Running in the High Desert

Summer time running in the high desert! If it hasn't rained in a while, the trails are DUSTY! On Sunday mornings, I run with about 50 others, as part of Trail Running 101, put on by Fleet Street, a local running store. This picture was taken upon my return home from running up at Wanoga Sno-Park, a 6.5 mile run, on Sunday, July 26. Very dusty that day. Not only will your shoes, toenails, legs, shirt get dusty dirty, but eyes, ear crevices, nostrils, even teeth get a bit of that grit! Gotta love it! It is the high desert! Hot and dry!

Granite Pass in the Mohave Desert. Boondocking site. Rough drive to the site, but worth it for its privacy. This was early in our trip, and I was still nursing a cold (or infection) so spent most of the time resting/relaxing/napping, drinking tea, and reading (yaa!). Bob and the poopies explored, both the roads and the rocks! No snakes discovered yet! Not terribly hot either. Just about right! I loved these huge boulders! Like a giant was playing marbles, or was stacking stones!

We spent an uncomfortably windy night at this site in Borrego Springs. A giant hand shook our camper all night long.... would it have been worse to be on the ground on a tent? Yea, probably would have been blown away! At least, our laundry dried quickly that afternoon in the sunny wind. (Darn laundro-mat in town! Dryer ate $1.25 worth of quarters!) Overall, spent a lovely several days in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Folks are passionate about that place! Stellar visitor's center! Neat to read and learn about all these deserts that I have read about but not personally experienced before. (As, a kangaroo rat here can live its entire life without drinking any water! All those adaptions by plants and animals for a place that receives very little rainfall!)

This is our boondocking site in which I received nicely scarred elbows and knees due to that crash course on rock climbing (those 4 points of contacts should have been feet and hands!). Washed my hair in a 10 gallon bucket.

Thursday morning..... a week into our Spring Camping Trip. Sitting in a Starbucks just outside of Indio.... the past couple of nights we boondocked in BLM land off the Painted Canyon Road. Yesterday we explored that slot canyon hike, and I got a crash course on rock climbing! My knees and elbows show the result!
So far, cell phone reception and internet access has been nil! Out of Bend, we headed East, then South.... spending a couple of nights in the Mohave, then another in Joshua Tree National Park. Pictures soon to follow! More news, too! Not sure when we will have internet access again.... Bob is much more into boondocking this year... maybe cuz of all the bad economic news, and all our retirement funds evaporating! The good news is that we are finally in warm temperatures, our health is good (although my cold, or infection, still lingers!), and the puppies travel well, also enjoying the change of scenery!

Mt. Bailey, July 2008

Yea, I know.... these are out of order, but I am just now getting around to learning how to get images to the blog, so give me a break!
Over here, to the left, that is Rupert, the delicate one, in the back pack. He is so CUTE!

At the top, we stopped long enough for pictures, hydration and nutrition, then started the climb down. Unfortunately, it was not a super clear day, due to wildfires..... A good hike..... 5 miles up, then 5 miles DOWN.... Ugh. My knees were ready for a rest after that....(and a beer, or two!)

4-Mile Lake campground

This is from one of our last camping trips of the season.....back in September. A gorgeous weekend....We were a bit surprised to see the number of campers; the campground was "closed", which really meant no one was there to collect fees, and the water had been shut off. One day we did a run around the lake (9 miles? maybe more..... we don't keep track!) That weekend we also were treated to a full moon...a lovely sight as the moon reflected red then yellow on the lake as it rose into the sky.

Day One of Spring Camping Trip '08