Cactus Column #1
So far on our trip, we have seen a lot of amazing organisms along with some beautiful scenery. We started out strong at Death Valley, where we explored the colorful mountains of Artists Palette and the cool geometric grounds of Badwater Basin. It was a nice warm-up for what’s to come for the rest of the trip. The mountain we climbed at Artists Palette wasn’t too difficult but the view was absolutely astounding. There were various colors on the rocks ranging from pastel blue to pink. The best part was that every color was the result of natural minerals like iron and titanium. Next, we drove down to Badwater Basin where we strolled across the salt beds. The salt beds are made from salts and sediments that were carried down by water from the surrounding mountains. When the water evaporates, the salt and minerals that were carried down are left behind. The cool polygon shapes formed by the salt are due to the cracks left behind when the water evaporated. The flats didn’t look that far away because of how flat the ground was, but it was at least a mile of walking before getting to the unique salt beds. Luckily we arrived just in time to see the sunset, which glimmered across the surrounding mountains.
On Day 3 of our trip, we visited the Kelso Dunes. After days of climbing over tough rocks, I thought climbing over sand was going to be a breeze. Little did I know, it was the most excruciating climb I have experienced thus far. The sand that was getting in my shoes were weighing me down, and when I decided to take my shoes off, the force of the ground on the arch of my foot was very uncomfortable. Finally, after what felt like days of walking, we got to the bottom of the dunes. The other hikers recommended going straight up and “ripping it off like a Band-Aid I decided to take their advice and slowly crawled up the dunes on all fours. While climbing the dunes, I noticed that there was not a lot of life at the higher elevations. At the base of the dunes, there was a lot of dune grass and occasionally some beetles. As we climbed higher and higher, the grass started to disappear. Soon, there were no visible signs of life, especially at the very top.
The view at the peak was amazing, but the run down was exhilarating. It took me about a minute to run down the side that I had spent well over 30 minutes climbing. The walk back wasn’t too bad either, but the exercise we did that day equals the amount that I usually do in a year. Overall, the experience was amazing, but the feeling of accomplishment is even better.
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