Mostly Plants

3/18/200
18:53
Camp Cayuga

The walk from here to Lost Palm Oasis is only about 40 minutes. From the overlook, you see two oases–one down in the canyon, and one on the opposite rim.

The trail descends steeply into the gorge, where we immediately encounter fan palms. Some are still well-covered in shag; others have recently burned. The canyon floor is very sandy and these are the beaches we read about–beaches without water. There is very little water here, only sparse seeps leak above the ground. Many of the seeps are fouled with decomposing organic matter. We find a few bones, too small to be Bighorn Sheep, too small to be rabbit. Coyote, maybe?

This is the largest puddle of standing water in the oasis. You may not be able to see clearly in the photo, but you really really don’t want to drink it. Leave it to the Bighorn sheep.

I am suffering a mild heat exhaustion. The canyon floor offers some welcome evening shade. We proceed (and I join reluctantly) down towards Victory Palms. Just past Mile 4, the trail becomes a class III scramble. My sandaled feet are quite chapped and my climbing shoes are in the car, so I elect to sit on the rock and meditate while Laura and Big Horned Mel explore further. Ginger and Briony return to camp. While I was waiting, I snapped a few exposures of the sun setting and moon rising over the canyon.

Laura and Mel returned to tell us that they had reached an overlook where they would have to scramble down to go further, and they could not tell if the oasis was near or far. They returned with “buns of steel,” but no Victory. We walked back at sunset and made Indian and Thai foil pouches for dinner.

20:07
Camp Cayuga

Evening is warm, stars are out. I’m just wearing a light jacket and quite compfy. Will go to bed soon so that I can rise with the sheep.