And Jesus said go West and so we did!

March 2, 2010 Road trip USA

We’re west bound Cal-i-forn-I-A, that is. (That’s a TV reference many of you won’t get, cause I'm old)  The Mojave National Reserve was all right though it’s a bit early; late spring would be the best time.  It was a worthwhile stop all the same.  The camel colored Kelso Sand Dunes Raise up 700 feet out of the desert floor behind the white mountains that looked like misshapen stone molars pushing through the scrub brush.  We hiked up the 45 square miles of dunes for a few hours, happy to be active and out of the car.  It was warm, save the cool wind that sandblasted us relentlessly, increasing the higher we trumped. Straw like grass clung to life on tenuous slopes.  The wind twists and pulls the grasses creating patterns in the sand reminiscent of ancient petroglyphs. 

The dunes sometimes create a booming sound, (poetically referred to as the “song of the desert”) as sand slides down a steep slope. It sounds like combination of the hollow whahom of blowing into the top of a really big jug, but deeper, think whale song accompanied by a diggeri-do.  I quite enjoyed resting on the dunes; the wind seemed to blow away memory and worries with the same ease it took to erase my footsteps.  

After the dunes we had a snack at Kelso Depot, A 1924 train station retasked as an interpretive centre and gallery.  We took a driving tour trough the reserve from there on but didn’t have the time to take side trials into the interesting areas.  We traveled west along hwy 58, rain clouds and depressed dingy towns dimmed or expectations.  Just as we were beginning to reconsider our route the sun began to shine through the clouds onto the rolling emerald hills that sprung up around us.  Seriously we went from desert to the Scottish highlands with no noticeable geographic transition.  The only thing missing were the sheep and the men in plaid skirts.  

I can’t find the name of these mountains but they carried on for about an hour around the town of Tehachapi.  It was encouraging to see a large forest of wind turbines along the ridge of the mountains.  As we came out of the mountain range we were treated to overview of the sun-flooded valley beyond us.  Lush fields and orchards, some orchards are in early bloom, filling the air with honey scented white and purple blossoms.  We also spotted sheep, no skirts though. The air is moist and warm in stark contrast to the dry earth infused air we became used to in the last week or so.  We will be at the coast by nightfall and tomorrow we'll start the northern climb home.  I’ll leave you with a quote I read at Kelso Depot:

“For all the toll the desert takes of man it gives compensation, deep breaths, deep sleep, and communion of the stars.”  Mary Austin.