Quartzite or Quartzsite?
When I first saw people spelling the name of the town with the "S" in it, I thought it was a typo or someone who just didn't know how to spell. There is a type of rock called quartzite, so it seemed obvious to me that the town must be named for that. But not so! Quartzsite is indeed a site where one finds quartz. So the name does make sense as spelled.
The ground here is very rocky and sandy and there is quartz pretty much anywhere you look. All I had to do was decide which way to aim my camera.
Quartz is really pretty. Quartzite, not so much. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzite
In addition to the rocks and sand there is an interesting variety of vegetation. The one I was told to pay the most attention to is this thorny little thing that I'm told is the bane of dog owners in these parts, and that is a reason why perhaps I should wear closed shoes when walking around. Shown here next to my foot in an unclosed shoe:
It's small, it can be very hard to see, and the thorns are fierce. I was very lucky walking around the campsite last night. It was dark, I wasn't thinking about these critters, and I never encountered one. I am told there would be no question in my mind if I ever did.
This next shot shows more of the variety of vegetation in this part of the desert, plus a local landmark known as Dome Rock, just to the right of center:
It is a really lovely spot and the more I hang around in the desert the more I appreciate its beauty. Unfortunately, for the first time on this trip, my fear of bees came into play. There were just too many and they were just too curious about me and my van. I decided to leave after one night, but I'm really glad I stayed there that night. It was the night of the lunar eclipse. That will be the subject of my next post.
The ground here is very rocky and sandy and there is quartz pretty much anywhere you look. All I had to do was decide which way to aim my camera.
Quartz is really pretty. Quartzite, not so much. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzite
In addition to the rocks and sand there is an interesting variety of vegetation. The one I was told to pay the most attention to is this thorny little thing that I'm told is the bane of dog owners in these parts, and that is a reason why perhaps I should wear closed shoes when walking around. Shown here next to my foot in an unclosed shoe:
It's small, it can be very hard to see, and the thorns are fierce. I was very lucky walking around the campsite last night. It was dark, I wasn't thinking about these critters, and I never encountered one. I am told there would be no question in my mind if I ever did.
This next shot shows more of the variety of vegetation in this part of the desert, plus a local landmark known as Dome Rock, just to the right of center:
It is a really lovely spot and the more I hang around in the desert the more I appreciate its beauty. Unfortunately, for the first time on this trip, my fear of bees came into play. There were just too many and they were just too curious about me and my van. I decided to leave after one night, but I'm really glad I stayed there that night. It was the night of the lunar eclipse. That will be the subject of my next post.
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