tommy750 Posts: 1048
5/7/2012
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Decided to drive out to the Elliott Dolomite Mine since I've driven by it a hundred times and never stopped. According to Chris Wray's book, dolomite was big in the early '50s as roofing decorative rock. Was hauled to Dos Cabezas and shipped out by train.
Dolomite Mine by tomteske, on Flickr
This looks like the stuff on every roof in Sun City.
Dolomite by tomteske, on Flickr
Climbed up the dirt road above the mine and ended up at Mine Peak.
Mine Benchmark by tomteske, on Flickr
The register had comments back to 1996.
Mine Peak by tomteske, on Flickr
Mine Peak Register2 by tomteske, on Flickr
Looks like it was a little hotter last May. Was only 91 when I started at about 1700.
Mine Peak Register by tomteske, on Flickr
Saw a Tarantula Hawk searching a bunch of holes for baby food. Didn't find what it was looking for. Did witness a successful attack down in Baja a few years back. The hawk was ferocious. The sting is supposedly the worst ever.
Tarantula Hawk2 by tomteske, on Flickr
Tarantula Hawk by tomteske, on Flickr
Tarantula Hawk3 by tomteske, on Flickr
Cross overlooking Carrizo Badlands.
Cross by tomteske, on Flickr
Farther south, came across the Mother of All Ducks.
Mother Duck by tomteske, on Flickr
This number is listed as a cell phone in Palm Desert. Took the last four off because it looks like a kid. Any thing you want me to text this person, Daren?
Call if Found by tomteske, on Flickr
Time to head back.
Carrizo Badlands by tomteske, on Flickr
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
5/7/2012
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Great post, I camped out there with my son last October, it was a quiet, peaceful place to camp. I just pick up the ballons and pack them out, big horn and other wildlife eat them and die. I picked up (4) last week in Indian Valley.
http://cawsf.org/Floating_Menace.pdf
Quoted from this document
"Researchers agree that ingested balloons and balloon frag- ments can potentially harm any species of wildlife. But bighorn sheep may be particularly at risk because of the way they eat and digest food. Bighorn sheep have the same digestive system as cows, goats, domestic sheep and other cud-chewing animals. They eat only plants, and have a specialized four-chambered stomach which extracts nutrients from indigestible plant materials. ------- a DFG associate wildlife biologist removed enough balloons from one of the chambers of a bighorn's stomach to fill a plastic bag. Next page: An investigation of this deceased bighorn sheep showed the animal had swallowed plastic balloon strings while their other ends remained entangled in the sheep's mandible and teeth."
-- http://www.sefcik.com http://www.darensefcik.com http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ziphius Posts: 911
5/7/2012
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Great photos and trip. I once saw a tarantula hawk in Baja dragging its quarry into a hole. Impressive insects. I wish mylar and latex balloons would be outlawed. <em>edited by ziphius on 5/7/2012</em>
-- http://www.coyotelearning.org
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
5/7/2012
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Nice pics. I especially like the last one. Great light on the badlands! David
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tommy750 Posts: 1048
5/7/2012
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hikerdmb wrote:
Nice pics. I especially like the last one. Great light on the badlands! David
Thanks. I love the stark contrast in the late afternoon in the badlands. Tom
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tommy750 Posts: 1048
5/7/2012
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dsefcik wrote:
Great post, I camped out there with my son last October, it was a quiet, peaceful place to camp. I just pick up the ballons and pack them out, big horn and other wildlife eat them and die. I picked up (4) last week in Indian Valley.
http://cawsf.org/Floating_Menace.pdf
Wow. Just thought they were yet another piece of trash left by the careless. Will check out the link. Tom
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
5/7/2012
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tommy750 wrote:
Wow. Just thought they were yet another piece of trash left by the careless. Will check out the link. Tom
I learned about this at the annual BHS Count orientation. What is even more depressing is the encroachment of humans across the deserts and how their modern non native lifestyles are killing them off also. Some examples are all of the pumped in water that gets fertilizer and other chemicals in it and all of the grass, flowers, plants, etc they try and eat and it kills them. Anyway...enough from me about this...
Here are some petroglyphs in Death Valley some of you may have seen them, I stumbled on them by total accident. Sorry to hijack the thread, maybe somebody will enjoy seeing these.
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-- http://www.sefcik.com http://www.darensefcik.com http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ziphius Posts: 911
5/8/2012
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Gorgeous sheep glyphs. I'm a lot more aware of all the Mother's Day mylar balloons I'm seeing in the grocery stores this week. Tempted to buy them all and dispose of them.....
-- http://www.coyotelearning.org
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anutami Posts: 491
5/8/2012
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hikerdmb wrote:
Nice pics. I especially like the last one. Great light on the badlands! David
I agree! The badlands pic caught my eye also. You know a great pic when it inspires you to try and fit one more trip in.
Daren, looks like i'll have to get back to dvnp and try and find those sheep. Also thanks for the heads up on the mylar balloons. I always left them behind, but will pack them out for now on.
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
5/8/2012
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Ditto on the Badlands photo, very cool...is that is Diablo BM of in the distance?? That whole area always looks very cool at sundown.
-- http://www.sefcik.com http://www.darensefcik.com http://www.carrizogorge.com
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tommy750 Posts: 1048
5/8/2012
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The Carrizo Badlands are so amazing at dusk. Any where you go in the Coyotes with the sun setting is guaranteed to deliver a gorgeous view. Tom
Fish Creek Mts from Wind Cave by tomteske, on Flickr
Carrizo Badlands Panorama by tomteske, on Flickr
Carrizo Badlands by tomteske, on Flickr
Carrizo Panorama by tomteske, on Flickr
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tommy750 Posts: 1048
5/8/2012
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dsefcik wrote:
Ditto on the Badlands photo, very cool...is that is Diablo BM of in the distance?? That whole area always looks very cool at sundown.
The hill in the background is the 1401 ft rise just south of Fish Creek Mts. Tom
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