Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon

Monday, March 4, 2013

We awoke to stillness. The wind died during the night making for a more pleasant morning. We are both sneezing again, and I am having some asthma. Not being acclimated to the desert affects us when the wind blows. After reading the Wooster web site for their spring break field trip here, Greg was ready to make “new to him” geology discoveries this morning, so he took off into Owl Canyon and the Rainbow Basin while I had a slow morning, writing and savoring my breakfast. After researching on the web, it appeared that hiking up the canyon was the only way for him to explore here. There is a one-way dirt road that goes through Rainbow Basin, but it is for four wheel drive only, so we can't take the RV there.

He returned at noon and he was ready for lunch and to hike back into the canyon with me. He said there were two places where I would have to scramble up a rock face, so I probably wouldn't be able to go as far as he had. We sun screened up and off we went. The canyon was pretty, but the more varied color was farther up, and sure enough, one look at the rock face when we got to it convinced me that I wouldn't be able to go farther. I've got to get better fitting hiking boots and develop my thigh muscles! I just can't keep up with Greg, who is part mountain goat. I was disappointed, but enjoyed the hike out as I noticed the variety of colors in the rocks strewn on the trail. Greg is “macro” when he observes geology. He likes to understand the big picture of the geologic processes that formed a place. I am “micro”. I enjoy hearing about the big picture, but I scan the small rocks and pebbles for color and pattern and appreciate the shapes of the larger rocks and how the light and shadows play on them. When I concentrate on capturing what I see with the camera, then I see it all in new fresh ways, and get over my frustration at sometimes not being as nimble as Greg.

Hiking back out of the canyon we saw the panorama of the desert valley below us in the distance and the far away snow covered mountains. We grabbed an envelope to pay for a second night, and are relaxing and getting ready for dinner before the sun sets. Tomorrow we will travel a short distance to the Mojave Desert Preserve. We will be camping st 4,400'. It will be a little cooler. There is water and a dump station, but no electric. I expect that we will have no phone connection for a few days. We will probably stay 2-3 nights before we head further east. So our desert sojourn continues, but family and friends call us home in a few short weeks. A week home and we will be one the road again!