March 10, 2007

i dont know what time it is right now.... daylight savings went down last night and i dont know if the clock on the computer in front of me is right or if the clock on my cell phone is right... madness. unacceptable madness.

ever heard of red rock canyon? me neither. until yesterday. my aunt and uncle woke me up around 10 am to an already packed camper top toyota tundra (you know, with neccesities such as a compass, bonoculars, cheese, fruit and beef jerky, sunscreen, camera, and lots of water). *********it is important to note that my aunt and uncle are serious hikers/nature enthusiasts not to mention they are lay geologists.

we drove 2-3 hours from their home in sylmar/san fernando to the mojave desert (where my father grew up on edwards airforce base), across the san andreas fault, up 4,500 feet to the sierra mountain range and the other range whos name i cant recall. it was really hot. wearing sweatpants really turned out to be a gross decision.

we hiked around, took lots of photos, but most importantly (in my mind) was the few hours that i was on OHV only paths in the four wheel drive capable truck driving on the craziest sand i've ever laid eyes (or tires) on. my aunt and uncle trust me so much. I'd never been to the desert, or drivin in 4wd (or gone off roading at all for that matter)- yet they handed over the keys and let me plow over rocks, bushes and people (yea right). anyways- it was a blast. my throat is still really dry from all the dust though.

normally, im not a fan of the desert. and my first love is still the ocean. but yeserday, i saw the most beautiful ancient lakebeds, sediment formation, shifting techtonic plates and pastel colored earth i've ever seen.

getting lost in the high desert with nothing man made for 10s of miles is challenging to the mind.

**sidenote: i can now officially say i have been to the mine in the high desert where they used to get all the white powerdy stuff that our moms cleaned the bathroom with. its called the dutch cleanser mine.