Rest & Recreation-- and a little Offroad Recovery

A peek at the Seven Oaks Dam as we arrive for camping Friday night.

Primitive camping in the nearby jagged canyons is the best way to unwind. So when my beloved @mattlovell came home from work, we tossed our gear into the truck, and took a country drive down Warm Springs Canyon.

The soundtrack: "Drivin'", by The Kinks.

As soon as we exited Hwy 38, the golden hour graced us with a spotlight on San Bernardino Peak.

As we climbed to the top of the ridge, honeyed light spilled over the mountain hamlet of Forest Falls below.

A young deer bounded just ahead of us for a while before it slipped over the road's edge into the thick chaparral.

The sun sank gently behind the layered canyon walls as we followed the Santa Ana River upstream, then turned up a narrow drainage to our super secret campsite.

Matt built a toasty little fire while I made our bed inside the tent. Then we just kicked back in our chairs feeding twigs and small oak branches to the fire, and enjoying some holiday libations.

Things got a little exciting as the night deepened. The wooded arroyo was alive with four-legged footsteps. The game trail leading toward us crackled, and little stones tumbled down as unseen animals traveled. The sycamore tree behind us rustled perpetually, despite the many times Matt pierced it with his high-powered flashlight. The same flashlight reflected a pair of eyes just above us on the rocky slope. That pair of eyes stared savagely from the same location for hours before skulking off in the night.

A skillful cairn builder marked our spot, who knows when?

In the chaparral, wildflower season is practically all year long. This weekend, we were treated to a buttery carpet of blooms.

Aster

Aster

Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle

Delphinium

Yerba Santa

Brittle Bush

Brittle Bush

This track that we used as a campsite was built to access the Santa Ana River Hydroelectric System aqueduct. The first station, SAR-1, was built in 1899 upstream by the Keller Creek confluence. The section of aqueduct seen here feeds the SAR-3 down by the dam.

The aqueduct added its swift sounds of rushing water to the chorus of animal noises.

When the dam was built in 2000, SAR-3 had to be updated. Old tunnels and broken down facilities like this sandbox line the canyon walls.

One of the things I love about camping is that there are no clocks dictating what you should do, or when. Matt grilled up our luscious steaks for an early afternoon brunch. That smoky campfire taste is unbeatable!

We took a walk down to the river.

We sat on the boulders and watched the trout play. There were about 30 fish in this pool, many of them pan fryer size! We need to get our fishing license and try to catch some next time. For now, it was enough to simply enjoy this sliver of private paradise.

We returned to camp and relaxed some more as the sun began its descent. It seemed like a wonderful idea to pack up and head back to the comforts of home.

As we approached the dam, I asked Matt to please stop so we could check out the level of the reservoir. Last month when we came by, it was flooded the furthest back we had ever seen.

This time, it was back to normal. We came around a bend, and just as we decided that we had proceeded far enough into the squishy silt, a big family waved us down. "We are stuck!" they cried.

My husband @mattlovell is a real hero! He belongs to the Offroad Recovery group of Mojave explorers, and always travels with the right gear to help people in need. This whole family, including little kids and two dogs, had been hopelessly mired for four hours. There is no cell coverage down in the canyon, and what company could they call to offroad a towtruck six miles to save them?

I made a video of the rescue:

Matt makes me so proud!

The family gave us big hugs, then took off out of the canyon.

The moon rose above the blooming Salt Cedars.

Our adventure drew to a close as we wound our way back up to the ridge above Hwy 38 to see the sunset.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Love,Cat
@creationofcare

See another Offroad Recovery post here:

https://steemit.com/spirituality/@creationofcare/there-s-no-better-medicine-than-helping-others

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