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Back to the Desert (Now with Pics)

Est

War. War never changes.
Staff member
Moderator
It's back to the Mojave with me. This is my second trip there this year, but this time it's for my Field Bio class. I'm excited to visit a place I love and get to learn mroe about it in the process. I know I didn't post any pictures from my last visit, but this time I'll be snapping shots like a tourist (until I get sand in my camera again lol!)

So that means when you don't get PM replies from me for a while, that's the reason. So no hard feelings. I don't wanna come home to a series of 7 PMs from one person getting increasingly agitated with each message. :jester:

Have a nice week everyone!
 
Awsome! I'd love to see the desert. Have a great time. Look for fulgerites in the sand (where lightning strikes and melts the sand into glass-like tubes). :D
 
I may be a bit busy trying not to get hit by lightning myself, but I'll see what I can do. :-))
 
I love the Mojave desert. I drove there when I was visiting plam springs. I just love how free you feel in the desert. Have fun and post pics.

...Oh, and don't try to play soccer with the tumble weed... its not a very pleasent feeling ;)
 
Is that the Mohave desert in AZ? I don't know if it's the same cause you spelled Mojave with a J???
 
its supposed to be spelled with a J.

Have fun Est, I just got back from camping in Palo Duro Canyon. So hot and steep...
 
I wouldn't last an hour in a desert, I could probably get sun burn in the winter if I tried. X(

Have fun with the lizards!
 
bugs bugs bugs bugs!
Especially ANTS!
 
Hey! You’ll just be a ways north of me. Make sure you have lots of fun. Enjoy the Joshua Trees- most of them are in bloom here in the high desert where I live.
 
  • #10
I wouldn't last an hour in a desert, I could probably get sun burn in the winter if I tried. X(

lol I don't think you've seen a picture of me. I gotta use sunscreen. A lot of it. I normally go in the winter and don't get burned when I use sunscreen. What this closer-to-spring trip will hold, NO ONE KNOWS! lol


bugs bugs bugs bugs!
Especially ANTS!

You know it. I'll do my best to get some shots. I've only got my handy little digi-cam, but I'll do my best, sir.

Have fun Est, I just got back from camping in Palo Duro Canyon. So hot and steep...

:0o: I know the lower you go, the hotter it gets, so it must've been hot hot hot!

Enjoy the Joshua Trees- most of them are in bloom here in the high desert here where I live.

Awesome, I've got a good guidebook to wildflowers and other life in the Mojave so I plan to take some pics, see some nice things, and learn a lot.


Thanks for the responses everyone!
 
  • #12
Sunscreen is my mortal enemy because it smells bad, it's oily and if I don't use it I might get cancer. :/

Oh and half the time it doesn't work. xD
 
  • #13
Smelly, dirty, tired, bloody and bruised, I return to you TF.

Freakin' amazing trip. I've gotten a chance to look over some of the pictures I took and it looks like some of them turned out well.

I've got some ants, several types of beetles including Darkling and Spider, several spiders (one looks like a small tarantula,) some flying insects, lots of cactus pictures, and a bunch more. I'll be resizing them and getting them online. I just don't want to saturate my upload for a prolonged time so I'll see what I can do...

In any case, I'm alive. Pictures soon. Sleep now.

:)
 
  • #14
Welcome back,
EST Sounds like you had a wonderful time.
Sleep well!
Lois
 
  • #15
Ok, I'm here to kick it off with a few pictures. There's still plenty more, and many of these have been cut off and all have had dramatic resolution reduction to make then more web-friendly. If someone's interested in the full version, hi res version, or more of any of these, be sure to let me know. I'll post more as I get time. I hope you enjoy!

First off is one of our gas stops. We made plenty of them along our ~500 mile journey, but this one holds a special place in my heart- and no it's not because they sell cheap beer. With a name like that, it's a good thing that they're the only gas station around. :jester:

terrible.jpg



A Darkling Beetle

darkling.jpg




What looks to be a tarantula. As you can see from the few pieces of gravel I didn't cut out, it was pretty tiny and blended in VERY well.

tarantula01.jpg



A Spider Beetle. These guys looks very strange when in action. They're fairly small so they really do look like some sort of spider at first glance. Once they slow down or you get close enough, the number of legs is a dead giveaway, though.

spiderbeetle01.jpg



Clever colouration.

greenfly.jpg



Some ants, as requested.

ant01.jpg


ant02.jpg



And a different instance.

ant04.jpg


More in a coming post...
 
  • #16
A Desert Iguana. You can see where his tail had fallen off and regrown. Lots more pictures of this guy in particular.

iguana01.jpg



Beavertail Cactus buds. I've got some shots of the open flower that I'll post later. :)

beaverbud01.jpg


beaverbud02.jpg



Some Mojave Yucca (though a Banana Yucca may've slipped in- lol!)

yucca01.jpg


Believe it or not, there was one yucca that was absolutely covered with Lady Bugs. I thought it was sort of funny to see them in the middle of the desert.

yucca02.jpg


And of course with so many prickly and scratchy plants around, this (and much worse) happened pretty often. lol!

firstblood.jpg



Those're all the pictures for now, but there's still plenty more that I hope to post soon. :)
 
  • #17
Awsome photos. I'm glad you're back alive albeit bleeding. lol I'll bet you had a blast. Can't wait to see the rest of the pics. :) Welcome back!
 
  • #18
Great pictures! Did you guys spend the nights there or did you stay at a motel/hotel?
 
  • #19
Beautiful pictures! I love the green fly on the yellow flower. Great colors. Were you just able to pick up the iguana? You would think after losing his tail he would be a little more careful about large "creatures" getting close to him (or her!).

Can't wait to see the bud open! Thanks for sharing.

xvart.
 
  • #20
Great Myrmecocystus (honey pot ants) shot, and Pogonomyrmex (harvester ants)
 
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