Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 20, 2014 18:26:45 GMT -5
Well, I promised pics from the recent trip to the desert. I've had them on Photobucket for a while, but just couldn't find the time to post them.
Just to prove that we do have fall in Southern California, here's a pic of some cottonwood trees in their fall splendor. (It's winter we don't have here, lol.) Photo taken along Hwy S2 just north of Scissors Crossing, in the San Felipe Creek. This on the drive there a week ago Tuesday.
We have arrived at Ocotillo Wells! View to the north, Santa Rosa Mountains in the background.
Rubber mat laid down outside the trailer door, to help keep dirt out.
Just about covered this bit of fossil coral (or bryozoan?) up:
View to the southwest. Being mid week, we had the whole place to ourselves.
DH wandering around, enjoying the perfect weather. Can you tell he is recovering from back surgery?
A bunch of baseball-sized concretions.
Suggestively-shaped concretion.
This pic shows how the desert floor in this location is littered with pretty polished rock. Just scoop 'em up.
Lucy eating fresh pineapple. (She also likes avocados, but then, who doesn't?) Does anybody else's dog eat pineapple?? Cut up another one while out there, yummy. (No, I did not use them to adorn a tasty rum drink, lol.) Hey, ya gotta eat, right?
View of counter in trailer kitchen. See the second pineapple? Cut that up the next day.
Since I wasn't going to be home for a week to water it, I brought my little darlingtonia with me (back corner of counter) If it thought it was dry here at home, now it really knows what dry is!
Another odd concretion. Mickey Pig?
Couple of Osprey practicing. Mainly saw these only on the first day, and into the night.
Shadows on sand ripples late in the day.
Found this dead and dried up desert hairy scorpion just laying on the ground. Looked like it was still alive, Bob had to poke at it to make sure it was dead before touching it. He didn't think a live one would have been out and about at that time of day.
Having fun with it, lol.
He also found this very much alive tarantula. Have never seen one so brown.
Lucy on the rocks. I swear, this dog can lie anywhere!
Getting ready for take off!
Old dog, she'll be eight NINE years old on Dec 21st. She really loves the desert, but is slowing down a bit. She is my baby, goes everywhere with us - even to Quartzsite! Some of you have met here there.
Desert bush.
The haul from Ocotillo Wells. These are all corals, bryozoans and other forms of sea life.
Some nice banded /patterned agates.
More
Bumble gums to back, conglomerates to front.
More
Area was used during WWII for bombing / shooting practice. Can find bullets and the clips all over. Also some live bombs!
Piece of petrified wood.
Fossilized / opalized goniosoma from Ocotillo Wells
Close-up.
ETA - I have learned that what most people call turritella are really Goniosoma. Since posting this back in December of 2014 (Five years ago!), I have learned that true turritella are actually found here in SoCal. The two are physically different, although I could not make the distinction between them. But turritella did live here in the past, goniosoma did not. (I think it was a saltwater vs. freshwater thing.) Conclusion, this is turritella!
Now we've moved on to the Ogilby Rd/Indian Pass area. This is sunset the first evening.
Sunrise the next morning. This was on Friday, Dec 12.
View to the south, looking towards the Cargo Muchacho Mountains.
View to the northeast. Behind that hill in the distance is the Colorado River. Have gone on down that road, it is not maintained and is in terrible condition. Didn't venture down this trip out. That long-wheelbase truck has trouble negotiating the turns, since for most of the length of the road, you are traveling in a curvy wash.
Dead tree along wash we were camped next to (not in!).
Lots of this cholla cactus. Lucy did very well, did not get any in her feet.
This starts the downhill stretch to the river, where the road is not maintained.
View back to the southwest, and the Cargo Muchachos again. We also had this place to ourselves, did not see a soul from late Thursday until Sunday afternoon.
Now to the SWAG. This is a big chunk of the palm bog, found a half mile from where the truck was parked that day. Haven't weighed it, but Bob carried this up one hill and down another to get it back to the truck. I had to go back to camp to get the two-wheeled dolly that we had brought just for this occasion. Had to pull it up one more hill to bring it to the road.
It came from over the hill in the mid distance.
Cell phone photo of it in situ.
This is the big boulder of yellow jasper(?) I found. It was only about 50 feet from the road, but had to roll it up the hill, around rocks, ocotillo and cholla cactus. Has to be at least 100 lbs! While rolling it over rocks, it made "tinging" sounds, like glass.
Close-up of it. Kind of brownish on the outside, but hope it is more yellow inside. We were able to get it into the truck by sliding it up a 2 X 12 X 8 foot someone had left for us! Otherwise, would not have been able to get it into the truck.
Looking again to the northeast. That peak is in the Picacho Wilderness.
A chunk of Dumortierite. Not the best, but better than most we found. Indian Pass Road had been graded just before we arrived here. While walking along the road, found this chunk that had been rolled up by the scraper. Should probably take a better picture.
Piece of charcoal briquet-sized dumortierite.
Found this cool chunk of glassy green jasper. When I found it, I told Bob, "I won!"
Another chunk of green jasper, with spots. Not as nice as the other, but still cool.
One of the small chunks of palm bog showy the brightly-colored palm strands.
Just some of the haul from Indian Pass. Now that I've gone through most of it, should take a pic of just the dumortierite.
Some of the palm bog. Colors vary greatly, as does the glassy-ness of it.
Typical palm bog.
Have to be careful windowing these in the field, they shatter so easy.
Okay, until I take more pics, that's it for now. Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed the show! Jean
