When is Hot too Hot??

 Cadiz Dunes is one of the hottest desert areas in Southern CA. We wanted to go there for Milky Way photography, but couldn't get our schedules to align until mid-June. We knew it would be very hot. I was hoping for mid- to upper-90's, but 100 to 105 degrees was more likely for June. We wouldn't be doing much hiking (from the camping area to the dunes is only about 1/2 mile), so limited exertion. We would also be taking shade umbrellas, lots and lots of water, and multiple coolers filled with ice. We also had a portable fan and spritzer bottles, so we were well aware of the extreme heat dangers and were well prepared. 

I think there's a little dust tornado in the center of the photo. A beautiful day for skywatching!

 

Each day closer to our departure resulted in weather predictions rising by a degree or two. By the time our departure day finally arrived, weather predictions for the Cadiz Dunes area was up to a high of 111-115 degrees!! Wow, that's hot enough to make me worry. Should we cancel? We've put so much time and effort into preparing that we don't want to consider that option.

As I was pulling into Amboy on old Route 66 (who knew I would be back in Amboy so soon??), the most amazing thing happened. Right in front of me was an airplane on the highway, slowly taxiing down the road! Thinking that the heat exhaustion was already kicking in, I rubbed my eyes and did a double-take. Sure enough, a small plane taxiing down Route 66!! I was able to capture just a bit of it as the pilot turned the plane and parked next to the Roy's sign.

 

Dusty the Jeep next to the plane and the iconic Roy's sign on Route 66!

 

"Dusty", my open-air Jeep on Route 66 just before the Cadiz turnoff.

The rest of the journey would be on dirt roads with washboard surfaces, so time to let some air out of my tires. By this point, the temperature was around 110 degrees. We previously decided to take two vehicles for safety. If one had a problem, at least we wouldn't be stranded in a remote area with no cell service and extremely high temperatures. In hindsight, a problem for me was driving in an open-air Jeep, and being totally exposed to the very high temperatures during the 3 hour drive to the dunes.

Even with the tires aired down, driving these washboard roads is a teeth-rattling adventure!

Finally we arrive at Cadiz Dunes Road turnoff. Can you see the dunes? At this point, the road looks like packed sand and an easy drive, but don't let that fool you! It quickly turns to soft sand, and there are a number of reports of people getting stuck here. Best to have 4WD and good ground clearance if you plan to visit the dunes. I tried to take a video but my phone was overheating so it didn't record.

 

Mitch's car thermometer.

 

We set up shade quickly. I was already feeling a little "off" and was anxious to just sit in the shade and drink fluids.

 

Mitch offered to bring a large salad with all the fixin's for dinner, which was really nice (and delicious!). I was giving him a hard time about bringing a tablecloth! I brought a freshly baked loaf of bread and Nadine provided dessert.

 

Thirsty soil.

 

Creosote is the dominant plant species in the area. It's interesting how their roots stabilize the soil. Over time, the sandy soil that's not stabilized blows away, leaving behind the creosote bushes on hillocks or mounds.

 

We have eaten an early dinner with the idea of exploring the dunes and scouting good locations for Milky Way photos, but none of us are feeling very energetic in this heat. I'm feeling downright crummy, with nausea and a headache, and it occurs to me that I probably have heat exhaustion. It kind of snuck up on me very gradually. It's a good learning experience. I was always under the impression that if I continue to hydrate adequately and not over-exert, I'll be fine. But as I read up on heat exhaustion and heat stroke, there's more to it than that. In addition to adequate hydration, you need to limit your exposure time. The longer your exposure time, the more likely you are to "catch" it. The long drive in an open air Jeep with no AC was a big factor. OK, lesson learned. I do eventually make it to the dunes in the evening, but without any scouting or preparation completed, and still feeling crummy.

 

This is a good stopping point. Drop by next week for the conclusion of our adventure.

 

PS: We all make it back alive!

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Milky Way over Amboy

 I've posted about Amboy before. It's so interesting and photogenic, I'll probably be posting about it again sometime! It's kind of a living ghost town that sits on Route 66. If you are a fan of Route 66, you really need to visit. Just try to avoid the summer months. I think I saw a post that it was 115 degress yesterday. Not all that unusual for Amboy.

 

Anyone remember this TV show from the early 60's?

 

After exploring some interesting locations in the general area (last post), I continued on and pulled into Amboy about 7pm. Amboy consists of a working gas station that also sells snacks and cold drinks, a non-working motel (about 8-10 individual bungalows), a post office (not sure if it's still open for business), a church, and an overgrown airstrip. I went into the gas station (where the cafe used to be), bought a cold drink, and asked the person at the counter if Amboy had any full time residents. She said one. 

AMBOY, CA, POPULATION 1. 

So I guess not quite a ghost town. I asked where she lived, and she said 29 Palms. That's quite a long drive back and forth to work, but Amboy truly is out in the middle of nowhere. This short video clip will give you a view of the "town".

I forgot to mention, at one time Amboy had a school. As I walked over to take a photo, I came across this old survey marker. I almost missed it because it was covered by weeds. It looks like it was placed here in 1934. The town was founded in 1858.

 

Looking east into the great wide open.

Amboy, like many small towns that dotted Route 66, is a victim of the freeways. When the 40 was built, it became much quicker to travel the freeway, so traffic along Route 66 was dramatically reduced and the little towns died off. But Amboy is a survivor.

 
I find myself wondering if I traveled this road as a little toddler. We used to visit my grandparents and other relatives outside of Chicago. We took the train once, but other times we drove. We likely traveled this stretch of road during the long drive to Chicago. Heck, we might have even stopped for a night and stayed in one of the little bungalows! Here I am, all these years later. 

 

View of the Roy's sign from inside one of the bungalows.

 

 

Air strip on the left.

 

Flower power!!

 The entire town of Amboy is owned by a single individual. He has a real knack for finding and collecting quirky things. It's one reason Amboy is so photogenic!

 

 

 

As the sun sets, the lady at the counter turns on the neon Roy's sign.

 

Did I mention that my main goal for this trip is to get a picture of the Milky Way over the Roy's sign? The lady at the gas station said she will leave the Roy's sign on until about 10pm, when she locks up and goes home. That's good news. It means I can get my foreground photos of the sign when it's lit up, and get my Milky Way photos when the sign is off. She also said no problem at all if I want to hang around and take photos in the middle of the night. 

 

The MW would be in a good position in relation to the Roy's sign at about 2AM, so I set my alarm for 1:30am and slept (or tried to sleep) in my car for a few  hours.

It was a beautiful clear night (well, actually morning). I love the look of the little motel bungalows, and again found myself thinking of tired families pulling up in a station wagons to get a nights rest while on their way to who knows where.
 

 

Version two... with car driving by on Route 66!

 
Now that I was fully awake, I decided to check out the old church.

 

Photoshop "negative" filter.

 

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon, Amboy!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

The "Salt Flats" at Amboy Road

 I spent a hot afternoon and most of the evening in Amboy, CA recently. It's a fascinating area and I came home with my camera's memory card full of photos. I'll be sharing those photos over the next few posts.

Before leaving my desert house, I spotted this desert iguana. He was huge! About 12' nose to tail tip. Usually they are skittish, but this one stayed in this spot for about 10 minutes before finally moving. He looks fat and happy!

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After about 50 minites of driving through the wide open desert from 29 Palms, you will come to the National Chloride Company. It's very remote: There is really nothing else out here, until you get to the "town" of Amboy. I've done no research on this company, or how chloride is made, but it's on my list of things to do.

 

The National Chloride Company operates on a huge dry lake, and the surrounding area looks like a lunar landscape. The soil (if that's what you can call it) looks odd. Not sandy, there's no vegetation, and with little pock holes and crusty irregularities that make for difficult walking. In some areas, it's white in color and looks like salt flats.

There are channels dug out throughout the area (although the channels themselves are mostly not visible from the road), and dirt from the channels form mounds you can see all over the dry lake. Very odd looking, like little mini pyramids. If you take the time to hike out to these mounds, and go over or around them to the opposite side, you will find something very surprising. 

 

 

 

The channels are full of water! Also surprising is the water seems to be flowing, and is a beautiful aqua color. On a hot day (and all summer days out here are scorching) you might think it's a desert mirage! You might be tempted to jump in!

I even discovered my own little island, although I couldn't find a way to get to it without a swim. And speaking of that, I wonder what kind of chemicals are in this water? Is it the chemicals that give the water a beautiful aqua color? And I wonder if the water is toxic? There's almost nothing growing next to the water, and I didn't see a single critter, not even a bird, near the water. Even if the water was safe, you would likely find the soil under the water to be soft and squishy. You would likely sink deep into the muck. You could slide down the steep bank for your swim, but you might find it's impossible to get back out!
 

Photo credit: Photographersnature (Wikipedia site)

I wish I could take credit for this photo. It occurred to me that this would be a wonderful location for sunset photography, and it even crossed my mind that a photo of the salt channels under the Milky Way could potentially be epic! But I also figured the good folks at the National Chloride Company probably wouldn't want me out here at night, and if I would trip and fall into a channel in the dead of night, it might be many days before my body was found!

 

This small minimalist structure is on the other side of the road from the National Chloride Company. It's been here a long time, and still looks to be in pretty good shape (at least from the outside). 

It appears the electrical wiring is long gone.

 

 

Elevated water storage tank?

 

Thanks for stopping by!! We've barely scratched the surface of what can be seen in and around Amboy, so stay tuned for future posts.

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Ryan Ranch Sunset

 Ryan Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park has a fascinating history. Here's a quck snippet:

 

The Ryan brothers homesteaded at this loction to take advantage of a natural spring that was once active here. The water was essential to the Lost Horse Mine, which they co-owned. Ryan Ranch supported the mining operation, pumping water 3.5 miles to the mine, in addition to processing ore and serving as a mining office and home. The cattle raised here helped feed the family and workers. Some 60 people lived at the ranch and mine during the gold boom. By 1908 full-time operation of the mine had ceased and the Ryans turned their attention to cattle ranching, until the establishment of Joshua Tree National Monument halted grazing.

 

Walking around Ryan Ranch is like stepping back in time. These old adobe walls are all that remain of the original ranch house. 

 

 

 

 

Close up of adobe wall. It looks like there is straw in the mixture!

 

A second, smaller adobe structure was once here.

 

Anyone missing a motor?

 

 

Looks like a storage structure of some kind.

Largest water tank at Ryan Ranch

A newer structure, probably built in the 50's.

 

Joshua tree "forest".

 

 

 

 

Imagine sitting among the Joshua trees in total solitude, watching the pastel sky slowly and silently deepen. The transition is subtle; before you know it, darkness takes over, shifting the horizon to a rich, deep blue as the stars begin to spark to life.

 

Side note: These last 4 photos (two above, two below) were taken with my cell phone. All were taken 30-45 minutes after sunset when things were getting quite dark. They were taken without a tripod, and I was expecting a blurry mess, but somehow they turned out quite nicely and relatively sharp. Amazing! Related note: The Hasselblad X2D II 100C has 10-stop in-body image stabilization. Hasselblad claims you can take perfectly sharp images in the dark!! I'm not throwing out my tripod yet (the Hasselblad camera body alone costs nearly $8,000), but the technology keeps getting better and better. It won't be long before a tripod is no longer needed except for special circumstances like astrophotography.

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday