From Slot Canyons to the Fringes of Society
Fossils and Calcite
The morning began in the cool, dewy air of Blair Valley before we descended back toward the lower elevations of Borrego Springs. We stopped by the park’s award-winning visitor center, taking in the fossil museum and desert exhibits. From there, we doubled back to Arroyo Salado to explore the slot canyon and old calcite mine the ranger had mentioned yesterday. While the mine itself was a bit of a dud, the scramble through the deepening canyon was great, and the ground was littered with pretty calcite shards. We jogged back down the wash, hopping between patches of shade to escape the midday sun.
The Strange World of Slab City
Though we’d planned to camp here and test our backpacking gear one more time, a sudden burst of energy pushed us to move on. We headed south toward the Imperial Valley and up to Slab City. This off-grid shanty town, built on the remnants of a WWII-era military base, is a haven for artists, drifters, and folks living on the fringes.
We stopped at the iconic Salvation Mountain – a towering, colorful hill of clay and paint – before driving deeper into the Slabs. Past post-apocalyptic sculptures, we found the community library. There we met Jeff, the librarian, and a friendly resident cat. In the spirit of their take-a-book, leave-a-book system, I swapped an almanac of the California deserts for a fan-fiction book about David Lynch’s old show Twin Peaks.
Low Elevation, High Character
Jeff invited us to the weekly karaoke night, but the town had a definite methy undertone, so we decided to head back to the highway before dark and push on to Bombay Beach. Once a thriving resort town, it’s now a surreal semi-ghost town where original residents live alongside artists building installations on the desolate, salty shore.
We caught a glimpse of the sculptures at dusk before heading to the Ski Inn, the lowest-elevation bar in the country at over 200 feet below sea level. Over burgers and beers, we listened to a local duo play some classic tunes. Originally, we planned to head east toward Phoenix, but the strange magic of the beach won us over. We decided to camp on the shore to see the art in the daylight tomorrow.
