[Bloated Chipmunk]

I'd just been to Calcite Mine 3 mos. earlier w/my group, but this time it was an opportunity to go w/the state park peeps & learn more detail about the optical properties of calcite. Once again I was one of the few locals on the hike, & there were an overwhelming # of people from WA & Canada who were visiting the area temporarily in order to escape the cold/wet of the great white north. We met in the AM @ the trailhead off of S-22 east of B.S. It was sunny, a little chilly, & super windy.

Sign @ TH

We dropped down the dirt rd. to the north from the hwy., then proceeded to take the usual route that goes up a slot paralleling the rd. It was very similar to the rt. my group took in Nov. except that we didn't do the little side wash that had a semi-sketch dry waterfall. The leader, Ted, was familiar w/that waterfall & he said it wasn't really suitable for the public. It's a good thing, b/c some people struggled a bit w/the dry falls we already went up.

Lizard

Slot

Slot

Old mining camp area

Desert tobacco

Ted holds a lizard

Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

Heart-leafed primrose

@ the mine Ted did some demonstrations w/the calcite, we took a break, then did a little side trip over to an overlook in upper Palm Wash. We then walked back via the rd. the whole way back to the cars.

5.5 mi. RT

Route

I headed to Carmelita's for lunch/dinner, then to my usual camp spot in the park as I had a Canyoneer hike the following morning so it made no sense to drive all the way home & back again in such a short period of time.

Post-hike margarita

Nests in the cholla

Nests in the cholla

Morteros

Morteros

Camp

Juniper