February 24, 2021 Sandstone Canyon Adventure
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicle Recreation Area Borrego Springs, California
I was awake early and could see the sky lightening and changing colors so I got up to watch the morning show.
One more walk in the wash. Today I spotted a jackrabbit hiding in the shadows of a bush. He was fairly far away and he stayed absolutely still. From a distance, it looked like he had three ears. His left ear was torn.
Leave only footprints…right next to the coyote prints…
I love these red breasted birds.
We took the highway from Julian to Ocotillo Wells SVRA. The road is a bit of a wiggle waggle and the scenery is gorgeous. We passed a couple of brave cyclists on these twists and turns.
This afternoon, we left the RV at Ocotillo Wells with the Jeep loaded for adventure. We have been to Sandstone Canyon twice before. We love to see new places but it is also wonderful when you keep coming back to a place because of its beauty. It is amazing when you can retain your sense of awe and wonder…you know you have found someplace remarkable.
We were on our way, looking for the perfect camping spot. A truck approached us at rapid speed. He told us that a couple in a Jeep needed help with a flat tire. We went to see what we could do to help. This naïve young man was driving a rental Jeep, with street tires, in the desert when a sharp rock sliced the sidewalls of both tires on the driver’s side. He had replaced the front tire but he needed another spare to replace the torn rear tire. Our tires were too big to be of use. We offered them water and food and blankets. The guy said he was going to try to drive out on three good tires. We wished them well and turned to find our overnight campsite. We hadn’t gone very far when we decided that we needed to go back and at least follow the guy so that if he ran into bigger trouble, he had someone there to assist. We were following them, very slowly when two old guys in Jeeps drove up. They had the spare tire that would work. They sent us on our way. We hope that if we are ever in a situation where we need help, there will be someone to stop. We have seen over and over again, that out there in the wilderness, people lend a hand. People are good!
We entered Sandstone Canyon and there were some very narrow passes.
We did find the perfect camping spot. We set up and enjoyed the last lingering moments of daylight. We ate grilled chicken and pecans with apples and grapes on field greens with grilled garlic flatbread. We watched the sun slip behind the cliff walls. We watched bats creep from the rock crevices and flit about, flying erratically to feed.
The moon rose as the sunlight was fading.
In our tent, the moon roof was open and the almost full moon shone brightly.
We got up in the middle of the night and the whole world looked like an old time black and white photograph, except for the gleaming stars.
