I don't go camping often, but it's not because I don't like the outdoors. It's because I hate the cold. I despise it. I'm terrified of it. I avoid it at all cost.
So when the school decided to make a camping trip at the end of November, I thought myself crazy for agreeing to freeze to death, but I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to see the desert through a geologist's prospective.
We left on Friday, and I was extremely excited. I was secret hoping the weather wouldn't be so bad, or that I would be able to adjust to the cold.
On our way to the campsite, we got lost. We end up taking a wrong turn, and going on a crazy hilly road that was made for fixing the electrical poles. One of the vans got stuck in the road, and the other van lost its back bumper (it later had to be duct taped back on), and made us waste an hour and a half. Luckily for me I was in the van (there were four total) that nothing went wrong in.
I was not prepared for the cutting cold, and froze that night because I wasn't wearing sufficient clothing, and my sleeping bag was a little thin. I couldn't sleep because I felt like my feet had frozen off. Frost bite anyone?
The next day we spent the day going on 3 hikes, and the weather was just perfect. When you're hiking up a mountain, a breeze is always welcomed. I was surprised to see how beautiful the desert was.
We spend that day in the Sonoran Desert, where I got to see so many geological features. I got to see alluvial fans, desert pavement, the San Andreas Fault, and pictographs. I even got to identify rocks. Impressive huh?
It's so amazing when you look in every direction, and all you see is mountains. We got to climb inselbergs (which are HUGE BOULDER ROCKS), and play in caves. It was an adult playground.
I even got to see a rattlesnake. I am starting to become fond of snakes. Weird as they terrify me not that long ago. Don't get me wrong. I don't want them to bite me, but they are cute in their own way. My teacher even told me I should bait a chipmunk, so I could see it at a closer view.
I had a better second night, as I knew what I had to do not to freeze. I bundled my legs in my extra sweater, wore ten shirts, and turned my sleeping bag into a cave. I slept much better, but I'm not sure if it was because I was so tired or the fact that I was much warmer. I did have condensation all over my tent when I woke up, so I believe I was nice and warm during the night.
The last day camping, we spend it exploring an old mine in the Mojave (Joshua Tree) Desert. The hike was really intense, and I was pooped, but it was worth it. The view was amazing. (It's definitely hard to hike when you are trying to keep up with a bunch of guys that walk as fast as you run.)
My field journal was filled with interesting facts, and pictures that I drew. The lecture was interesting, and I did have a really good time aside from the falling, and the fact that I was still too shy to approach my teacher. SIGH.
I did poorly on my final though because I did what I always do... not read the direction or question fully. Why do I do that? It's okay though, I had a good time, and I'm trying a new thing where I don't freak/stress out over things.
I think I may want to go on the next camping trip in April. :)
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