2/3

On March 13th we drove from Death Valley into the Mojave National Preserve, stopping along the road once or twice to check out the change in scenery. Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia), creosote (Larrea tridentata), Cylindropuntias, and Opuntias became plentiful.

We are heading into Granite Mountain and I have been forewarned that we will have absolutely no signal out there, as it's very desolate. I warn my family members not to worry, I'll contact them again in 48ish hours. I reach out to my roommate and warn him that I'm about to break our 137 day Snapchat streak; he is aghast and I apologize, but there is nothing I can do.

As we near the correct location, we drive off the main road onto what some might call an "off road" that would take us to the research center we'll be staying at. Multiple white-tailed antelope squirrels sprint across the road just in front of our car, a little too comfortable with death for my taste; though I am thrilled to see these rodents. A desert cottontail can be spotted running through the shrubbery.

Once we arrive at the research center, my first stop is the port-a-potty where I discover I have three bars of 3G service. I snapchat my roommate to let him know I won't be losing our streak after all!

I later find out that there are a few Verizon towers in the area so I would be lucky enough to have service out here.

The rest of that day is spent exploring Granite Mountain, hiking up and around to explore the biodiversity. I end up with a few pals on the plant crew and I take this as an opportunity to learn more about plants. I've hear "Cylindropuntia" and "Opuntia" tossed around, but I didn't have a firm grasp on what plants those words referred to. I take this opportunity to develop a deep appreciation for a good Opuntia. I see a few Barrel Cacti, some succulents, and then I spot a bushy tree with what appears to be berries. I ask David Of The Plant Squad and he tells me he believes it to be Juniper. Sweet mother of gin we found Juniper!!!

I joke about FaceTiming my mother from the mountain since I still have service; I get a few chuckles, but by that point the call is already going through and she picks up, thrilled to see what I am experiencing.

That night, after dinner, we go on a walk in the hopes of spotting some mammals, as they tend to be nocturnal in the desert. With my incredibly powerful flashlight (300 lumens, thanks dad!), I am able to shine a light near the bottoms of trees and bushes to look for eyes reflecting back to me. I see two kangaroo rats (THRILLED), a few desert cottontails, and another rodent that I am unable to identify. As a group, we also find a desert centipede (Scolopendra polymorpha) and a small gopher-like rodent. I think it might be a Botta's Pocket Gopher, but I'm unsure. Once we get back to the field station, we pull out the mammal book and confirm by the shape of the ears that, yes, we did find a Botta's Pocket Gopher! A pretty rare find!

The next day, after an incredible tour of Granite Cove, we head out to Kelso dunes. We intend to hike this ~600 ft dune and summit it. I had a particularly rough morning after receiving some very sudden, devastating news and this task seemed impossible. The phrase "two steps forward, one step back," had never been more applicable as every footstep sunk you down and back into the sand. I almost didn't finish but I knew I needed a personal victory on that day, besides, I would have been angry for the rest of my life if everyone else made it to the top and I didn't. I reached the top and just sat down, looking over the climb I had just made. Life is worth it sometimes.

Posted on March 25, 2018 01:03 AM by sailor149