The Ubehebe Crater is located in the northern region of this vast park. You could easily put the Space Needle in it. It blew up suddenly 2,000 years ago, when water suddenly flashed to steam and shattered the rock for miles. In geological time, this was so recent it doesn't even register in this ancient place of rocks.
The last time we were here, we walked around the rim trial which is just over a mile. You can also hike to the bottom and up again if you enjoy grueling exercise. The wind was howling up there yesterday, so we stayed long enough to take a few pictures.
The desert pupfish is a small silvery fish found at Salt Creek, on the valley floor below sea level. They are thought to be the remainders of a large ecosystem of fish that lived in Lake Manly after the last ice age. The hot, salt water was teeming with them, but by summer only a few will be left, hiding out in the deep pools.
The park constructed a boardwalk trail along the salt marsh. We had a nice day yesterday, driving around in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon. Our room faces west, so our patio gets a good blast of desert sun in the afternoon. What we came for, says John. The storms are finished and weather is only getting better from here.
This morning at 8 I'm taking a two-hour trail ride through the desert. There isn't a cloud in the sky now, and it should be about 90 later. John is not mounting up, but said he would take the evening mule carriage ride around the oasis. We're going to do that on Wednesday with the other old people who are staying here.
The Internet service here is dicey to say the least, and it takes forever to load pictures. Not really how I want to spend my vacation. So don't worry if you don't hear from me for a few days. We head back to Las Vegas on Thursday, but are settling now with the other desert rats and having a good time.
No comments:
Post a Comment