A few days ago, we headed into the desert for a hike. Our day started with
a 30-minute drive south of Quartzsite until we were literally several miles from civilization, with only saguaro (pron. sawaro) cactus to keep us company. Of course, in the middle of nowhere, it is hard to follow directions and so we missed the two-inch-high marker. Luckily, a couple of miles down the road, we came across someone who was four-wheeling. We asked him for directions, but he insisted on escorting us to our destination. How nice is that?!! But let me tell you, it's a good thing we have a four-by-four! Driving in the desert is rough!
Before going on his way, the gentleman explained that he was leaving us at a "warsh," (actually a "wash," pronounced with a southern twang), which can be very dangerous in the event of a rainfall. In the Sonora Desert, during a heavy rain, one can easily be hit by a flash flood, whereby water levels can go from 0 to 24 inches or more in a matter of minutes. As there were no clouds on this particular day, we were not too worried.
We eventually made it to the Indian grinding holes and were treated to a bonus site. On the side of that specific mountain were shelters which were used by the Navajo. Along the side of another mountain, we located some petroglyphs. The going was a bit rough for me as my ankle is still quite sensitive, but with Marc's help, we trudged along.
We also managed to climb one mountain (steep to us!), and once at the top, set out our picnic lunch and enjoyed the amazing view.
Before hiking back to our vehicle, we spent some time rock hounding (a popular sport in this area!), and will actually be returning with some pretty cool semi-precious stones. All in all, we spent a very exciting day, one which we will definitely cherish for a long time to come.
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