September 11, 2010
Today, we spent the morning mapping the Carrera Formation, looked for a few more fossils in the trilobite bed near camp, and then headed into the town of Shoshone for some afternoon and evening fun.
First thing in the morning, we crossed the road from our campground, and climbed the hill to view the Carrera Formation, and begin the process of mapping it, using the measurements we’d taken the previous day.
After lunch, while a few of us were exploring near camp, I had my absolute favorite moment of the entire trip: this magnificent Chuckwalla. I wasn’t even particularly looking for wildlife; I’d just wandered off from the rest of the group and was in a little rocky area when I noticed the lizard. It was just the two of us for several minutes. I didn’t approach too closely, and the chuckwalla seemed happy enough to cautiously hang around, before it eventually ran to hide in the rocks. What a gorgeous, lizard! And I was grateful for the little bit of privacy, so I could take my time just watching . . . if anyone else had been there, they’d have tried to grab it up, and I wouldn’t have had this leisurely viewing, plus the lizard would have had a much more stressful encounter. Chuckwallas are amazing.
After lunch, we headed toward “civilization” for the first time since Baker, for a variety of interesting local activities. On the way to the China Ranch Date Farm, we made a stop at the overlook for the historic Mojave Road. While we were here, we spotted a Coyote down in a nearby gulch . . . OH YEAH!
Next stop: China Ranch Date Farm for date shakes! Then, we took a dip in the Tecopa Hot Springs, which was deliciously relaxing after all the strenuous physical work we’d done over the previous few days. Finally, we stopped for dinner at the Crowbar in Shoshone.
After dinner, we went back to camp. After a little more digging in the trilobite shale, once darkness fell we celebrated our last night in the desert with a bonfire and sing-along.
Our professor also did something with a bottle of champagne, an axe, and the campfire. It was impressive, although also a bit terrifying.
In the morning, we packed up the vans and make the long drive home. On the drive, we amused ourselves by outlining the plot for a trilogy of horror movies under the name “Trilo-BITE!” (So scary)!!! It was a fun trip, and I’m grateful to have had these experiences, and seen some wonderful things in the desert. (Mostly that Chuckwalla, haha).
Species List
Creosote (Larrea tridentata), Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater), Coyote (Canis latrans), cultivated Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
Let me know what you think!