Hitch 8 brought the dubC crew to the Needles BLM field office for a marvelous hitch of water monitoring. We got to spend our days hiking around the Whipple, Chemeheuvi, Dead, Sacramento, and Clipper mountains in search of elusive springs and seeps. Our first attempt was made simple when we spotted a palm tree in the distance, what we learned to be a classic sign of water nearby. Other hikes were a little less successful, but always an awesome way to spend the day. With temperatures consistently in the low 70’s we would suddenly remember that it is February and how lucky we are to be here. Our campsite was visited by wild burros nightly, whose symphonic bellows nearly put the melodic howls of coyotes to shame. Seriously, they made crazy noises. Every night. Multiple times.
This 12 day hitch ended with a few days in the charming town of Shoshone. The entire DRC sprawled out on tarps at the intersection of 127 and 178. We attended the Sierra Club’s Desert Committee Conference, held annually in Shoshone, and dubC had the honor of giving a presentation on what exactly all the dirty young folks are doing in the California Desert District. Muck Tromp 2012 through the natural hot springs in nearby Tecopa was a success, and good thing, because this time it counted. We also enjoyed a visit to China Ranch Date Farm and ate various goodies filled with dates.
The blood oranges were delicious!
