Sunday, February 2, 2014

Palm Slot, Calcite Mine and the Super Bowl

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Sunrise
Sunrise

After breakfast this morning, I decided I would take the short drive to another slot canyon before the Super Bowl.  Dolly stayed home to give Fergie a bath and to prepare for the big game.

The slot and calcite mine are about 15 miles east on S22 toward the Salton Sea in the area called the Badlands.  It is a very rugged area with many canyons criss-crossing the whole region.

Canyons eveywhere
Canyons everywhere with the Salton Sea as a back drop.
Rugged 
Rugged country

Looking down in a canyon. Looking down in a canyon.

Zoom in on Salton Sea.
Zoom in on the Salton Sea.
Walking toward Palm Slot
Walking toward slot.
Going under to start the slot.
Going under to get to slot. 
Getting narrow ahead.
Getting narrow.
Nice slot.
Nice looking slot.
Very narrow.
Very narrow.
Time to crawl.
Time to crawl under rocks.

More rocks to go under.
More rocks to crawl under.
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Climbing up and out.

After I climbed out of the Palm Tree Slot Canyon (never saw any palm trees), I finally stumbled onto the old jeep trail heading up to the Calcite Mine.
Climbed that jeep road to get to the Calcite Mine. 

Hope they don't fall.
Hope they don’t fall!
Made it!
Made it!

There was actually no underground mine.  I guess it was a strip mine, but the view from the top was fabulous.  Just wish it wasn’t so hazy.Long way back! Now I have to walk all the way down to the jeep.  Just looked at my watch and it is 1:30 and I told Dolly I would be home by 1:00 to get the TV going for the pregame show.  Got to hurry!  All those switch backs down below!

Beautiful but rugged.
Beautiful but rugged!
Beautiful country!
Just beautiful!
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Looking south to Mexico.
Long way straight down.
Long way straight down.
Rugged.
Rugged!
Almost there! 
Almost there!

Home! Made it back home by 2:30 and Dolly wasn’t upset!  Nice.  Had to walk very fast down the jeep trail and my ankle is killing me and my toes, too!  Too bad the game wasn’t suspenseful!

See you later.

4 comments:

  1. Glad to see you getting out & about & totally enjoying the great South-West as much as we do. It's a special place here:))

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    1. The weather is so beautiful it forces us to get out and enjoy what is around us. Love it!

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  2. So much to explore , forgot who Dolly was cheering for ?? I did read Bruno Mars did a nice half time show.
    Did you already do Fonts Point ?
    Calico's has very good homemade pizza. (near the library) nice store called Tumbleweeds (behind Calicos)
    The Desert museum store (across from Jilberto's... good Mexican food) has a list of jeep tours they do.
    Have fun !
    K.

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    1. I think our stay at Borrego Springs is coming to an end. So much to see and not enough time to do it all. I think we are off to Yuma to see what is there. Thank you for the hints on places to go to.

      Dolly was for the neither. Two of our children are on opposite sides and she does not want to play favorites. But sad that Peyton Manning did so poorly.

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