©Bert Gildart:  Now back in the state I cherish above all others, but with some warnings for others.

Montana is the nation’s fourth largest state and it claims a population of about a million.  I started to say “only” but 1 million is a heap, especially when so many are crammed into only a few places.  It makes me think of the philosophy of a former Oregon governor, who said, “Visit then leave!”

Crossing into Montana after a seven month absence. Notice the barren highways. How will we cope?

The governor’s thoughts were made out of concern that his state might grow beyond its carrying capacity.  My cautionary  thoughts, however, are based on visitor safety, so I must warn readers that Montana winters are punctuated by terrifying temperatures (once -70) and that summers (once 117) are further harshened by hordes of mosquitoes. It is no exaggeration to say that the state has at least three different species, and that each is large enough to stand flat footed and make love to a turkey.  You need to know these things!

All of our insects are huge, and can sometimes create plagues, something to always keep in mind, especially if you are thinking of taking up permanent residence.  If you are, let me also remind readers that we have horse flies. Zillions!

Just remember that with grizzlies, horrifying weather and bugs, Montana can be a dangerous place.   (Note, too, the extreme elevations –above.  And note, too, the posting below on rattlesnakes.)

Another day and we’ll be home after a seven month absence.  The adjustment from road to home may require counseling, or perhaps we’ll simply flout the harshness of some Montana summers and park our Airstream up the Yaak, outside the Dirty Shame Saloon. We’ll reread the great books listed below, which will help us recall all that we used to do.

Cheers… !

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR: 

*A Most Pleasant Day With Rattlesnakes

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©Bert Gildart:  For the past five days Janie and I have been camped in Zion National Park, where we’ve holed up to complete a little work.  That, of course, doesn’t mean we have not taken some time to get out and explore.

Great White Throne, as seen from bike trip through Zion Canyon.

Mostly we’ve been exploring by hiking and biking and here are a few images we’ve managed to create while here.  Other than our excursions, I’ve been trying to catch up on story assignments, leaving little time for writing blogs – which lets family and friends know where we are. Of course I also use the blog to try and promote the sale of books.

Today, Saturday,  we’re leaving this beautiful place and expect that at day’s end we’ll be a little north of Salt Lake City. Next day we hope to make an overnight stop in Dillon, Montana, then on home to Montana.

L to R:  The Watchman as seen near sunset from our Zion Campground; Virgin River back dropped by Watchman; bike trail along Virgin River also back dropped by Watchman.

TODAY, we also plan to celebrate our 22 wedding anniversary, and I’ve provided a link at the bottom to some of the  adventures we’ve enjoyed  since we honeymooned at the World Trade Center.

Hard to believe we’ve been lucky enough to see all we’ve seen.

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BLOG POSTING FROM LAST YEAR HIGHLIGHTING OUR TWENTY-TWO YEARS

SINCE HONEY MOONING AT WORLD TRADE CENTER:

*World Trade Center

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©Bert Gildart: One of our coolest excursions during our stay in San Diego was a trip to upscale La Jolla to see the seals. During our weekday visit, parking was not a problem, after which we followed our ears to an overlook where the intensity of barking and roaring increased dramatically and became distinct — and recognizable.

Before us, on a horseshoe prominence overlooking the Pacific Ocean, herds of sea lions had gathered, all onto a piece of real estate that spanned but a few hundred yards.

Seals and cormorants occupy a small section of real estate along a beach in La Jolla

Some of the seals were lounging, and were doing so by simply plopping on a neighbor.  But there was other activity as well.  Apparently mating season was winding down for several males were lunging at one another, attempting to claim an area for themselves.  Nearby females slept, occasionally peering up, trying to observe the grappling of the foolish males.  Sometimes females would open both eyes, but generally it seemed an effort for them to simply open just one eye.

SEAL LION OR HARBOR SEAL?

Surrounding the seals were hundreds of cormorants and dozens of brown pelicans.  Further mixed into the group were a few harbor seals, and when we could see their heads in entirety, we could differentiate.  Seal lions have external ear flaps while harbor seals have an external orifice where you would expect there to be an ear.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

L TO R:  Bull sea lion warns intruders to stay off his turf;  not all interaction consists of sea lion battles (last two).

We could also differentiate between the two species when they moved on land.  Sea lions can rotate their flippers backward and forward and they often use them in this manner to accelerate over a beach or over a pile of rocks.  Harbor seals simply flop themselves in what appears to be a simple undulation of their bodies.

TWO WOMEN KICKING THE SEALS

We were drawn to this area in La Jolla specifically to observe the seals, and so were hundreds of other animal lovers.  Because of its geographical configuration the area has always served as a natural sanctuary for seals, bur recently a group in this upscale neighborhood say the odor created by all these animals undermines their quality of living.  Some miscreants have even parlayed words into animal cruelty.  A surveillance camera installed to monitor the beach – day and night – shows two women sitting on the seals and kicking them.

Male sea lions seem to battle for every piece of land that might be available.

Mitt Romney lives in the area and his residence typifies other area homes.  To facilitate parking of his several vehicles the former presidential candidate has installed elevators so he can park his vehicles one over the other.  Residents of La Jolla are loaded.

COURT RULES FOR THE SEALS

Nevertheless, in the recent battle over seal smells, a local court ruled in favor of the seals, but in the long run big money always seems to win, so if you want a bird’s eye view of seals, a view that can acquaint you with seal behavior, better take advantage of the opportunity while you can.  You might also consider writing city fathers, but only, of course, if you agree people should go before the seals.

Remember, this small horse-shoe shaped section of beach has been a sanctuary for seals through the ages, and that should count for something.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Does V-Bar-V Ranch Preserve A Solar Marker

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©Bert Gildart:  The past 20 hours have been filled with photographic highlights.  This time frame began Monday night about 6 p.m. when Don, Nancy, Janie and I made a drive from our Chula Vista campground to the ferry crossing on Coronado Island – immediately across from San Diego.  However, we stopped first at Coronado Beach where we encountered Nilaja Gardner accompanied by her promoter and camera crew (see photo below).

Seldom have we ever stumbled across a more engaging group, inviting us to watch Nilaja’s video recorder as he filmed her lip-syncing one of her pre-recorded songs back dropped by the sun sinking into Pacific Ocean.  The young lady was extraordinarily talented and I knew I would kick myself if I didn’t ask permission to take her picture.

“Thank you,” said Nilaja, “Please do.” Later she gave all of us big hugs and then asked if they could photograph us?  How gracious can a person be?  She said her style of music has been inspired by R&B icons such as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, and Etta James. But Gardner also says that life, her own and others, is the main inspiration for development of her soulful voice.

ICONIC EMERALD PLAZA

Half an hour later we made the five-minute drive from the ocean to the ferry landing where I set up my tripod-mounted camera.  I pointed it toward San Diego Bay and the ferry dock – and, of course, toward the city’s magnificent array of lights.  I was so pleased with the results that I sent the image to photographer friend Bill D, who wrote back saying he liked the picture and then explained in his email letter to me that the green lights emanate from “the iconic Emerald Plaza,” and that it is the most distinctive building to shape the San Diego skyline.

City lights of San Diego showing iconic Emerald Plaza

Bill explained that the hexagonal green neon halos glow each night acting as a beacon for visitors intrigued by the city’s revitalization. He said views from the building offer panoramic images of the Pacific Ocean, San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, Point Loma and the Cuyamaca Mountains.  In his email Bill also provided a link which further explained that the tallest tower was 30 stories and 400 feet tall and that the structure’s eight rooftops are all angled at 33 degrees to match San Diego’s latitude.

Some may be interested in the technical data required to make this picture, which includes a 20-second time exposure, an aperture setting of f-20, an ISO of 150 – and the obligatory setting of the camera’s “High Noise” reduction program.  Without it, the image would have contained unwanted “points” of light, which result from long time exposures.

WHALE WATCHING PROVIDES THE UNEXPECTED

The last part of my 20 hours of photo Nirvana included a whale watching trip.  Yesterday morning we drove to Mission Bay and hopped aboard the 60-foot “Eclipse” whale watching boat, which made its way  toward the five Mexican owned Coronado Islands.  Though March is said to be the end of the whale migration, which transports several species from Baja to Alaska, nevertheless, our luck was incredible.  In the course of our five-hour trip we saw a fin whale, several minke whales and, finally, and most dramatically we saw the breaching of a Blue Whale.

CLICK ON EACH IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION

L to R:  Bottle-nose dolphin caught at apex of its “flight”; the extraordinarily talented Nilaja Garder who we think is on a fast track to becoming a house hold name when
R&B music is mentioned; small group of seal lions lounge on marker buoy in Mission Bay.

As the world’s largest animal, Blue whale facts are impressive.  A full grown blue can reach 100 feet in length and weigh up to 200 tons, which is huge, as Melissa, our “ship’s” on-board naturalist, tried to dramatize.  Melissa said a blue whale heart can exceed the size of a Volkswagen and that the spray from a blue whale’s blowhole can spew as high as a three-story building.  She said a toddler can fit into the creature’s blowhole. She continued, and we whale watchers remained enraptured.

Though seeing whales was a highlight the creatures are difficult to photograph.  For one thing, they can outpace most whale-watching boats.  Nevertheless, I thought I made up for it by virtue of the photographs I managed to get of several bottle nose dolphins – and of the sea lions lounging near the entrance to our dock.

As I implied, for a photographer the past 20 hours have been exhilarating.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*In Beauty We Walked

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©Bert Gildart: In the southwestern most part of the United States, there is a stretch of beach fed by the Tijuana River that empties into the Pacific Ocean.  San Diego is situated toward one end of the beach while an International fence separating Mexico from the USA is situated at the other.  To prevent illegal immigration one can see as he or she walks the beach several 4-wheel drive American Border Patrol vehicles whose drivers seems to monitor our every move. Helicopters fly overhead and the sound of their engines dominates the landscape.  It’s a wild scene further dramatized by the overwhelming presence of the Pasa del Toro, a bull fighting ring that is part of Tijuana, Mexico and that seems to glare as one hikes the beach.

International fence separating Mexico from the U.S. On one side Mexican bathers enjoy surf while on the other Least Terns bask in protection afforded them by Border Field State Park

But there is also a different view one takes from the setting, a more natural one.  Overhead, squadrons of brown pelicans wheel in a clear blue sky, while along the shoreline dozens of birds brave powerful ocean waves.  All the birds time their forays into the tidal zone – hoping their efforts will return an assortment of insects, worms, and crustaceans – before powerful waves engulf them. Included in this group are dozens of sanderlings, who scurry just ahead of waves that are measured not only in power but in miles.  When the sanderlings sense a breaker’s approach they accelerate their tiny  bodies on twig-like legs that are simply a blur. In this manner they escape what could be a watery fate.

The contrast between the artifacts of urbanization and the residuals of a wild America is intense, and in this setting it is preserved by Border Field State Park.  But as I walk the beach I’m not sure just how closely I can approach the huge fence that separates the two countries.  Nor am I sure what kind of a reaction Border Patrol agents will have when I erect my tripod and unpack my long 600mm lens.  I don’t want them to mistake my caisson-appearing lens for a weapon, so I carefully tilt the setup in their direction.

L to R: Back dropped by San Diego, Don and Nancy Dennis stroll along the beach celebrated at  Border Field State Park; sanderlings  race ahead of pounding surf; “Tony”, a Mexican/American
horseman strikes out for recreational ride along beach — pointing toward Tijuana and international fence.

But not to worry, and I begin my passion of photography, trying to capture all the bird life that seems to huddle near the American side of the international fence.  Near its base, undisturbed by Mexican bathers on the other side, rests a flock of Least Terns, which add to my tally of shore-dwelling birds.

The setting overwhelms me and I am simply amazed that this city of sour mesh graffiti, navy bases, and expansive bridges – all used by some 1.5 million people – can preserve such wildness.  But it is one of the awakenings Janie and I have enjoyed as we have explored what I call the wild side (to include the famous zoo) of San Diego.

Willets bask in sun in wake of pounding surf

We hike on, waving at the folks on the Mexican side, and now at the men in their patrol cars.  As well, we tally our San Diego bird list, concluding that it now numbers close to 30.

This day is simply a continuation of the wonders we’ve enjoyed as we’ve learned more about all that is protected by some of this city’s far-seeing fathers.  In some ways this may be a form of “Noblesse oblige” — but I am starting to understand the compelling mandate, for San Diego is said to be home to the greatest diversity of wildlife found anywhere in the continental U.S.

Again, we walk on, continuing with our explorations.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS ONE YEAR AGO:

*Montezuma Well

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  April 8^th, 2013 – this past Tuesday – marked a milestone in the history of both the California Condor and in the role the San Diego Zoo.

Thirty years ago four California condors hatched in the zoo and soon came to form the foundation of a breeding program.  The fate of one of the condors remains a mystery, but officials named the other three Sespe, Sisquoc and Almiyi.  However, Sespe is still exhibited at the San Diego Safari Park, which is located in Escondido.  This facility is huge and is an affiliate of the San Diego Zoo.  In addition to exhibiting a variety of animals in realistic habitats, Safari Park conducts much research and engages in various experimental programs to include a condor breeding program. The park is joined in their condor research efforts by several other wildlife centers, to include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Though I have no way of knowing which of the several condors I photographed this past week, I have to assume that one of the birds might have been a descendent of this original group.  The bird shown here appears to be relatively young, but it really makes no difference to me which I photographed, for all are magnificent – and their presence represents the best of qualities in humans. Just a few years ago, the species was extinct from the wild.  Apparently not a single bird remained from a land in which it had once been prominent.

L to R:  Immature California Condor; condors have a wing span that approaches 10 feet, largest of any North American
birds; mature — or breeding — plumage of adult condor, showing light red head.

Still, the California Condor remains one of the world’s rarest bird species. In May 2012 population counts put the number of known condors at 405, including 226 living in the wild and 179 in captivity.  The successful reintroduction derives from the cooperative – and successful – work of four wildlife organizations working together, which is the reason we are now seeing the magnificent California Condor in the Grand Canyon and Zion national parks.

CONDOR CHARACTERISTICS

As you can see Condors are quite large, and at well over nine feet, the species has the greatest wingspan of any North American bird.  Typically, the head of young birds is grey while that of older breeding birds range from yellow to bright orange.  Several other birds were displayed at Safari Park and one of them had a head that was colored a bright orange.

DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH

Though the Safari Park provides a huge enclosure for their condors, they are confined by a mesh cage which makes photography difficult.  The secret is to use a telephoto lens and then open it to the widest f-stop your camera will allow.  You must then position yourself so the eyes of the bird are not covered by the mesh, then selectively focus on the bird’s eyes.  Everything else will most likely have a soft focus appearance, but no matter.  Just so long as the eyes of the bird are clear there will be no clue that the bird is caged – and not wild and free.

Condors are long lived and may reach the age of 60, but because of the history of successful reintroduction, this birthday was special. In commemoration of the bird’s birthdays a local newspaper reported that handlers at Safari Park filled a cardboard box with treats for the birds to tear open and enjoy.  Tidbits included mice, rats, meatballs and beef spleen.  Kudos should also go to the dedicated wildlife managers for without them, the world would now be bereft of this magnificent bird.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Lower Antelope Canyon

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  Before any more time elapses and we continue on with our independent explorations of San Diego, I want to take a moment to thank our  friends Bill and Larry for all the help they have provided these past few weeks.  About ten days ago, they introduced us to William Heise County Park, a campground situated 4,200 feet above sea level in a pine and oak forest above Borrego Springs. The park is located in the northern extremity of the Cuyamaca Mountain Range, and true to form, during our afternoon visit, Larry prepared a Mexican seafood stew consisting of squid, catfish and shrimp.   Outside their Airstream trailer, we dined in grand  style.

Bill showing Janie the "theater" of the Whaley House.

Today, they helped again, this time to show us a portion of San Diego we would not have seen had it not been for their knowledge.  As well, they showed us their “state of the art home;” and Larry, who is an indisputable gourmet cook, introduced us to a grocery store that specializes in Oriental groceries.  The store carried oysters, crabs, live snails – the stomachs and intestines of pork – and dozens of different species of fish swathed in chipped ice.

But for Janie and me our day began with a tour of the Whaley House, at one time the largest brick home in San Diego.  Built in the Greek Revival style the old home retains stories of ghosts said to still wander the premises.  Bill works at the old home as a docent, and he dresses the part of someone who might have lived in the home just after the Civil War.  Work there is essentially a retirement position, for Bill once worked as a master-level nurse.

L to R:  Bill works as docent at Whaley House where he watches the time with his old time piece for the next tour.  Larry shows
Janie his Koi, which he has raised from fingerlings over the past 20 years.

Bill also introduced us to Pat,  another interpreter who said that as she wanders the old home that she has experienced the presence of spirits.  “At the time,” said Pat,  “it felt like I was moving through a spider web charged with electricity.”

Larry has kept busy since his retirement as an occupational therapist creating a home that should be a candidate for Better Homes and Gardens.  He has created a garden out of unique flowers complemented with a beautiful koi pond. Koi are a form of carp and looked to Janie and me  like huge goldfish.

Of course Bill and Larry tow an Airstream and during our get-togethers they have provided us with many suggestions about the use of our Airstream.  We remain appreciative for all their help and advice with our various travels.

Entrance to Whaley House

Let me also say that Janie and I wish Don and Nancy – back dropping my last posting on graffiti – the very best of luck during surgery scheduled for tomorrow.  It is break through surgery and this good man deserves a gigantic  infusion of  luck.  We’re watching over Don and Nancy’s Airstream Trailer here in Chula Vista RV Park.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Ascending From Mother Earth

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  I guess I was supposed to be offended by graffiti that covered the hundred-yard concrete wall that flanked the Bay Shore Bike Trail  Don Dennis and I were riding in San Diego, but I was not.  Quite the contrary, for there was nothing written or painted that seemed vulgar.

Perhaps I am naïve, for the letters that had been strung together had no meaning to me.  Nor did the image of the skull, though I’m sure it was conveying a message of death.  If that’s the case, I have no idea to whom the message was directed.  The area through which we rode seemed free of gang violence and except for a short distance, the trail meandered through areas with park-like settings.

Wall along bike trail is about 100 yards long. Is it art?

Apparently the city has made attempts in the past to control graffiti on this wall – up that is until a year ago.  Each year prior to 2012, the city of San Diego hired crews that would whitewash the wall and return it to their notion of purity.  That, at any rate, is what another biker told Don and me.

Often times, graffiti is used to express underlying social and political messages and this wall, which spans well over a hundred yards, probably contains political “art.”  By using a whole genre of artistic expressions, various objects had been spray painted on the wall manifesting a graffiti style.

Graffiti has a long history.  Research on the internet says that the first known example of “modern style” graffiti survives in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.  Local guides say the art was an advertisement for prostitution.

Closer to home more research suggests that Bozo Texino was responsible for much of the graffiti that tours America daily on our railroad boxcars. Though Patrons of urban art scenes may wrinkle their nose at Bozo, his art has garnered an audience most artists can only dream about.  People in Maine and Michigan may have seen his work, but so, most likely, have people in San Diego, California.

In San Diego, reports say that the vast majority of graffiti has been created by “taggers.” Tags can be recognized by their particular style, which consists only of the tagger and/or crew name. Tag names are typically one short word, like “BUSTER,” or perhaps one of the word inscribed in this wall paralleling the bike trail.

Don Dennis biking along Bay Shore Bike Route

Don and I stopped often along the wall, invariably prompting others to stop as well. The drawings elicited quick conversations and though none of us could ever quite decipher underlying meanings, we all thought some of the work was a good quality, and did, in fact, approach the level of “art.”

And now, if anyone can explain other meanings that might be attached to these works, I’d like to know.

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THIS TIME FIVE YEARS AGO:

*Montana’s National Bison Range

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  Four years ago Janie and I made an extensive trip through Florida, stopping for weeks at wildlife sanctuaries to include Big Cypress, the Everglades – and the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the latter of which is located on Sanibel Island.  Here, we found the subject of my most recent posting, a Black Crowned Night Heron.

Black-crowned Night Heron stalking the marshland of Florida's Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.

Because several readers have said they are not familiar with the species I thought I’d post a few images of a mature Night Heron – those which I took in Florida, mostly at Ding Darling.  Those from my last posting were made just a few days ago, almost adjacent to our camp here in California’s Borrego Springs.

Wildlife refuges provide a safe haven for their inhabitants, and as a result animals become somewhat acclimated to the presence of people, but that doesn’t mean you can approach with impunity.  Nor does it mean that the more docile creatures will completely ignore your encroachment.  Endless patience is required to convince skittish birds that you mean them no harm and that’s necessary, of course, to create good images.

L to R:  Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron; adult Night Heron; adult Night Heron, illustrating that head is not entirely a “black  crown.”

As far as photography is concerned I used essentially the same set up I did several days ago to photograph my immature Night Heron, and that was a 600mm lens with a full-frame Nikon camera.  Like my picture of the other day these images are but little modified from the way they were first recorded.

Looking now at the images shown here, specifically the one I have labeled as an immature Night Heron, and I’m sure we’ve identified the individual correctly.  The main difference is that my Night Heron images made here at Borrego shown an individual who is losing the stripped appearance common to extremely young birds.  I suspect that the one here at Borrego will soon begin to acquire adult coloration which includes the black crown.

Images from our Florida adventure have all been published either to accompany stories I’ve written – or to illustrate concepts in various outdoor publications.  I find much satisfaction in this work and hope these pictures provide some pleasure for those who follow our blogs and my stories. I also hope these images inspire an appreciation for our natural world, which is diminishing at a rate that is alarming.

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THIS TIME FIVE YEARS AGO:

*The Dry Tortugas

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  The Black-crowned Night Heron is an extremely secretive bird but here at the Spring of Borrego, an RV park engulfed by Anza Borrego Desert State Park, a juvenile has taken up residence. That residence is – literally – at The Springs.

There’s nothing wrong with this normally secretive  bird.  It flies – and the bird is also true to its nature – because it fishes, and it has picked a superb spot.  The bird is also leery of intruders so I’m using a 600mm lens, and it is adequate to provide frame-filling images at a distance that seems comfortable for “My”  bird.

Black-crowned Night Heron, virtually a next-door neighbor

The little pond associated with the springs is loaded with fish, and though I have now made dozens of images, I have yet to capture a picture of “my” bird with a fish in its beak.  Either a palm tree or a huge boulder is in the way.  And now the wind is blowing with gusts of up to 60 miles an hour.

But I hope to try again.

IS IT A NIGHT HERON?

I made the bird’s acquaintance two nights ago when Janie and I joined a group of RVers with whom we’ve made friends this winter.  We gathered about 6:30 to sit around a fire pit located near the spring, but for a while, at any rate, we were all drawn to the water’s edge to admire this interesting bird.  We all had thoughts on its identity but none of could provide a positive I.D. Eventually we were helped by a lady out for an evening walk who has participated in this Park’s bird walks.

She said the bird had been I.D’d as juvenile Night Heron.  At first I thought it was a juvenile American Bittern, but she said “No,” and, though there are some distinct Night Heron characteristics, she’s probably right.  American Bitterns are characterized in my guide book as a bird that extends its neck and head upward, and this bird certainly exhibited that trait.

My guide book, however, also says that Night Herons are “relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks. Their resting posture is normally somewhat hunched but when hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds. In other words, it looks much like the images shown here.

Our neighbor has taken up residence at the base of these falls, where it "shops" for its daily intake of small fish.

My guide book also says Night Herons stand still at the water’s edge and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night or early morning. Again, that certainly fits the description of this bird.

I hope the wind dies down, and if so, I may try once again to photograph the bird gulping a fish.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Departing Lost Dutchman

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  Two weeks ago Susan Maffei photographed Janie and me at The Slabs.  Her photographs remind us of that  great (much repeated) trip to this  funky area of California.

But they also remind us of the active times that Janie and I will soon be enjoying again. Immediately after our trip with Adam and Susan to this funky area, Janie had surgery to correct a painful tear to her rotator cuff.  The operation, performed by a leading orthopedic surgeon, was a success and, soon now, following a bit more PT, we’ll be completely functional again.

Keep out? Not us.

In the meantime, Janie and I have become local socialites, taking advantage of the kind treats provided by friends.  Several nights ago Eleanor Luhr handed me a plate of food she’d prepared while boondocking at Dry Clark Lake.  Two nights ago Brian and Leigh drove in from their camp in Blaire Valley and served us a dinner that Leigh had prepared.  Both Eleanor and Leigh are FAMOUS for their cuisine, but I’m not sure what they’re saying about my ability to cook?

While Brian and Leigh were with us we caught up on all the gossip of their trip to the Slabs.  Because our travels are temporarily limited, we missed out on Prom Night, an annual event held every year at the Slabs. Leigh’s pictures of the event capture the night perfectly making Janie and me declare that next spring we will be attending!

While there Brian and Leigh visited Radio Mike and learned yet more about Love Life – Slab style.  Next morning, they joined Mike for a dip in the hot springs.  Clothing there is optional but they said they enjoyed the 100-plus degree waters in a very modest manner. They also toured East of Jesus, an annex of The Slabs which features the highly creative graffiti of local but very talented artists.

L to R:  All images made at the Slabs, suggesting we have secular values. 
So now, “Let the Good Times Roll,” which we soon will again.

Because we’re a bit confined we’ve had a chance to meet other folks here at Springs of Borrego, particularly a few other Airstream enthusiasts, and we’re always amazed by some of their accomplishments.  Of particular interest to me was the work of Gregory Zeigler who has recently duplicated John Steinbeck’s insightful journey described in his Travels with Charley.  Zeigler, a retired English teacher at a private school just published his book Travels with Max, and it is described on Amazon.  The introduction so intrigued me that I ordered the book — so I can read the rest of the story.

Last night I enjoyed a glass of wine with Zeigler and learned during the course of our conversation that he was intrigued by my descriptions of the Slabs. Obviously Zeigler’s interests are somewhat secular, but then so were those of John Steinbeck.

I think Susan’s images suggest that Janie and I may also have secular values, but at any rate, they remind us that the good times will soon roll again.

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THIS TIME FOUR  YEARS AGO:

*Reflections from my years at Cut Bank Ranger Station

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  Naturalists advised me this yesterday that the profusion of flowers for which Anaza Borrego Desert State Park has become so famous will not materialize this spring.

“Not enough rain,” they say, adding:  “We need it in the fall and we didn’t get it.”

Still, as I wander around I find that the cacti are producing flowers that contain some of the most vivid colors I have ever seen. Of course, after 100 million years of working things out as a New World species that’s what they should be doing.

Once again we’re here  to see this display,  for observing this awakening has not only become  an obsession but an enduring love affair. And now you must forgive me for below I have attempted to describe  some of the precise botanical features that make up each flower.  I have done so because cactus produce flowers that are large enough to see these features!

Ganders Cholla back dropped by Indian Head Mountain

Brilliance, of course, is the essential feature of plants that enable them to propagate, for it is this exhibit of rakish colors that attracts insects.  In turn, insects transport pollen from the “anther”  (pollen bearing portion) to the “stigma” of the flower’s ovary.  Generally cactus flowers are perfect for attracting insects, for they are large and striking.  Size makes them easier to study for – relatively speaking — all the floral structures in cacti  are immense.

Look at the images included here (most notably the Ganders Cholla, above) and you’ll see that cactus flowers have many greenish sepals that surround numerous yellow petals.  Look some more and you’ll see that adjacent to the petals there are numerous stamens, the pollen-bearing portions of the flowers. These are shown in the column immediately below.

L to R:  Extreme close up (about half life size) of the multi-branched pistil of the Gander’s cholla; barrel cactus, the largest of which is about
five-feet high; close up of pistil (center portion) from another cholla surrounded by dozens of  stamen.

CLICK TO ENLARGE ANY OF THE POSTED IMAGES

Now really focus your attention (again, in the column just above)  to the center of the flower and you’ll see that there are several stigmas placed atop the stalk-like “style.”  These features are all parts of the ovary, the female part of the flower.  That said, about the only floral feature you cannot see in any of the images is the precise structure that joins with the stigma and the style — and that is called the ovary.  In other words from the top down you have the stigma, style –and ovary, the latter of which is covered up with the flower’s myriad pollen-bearing structures – called the stamen.

In cacti, stamen (the male portion) number in the dozens and each consists of two parts.  On the very top is the actual pollen-bearing structure called the anther and it is attached to the flower by the tiny stalk-like structure called the filament.  You can see all of these structures in the included images.  I’ve mentioned these features because with many flowers the structures are diminished but not so with cactus.  In fact if you look hard you can actually make out some of the tiny pollen grains, located atop each of the “anthers.”

L to R:  Ganders Cholla; barrel cactus; Wolf’s Cholla.

I’m much intrigued by such botanical manifestations because the complexities add to aesthetics of these plants which can be so standoffish.  These plants have adapted to one of the world’s most hostile environments and have done so in part by doing what all other plants do, but which cacti do even better.  They survive desiccating winds, prolonged periods of drought, and long days of intense sun.  To do so, leaves have become spines – but they do more.  Near each spine is a tiny structure known as the glochid, the point from which each flower begins to develop, ultimately producing all these vivid colors. It’s something that happens every year, and you can see them, too, in the pads of the red flower on the right and just above. Actually, these green pads are analogous to stems, from which they evolved long ago.

Hedgehog Cactus

It must be obvious that I love photographing these desert flowers, and each image here was carefully composed from a tripod, and each is shown full frame with very little post processing.  Because color is most pleasing when harsh shadows are reduced I use two methods to achieve that result.    Sometimes I cast a body shadow over the subject, but other times I use electronic flash units.  As well I use a 105mm Nikon lens that has excellent macro capabilities.

Experience can be critical and I’ve worked out these techniques over the course of decades, meaning this is truly a labor of love.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Everything Cholla

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Bert Gildart:  Spring in the desert can be a glorious time, particularly when the season is associated with fall and winter rains.  When such conditions prevail, spring flowers sometimes carpet the sands.

Though it does not appear Borrego Springs will be lush with flowers this year, nevertheless, cacti of various species are dotting the valley with reds and yellows.  Coyote Canyon, for instance,  is lush with sand verbena and with the red of the ocotillo plant.  Ocotillo is one of my favorite species (and I’ve reported on it before), in part because it has such a fascinating biology.

Ocotillo

Following rains, leaves sprout, and then if the grounds remain damp, red flowers begin to emerge.  Such is the situation now, but if there is a prolonged dry spell the plant will protect itself by shedding its small leaves. Nevertheless the Ocotillo can perform photosynthesis during dry spells.

Hummingbirds pollinate the ocotillo because they like the honey nectar it produces. They feed on the flowers during their travel north from Mexico to the mountains of the Western US.

I took this photograph about three days ago but have noticed that just a few days later parts of this desert are literally alive with the ocotillo.

You’ll note the black background and that was achieved using two electronic flash units and setting the strobes so they would overpower the existing daylight.  Exposure for the strobes were manually set for a shutter speed of 250^th of a second and an aperture of f-32.  Exposure without the strobes would have been about 125^th of a second with an aperture of about f-11.  If you understand basic lighting you’ll understand light from the strobes was so bright that the sun simply could not compete, hence the black background.

Lots of other flowers will soon be blooming and as they emerge I’ll try and provide some basic information.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Vultures at Sunrise

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©Bert Gildart: Last night Adam, Sue, Janie and I made a 30-minute drive from our campsite in California’s Anza Borrego Desert State Park to the Salton Sea.  It’s now famous because of its low elevation, its high salinity, its vast numbers of birds – and because it was created by a massive environmental mishap.

More on the disaster in a moment, but first I want to say that the conditions creating the disaster occurred over 100 years ago, and because they are here to stay, all of us accepted the situation and began enjoying the features for which it is now famous.

Created by an environmental mishap over 100 years ago, the Salton Sea is now a "Crown Jewel of Avian Diversity." It is shallow and has a exceptionally high salt content.

For us, that was the presence of the Sea’s thousands of birds, most notably the white pelicans.

THE LAP OF LUXURY

But there are sophisticated ways to enjoy such natural history luxuries, and we began in a way that is both tried and true.

We began by setting up chairs, pulling out a Coleman Camp table on which we cut cheese and filled our goblets (nothing but the best for we connoisseurs) with wine.  Temperatures were in the mid 80s and the mountains around us were assuming a distinct red glow.

Adam sliced a huge watermelon into edible chunks and we then sat back to watch the sun as it descended into the mountains behind us.  We attempted to count the thousands of birds that dotted the lake.  Here and there numbers were dramatic and flocks of white pelicans must have numbered over 200.  In turn the flocks were surrounded by Ibis, willets and sanderlings, pecking the sand for morsels of food.

A “CROWN JEWEL”

In fact, The Salton Sea has been termed a “crown jewel of avian biodiversity”, hosting over 400 species.  Research later informed me that Salton Sea supports 30% of the remaining population of the American white pelican.  Interestingly white pelicans nest in Montana, and Janie and I wondered if these groups were making their way north.

L to R:  Salton Sea attracts 30 percent of America’s white pelicans.  It also attracts over 300 other avian species.  White pelicans gather
to continue migration north, perhaps even to Montana.

That’s the way it is now, but still, a mishap did occur, and it is one from which lessons can be drawn.

DISASTER

Disaster began back in 1900 when the California Development Company began a series of water diversion projects, intended to funnel water from the Colorado River into the Salton Sink, which at the time was a dry lake bed. The hope was to help farmers, and for a while the project worked. Farmers planted crops and watered them with now-available water.  But then, just two years later, massive amounts of silt began to fill the Imperial Canal.

In 1905, heavy rainfall and snowmelt swelled the Colorado River, and flood waters soon poured down the canal and breached an Imperial Valley dike – because of the silt, which had elevated the waters.  Disaster followed disaster and in yet another two years continuous flood waters eventually carried the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink, creating an irredeemable sea.

Today, the Salton Sea — as this de facto lake is now called – is California’s largest lake.  It also has the distinction of occupying the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink, which approach the record low elevations in Death Valley.  Surface waters lie 226 feet below sea level.

HIGH SALINITY

Because of a high rate of evaporation, sediments accumulate rapidly and the Salton Sea measures 44 44 g/L, which is greater than that of the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

All of those facts are interesting and fascinating features surround this sea to include The Slabs and Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  But the lake is an attraction in itself, and because it hosts so many species of birds, it is an attraction that will certainly continue to draw Janie and me – and hopefully Adam and Sue, who are connoisseurs of fine wine and fascinated by natural history.  And Adam certainly knows how to cut cheese and create acceptable portions of watermelon.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Vista del Malpis

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©Bert Gildart:  Sometime in the past, perhaps one to two million years ago, an elephant like animal (known as a Gomphothere) walked across a mud flat in what is now California’s Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The mud was soft and when the huge animal stepped it left a large, defined print that was soon acted upon by yet more mud, but this time of a different consistency.

Perhaps a flash flood carried this new source of “fill” mud, but however it got to the point at which I was looking, the mud filled the deep print then hardened. And so it remained through the eons.

Park Naturalist (volunteer) Tony Feather showing me a series of ancient pictographs.

Slowly, however, the forces of erosion acted on the soft mud around the hard mud and the “case” began to dissolve, waiting for Tony Feather, a volunteer park naturalist and accomplished musician, to show me.  He trusted me not to define the location, though I can say that we traveled for miles up the Split Mountain Road, stopping at last to hike a remote canyon.  The “inverted” print blew my mind because not only did we see ancient prints of the Gomphothere, but also and immediately above the huge elephant track – tracks of an ancient cat.

L to R:  Cross lighting reveals geological features popularly known as “Elephant knees”;  tracks created millions of years ago by
a Gomphothere and — just above it — by an ancient cat; ghost flower, now blooming in certain washes.

(Click to enlarge)

The day was made yet more interesting when Tony pointed out ancient pictographs and a ghost plant.  The contrast-y lighting also made a feature near Wind Caves (also reached during our drive) stand out, and that was a row of what locals call elephant knees.  The size is the basis for their name.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park continues to amaze and surprise me and I am grateful to Tony Feather for sharing this amazing information.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Exploring Anza Borrego with Life Long Friends (retired ranger David Shea)

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©Bert Gildart:  Last week Janie and I made a speedy three-day trip to San Diego essentially to see our good friends Don and Nancy, whom we met about six years ago. We left our Airstream parked at our site in Springs at Borrego, drove two hours, checked into a motel at Chula Vista and then drove one more mile to where Don and Nancy were camped in their Airstream.

To look at Don you wouldn’t know he has been fighting cancer for almost a decade.  Don has a full crop of Irish red-blonde  hair and he is in excellent physical shape.  He jogs, hikes, climbs mountains – and most recently, led (along with his wife Nancy) Janie and me on a full, day-long excursion through the world-renowned San Diego Zoo.  And that, folks, is the subject of this posting, not Don’s incredible demeanor and resilience — or his excellent physical shape, despite a chronological age that surely must getting close to mine.  (I’m staying the same!)

MOST GOOD IMAGES IN A SINGLE DAY!

At the outset I want to say that  seldom have I augmented my photo library to the extent I did during our single-day eight-hour visit. And that is because of the incredible displays zoo keepers provide at their 100-acre tract of land.  Here, managers exhibit over 3,700 animals.

San Diego grizzly bear, showing reasons the species is so formidable. This particular bear was transported from Montana where it had been plaguing campers. The choice was to euthanize or move to zoo.

First to attract our attention was the flamingo exhibit, logically as it was located near the zoo’s entrance.   We were charmed by the species’s beautiful orange-red color but also by their behavior antics, which included displacement, aggression and warning gestures, the latter of which were created when the birds  extended their necks. — fully!

Like everyone else, we wanted to see the pandas, and specifically, we wanted to see Xiao Liwu (meaning “little gift”).  Five others have been born in the zoo, several of which were shipped to China to assist in its breeding program.

Xiao Liwu – OR “LITTLE GIFT”

Little Gift was born on July 29th, 2012 and was first let outside for visitors to see on January 9, 2013.  In addition to being able to view this rare animal species, the zoo’s “Giant Panda Discovery Center” has interactive exhibits that let visitors experience just how the animals smell and sound.

L to R: Flamingos exhibiting group behavior; cormorants nesting; more flamingos, again displaying what may be a warning gesture.

Of course photography is dependent on activities at the moment you visit, meaning that you’ll need more than just a single day to document a species’ behavior.  Our challenge was great as we wanted to see everything, meaning as Don said, that you’ll have to come back.  Nevertheless because the zoo has created various types of aviaries we saw dozens of tropical birds and many colorful birds from other habitats including the tinkerbirds and the sociable weaver.  Outside the aviaries we also saw (in addition to the flamingos) cormorants and a bird migratory harlequin, which migrants to Glacier National Park, where we first met Don and Nancy — hiking the Highline.

THE WORLD’S BEST

Energetic as ever, Don insisted we see everything we could squeeze in and before the day was over we had seen various species of bears (I have a personal interest, shamelessly linked here to national coverage — Night of the Grizzly), hiked the monkey trail, seen the polar bear plunge, made the elephant walk, visited the exhibit known as “Absolutely Aps, “visited” the Australian Outback… seen the bonobos.

L to R: Sadly as this naturalist explains, the world’s cats are diminishing.

Middle image is one taken along the “Monkey Walk” and represents my SON-IN-LAW.  Will is a reasonably intelligent man, but he is seen here 
contemplating the  zoo’s repeat message and display that THE WORLD COULD ACTUALLY BE WARMING — and that MAN could be influencing that warming.

Last image: Xiao Liwu – OR, “LITTLE GIFT,” perhaps the zoo’s most popular attraction. 

We’d also listened to talks on global warming in which they quote world famous climatologists, noting the world is warming because carbon in the atmosphere is increasing at never-before experienced rates. Their exhibit is convincing – and retired college professor Don Dennis knew we’d enjoy seeing THAT exhibit. I trust my son-in-law (shown just above — Ha!) will too.

Our only disappointment is that we needed more time, but as Don said, “you’ll have to come back.”

Maintaining welfare of zoo animals necessitates skilled professionals. Here, caretaker cleans hooves of an elephant.

We hope to do just that, because, yes, we do believe (We’ve seen dozens, to include the National Zoo in D.C.) that the San Diego Zoo may certainly be among the world’s best — if not actually the world’s best.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Burrowing Owls & Bizarre Nests Needed to Survive

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©Bert Gildart: Last year Time Magazine described a funky area of southeastern California famously — and infamously –  known as The Slabs.  Writers there  called it “…a squatters’ camp deep in the badlands of California’s poorest county where the road ends and the sun reigns.”  They said [It] “attracts fugitives of all stripes, [who] demand that prospective residents respect their neighbor “or stay the hell away.”

Salvation Mountain -- and Leonard Knight's old home -- provide an entree to "The Slabs."

By implication the story seems to imply that residents are a cloistered group of life’s survivors, but that is not the impression we’ve gotten over the years, and this past weekend was no exception.  True, there are souls inhabiting the area who are not perfectly balanced; but there is also a group who seem willing to pick up the pieces and help everyone move forward.  Consider, as examples, Solar Mike, Radio Mike, Fireman Peter, and Leonard Knight.

OUR FIRST VISIT

About five years ago Janie and I made our first of many trips to The Slabs, an expanse of hard scrabble desert land which takes its name from an abandoned military base featuring concrete slabs on which the Marines mounted artillery  .  Initially, we went there to conduct business with “Solar Mike,” the Guru of solar energy.  We stayed a week and during that time Mike outfitted our Airstream with panels, inverters and batteries so that we could boondock  as long as we might want — anywhere, of course, where there was sun.

“Fireman” Peter enters “The Range,” location for Saturday night dances; sign declaring that
you have, in fact, reached “Slab City;” Leonard Knight’s religious art work. (Click images to enlarge.)

But Solar Mike is not the first person you’ll most likely meet on the rutted road to Slab City.  Backtrack about a mile and here is where you’ll satisfy your curiosity about a hill featuring a kaleidoscope of colors.  Known as Salvation Mountain,  Leonard Knight built the hill with his own two hands.

THE MAN HAD A VISION

Most will agree the man had a vision, but of greater significance is that he found purpose to his life and then stuck to his objective.  He built a hill that expresses his transformation from that of  a “sinful man” to one who now inspires others, and he does so in various ways.

Several years ago Knight befriended “Alexander Supertramp” just months before this drifter perished in a remote Alaskan school bus.  “Supertramp’s real name was Christopher McCandless and he was featured in John Krakauer’s book Into the Wild, later made into a movie.

A NATIONAL TREASURE

Knight’s creation is so unique that Senator  Barbara Boxer declared Salvation Mountain a “National Treasure.”  Sadly, age has outpaced Knight’s sturdy frame and the 80-plus year old man is now in a nursing home, but Dan, Samuel and Builder Bill are determined Salvation Mountain will provide an enduring legacy.  The three now head a committee devoted to the preservation of Salvation Mountain, and indeed, they are not shy about getting their own hands dirty.  Preservation Director Dan Westfall (see below) says that Knight is expected to visit this spring following  cataract surgery.

L to R:  Almost to the Slabs; Kim Olson, restoring roof and generally helping to restore
library; Dan Westfall, Samuel Farrell, Builder Bill. (Click images to enlarge.)

The disheartening news from The Slabs concerns the library, destroyed, as “Fireman Peter” says, by a man who “went mental.”  Translated, the man (whom everyone knows) burned a community creation that was years in the making.  But here enter Kim, Amy, and several others who are now devoting “free time” to restoring this treasured resource – the community library.  Donations are welcome and those can take the form of discarded books.  We met the pair when they were perched on ladders, pounding nails, trying to recreate order from havoc.

A WILL OF STEEL

The last person on my list is Radio Mike, an Airstreamer whom we first meet several years ago in Ohio.  Mike has a will forged from steel, and proved it last summer following a motorcycle accident in which he broke his tibia and fibula and several bones in his foot. Local medical practitioners applied a temporary cast, enabling him to direct a host of helpful friends in the Slabs to safeguard his Airstream and other belongings.

Michael Depraida, artist at large

Three days later he limped aboard a plane and flew to a hospital in New York near his sisters where he underwent reconstructive surgery.  Now recovered, “Radio Mike” is back where he wants to be – in The Slabs, entertaining friends, selling his various art creations as “Tee Shirt Mike,” and operating an FM radio station for community edification.

EAST OF JESUS

Because The Slabs may be an end of the road for some, a transitory community for others, an independent community where many demand a laissez faire life style, it nevertheless remains one where positive efforts generally dominate.  (We’re waiting to see what becomes of an offshoot assemblage now calling their artistic manifestations “East of Jesus.” Some of the graffiti is exceptional! )

Radio Mike and Chantal, Nitchi, and Karine

Locally known as “Radio Mike” and Tee-shirt Mike,” 
fans (Chantal, Nitchi, and Karine — all from Quebec ) are drawn to his Airstream curious to learn just how this man does so well in one of the most obscure parts of America.

In this way The Slabs seem typical of most other American communities in that The Slabs also attracts a majority who have a sense of compassion and drive to make things work – but make them work on their own terms.

Or so it seems that way to Janie and to me.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO

*Amaragosa Oprera House

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Goat Canyon Trestle, through Carrizo Gorge

©Bert Gildart:  I had hoped to post a more substantial blog but Janie and I are rushing off to see a friend in San Diego who has a few medical issues we hope will soon improve.  Our friend epitomizes bravery in the face of adversity.

We’ll be back this Friday, at which time I’ll be making a substantial post about several recent trips that were absolutely fantastic.

Solar windmills flank the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert State Park; grove of palm trees along route to Goat Canyon Trestle; bikes rest back dropped by freight cars once
used for movie, now in final resting spot.

In the meantime, enjoy these images which were made several days ago on a mountain bike trip through Carizzo Gorge.  They are intended to complement images from my last posting.     The one exception is the image of the solar windmills, which flank the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  Everything, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, but to many the windmills are an eyesore.

So where ever you are, get out and enjoy the day – and live it as fully as you can live it.

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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:

Chiricahua-land-of-standing-up-rocks

©Bert Gildart:  Yesterday, Photographer Ron Niebrugge and I biked about six miles from the Indian Hill Trailhead to a point known as the Goat Canyon Trestle.  We followed a railroad work path that paralleled a set of historic tracks and railroad line. Our route took us through dark tunnels, over lofty trestles and along a path that was sometimes strewn with rocks and railroad ties that we had to  “leap.”

Our destination, Goat Canyon Trestle, was built in 1932 after an earthquake collapsed one of the tunnels of the Carrizo Gorge section of the San Diego and Arizona Railway. At 200 feet tall and 750 feet long, Goat Canyon Trestle remains the longest, tallest curved wooden trestle ever built in the United States.  Impressive as it may be, the route came to be known as the “Impossible Railroad.”

Longest, tallest curved wooden trestle ever built in the United States. But it is remote!

For years the trestle has been a popular destination for both hikers and bikers.  It is popular because movie scenes have been filmed here, meaning Carrizo Gorge has to be spectacular.  Nevertheless, the railroad company has at times imposed travel restrictions, though I’ve had difficulty determining what those might be today.

Prior to our departure I found that in 2008 Railroad Police had posted an internet “trespass notice.” But in the interim the route has been much traveled, so it wasn’t until we reached Goat Canyon that I finally saw a “No Trespass” sign, and it was riddled with bullet holes.

WHY BIKE?

People such as Ron and I bike to such areas for the scenic rewards and for the area’s interesting history.  If indeed the area is closed, it should be opened as it provides access to some of the desert’s most beautiful scenery.

L TO R:  Sign near one of trestles in Carrizo Gorge (Hard to read isn’t it??);  final resting spot for freight cars that “jumped” tracks; biker passing through tunnel; bike rider crossing grating of trestle.

That said, we also concluded the Railroad had reasons they might want to exempt themselves from mishap.

To access the trestle you must pass through magnificent Carrizo Gorge, but in places steep terrain abuts the path, meaning the slightest mis-turn of your handle bars could propel you on a most unpleasant journey.  In such places, I dismounted and found a secure detour by walking the railroad tracks.

TUNNELS AND TRESTLES

As we rode we passed through four tunnels and an equal number of trestles.  Obviously the trestles provided a route for trains but they also provided a route for us.  And here’s another place bikers need to pay attention.  Wire grating flanks the railroad tracks and though the grating measures four feet and is certainly wide enough to accommodate a bike the narrow passage was unnerving to me.

Though Ron pumped ahead, I dismounted several times when the wind blew.  However, on the way back I’d acquired my sea legs and learned to rivet my attention on the grating — and not on the deep gorges over which the grating passed – and on which we rode.

FREIGHT CAR JUMPS TRACK

About midway on our ride we came to a spot where two huge freight cars had “jumped” the tracks, then slid down the embankment.  Obviously the mishap resulted in huge financial losses for a company whose business must be marginal.

In the early years of the train’s history, lines moved passengers by day and freight by night, but as years passed, improved transportation, wars and maintenance problems brought an end to the train’s operations.  More recently these rails have been used for transporting sand and lumber and for the transporting of other goods between the U.S. and Mexico.  But time seems to have taken its toll and we found places where gratings were  held together with rope, and where boards have weathered away.  Little wonder the Impossible Railway seems to be discouraging use.  Trespass signs are a way of exempting themselves from legal entanglements.

Biker riding over Goat Trestle

Today, it appeared to Ron and me that much of the infrastructure should be repaired, so predicting the future seems difficult.  But, in Montana and in Idaho, I’m familiar with the wonderful mountain bike routes railroads have created from former lines.  Ancillary businesses have evolved making it a win-win proposition for almost everyone.  In the meantime, hiking guides offer challenging routes to Goat Trestle.

Whatever the future may hold for these rails Ron and I both concluded that our ride along the route of the Impossible Railroad will always rank as one of the best mountain bike trips – ever!

NOTE: In my next blog I’ll post a few more images from the “Impossible Railroad.”

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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:

*Tour By Anza Borrego’s Retired Superintendent Mark Jorgensen

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©Bert Gildart: In 1932, on top of a remote mountain, deep in the heart of a wilderness desert, Marshal and Tanya South built an adobe home which they occupied for 17 years.  They called their home Yaquitepec and there, in this austere setting of southeastern  California, though they had no artificial light, no conventional fuel for staving off the cold winter weather, Tanya gave birth to three children.

The land absorbs Marshall South's homestead. Colors -- and detail in shadows and highlights -- enhanced with HDR.

The family endured what we call hardships today, but it was that unconventional lifestyle that provided them with the independence to pursue their respective forms of art.  From atop Ghost Mountain, this “savage wilderness of rock,” as Marshall called their homestead, Tanya painted, while Marshall wrote novels — and contributed hundreds of stories to some of the nation’s leading magazines of the time.  Certainly their lifestyle represented the creation of a Brave New World.

Though Janie and I have hiked often to Yaquitepec, we never tire of the mile-long uphill grind, especially when we can examine with others the results of the couple’s occupancy. About 1948 the land was designated as Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and the hike always provides an opportunity to examine what remains of their old homestead.

L to R:  Watching as last rays of sunlight cast glow over Borrego Badlands; Borrego Badlands; Susan, Greg and Janie descend from Ghost Mountain.

This past weekend Greg and Susan, Janie’s brother and her sister in-in-law, were our hiking companions, and together we attempted to evaluate the struggles the South’s endured each time they left and then returned to their home. As well, we examined the degree to which the old homestead has endured the ravages of time.  Finally, as a last minute thought, just prior to returning to our Airstream now parked in the Springs of Borrego, we took a quick trip to Font’s Point, which offers one of the nation’s best examples of Badlands formation.

At the end of our hike to Yaquitepec, we concluded that the old homestead might be on its last legs.  Cholla, ocotillo and mesquite are slowly rooting out the metal frame of the old bed as well as the arch that once provided egress to their small home.  The adobe forming the old cistern from which the family scooped up water is beginning to crumble, and the sun dial seems to have lost its “face.”

View From Font's Point

Of course the Badlands (shown above) have also changed, but they are a reflection of the erosional forces present here in this premier desert state park.  Looking at it from another point of view, one could also conclude that the associated badlands epitomize the extreme challenges of coping with desert life.  Nevertheless, for a time, the South’s rose to the occasion, and for a while, created a life few others could have managed – had they wanted.  Certainly, it was a Brave New World.

NOTE:  Clicking on above links will provide thoughts and descriptions about previous journeys to Ghost Mountain and the Borrego Badlands.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO:

*The Slabs (Partially an account of Leonard Knight who befriended Christopher “Supertramp,” the young man described by Jon Krakauer in his book Into the Wild.)

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