12/3/10 Friday

Friday – 12/3/10


Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2684

Last night we saw a kit fox. These are smaller than a normal sized fox. Thomas opened the door, turned on the outside light and there it was right outside the door! I grabbed the flashlight to get a better look. It was so cute, like a miniature fox. While skittish, it didn’t run off. We watched it scrounging for any morsel of food it could find and then it scampered off to look elsewhere.

While Thomas gets everything ready outside I get things done inside for the short trip to Holtville. He steps to the door and tells me that I might want to look at the 5’er behind us. They have an inversion rack and it is being used. (See the photos.) You never know what you’ll see out here in the desert! I took a few last minute photos of the campsite and the area. All hitched up, we pull up to the station to dump our black tank and fill a few empty drinking water bottles.

Along the road we began to see the first sand of the Imperial Dunes. Like other places, there are fewer people camped in the sections where you can camp along the Dunes. On top of one of the dunes only once did we see someone riding in a buggy. There are photos of the fence that keeps the dune buggies from getting out onto the interstate and also of landscape here.

Off to the north side we see the Geo-Thermal facility. The hot spring and north camping area is just to the west of it. On the south side of I-8 will be where we camp in the 14 day free area. There is a LTVA (pay area) on both sides of I-8.

From I-8, if you know where to look, you can see the trees that hide the hot spring and adjoining pond. As you look at the photo taken from interstate, you can see the sandy area between the trees and the hill up to I-8. In this sandy area close to the tree line, some people will shower using containers of the hot water along with shampoo and soap they bring with them. (There is no soap allowed in the hot spring.) While this is somewhat common, we have never seen anyone as we drove past on interstate.

Before finding a camping area, we had to take a dip in the hot spring. This is a natural hot spring that has been contained and is piped into a cemented pool that is about 4 ½ feet deep. The water runs from this pool into another pool which is shallow enough to sit in. From there the water runs into the pond. No swimming is allowed in the pond. A few people will take a quick dip in the pond to cool off. From the main pipe which feeds the first pool there is another pipe with holes in it that forms a shower. Before entering the pool people shower off. Every Tuesday the pools are emptied and cleaned. There is also a hose attached to the pipe where you can fill water jugs and bottles to take water with you.

Now to find a place to camp and get set up. Don’t think I have mentioned that we have added a privacy screen which is attached to the front of the trailer so we can give massages! While we did give each other a massage in Pilot Knob, it was far too windy. Hopefully it will be less windy here and that can happen more frequently.

A good night’s sleep and we’ll be back at the hot spring in the morning.