Adventure

Jan 7

Salton Sea area” Surprising to see this large lake in the middle of the desert but our next stop was at the 35 mile long lake at the state park. This was all formed over millions of years when the Gulf of California which extended up to this region, was silted up with continued floods of the Colorado River. It has no outlet and is currently mostly fed by agricultural run off as it sits within the Imperial Valley. attrack birds by the thousands. It is in fact a major fly way for migratory birds. The lack of water entering the sea is of real concern, if it dries a huge dust bowl will be created. The debate about what to do lingers on. Needless to say there are thousands of birds, herons, stilts, white and black pelicans and of course sea gulls among many others that we enjoyed watching as we walked along the beach which is sand covered by fish bones.

At one end of the lake is the Sony Bono wildlife refute area where we walked and observed lost of wildlife. The Preserve grows a variety of crops rye etc. that the birds can feed on as they migrate As we drove around the area, we observed many fields of turf and other green vegetables that we couldn’t identify along with palm tree farms, orchards etc.

It is a beautiful place but because the sea is so salty, very few fish can survive here and the die off causes and odor that is not all that pleasant. In fact 30% more salty than the ocean.

Suggested side tours recommend by the state park folks was Salvation Mountain and Slab City. Salvation Mt. is a cultural landmark of sorts. A painted mountain shrine of a local eccentric resident with a mission. Only seeing it and climbing it is believing it. A lot of foreign visitors were enjoying the back hallways and the biblical messages painted here and then the day we were there.

The next unbelievable place is Slab City. This area was the training site for General Patton’s army. All the buildings have been removed with only the slabs of the foundations remaining. Reportedly the winter encampment of scores of “snow birds” who come every year to dry camp ie “free” camping.

The first person we met there after driving around in awe ( the place has the look of some of the back roads of northern Maine where people have dumped their old washers and sofas) - was a women from NM who had lost her job and therefore sold her house and was living in her Casita – going to town on occasion to pay her Visa card on line and dumping her trailer. She was one of the LOWs – the Loner on Wheels. We hung out in this group as “visitors” since we were a couple. Down the “street” called Tank Dr. was the WINs 0 - Wandering Individuals Network. This place is a sociologist laboratory of the lost and found of the current economy, homeless network and just plain lost to society.

On Sunday morning the LOWs meet for breakfast. we were invited but declined as we had already had breakfast.

Sat. we are off to tour the area south of Slab city to find a Sports Bar to see the Jets and Colts game.