|
Our
camp
Views from
Culp Valley View Point
Reminder of
a 2003 fire
at Pena Springs
|
Eight of us met, led by Bill Engs, for
weekend camping at the Culp Valley primitive campground.
Anza-Borrego, west of the Salton Sea, is
the largest California state park. Sr. Anza was the Spanish explorer
traveling through in 1774, and Borrego names the big horn sheep he
encountered. They’re still there but hiding from us that April weekend.
The wind was blowing, so Friday night’s
campfire showered us with harmlessly dancing sparks under the heaven
delimiting sparks up above. Orion kept good watch over us as we plotted
next day’s hike. A little van shuttling down the mountain next morning
paved the way for our eight- mile hiking descent of 2300 feet to the
Visitor Center. A variety of excitement was in store: The desert flora
had exploded in bloom, and our bird lists grew exponentially. Cactus
family plants always amaze with the beauty and infinite unpredictability
of their blossoms. Bill’s favorite was the desert mallow. Mine is the
beavertail cactus, perfectly named for the form it assumes. Its blossoms
sprout ... who can guess where? I discovered one with six blossoms
together in a glorious circumferential crescent at the tip end of one
beavertail.
Next excitement: Ascending hikers alerted
us to an injury down lower, a woman disabled with torn ligament. They
already had cell phone contact. The rest of our descent we watched as
the helicopter arrived directly overhead. We arm signaled it on up to
the injured party and watched as she was loaded aboard and delivered to
the ambulance waiting down below where our waiting van was parked.
Finally: an interesting stop at the
Visitors Center with its abundant displays and books; then a nice ride
back up the mountain to a relaxing evening, supper, and campfire, and a
great rendition of “Happy Birthday” to me! Next morning: a shorter hike
on top to Pena Spring and the Culp Valley view point overlooking Hell
Hole Canyon, Salton Sea in the far distance. Then, all good things come
to an end. We had to take our leave of each other and return to what is
sometimes labeled as “real life?” |
