Two Deserts

ONE IS A GRIM desolate wasteland. It is the home of venomous reptiles and stinging insects, of vicious thorn-covered plants and trees, and of unbearable heat. This is the desert seen by the stranger speeding along the highway, impatient to be out of “this damnable country.” It is the desert visualized by those children of luxury to whom any environment is unbearable which does not provide all of the comforts and services of a pampering civilization. It is a concept fostered by fiction writers who dramatize the tragedies of the desert for the profit it will bring them. But the stranger and the uninitiated see only the mask.



The other Desert—the real Desert-—is not for the eyes of the superficial observer, or the fearful soul or the cynic. It is a land, the character of which is hidden except to those who come with friendliness and understanding. To these the Desert offers rare gifts: health-giving sunshine—a sky that is studded with diamonds—a breeze that bears no poison—a landscape of pastel colors such as no artist can duplicate—thorn-covered plants which during countless ages have clung tenaciously to life through heat and drought and wind and the depredations of thirsty animals, and yet each season send forth blossoms of exquisite coloring as a symbol of courage that has triumphed over terrifying obstacles. To those who come to the Desert with friendliness, it gives friendship; to those who come with courage, it gives new strength of character. Those seeking relaxation find release from the world of man-made troubles. For those seeking beauty, the Desert offers nature’s rarest artistry. This is the Desert that men and women learn to love.




Randall Henderson & J Wilson McKenny

Kelso Depot

Just some photos of Kelso Depot in the Mojave National Preserve. I really like this place. A true hidden gem. Try their chili!

Trona Pinnacles

Trona is a cool little village located in Searles Valley. Its got a weird vibe. The town itself feels like a time capsule and hasn't been able to remotely get up to speed (it could be ambition doesn't thrive here, which is refreshing). It's obvious as there are no businesses anywhere in town, except for a sandwich shop in a gas station and a small market. Although I'm fond of the place, the town suffers from this lack of commerce. Groceries I'm sure are quite expensive at the little market or residents must drive into Ridgecrest, 50 miles west. It's got to be damming to the collective psyche of the community, too. I mean, nowhere to have coffee or relax with a beer. Just at the gas station. Having a heart attack? Tough shit. Put your hands on the wheel and pray. Speaking of prayer, there's a super strange looking church on the East side of town heading towards 190. It's like a mega church, something I'd expect to see in the rolling hills of Mississippi, but smack in Mojave. Way huge and intimidating-not friendly, like it wears its own shadow. It's a giant concrete diamond shaped cinder block (which will hold quite well should there be an nuclear explosion) with a cross on top. Cute.



Back in the day, Trona was the shit. It was the modern industrialized center for the Mojave Desert and was home to a successful railroad company (Trona Railways, and railfans still geek over the historical cars) numerous mining sites including American Borax and Potash Chemical Companies, area hospital and civil services. Trona produces--surprise-- 'Trona', naturally occurring as Sodium carbonate (stabilizer/bonder). It's actually a big part of the American economy (China buys a great deal of it!). It's mined only in Alkaline Lakes or dry lakes, like Owen's lake. According to Trona's website, "In peace, the products go to all parts of the globe and in World Wars I and II, Trona made chemicals for victory." Products for victory.  The chemical processing plant that produced the town is still there, in fact. Running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I stopped outside it to take some photos and heard the sound of the different machines churning who knows what inside. The most soothing sound, a distant echo, calming white noises, all right on time. I could easily fall asleep to this sound. But the smell of sulfer. God farted on Trona.



Standing on the corner of Trona & Main snapping photos, I saw a small restaurant and was thinking of grabbing a coffee. I went to open the door and it was locked. I looked to my left and saw a sign that said, "Business for sale, Please call 760-xxx-xxxx." Outside, there was a small table lined with salt & pepper shakers, half-full ketsup squeezers, napkin rings and doilies. I fantasized about buying it for a long second. Then these two bikers came up, looking for the same. I told them if they only had $10,000 they could happily brew their own coffee. We talked for a bit about the town and lack of services when this guy slowly lurches over. Looking renegade with his dirty metal prosthetic hook-hand, he wore a baseball hat on his head, with scraggly brown hairs peeking out and was missing several front teeth. He was really nice. He told us the story of how the owner, a woman (forgot her name), became very sick and is having trouble walking. She is ready now to sell it but has been open on and off. He said he feared for her because she shouldn't have been working.

I asked him how he felt about not having many options for a hang out spot. He didn't seem to care but immediately awarded the gas station down the street as the place to go. He said he often goes there for a sandwich. He also pointed out a hidden spot just up one of the side streets. He said that's where all the factory workers go (naturally, I wanted to go there but they was also closed). I asked what he did for work out there, and he said he worked at the grocery store next to us. He commented that he had to get back. I was so close to asking him If I could take a photo of him for my book, but I didn't have the guts. I am currently working on this. He would have been perfect. I still curse myself.




Anyway, the Pinnacles. You'll drive down a well paved road to get there. It's only a few miles off the 178. Keep your eyes peeled, the sign is not very large or noticeable. I passed by a large abandoned or out of service freight train. I like how everyone just leaves everything out in the desert. Is this actually the habit or do we notice it more because it's not covered in vegetation/cement/shit? Or better yet, are the trash ruins from an secret underground American Indian religion?

The Pinnacles are really cool looking. Like eerie little horns bursting through the earth. Heavy with relatively recent volcanic activity, the pinnacles and searles valley were once all underwater and a part of a chain of seas, this only a million or so years ago. I found Hanksite-a crystal deposit only produced in the Searles Valley. It's quite beautiful.

There were some old mine shafts (now filled in, BLM losers) at the base of some of the 'horns'. As the sun was going down, I felt the effects of the sundowner winds grace my skin and hiked around a bit more before taking off.



The Trona Pinnacles are cool shit, but mostly for those interested in the Geology of the area. They offer good camping under the stars and rockhounding. A word of advice,  do yourself a favor and plan a hike out in Death Valley or Searles Valley while you're there. There's a whole lot to see out here, and it's not all made of rock.

Corkscrew Peak!

On our way there (we usually drive 190 East through Panamint Springs) we stopped in Ballarat to see some wild Burro's. Needless to say, I was excited. I feel so special when I am graced by the presence of desert animals. But just as we stopped to say hello to their sweetness, Steve began to notice he had been taking photos of wild burro sex, HA! It was hysterical-I felt like I was on the Discovery channel, one dude was on it!

We arrived into Death Valley around 11 am. Corkscrew Peak is located in Northeastern Death Valley. There is a fee upon entering the park. They use the honor system. Pay the damn fee cheap-skate, it's bad karma (I had to remind myself to do this, or Steve reminded me). There's not really an assigned parking area, we just pulled off where we saw the sign. It's a small area that only totally fits about 3 cars. You won't find many people there, though so don't stress.

We arrived to see a the corkscrew peak a ways off in the distance and no clearly marked trail. I remember reading something online about the trail that said 'stay right of the peak', so we headed East (this is true) and scrambled over some rocks. All of this was really easy and fun and relaxing. It's about as difficult as walking down the street. There is a very faint trail I noticed that we began to follow. You have to follow it so closely though. One glance away and it's gone! Although I wouldn't have been bothered having to make my own path, it was nice knowing we were headed in the right direction and had half a shot at making it to the summit (I am notorious for getting 2/3 of the way there and heading back down).


As we continued to follow the dim trail, we saw a few people who were on their way down. They asked if we had hiked it before, we replied, "no." They said they hiked about two-thirds of the way and then turned around because it was too steep. I secretly got excited because now I knew I was in for a challenge for sure.

Motherfucker-this was a tough hike. At about half way, the trail begins to get steep. Not too difficult, but you definitely have to be in shape. Not only was it steep but it didn't let up at all. There were tons of switch backs, craggy looking loose rocks,and one hard to follow trail. As we approached the summit, I'll admit I got a little terrified. STEEP, STEEP, STEEP. There is nothing between you and a few hundred feet drop. It's the vertigo that gets me on heights, that's all. I think most people wouldn't have too much an issue with it. The wind began to pick up, which became a huge pain in the ass, not to mention it was frigid. Finally, we reached the summit-it looked like an old fortress-medieval-ish and like someone had blasted off half of it. It's very beautiful once you get there and well worth the hike. The views were blissful. Totally what I live for. I feel it so deeply, being up there looking down. I daydream about moments like this constantly. It's such a satisfying feeling being somewhere you love and knowing there's no where else in the whole wide world you'd rather be.

Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve!

March 12th announces the opening of the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve in California. Last year, Steve and I went and it was marvelous. Check it out here. It was worth dealing with the abundance of excited Asian tourists and small admission fee. UPDATE 04/21/11: There's hardly any poppies this year. That doesn't mean don't bother going, but you may be disappointed!

Here's some before & after action.

Kearsarge Pass

Kearsarge Pass is an eloquent way to see the Earth. There is something very special about the view from the top. It will make a fool adore the ground he walks on and the Earth he inhabits. Demanding respect, this trail is arduous and time consuming but well worth the work. Only feet from the trail you can see some of the world's most beautiful alpine lakes, it's a real treasure to be lucky enough to lay eyes on. The adjacent photo features Heart Lake, one of the trail's many pristine Alpine Lakes.

The trail is located in "Onion Valley" in John Muir Wilderness, a 13 miles drive from the lovely town of Independence, California. If you stay the night, I highly recommend staying at Ray's Den, the best lodging experience West of Death Valley. The place is spotless, you'll get a full breakfast in the morning, it's totally affordable and Linda (the proprietor) is the a wonderfully sweet lady.



The drive up Onion Valley Road is awesome. The views are spectacular. If you have fears of heights, this road (and trail) is not for you! You will begin the trail at around 9,189 feet and climb to 11,760 feet. The trail is relatively easy in the beginning, with lots of switchbacks being the only pain in the ass.

The trail is 4 miles, one way. It should take you about 5-6 hours or so. It's a huge elevation/temperature change so make sure to bring some layers because you will need it. We went in August and at the summit I was pretty cold. I also got quite sunburned from being so close to the sun! So bring some sunscreen, if you care about that stuff. Expect a tough time the last miles, give or take. It's a strenuous uphill that offers no breaks. I run daily and this was still tough on my legs. The photo below is of the last stretch. If you look closely you can see the small trail running alongside the mountain.


The summit is just awesome. Looking down into King's Canyon, I felt more like I was in a sci-fi movie. There were some fires burning in the canyon which created a smoky/misty look that impaired our view. But nonetheless, breathtaking.



We plowed our way down and made it back down the trail in no time. We had to pass 'cheaper by the dozen' along the way down. Too many children!
This was a wonderful late August hike. Enjoy!

Bull Canyon (Mojave National Preserve)

We went to Bull Canyon the other weekend. I think it was Bull Canyon. We were actually supposed to hike up to Cima Dome, but we had a change of plans after speaking to a park ranger who advised against the road in a KIA. Actually, we might have been a bit lazy too because we normally could care less what the quality of the road is or isn't. We didn't get much sleep the previous night because the train was so loud. Lots of squeaking and squealing. Normally, I LOVE the sound of trains but this sounded like the train was actually being tortured.

So the hike had us beginning near Kelso Dunes rd. From there, we went to Pipeline rd. And from there we just 'trail-blazed' and headed east (I hate that word but it makes us sound really bad-ass). It was a nice feeling knowing you are completely alone, there's no trail full of people. I felt really human. I like feeling human. Living in the world of advertising and consumerism, it's a break to be able to be out and about and away from all the hustle and noise.

After drifting on a beautiful 'Lacustrine plain' for a bit (the whole area was at one time submerged underwater), we headed south towards the canyon. Along the way we found a lot of bones. Kind of macabre, but I thought they were fun! They were fairly big in size and I even kept one that I plan on varnishing. There were lots of beautiful rocks out there, too. This area had previously seen heavy volcanic activity, so the rocks were primarily igneous and dark colored. Lots of exposed rock surfaces and odd shaped formations.

The canyon was (mostly) dry, expect for a few spots higher up where we saw colorful green lichen on some boulders. The canyon is carved mostly by sediments flowing down the mountain. The fluvial and alluvial process are abundant here, comparable to Death Valley.

There were lots of boulders to scramble on and about and it was relatively moderate hiking material. You just need to be comfortable with your own internal compass, or at least-have an internal compass. You could buy a GPS to simplify matters.

The view from atop one of the canyon's mid way was breath taking. The views of crusty, jagged and dark New York Mountains to your north and craggy Providence Mountains to the south, smooth and soothing Kelso Dunes straight straight west and the lava beds of Cima Dome, made for overwhelming sights. This place is ridden with the talent of only a god's architect.

As far as wildlife, there was a lot of it in this canyon, but I am guessing it's all nocturnal. The combination of bones, paw/hoof prints, water and the shielding canyon itself makes for easy living for many animals. I repeatedly had a feeling I was being watched. This could just be my natural inclination to paranoia, but I don't know. I felt like something above the canyon was looking down and following our presence. I tell you this, I would not camp in that canyon.

Photos by Steve Taylor.