old-growth forest landscapes, visitors will find much to ponder and enjoy within these pages. In 1903 writer, editor, and naturalist George Bird Grinnell expressed his thoughts in Century Magazine about this land he had come to love, calling the area the “Crown of the Continent.” His image of and descriptive story about the magnificent glacier-carved landscape in the far reaches of Montana brought about the creation of Glacier National Park in 1910. Grinnell’s description is apt, but it is just one of the collective descriptions that evokes iconic images of Glacier, also called the “Land of Shining Mountains” and known by many millions of visitors for their own personal stories and connections to its magnificent vistas and small wonders.

Glacier Icons contains fifty chapters filled with thousands of facts and hundreds of full-color photographs of iconic people, places, events, foods, animals, traditions, and more from all parts of this great national park.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO:

*Exploring Glacier’s Highline

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©Bert Gildart: Three years ago I visited the Sonny Bono Wildlife refuge, which is located about an hour drive from Borrego Springs in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  At the time, which was March first, I’d gone there specifically to see the burrowing owls, and yesterday, that was again my purpose.

Even near a wildlife refuge Burrowing Owls can not find natural nesting sites.

Essentially, I wanted to see if nesting conditions had changed, and to quickly summarize, little has changed, meaning that burrowing owls — at and around this refuge — survive only because of some help, and because the species is so incredibly tolerant.  Put in other words, nest sites are about as unusual as you can find.

Under natural conditions, burrowing owls select burrows created by ground nesting mammals such as prairie dogs and various ground squirrels.  But farmers have eliminated all species of mammals that create burrows, and as a result, burrowing owls  have to rely on something else.

Three years ago a nesting pair was making use of a discarded Goodyear tractor tire, and I was absolutely astounded to see that an owl was making use of it this year.  Only one owl, however, occupied the “nest” so I’m not sure if young had already fledged.  Perhaps they had.

Farmers have eliminated ground nesting mammals -- and consequently the burrows once used by burrowing owls. To help, mangers have substituted PVC pipes, which owls have accepted.

Though wildlife managers had set out PVC pipe several years ago, at that time I didn’t see any owls, but this year we saw dozens of pairs at these artificial nests, so help seems to be working.  Apparently there are a few owls that are nesting in the old fashion way, i.e. using burrows created by the various ground squirrels.

Burrowing owls are one of the smallest species of owls, standing but nine inches-tall. It has a short tail, very long legs, and weighs but 4 oz.  When the owl sees something approaching its home, it bobs up and down a few times, and then dives into its burrow. Here, the owls breed in late winter, and the females lay around 6-8 eggs. Eggs take one month to hatch, and young owls remain in the nest for about 42 days before leaving.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO:

*Organ Pipe, Struggling to Keep Stories Alive

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©Bert Gildart: It’s been well over a week since last posting, but that should not imply a lack of activity on our part here in Anza Borrego State Park.  Fact of the matter I’ve been finalizing a manuscript due at my publisher March 1, so I’ve been under the gun, leaving little time for blog writing.

CLICK TO VIEW AS LARGER IMAGE.  L to R:  Barrel cactus, Dry Clark Lake,  desert vegetation to include new agave stalk back dropped by Dry Clark Lake.

But we just mailed the manuscript, and although I now have magazine stories to complete, I assume I’ll be able to squeeze in several blocks of uninterrupted time.  With that hope in mind, I’m also going to take time to post few images of the activities we’ve been enjoying the last ten days.

DRY CLARK LAKE

About five days ago, friends and I made the short drive to a trail that ascends Rattlesnake Mountain. Our goal was not to climb the mountain, simply to ascend far enough to see what vegetation we might see in bloom, and to get a perspective of Dry Clark Lake.

Close up of barrel cactus as seen five days ago while climbing Rattlesnake Mountain. Many other of its kind also in bloom.

Dry Clark Lake is appropriately named for once the valley was full of water.  Since coming here it has provided me with photo opportunities, particularly following sustained rain, for then the fairy shrimp emerge, and by using specialized strobe techniques, I’ve been able to obtain frame-filling shots.  At any rate, several thousand years ago the valley’s geomorphology held water when the skies opened creating a lake.  But now it is dry.

POOR FLOWER YEAR

In fact it is so dry that this year naturalists say it won’t be much of a flower year, and though that does seem to be the case, nevertheless many of the barrel cactus stands were in bloom. Combine that with the views our climb offered of the old dried up lake and I must say that our day on the Rattlesnake was most enjoyable.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Desert Five Spot and the Function of Beauty

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©Bert Gildart: Anza Borrego has the largest volunteer program in California, something that may not be too surprising when one realizes that it is the nation’s largest contiguous state park.  The key word is contiguous as Adirondacks State Park in New York contains more land, but the segments are scattered.

The point, however, is not size, but the number of people willing to volunteer their time to ensure quality.  Last count has the number at 100, and these good people clean campgrounds, learn about the area’s natural history, contribute to research, and then often share that knowledge as leaders of hikes and as auditorium speakers.

But what kind of people would contribute all their time and effort and get so little in return? From my random sampling of one, I’ve concluded all these people bring exceptional talent to the setting and do so for the sole reason that they want to help improve what is certainly one of the nation’s premier desert settings.  (Note, click here to see the power of music. Why it can even charm in kangaroo rats)

RANDOM SAMPLING

Several years ago, Janie and I had the good fortune to be camped next to Tony Feathers, a man who is fanatic about enhancing appreciation for this 600,000 acres park.

His talent is music and in a previous life he frequently sang his songs and strummed his guitar on Public Radio and at coffee houses in his home state of Tennessee.

Our invitation to him and to his wife Betty is a standing one, and we feel fortunate that the couple have found  enjoyment at our campfire. (You can link here to Tony’s music.)

Recently, Tony received a third place for his song writing at an Appalachian Song Writer Contest, and that’s significant as it was a national competition.  He shares this talent with visitors and with the school children of Borrego Springs.  The remarkable thing is that everything he contributes is offered as a volunteer.

As I say, if my random campfire sampling of one has even a modicum of validity then Anza Borrego is not just the nation’s largest state park, but may also be staffed by one of the nation’s best group of volunteers.

Tony Feathers provided a random sampling of one, suggesting all Anza Borrego volunteers are tops

They’re here because they love the park and believe in its benefits to the human race.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Gray Whales and Super Dolphin Pods

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©Bert Gildart:  If there is a boulder field in Joshua Tree or one of the other national parks that has a greater “wow” factor  than does this one,  I can’t recall it.

We saw this immense scattering or rocks while hiking in Anza Borrego Desert State Park’s Indian Hill country.  This field of rock stretched for half a mile, and if you look closely at the associated photograph, you’ll see some of the rocks are rounded while others assume a more elongated configuration.

What happened?

I am not a geologist but after seeing this pile of rocks, this “Brobdingnagian landscape” as one author called it — referring to Gulliver’s travels (by Jonathan Swift) through the land of giants – I had to buy several books and try to recall college courses.

Boulder field in Anza Borrego that may blow your mind.

CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE AND TO BETTER SENSE THE MAGNITUDE

Synthesizing information from a geology book authored by Park Ranger Paul Remeika, my understanding is that about 100 million years ago various forces pushed a molten mass to the earth’s surface and into the overlying sedimentary rock.  Depositions of these sediments preceded this molten mass by millions of years and were laid down from materials transported by inland seas.

As the granite connected with the pre-existing sedimentary rock it solidified and then crystalized, which tends to set up areas of weakness.  These areas take the form of “joints,” or horizontal and vertical fracture lines.  With time the process of erosion further weakens the joints and they fragment into huge granitic rock masses.  Wind, rain, freezing and thawing further modify their appearance whereupon elongated rocks become smaller and more rounded.

Similar processes have occurred in other areas of the park such as at Culp Valley.  Particularly impressive were the fields of boulders I saw several weeks ago off the trail and above Alcoholic Pass.

But nothing I’ve ever seen seems to match the Brobdingnagian landscape near Indian Hill, which simply blew my mind.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Desert Five Spot

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©Bert Gildart: Anza Borrego contains some of the nation’s best preserved evidence that a group of people once led extremely productive lives by living entirely off the land.  They hunted sheep, made their own flower for bread, hauled water using pottery they created, and they revered the afterlife.

Over the years of visiting this park I have attended a number of naturalist walks, during which time I learned about the morteros Natives once used and about certain sites where the Kumeyaay left their rock art.

There is, however, one of these sites to which naturalist seem reluctant to take groups of people.

LONGEST OCCUPANCY

In very general terms naturalists will say that the Indian Hill area has served as the longest most singly occupied area in the park.  Early pre-historic Indians worked the area but were then followed by the Kumeyaay who remained for several thousand years, and it was members of this tribe that apparently created some of the park’s most dramatic rock art.

L TO R:  Chuck, right, detailing long occupancy of the Kumeyaay in area.

Though they will provide general information to the site, they certainly will not provide maps or GPS readings to the site.  Though laws now protect these sensitive areas with large fines for defacing and touching the rock art, there remain some who either out of ignorance or out of spite care not for the concept of historic preservation.  In other words, there is no poetry in their lives.

Several days ago Don, Nancy, Janie and I accompanied Chuck, a man who has been visiting Anza Borrego for over 20 years.  In the course of his wanderings he found the site I have also searched for, but which has always ended unfulfilled.  Chuck was also hesitant to share the site’s location, but when he realized I wanted to celebrate the rock art and not herald their location, his enthusiasm for spending the day hiking with us increased.  “Yes,” he would show us the site – and now, after having been there I understand both his reticence but also his enthusiasm.

EVIDENCE OF OCCUPANCY

In very general terms our adventure took us up Mortero Wash, then along a 4-wheel drive to a parking lot, then on a roundtrip hike of about 7 miles.  Our adventure took us into one of the most remarkable boulder fields I have ever seen, and it was here, among the fields of huge granite boulders that the Kumeyaay dwelled for such a long period of time.

Pictographs created in caves of Indian Hill made of pigments, as opposed to petroglyphs, which have been chipped into rock.

The evidence is there, for we found a few morteros (grinding pads) and an abundance of agave, the plant from which they made their bread. Then, finally, and after some casting around, Chuck finally re-found the several caves in which this group of Native Americans created their rock art.

WHAT THEY REPRESENT

Though no one can say for sure what the symbols represent or which members of the tribe created them, from other sites I know many experts believe the sun was a common motif and that a “Shaman,” or spiritual leader, might have created them.  Likely some of the pictographs here represented the sun.

Rock Art Panel

What, however, I can say with certainty, is that as we sat in this cave used by the ancients, allowing as we did the huge granite boulders to create a frame of the world, we felt an immense separation from all that was secular and mundane.  Here, the sun would shine forever, and all would remain bright and good.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FOUR YEARS AGO:

*Death Valley, Where an Entire River Disappears

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©Bert Gildart:  Yesterday, Janie and I hiked to an incredible area in the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert State Park looking for pictographs, which after several years of searching we finally found.  Don’t expect a detailed map to the area, but I will report on this  incredible Native American art form in my next posting.  Sadly, so many antiquities have been destroyed that various laws have had to be enacted to protect them.  Fines help  — and they have ranged in the thousands — and that is good, but money can’t restore defaced rock art.

While on the trip it was encouraging to see a few flowers starting to rear their lovely heads.  There has been so very little rain this winter that some are saying there will be but  few flowers this spring. And it is true, the flowers I show here were confined to areas  where the little moisture that has accumulated tends to collect, such as  in boulder fields and in protected pockets of south facing slopes.

To make these images I used various techniques, which one must employ to  dramatize their beauty and intensify their color.  For the purple penstemon, I used two strobes; for the fish hook cactus, I blocked the sun using a broad brimmed out – else the plants would have been filled with contrasty light.  And for the yellow agave flower I used back lightening, which always seems to work well for plants that are colored yellow.

Because these are some of the first flowers of spring, it does suggest that other species will soon follow.  However, the presence of only a few  also suggests  that some  looking will be required.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Spring Flowers in Death Valley

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©Bert Gildart: Coyote Mountain in Anza Borrego Desert State Park rises abruptly from a flat desert plain of about 700 feet and terminates in a gently rounded peak at 3,192 feet above sea level. While the base seems dominated by borrow brush, mesquite, creosote and the occasional stand of palms, the crown is dominated by agave and various types of cholla.

Early morning image of 3,192 foot high Coyote Mountain, from near Borrego Springs. Base is about 700 feet.

In between are about 2,500 vertical feet of elevation, but the relief along the route we chose is deceiving as it drops five to seven hundred feet on several different occasions adding to the challenge but also to the interest.

PREVIOUS ATTEMPT

Last week a group of us attempted a climb but had to turn around because of injury to a member of our party.  We had started from the trail head for Alcoholic Pass, but this time we started from our campsite at Pegleg.  I’m pleased to report that this time we made it, signed the log contained in a bottle and then spent some time gazing around enjoying the scenery.

L to R:  Bob, Don, Nancy, Christie ascending base of Coyote; summit of Coyote, Don about to ascend last 100 yards of climb to Coyote

All members of the group were good friends, and included Don, a retired forest service economist; Nancy, who worked in the sales of outdoor products; Bob, retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and his friend Christie, a retired school teacher.

COMMANDING VIEW

From the top of Coyote we could see Toro Peak to the north while to the east the Salton Sea was a huge splash of muted white, barely visible because of all the haze. To the south we could see Whale Peak.

No question, we had a commanding view, which made the climb worth the effort.

Because we almost completed the climb last week I can also say that the route from Alcoholic Pass is probably the easier of the two. Still, yesterday, our climb to the top required but three and one half hours.

Climbing Coyote Peak – Successfully

We spent an hour on top and then began our descent, which required about the same as our ascent.  For me, going up was easier, essentially because it is easier on the knees.  But trekking poles took off some of the pressure.

Either route provides for an outing that offers insights into desert vegetation and chances to take in some stunning vistas.  All five us recommend the climb.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Zion’s Ancient Rock Art

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No decimal points here.

©Bert Gildart: There are no decimal points in the picture of numbers on my bike’s odometer, and please don’t interpret the posting as one of simple vanity, for there’s information associated with the mileage numbers that might be of value to readers.

Simply said, biking can lower blood pressure. I know.  Just a few months ago mine was approaching dangerously high levels. That’s something I’ve never had to worry about before, and the doctor’s advice was to find something I enjoyed and then do it at least four to five times a week.

“Keep on with the ‘heroic’ weekend activities,” said my doctor, “but make exercise a daily component of your life.” Adding, “It’s more important as you get older.”

And so, about three months ago I bought a state of the art road bike (I’ve also enjoyed mountain biking here), and with it have been following the doctor’s advice down here in Anza Borrego State Park. But, now, because this is intended to be a posting about biking, let me give you some specifics.

NOT CHEAP

First, biking, the kind  that retains enthusiasm, is not cheap.  I bought my road bike from Bikes Direct, an on-line store recommended to me by a friend who flirts with cycling professionalism. Some say I lucked out, that one needs to be properly sized. But I disagree, and do so because I followed the on-line instructions carefully, and because I had a good friend who knew his stuff.

I paid close to $1,600 for my Motobecane, but was told that I was almost doubling my value by ordering on-line.

My LeChampion Motobecane road bike is carbon fiber and it weighs 15.5 pounds.  It’s not an entry level bike but neither is it a Lance Armstrong bike, which probably costs over $5,000.  But it is a bike intended to sustain enthusiasm, because you can “Just cruise along.”  When I first started I was averaging about 13 mph, but now average about 19.

SPANDEX—BUT OF COURSE!

Of course, once you make the initial investment, you’ll then need a good helmet (better to look like a mushroom than wind up like one), good padded gloves, various types of clothing (Spandex?  Yes, I’ve got a pair), padded shorts, color coordinated socks – and a good pair of cleated riding shoes.

Motobecane bike ordered from Bikes Direct. Logos clearly visible by enlarging image.

Cleated shoes snap into the pedals and enable you to power on the upstroke as well as on the down stroke.

Of course you’ll need a bit of practice learning to break free from the pedals, and the advice given me was to find a nice soft field of grass, and practice there, as you’ll most like take a few falls before learning the technique.  I did!

Complementary gear will most likely cost another $300, but what’s your health worth?

Next, of course, you need to find a bike-friendly area, and my home near Bigfork comes close, though it is not perfect.  Ninety five percent of the drivers back home go out of their way to accommodate cyclist, but the other 5% drive with fire in their eyes and a determination to run bikers off the road.

CYCLING FANATICISM

Not so in Borrego Springs, where it seems as though there are as many bike riders as there are motorists.  Here, there are riding clubs of various types, to include a tandem bike club.  There are long-distance riding clubs.

And, so, Janie and I have found a haven for the winter activities we enjoy, and the bottom line for me is that my blood pressure is now like that of someone 30 years my junior, making my investment seem to have been a wise on.

One thousand miles?  Sure many down here double and even triple that, but I’ve reached my objectives, and suspect some would say I’ve become a fanatic.

I don’t mind.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*My Years Favorite Photos

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©Bert Gildart: Coyote Peak, in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, though not a formidable mountain, is challenging nevertheless, and several days ago, four of us attempted a summit. The group was a good one, and we almost made it, but Jim pulled a muscle in his leg and felt he had to return.  It can happen to anyone and it was smart to call it quits rather than find at some yet more distant point that it would then be extremely difficult to make it back. The rule, of course, is that the party stays together, and in the past, I’ve been the beneficiary, so no complaints from me.

Summit of Coyote Peak, our goal

Nevertheless, Don, Nancy and I were disappointed, but still, we can say that we were almost  to the top, and we will try again!  What we did see of the landscape as we climbed only whetted our desire to see more of the world from the very tipi-top of Coyote.

WHY CLIMB COYOTE

Coyote Mountain separates lower Coyote Canyon and Clark Valley, and it rises 3,192 feet above sea level.  That may not seem like a lot but the elevation here at Peg Leg is about 500 feet, meaning the relief was about 2,700.  When we turned around we’d climbed within several hundred feet of the top and could see a whole range of peaks.

Using our topo map we could find the Santa Rosa and San Ysidro Mountain range as well as specific peaks such as Indianhead and El Toro.  We could see the vast citrus farmlands to the west and the Borrego Badlands to the southeast.  We could also see Coyote Canyon and could trace the route made famous by de Anza, when he first explored the area back in 1775.

YET OTHER ROUTES

Though there are various ways one can climb Coyote Peak we decided to make the short drive from Peg Leg to the trailhead for Alcoholic Pass.  (Other routes start from Peg Leg and from near the Rockhouse Canyon road.)

From our map the Alcoholic Pass route seemed the most direct.  What’s more, it seemed to offer a particularly interesting route.

Mountains engulf us throughout our climb

As we climbed boulder fields stretched before us and the geology seemed fascinating.  We concluded the landscape was the result of the encroachment of both ancient seas and from more recent volcanic activity.  Sheep tracks and dropping were everywhere, and Nancy found an old sheep horn.

WE’LL START FROM PEG LEG

The route was a good one, and though we now know the route, Don, Nancy and I believe we will simply start from Peg Leg next time we attempt to climb Coyote.  It’s really not a difficult peak to climb (Rainier was!) and it was simply bad luck that foiled us.

We hope to climb the peak in about a week or so.  Though not the highest mountain around, it offers wonderful views and interesting features.  Some also report the presence of a sheep herd near the top of the mountain, and we hope to find them as well.

More later…

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS TWO (ABOUT)  YEARS AGO:

*Skagway, Alaska

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©Bert Gildart: Just minutes after starting our hike up Palm Canyon, Bill directed our attention to a cliff wall, high overhead.

“Bighorns,” he said. “Two of them.”

Colorful desert patina help create habitat for bighorn sheep

The sheep were at some distance, but it was my thought that if I could make the sheep seem at home in this  beautiful canyon then my picture could be an interesting one.  Telephotos would stay in my camera bag.

BACTERIAL COLONIES

That it could be interesting was in part due to the rich colors created by a buildup of microscopic bacterial colonies.  Over a period of thousands of years these colonies have absorbed iron and manganese, so imparting the rich browns. It is this richness of color  that intrigued me and that further enhances the habitat for  the endangered Peninsular Desert Bighorn, which found a home in this rugged land so very long ago.

The sighting of sheep always helps to make my day, but so do good companions, and this time Janie and I were accompanied by Bill — and yet another Airstream friend, Theresa.  (I was delighted when her husband, a veterinarian, said he has followed my blog for years.)

Our goal was a stand of palms, and is a hike Janie and I have made before on many occasions.  Because of the many features along the trail we never tire of the adventure.

Palm Oasis

A park brochure points out various cacti such as the catclaw and the honey mesquite.  It explains that Native peoples once made their home in the canyon, finding relief from summer sun in the coolness offered by the palm tree shade.

ONLY NATIVE PALM

We made the one-and-a-half-mile hike in short order soon arriving at the palm oasis, which consists of a cluster of California fan palms, the only palm native to California.  Perhaps 50 such trees grow in this small area and their verdure breaks the greyness of the desert rock.  The brochure, available to hikers, asks that visitors respect the oasis, not defiling it with trash or tearing out the frond.

Fronds skirt the base of the tree and help to protect the bark form water loss and insect predation.  In the past some hikers have started fires and the trees have lost their skirts.

Is this Desert Galleta

Though it was too early for desert flowers, on our return hike we all noticed a beautiful grass that we think may be a Galleta Grass, though none of us knew for sure.  It appeared particularly lovely against the light-colored rock and pictures of it rounded out our day, adding another aspect that makes the hike so unique, regardless of the number of times we may venture up this remarkable canyon.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*ZION ROCK ART

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©Bert Gildart: “Look quick,” said Janie.  “The rainbow!”

Without a doubt Janie is the first to notice the incredible displays of lighting that are so frequent over the desert mountains.  This morning, the first light of the rising sun warmed the San Ysidro Mountains, of Anza Borrego Desert State Park, creating a picture that was absolutely stunning.  Though we have enjoyed such dramatic lighting displays in other parts of the country, it does seem they occur with a greater degree of frequency out here in the desert.

Yesterday's rainbow over San Ysidro Mountains, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

These scenes, of course, are fleeting, and one must be prepared, something I’ve learned to do now from experience.  I now keep a camera bag on hand with a short telephoto affixed to my Nikon D7000, which typically works best for scenics out here at Peg Leg.

Of course it helps to have an early morning watch dog, and Janie certainly fills that function, for she is generally the first to  raise the blinds here in our Airstream  — and  to then see the rising sun and what it has done to the mountains.

Invariably it is dramatic, but sometimes it is stunning, as it was this morning.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVEL THREE YEARS AGO:

*Night Photography in Death Valley

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©Bert Gildart: Bill and Larry are devotees to Anza Borrego, and during the winter, make as many trips from their home in San Diego to camp and to explore this premier desert state park as their schedule will permit.

Images of Larry and Bill flank cyclists, part of the many attracted by the dragon and by our elaborate  photo shoot.

Originally, we met them by virtue of a mutual interest in our Airstreams, which is always a constructive start, but of itself probably insufficient for long-term friendships unless there are yet other interests. In this case there were, for Bill is a photographer/blog writer/historian, while Larry is a historian/gourmet cook/ stimulating conversationalist.

CHINESE AMERICAN HERITAGE

This weekend the focus of our shared outing pertained to Larry’s Chinese American heritage. More specifically, Larry was interested in features flanking a small portion  of Anza Borrego that tied in with the Year of the Dragon, exhibited near Borrego Springs.

A few of the 150-plus metal sculptures created by Ricardo Breceda.

About five years ago, multimillionaire Dennis Avery (as in “Avery” office supplies) commissioned Ricardo Breceda to create a series of sculptures. The response was impressive.  In desert areas surrounding Borrego Springs, Breceda began to position dozens of  metal sculptures.  Examples now include dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, sloths, birds of prey, wild horses, elephants, llamas, camels, and various people. But germane to our day, Breceda created a huge dragon, which has been attracting the curious.

POWERFUL PREDATOR

The immense head of the creature appears vicious and in life such a reptile must have been a powerful predator.  Standing beneath the head of the beast, we could see that the body then coursed east across a portion of the desert, disappeared beneath the rural road, and finally – some 350 feet later — then concluded on the east side of the road with a massive tail.

And, now, here is where Larry makes his debut.

In historic times, the Chinese began celebrating the Year of the Dragon, imparting various values to the creature.  Larry says the dragon of their mythology is a benevolent, peaceful dragon, “kind of like Puff the Magic Dragon from the Peter Paul and Mary song.”  Larry said the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs and that it symbolizes such character traits as dominance and ambition.

TRADITIONAL DRESS

To commemorate his Chinese heritage and bring attention to the dragon Larry had dressed this day in the attire of a late 1800s Chinese man who was respectful of the Emperor.

Appropriately, Larry’s head was partially shaved but to represent tradition he wore a cap to which was attached a realistic appearing Queque (a long braided  ponytail).  A red bow was attached to the several foot long length of hair.  The Manchu hairstyle was significant because it was a symbol of Ming Chinese submission to Qing rule. The queque also aided the Manchus  in identifying those Chinese who refused to accept Qing dynasty domination.

Larry also wore a changshan (long robe)  and he carried a huge ball intended to appear like a lantern, which it did.

Both Bill and I had thoughts about positioning Larry in ways that would dramatize the dragon, and before long our “shoot” began to attract an audience. Cyclists pulled off the road, and virtually every car stopped to see if we were producing images for a movie or for a magazine.

Dressed in traditional garb, Larry helps commemorate "The Year of the Dragon."

We left the question unanswered believing it bad luck to share one’s hopes.

The day was a productive one and later we all returned to our Airstream where Janie and I then prepared a steak dinner, trying to reciprocate in some small way for all the time both Bill and Larry had invested to make the upcoming Year of the Dragon just as symbolic as possible.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO

*Endangered Penninsular Bighorn Sheep

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©Bert Gildart: Last few nights, the moon has been ascending and descending over the mountains surrounding Anza Borrego Desert State Park in a most satisfying manner.

Moon descending into San Ysidro Mountains, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The image shown here was taken about 6:45 a.m. of the moon setting into the San Ysidro Mountains to our west, about 10 minutes before the sun rises in the east.

For the image I used an 840mm lens, which creates the larger than life impression.

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Airstream Travels Three Years Ago:

*Favorite Photos from 2009

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Could the soft soothing music from Tony Feathers' guitar be luring in our new friends?

©Bert Gildart:  Whether it was the superb guitar playing, the warmth from our night fire, or the small pieces of peanuts we had apparently dropped on the ground I can’t say for sure, but one of the factors must have been responsible for the stealthy appearance of one of the desert’s most secretive creatures.

Though Janie and I have seen kangaroo rats as we’ve hiked the various deserts environs, we’ve never seen them at our feet – crawling over our boots, scampering across our hands. But that’s the way it has been the past several times we’ve sat around one of our cheery fires.

Curiously song writer and guitar player Tony Feathers has joined us on each of the nights, so maybe it has been the soft sounds of his instrument and voice that have coaxed in these mysterious creatures.

He plays frequently on Public Radio and at coffee houses in his home state of Tennessee, so I’m not going to sell this possibility short. He’s good, and the rats could have been mesmerized.

CHANCE FOR FREE FOOD

Another factor, of course, is the warmth from the fire. Perhaps the light from the fire has helped drawn them in. Possible, I suppose, but with their large, light-gathering eyes I doubt the fire improved their vision, so more than likely because the fire has lured us out, it is something about our presence that has drawn them in.

From our presence there is the possibility of food, and perhaps they’ve learned that. We chow on peanuts as we sip our wine, and when we chow on the peanuts, we inadvertently drop hulls. Still, it’s amazing that these timid creatures will forsake their desert ways — even for the chance of some free food.

DESERT ADAPTATIONS

Kangaroo rats are extraordinarily well adapted to this life in which they’ve been placed. Look again at their eyes, which are huge and excellent for gathering light. Then look at their huge hind legs, the source of the name. With these powerful legs, they spring long distances, soaring in huge arcs from one life-saving hole to another, chased sometimes by a coyote – and, yes damn it! — sometimes by the cats that some RVers allow to wander free from their campers.

But back to these charismatic desert denizens… look at their extraordinarily long tail, which enables them to adjust their trajectory in mid air with a powerful flick.

With their huge hind legs Kangaroo rats can leap long distances and then, with their long tails, even change the trajectory of their flights.

There are yet other adaptations, and most have to do with the conservation of water. Scientists say their kidneys are extraordinarily efficient, capable of extracting life-giving moisture from tiny seeds. That’s just for starters, for scientists have tabulated many features that go on for pages.

KEEPING “KANGIE” WILD

Those, at any rate, are some of the characteristics of the visitors we’ve been enjoying the past couple of nights as we sit around our warm campfire listening to Tony Feathers play his guitar. So fearless have these creatures become that I actually had one crawling over the palm of my hand. They’re fastidious little creatures and because of the trait some people have actually tamed them as pets.

Tug of War

We, however, like them where they are and will try and do our part to keep them wild, not always easy to do. The other evening I saw one of our new friends creeping toward the hull of a peanut. Trying to reach it before the small rodent did, I succeeded only in tying with the tiny animal, which resulted in a small tug of war.

Large eyes placed on the sides of its head provide these tiny rodents with ample light-gathering capability.

“Kangie” won, and we all watched as the animal bounded off into the night. Several nights later, it returned again, but this time with several of its friends, all of whom we tried to ignore. That, at any rate, is a summary of another of our evenings here in Pegleg, America.

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THIS TIME TWO YEARS AGO:

Organ Pipe

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