“Once again there was the desert,
and that only.”
- Stephen King, The Gunslinger
“Wear light colored clothing to reflect the
sun; take plenty of water…drink it before you get thirsty; wear a broad brimmed
had to protect your head AND the back of your neck; never put your hand
somewhere where you cannot see.”
These are basic instructions when hiking in
the desert – a good place to start…a few simple guidelines.
There are people who know these
things…people who have learned through experience, that nature has no
conscience – it has a rhythm, that when honored, makes it a wonderful place to
visit. When dishonored or ignored, can
be dangerous…sometimes lethal. Following
a few basic instructions can make a desert experience safer and enjoyable. Unexpected challenges might – probably will –
occur, but an “…ounce of prevention…” is surely “…money in the bank…” toward
the solution of an unexpected problem! If
you are respectful, it is a spectacularly beautiful place.
The Anza-Borrego desert, in San Diego
County, is a hot place in the summer – as high as 107 degrees (41.6C). One would think in this kind of heat, with
sand and rocks everywhere, that it would a desolate place…one would be wrong!
The desert is absolutely teeming with life. There are almost innumerable cactus, bushes
and small scrub trees. There is life
almost everywhere, from the tiniest of lizards, spiders and broad varieties of
insects, to birds, coyotes, jackrabbits, big horn sheep and the occasional
mountain lion. They say the mountain
lions typically stay away from people unless they are desperately hungry. They say if you come across a desperately
hungry mountain lion…well, it just isn’t your day! Yes sir, if you miss that mountain lion, and
take a few precautions, the desert is about as interesting a place as you could
imagine!
Borrego
Springs is a small town sitting on the northwestern edge of the Anza-Borrego
desert. It gets its name because of the
natural source of water that comes from underground to sustain this community,
and as you drive down the winding mountain road leading to the desert floor, the
brownish colored basin is dotted with patches of green where there is naturally
occurring water around which this community exists.
This past week I was in the desert for a
few hours with a newly discovered friend – the son of a close friend from Denmark. He had just finished a year as an exchange
student a little north of Los Angeles, and came to spend a few days. Since the deserts in Denmark are very
small - in fact, practically impossible
to find – it seemed like a good idea to visit the desert to give him an idea
what a real desert is like! Our goal
would be a 3mile (4.8km) round trip hike, in a canyon, to a spring surrounded
by a grove of palm trees.
It was 97 degrees (36C) when Andreas and I
got to the trailhead at 9am. We were prepared…the water, the hats, the clothing. As we started out, a group of locals were
just finishing their morning hike, and a fellow with three children from
Virginia were just getting ready to head out on the trail.
The locals?
They ‘finished’ their hike by 9am…they knew the best war is the one not
fought…they understood and were done before the day got really hot.
The family from Virginia? They were wearing dark clothing, and only the
dad had a hat – a black baseball cap. I
mentioned to them, how quickly one can lose body water in the desert and how
hats might be helpful. He smiled
politely, indicated they would be okay, and gently dismissed my concerns. What can you do?
Off we went. There were two trails in…one was fairly
easy…the other a little more challenging.
We took the fairly easy one in…the more difficult one out. It was a 45 minute hike each way.
The goal was the Oasis and it was wonderful – a stand of large palm trees and a cool breeze coming down the canyon right through the grove. We closed our eyes, and quieted our minds for a few minutes. In the focus of the gentle breaths and darkness, the oasis came alive with the sounds of birds and insects and water gently bubbling along…you know the idea, the quieter you become, the more you hear!
The time together was excellent. In spite of our age difference (65 and 16
respectively), we found a resonance…an easy rhythm of conversation…you know,
the kind that isn’t forced…the kind that just happens. Yep, those are the ones I like!
That Virginia family? They arrived at the Oasis about 20 minutes or
so after we did. They were exceedingly
grateful for the relatively cool shade the palms afforded. We chatted with them for a few minutes and
then headed back to the trailhead. We
didn’t see them again, but as we finished our hike, we came across a Park
Ranger and let her know they were in the canyon, just so someone would keep an
eye out for them. We were hoping for them it would not be a "...bad day..."
Time, gravity and my thoughts...
On the drive home, I thought about how the
desert is a great metaphor for life itself.
On balance, while it can be a wonderful journey, there are a
few simple things that can make it a little better. Be prepared for the things you know you will
encounter…find people who have been on the trail for a while to get a sense of
the kinds of things to look out for. Be
sure to arm yourself with the proper ‘clothing’ (skill set of some kind) to
navigate through the challenges that present themselves. Find people with whom
you can have those easy and comfortable conversations…build friendships
throughout the experiences. Unexpected
challenges occur, and sometimes bad outcomes are unavoidable…those simply are ‘…not
our day…’ At the end of the trail, if one
has been respectful, the journey can be spectacular!
No comments:
Post a Comment