Day 140, November 23, 34km and 101m climb, Freedom camp OHV park near Salton City to Oasis Palm RV park
We are now heading up toward Joshua Tree National Park directly so have left the So Cal Desert Ramble for now. We will return to the route backwards on our way back down out of Joshua Tree in a few days time.
As a result, today was a short day along the highway past Salton City to a nice RV park with swimming pool and spa again. This one only $30 so we are onto a winner. Logistically it works well as the next 4 days will be off grid. We will have to carry food for 4 days and water for three of those with only one water supply point as we enter the park. There is a nice weather window to get up and back as we are now going back up to 1500m.
Of interest, our starting point is 55m below sea level at the Salton Sea! Today we skirted the Salton Sea for the first time and will ride the other side of it once we have been to Joshua Tree. This salty lake was formed millions of years ago but was mostly dry for all of that time. In the early 1900s, a canal formed to divert the Colorado River broke and the lake refilled. When the canal was repaired, the water stopped flowing and the lake level has been dropping ever since. In the 1950s, farmers diverted their irrigation outflow into the lake and people started to develop the beaches around it as a holiday destination. Over time the toxicity of the lake has grown until it is now so polluted, and the levels so low that the anticipated resort towns dried up (literally). Now you can buy a section there for $10K but ecologically it is considered a massive disaster.
We have decided that we should rename the route the So Cal Desert and Weird Towns Ramble. It sure is fascinating!
Oh and today I finally got my Cinnabon!
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