Back to the Black

[NEJ]

So I headed back to Black Butte Mine this past weekend. I spent more than a few minutes on my favorite spot-weather forecast website figuring out where it was not going to blow and Black Butte was the place. 6-9 with puffs of 13. The wind was better than that, mostly calm and warm with a few light puffs.

I sat in my camp chair and contemplated Sleeping Beauty Mountain a few miles away. I read from my new geology book, Assembling California, by John McPhee and the world of the southern Cady Mountains was great.

Then the meth heads came rolling up in a white GMC beater pick-up belching oil smoke, loaded with ATV's held together with duct tape. We exchanged unpleasantries and they continued up the road a quarter mile to the end.

By ten at night the gunshots from multiple caliber weapons confirmed my earlier suspicions that the meth smoking gutter trash had invaded my space and I packed and headed for Idyllwild. I reached the cabin at 2:30 am and had a good day Saturday and drove back to Costa Mesa this afternoon.

I can live with this kind of hit and miss with my explorations of our wonderful desert. I go there because--basically people suck. When there is only nature around, I am at my happiest. Next time it will be better.

NJ

http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Black%20Butte%20Mine/IMG_6350.jpg

http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz335/NEricJ/Black%20Butte%20Mine/IMG_6353.jpg

[NEJ]

Boy, that was a pretty bitter post. This weekend headed towards Anza-Borrego. I have a spot picked out where only one person (or group) can camp. Plus...70 degree weather predicted and little wind. Possible coyote problem, but would rather deal with shifty animal characters than shift human characters.

NJ