Dispatch from Yuma, Arizona – Soaking in Crystal Clean Sierra Hot Springs, Swimming in the Dirty Lower Colorado River

So much for every few days getting a post up. The last few weeks have been a lot of moving around and some rugged SoCal country that is dotted with towns that still have the slightest connection to the electronic world. It's actually good to see that those places still exist out there. None the less I found myself in Kernville last week sitting on the lawn of the county fire department, poaching wireless Internet and checking weather and E-mail. The next week I was downloading pictures to my laptop from my tent sitting in the hot desert sun.

A lot sure has happened since I was last killing time in Ventura: two NAL programs, many careless days at the incredible Remington hot springs south of Kernville, belaying 35 kids to the top of Sentinel Peak under deep blue Sierra-fall skies, a great day of climbing and getting back into it in Joshua Tree NP, a huge all-night party at the 20 acre Seth Pool in the desert north of Joshua Tree town (sponsored by Seth's resoling business Positive Resoles), the drive to the Arizona – California border, and now the sleepy job of supporting a group of 40 on the tired Colorado River.

Lets start from back in Ventura when I was counting the hours 'til someone would come along and rescue out of urbanity and into the mountains. Thinking I'd be sleeping in the parking lot I was lucky enough to have Amy come down from Santa Barbara and leave for a NAL program at Camp Whitsett. I talked her into heading for the mountains at 9pm that night and by 1 we were pulling into Remington. Right a long the Kern River, Remington Hot Springs is one of those remaining gems of the West Coast hot springs – I didn't take any pictures, nor will I give out directions (it's that chill and cool!).

Camp Whitsett is another two hours north into the southern reaches of the Sierras in a region called Domelands. Above the camp rises outstanding granite domes with amazing views into the Needles region and down into the Kern River Valley. Since I was just climbing and working on the ropes course the program went quick (thanks to the fun staff and beautiful setting) and before I knew it I was back at Remington with the whole crew. But this time we had a NAL cube truck full of perishable food that had to get eaten and and great group of folks to share the awesome place with. We played board games and made tons of food, all the while planning to leave at 9am. I didn't get headed towards Jtree until 4pm.

But, as always, Jtree is always welcoming and even arriving late in the evening some folks are around to welcome you and share a beer. The next morning Lizzard was really anxious to get climbing so I just followed her around and offered a belay. Being Liz, she excitedly got on a route I can safely say was too hard for her (Pope's Crack, 5.9) and I can't lie, I was amused catching her falls – after climbing all the time its good to remind yourself how well all this safety gear really does work. Whatever the case, she used her unmatchable stick-to-it-ness and got up the damn thing! Liz's 'get after it' attitude convinced me I should get back to leading myself after not having been seriously on rope since my finger blew apart in Italy. So I lead a couple mellow things (Continuum at Split Rocks is beautiful) and it felt great to be back, roaming around in Josh and climbing.

That night I got word of the 2^nd annual Positive Resoles Party out at Seth's. Last year Becca and I had been the first folks out there and ended up patting out burgers for Seth and helping him with all the set-up. This year I got there well after dark and was happy to see so many of my Joshua Tree friends out and about – the best thing about a party like this is that all the old-school climbers are meeting all the young feisty ones. Non-climbing locals, who are the colorful folks that are the heart of Jtree, were all out, some in costumes, and reeking of that L.A. cultural vibe mixed with that touch of desert crazy. Slacklines were set up between telephone poles, the DJ was amazing and had this guy that could human beatbox and play sax on the mic, there was great camping in the desert, and two great fire pits. Seth assures me next year will be just as fun – I have no doubts. And send all your climbing shoe resoles to Positive Resoles!!!

I left the party early morning, stopped at my favorite Joshua Tree eatery (Crossroads, although Country Kitchen comes in a close second) for too rich raspberry stuffed french toast, and connected with J. Rose to get a ride to the middle of nowhere desert along the murky Colorado. Along the way we passed through the gross Palm Springs that during that day was unblessed with intense winds bringing the smog straight in from L.A. The windmill power plants looked eerie and necessary shrouded in the metropolitan smog.

There is little smog in the Cibola Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado. The pollutants here are now suspended in the aqueous medium brought from the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. This land, the Imperial Valley, is the largest lettuce producer in the world. Perfect weather and gallons of water make these SoCal lands, just above the Mexico border perfect for growing everything from cotton to alfalfa – of course that means the chemicals necessary to grow these crops in such large systems goes straight to the river, add the entire outflow from Las Vegas and other river cities, and the innumerable hydroelectric and agricultural dams and the Colorado River is no longer the mighty natural machine that explorers came across 100 years ago. If it were not for the 1.4 million acres feet that Mexico is entitled to under treaty there would not even be a river here for us to play and float on. But for now we are riding the water on its way across the border. I've got to go buy some lettuce.

Photos: Jeff, Amy, and myself atop Sentinel Peak; Liz and I in the JTree sun;
Rob angry at Ragady for her drinking