... I'll pick up where I left you, Not as much caffeine but I did just get back from another trip to the desert so that will be in writing as well. In a few weeks time. (3/29/17 round 2 of attempting to finish part deux, no caffeine yet, that'll change in a few minutes time.)
. NoBS pulled the 4-Runner out and almost got stuck himself that would've been an interesting situation for about five minutes for the caretaker was just a short walk away, But both vehicles now free from the grip of the snow,but we were forced back the way we came to plot an alternative route, we were not to be denied shit, except mushrooms and any other type of pyscho-active medicine I was needing in my life. Along the way I would get lost in my head a bit as NoBS and Checkers chatted in the front sit about who knows what until i decided to climb out of the truck and start filming the road. Holding on with my left and filming with the right as we made our way through switchbacks and canyons of rocky goodness. As we got closer to the Saline Valley we encountered bikers that seemed to be peeved that they had to share the road,I have to tip my hat to them , in my head i was thinking (who da fuck rides a bicycle out here! obviously they did)
When we arrived at the Saline Valley it was much like being in a massive bowl, mountains on all sides a lake in the distance and open space for what seemed like days well if you were on foot, it would be days. As we were driving, all I could think of as my eyes scanned the landscape, is that would be a good place for a sniper to post up, why this thought popped into my head i do not know for I have no experience doing such, I just know a decent vantage point when I see one, but it was a reoccurring thought for me, as if ideas for a town or settlement in a not far off dystopian future, or the vision of myself with a lady with short dark hair with sunglasses on walking atop a ridge behind me with a rifle, she stops aims and fires... then keeps moving(this shit keeps cycling in my mind along with standing upon a rubble of what use to be a building). Sorry, i got side tracked. The valley was nice, some would say nothing is there, but everything was there. Although it was nothing like the dream i had of the desert, it spoke to me.
Crash and NoBs stop to have a talk about the path to the Hot Springs, Crash was looking at the map and I snuck a few photos in, the candid shots are always the shots. For when one is aware, the moment is altered and i'm like fuck it. K-Dot handed me a bit of TP so i could go have bowel movement and she scampered off to take a piss, it was actually a piss stop for Checkers as well i made jokes as i let the log hit the desert floor. It was not the first time i defecated in nature, but it was the first time doing so in a desert, and i gently placed a rock on the log and buried the tp... i feel as if i should burnt it, but the damage has been done and i felt pretty good... we load the Vehicles up and set off...
Crash and K-Dot went of towards the lake as the Raptor moved along the path to the hot spring, we drove miles before we saw the turn off. As we turned down the dirt road. We met fellow travelers, NoBs and Checkers were in the prime seats to see the show as the chatted with the driver in the other car(truck i do not believe a car could make that journey... well, time for me to find out). I could make out the woman in the passenger seat and the word out of my mouth were "yo, is she topless?" I wanted to see but i was not about to leave a comfortable position to gander at a woman being free, instead i just imagined them and looked back out to the landscape. (i was deined the desert titties.) As we approached the Hot Springs one could spot the trees from a distance, it was an actual Oasis. I remember seeing shit like that in cartoons and hearing myths about Oasis' in film in what not, but seeing it with my own eyes was like "Word, so this shit is dope!"
There were warm springs towards the front of the campsites and 3/4 of a mile back were the hot springs, and where there is geothermal activity a settlement can be placed, but why would one want to place a settlement in that particular location? It would be ruining a part of nature depending upon how one would go about doing so.I feel i am giving too much away. We all walk towards the hot springs, spaced out and me lost in my head once again. As we could see the two pools in the distance, one had two gents in it, one who happened to be standing up and naked the other sitting and enjoying the hot water i suppose. Naturally we chose the vacant pool. Crash and K-dot seem to be the only ones ready for the water for she had a bikini and he had board shorts, Checkers said fuck it and cut some pants into shorts and NoBs said fuck it to another level just hopped in, in his briefs. In hindsight, the old man standing naked in the spring probably had the trinity of psychedelics(medicine). The Conversation went from Crash complimenting K-dots ass while NoBS said "i can always see a nice ass, I don't always get to see this." which is true, but then again she had a really nice ass. As they chatted i looked off in the distance and spotted three people walking into the desert and i lifted my hands as if there was a rifle in it and i was looking through a school. I do not know why it just happened, I did not think about it, i just moved without thinking. Then i proceeded to ask the Group about guns, all had wealth of knowledge on the topic. I suppose the questions came out need/want to go hunting. To experience it, to see if i could actually provide for the lady if I had to. Necessity, which to me being able to survive without society is one.
We walked back to the off-road people movers to set up the campsite, and i was preparing to walk off into the desert to get weird and maybe howl. Crash called my attire Mad Max gear which was appropriate, minus the fact I did not have silver spray paint to huff and scream Witness Me! but I set off towards the lake knowing i would not reach it before darkness fell upon the entire valley.
Once away from the Oasis, I heard nothing, the stillness of the desert. I stood there and just looked around as the colors of the sunset over the mountains to the West, The blues, oranges, purples and pinks came out to play as i stood there motionless it made me think of Miles Davis as the song Pharaoh's Dance streamed through my thoughts. It is a feeling being in a place that silent, every so often the silence would be broken by the sound of a Donkey in the distance. I continued to move and i came across a can, a can i still think of to this day. It was just sitting there perfectly placed. Who placed it there, and out of all the paths i could have chose i picked this one which led me to this can. i took a few photos a left it were it sat to either be blown away or rust and go back to the earth... The rest of the walk was fairly uneventful. I returned to the campsite, the fire was going They were chilling talking seem to be having a good time, i stuffed my face at sat there.
NoBS went to bed in the Raptor early, Checkers was in his seat dozing off and crash recommended he hit the sack. It was Crash, K-dot, myself and a Russian fellow named Mike, who told us stories of his childhood, one of which that stuck in my head is "We found a gerenade in the woods so we took the pin out and threw it and it hit a boat( or yacht) and sank it." and i was like damn! Y'all niggas were on another level. Mike lived an interesting life for sure and he found his way to the desert to i guess unwind or maybe he offed someone and was getting rid of the body. but i did not get that vibe. And when he said his name was Mike, all i could think was "Bullshit! your fucking name is Igor or Ivan." At one point he mentioned the words 'Confirmed Killer" and my an K-dots eyes met each other as i then looked at Crash who was focused on Mike. for some reason that stuck out in my head like he deduced in a matter of seconds that Igor Mike was no threat, it was an interesting take or maybe i am projecting and I am always in the thought of 'Lull your counterpart to comfort then....." this is why i always put myself in uncomfortable situations so i know how to react when shit happens, there is no time to panic or think... You just have to move. I need to not be that way and think that there is a threat for 98% of the time in america there is not. people walk around in a hypnotized state. I am off track. I venture to my tent and attempt to pass out.
I don't know how much time elapse when I heard the bellow of a fucking donkey as if it were in the tent with me, I laid there looking at the top of the tent wondering what donkey over campfire taste like and each though was interrupted by another donkey making ridiculous donkey noise. Do these asses not know what time it is, of course not they have no concept or give a fuck about it, or i like to think they were fucking with us because it was funny to them. I pass back out.
This is where I leave you, installment Trios will conclude Death in The Valley and I shall Get all The Photos from the adventure posted in that.