Destination 5:
2009 Devils Hole Workshop Field Trip
STOP TWO
Stop 2 was located on private land near the locations of the places we had visited before.
Imagine going just a mile or two beyond this sign, but don't try it. We were accompanied by a Ranger who had made arrangements.
Stop 2 looked at yet another small fault-controlled valley, but this time there was a spring, or several springs, associated with this faulting.
Getting to stop 2 took us past an area of plentiful but localized water from springs and seeps. But the stop itself was in a drier area being carefully protected. The Ranger accompanying us made sure we kept our filthy boots away from the indiginous and otherwise rare plant species, like these little mounded plants:
And these 'mousetails' -though not indiginous they were fragile and rare:
But we were even careful of the saltgrass and noxious weeds struggling to survive here:
This was a big little surprise:
What happens when you add water into this setting? These types of scenes with an indigenous wild grape doing very well:
This was the start of a veritable mesquite forest:
This is the main thoroughfare and power source for the owner of this property, who actually lives among these trees a bit farther down:
What feeds these trees their water? Several springs, one of which was completely obscured by vegetation:
But just a few feet from the source the flowing water can be seen shimmering in the grass:
A few more feet away from the source the water was more easily seen:
There were probably a few varieties of mesquite here, but this "screwbean" variety was rather easy to spot, after a kind fellow traveler pointed it out to me that is:
Among the flowers growing in this vegetated place was this white one, at the peak of its blooming time it seemed:
I hated to say goodbye, but it was now noon and I had a previous engagement for the afternoon so could not stay for stops 3 and 4.
IF you followed these destinations in the order I gave them, you are done for this year.
Of course you are always welcome to revisit any of these five destinations. Here are links to go back to the other four:
1. We took a walk on a salt flat just for fun.
2. We took a drive through Titus Canyon just for fun, but I was the only one having any fun.
3. We visited Ubehebe Crater, a 2,000 year old volcano, the most recent one in the region!
4. Then we visited Scotties' Castle.
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