Rock Hounding Expedition

Today's view is like yesterday's view and the day before, and the day before . .. Today's weather is like yesterday's weather and the day before and the day before . .. It is time for an outing!  So I looked on the Internet for interesting day trips.  We could go skiing on a nearby mountain where the snow is man made.  That would be a wonderful activity for two old folks who both had back surgery last summer!  Or we could go dirt biking; that is popular around here - and of course we wouldn't fall! The main hiking trails are here in the park.  What should we do?  Well, rock hounding is safe - just walking around.  A local lapidary club posted some good sights and we selected one near Victorville that is reported to have Black Jade and Verd Antique Marble.  Of course I didn't think to look at samples of these rocks before we left.

I want to go!

 We drove down eight miles of dirt road to enter the famed rock hounding area.  We didn't see any other hounders running around, but there were hundreds or thousands of ATV riders and dirt bikers roaring about.  Hundreds of RVs were parked in groups on the desert, with many options for riding parked nearby.  And the wind carried the constant sound of vroom, vroom.  Young riders came dangerously close to hitting us as they crossed the road, and there were trails EVERYWHERE!.

 The countryside was much like the country here at Saddleback, but with no monitoring or regulations.

 

 We arrived at the purported hounding area and we looked for rocks.  There were lots of rocks all around just like at Saddleback.  But we kept walking up a hill toward some outcroppings, thinking those might be different rocks.

Black Jade or Verd Antique Marble?  I don't know!

Verd Antique Marble?  Or just an interesting rock?

Same rock turned over.

We did find many interesting rocks.  Some were even black and green.  Did we find what we were looking for?  We don't know!  Floyd - we need your help!

Signs of Spring!

Do not bump!

More cactus.

Yucca.

Shotgun shells.

Everywhere we stopped their were signs of target practice without any clean up efforts.  In one area, there were even signs that various items had bee blown up.  We had happened on a red-neck haven!

Clay pigeon remains.

Dust from the day of off road vehicles!

In summary, we had fun, we saw new country and we got away from the same scene day after day . . . . . sort

All the way to the top!

We've been looking at it for days and wondering, could we really climb it.  When one of the rangers talked to us about it, it was obvious that she didn't think we could.  It is only two miles to the top.  We had to try!

Can we really do it?

Aged climber!

Golden Eagle

    We climbed and climbed.  Actually the path was more difficult than the climbing.  It is dry, soft sand, much like walking on the dry top of the beach, only there is no wet sand to move down to.  In fact, nothing is wet.  Not a drop nowhere!

View halfway up.

We did take our time as we climbed and climbed.  We weren't sure which hump was really the top but the trail was well marked.  It took us an hour and a half to get to the top.  We sat and ate our lunch as we contemplated the view.  This vast valley, named Antelope Valley is crisscrossed with lines that are not roads.  The lines are straight and go on forever.  Perhaps they mark sections of land.  There are many for sale signs along the road.  I bet you could get lots of land cheap!  Come on down!

The trail up in the distance.

A green plant is so unusual that you have to take a picture of it. This one looks like swss chard!

Looking Southeast.

Looking Northwest.

Northwest from the top.

Looking South from the top.

It seemed a little funny, that after our hour and a half up, it only took us a half-hour to get back down.  We passed by a truck hidden by tumbleweeds and a little bit further, Louie decided he was finished.  It took some coaxing to get him the final 1/10 of a mile back to camp.

Where is the truck?

Tired hikers close to home.

And we made it back home.

  We all made it back, even Louie.  He stopped for a quick drink of water, then walked into the trailer and made a bee-line for the dirty clothes basket where he put himself to bed.  I don't know if he was more tired from the walking or from smelling all sorts of scat and marking every bush.

Saddleback Butte State Park

     We have arrived and settled in at Saddleback Butte State Park where we are campground hosting until the middle of February.  Saddleback Butte has a day use center, campground and many trails up and around the butte.  It is about 15 miles outside of Lancaster, CA and sits about 2600 feet above sea level.  The park is known for its Joshua trees, hiking trails and wildlife.

    

view from camp

 Joshua trees are not actually trees, but are a type of lily.  They have bark and very stiff, pokey leaves.  They flower in the spring, but not every year, depending on how much rain they have had that year.  This year will probably not produce a lot of flowers, unless it starts raining sometime soon.  Birds nest in the branches, Yucca Night Lizards and Kangaroo Rats live in the dead branches and leaves that have fallen down.  Woodpeckers dig holes in the trees and live in them, and also clean out many termites from the bark.  The night snake feeds on the lizards and a moth feeds on the seeds etc. etc. etc.    And they hurt when you bang your head into the leaves!  One hangs down in our camp to about head level and is very easy to forget about!

Camp

Joshua "lily"

Old flower stem.

When they do flower, it must be spectacular as the flower stems are a foot long!

Apartment living.

Very sharp leaves!

Baby tree.

The "lilies" were named by Mormon settlers who thought that the branches look like raised arms welcoming them to the promised land.  Scientists used to believe that the large ones were very old, estimating that they grew 1/2 inch per year.  More recently, they have determined that their growth varies from year to year and can be anywhere between 1/2 inch to ten inches. No one really knows how old they are.  Joshua trees only grow in the Mojave Desert and are becoming fewer and fewer as development encroaches on the desert.  New ones can either sprout from existing roots or seeds.

Creosote leaves.

More creosote leaves.

Creosote bushes are also very prevalent.  They are hardy desert creatures with tap roots 200 feet deep and many other roots which spread out in a wide pattern to get water while depriving other plants of water.  Very little lives within a few feet of the bushes.

Saddleback Butte

 There are actually four or five buttes in this area.  They are formed because the San Andreas fault lies 12 miles from here.  One earth plate is pushing under another and at times, when the pushing is intense, heat forms in the crust and pushes ground up, causing buttes.  Can you guess how the mountains on the other side of the fault formed?

San Gabriel Mountains.  The San Andreas fault is at the base of the  Mountains.

Tumbleweeds are prevalent!

 Louie is having the time of his life, and he will not be a white dog while we are here.  He digs one hole, and then digs another near it that fills up the first hole while he is digging!

Sideways digging.

Resting.

   

     The temperature at night has been between 20 and 30 degrees.  By 9 am, it is comfortable to sit in the sun with a sweater, and afternoon temperatures have been in the upper 60s and lower 70s, that is until 4 pm when it begins the downward slide into winter again.  Every morning and every evening we walk a mile to the visitor center, which is no longer open, and the day use area and open/close the park gates. We raise and lower 2 flags.  We pick up litter if anyone has been here.  The most campers we have had in one night is 3 groups.  Obviously litter isn't a big issue.  We will walk the trails to collect litter occasionally.  Often, we just sit in the sun.  I LOVE morning coffee in the sun!

     Lancaster is not known for its friendliness!  The east side (closer side) appears to be fairly low income.  We shopped at a Walmart there that has the crankiest staff ever! We also shopped at a Hispanic market that had a wonderful meat section.  Nothing was in styrofoam containers, but displayed in large hunks of whatever, and  cut to order.  All the normal meats were there and also large sections of all sorts of pig pieces, including ears, snouts, feet, legs and heads.  One large cow head was also available.  Lots of tripe and tongue were artfully arranged and they had mixes of fajita combinations already marinated which turned out to be delicious.  I will shop there again!  Unfortunately, to me, Lancaster appears to be a place where one grouchy person upset another person who upset another person, and it has gone on so long that everyone expects rudeness and anger all the time.