On the road again, Salton Sea...

On the road again... (January 29)

After going to Yuma AZ to do my weekly tasks I decided to head west and begin the journey to upper CA to see my friends, the giant redwoods. The weather should be good for most of my travels. I just didn’t want to pass on this opportunity since I was already in CA. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon before I left Yuma so I knew I would only get in a couple of hours travel time before finding a place for the night. A little after 4:00 I decided to start looking around for a camping spot...

I was coming into Salton City and I could see the Salton Sea off in the distance, this seemed like a good time to check it out. Freecampsites.net listed a site about 20 minutes away called Palm Beach Dry Camp right along the beach. Reviews were mixed, some loved it, some hated it, the main complaint was the smell of the water which permeated the area and their were reports of a lot of trash...

When I got to the site I found it quite interesting and oddly attractive. I roamed around until I found my spot and parked. I jumped out of the van and grabbed my camera to snap shots of the half a dozen paragliders buzzing over the beach. They were very accommodating as they flew near by, often waving at me as they passed, grouping up, performing for the camera...

I immediately smelled the sea as I strolled towards the water. I didn’t find it unpleasant, it was similar to being on the beach by the ocean, but different, I can understand why some might not like it, but for me it was similar to the salty air waifing off the ocean...

If you go to a site to camp and you take it for what it is, without comparing it to your own idea of a dream spot, you can just enjoy it for what it is, not what you think it should be...

Here’s a bit of history on this place, which I think makes it even more interesting. This used to be an RV Park and golf course. The Salton Sea is a rift lake and the elevation is actually 220 ft below sea level. The water has become polluted from agricultural runoff and it’s also drying up. I had to walk several hundred yards across the dry sea bed to reach the water line. The water is saline, like the ocean, and this inland sea stands directly on the San Andreas fault line. It was created by tectonic plate movements and this must have been a thriving attraction in its time...

I happened to park right on the 14th green, a lot of the flags, cups, ball washers, and signage are still here. There are also covered picnic tables and other structures left standing from the old park which I find fascinating. The area is mostly sand, the RV Park area has good flat areas for parking and the ground is packed and solid in most places. The beach is soft sand and the sea bed is... well... like a sea bed... sandy and crusty...

Most of the other campers around me are here to paraglide, but there are a few others who seem to be traveling like me and enjoying their stay. I’m really enjoying the air shows...

The weather so far has been great. Mostly sunny, low winds, and the forecast is for highs in the 80s for the foreseeable future, nights in the 50s, and no rain, which make it even more attractive to me so I might stay here for a few days, we’ll see...

Sunrise...

Sunrise...

parked on the beach...

Setting up...

close up of the sea bed...

just had to add my view from inside the van early in the morning...

parked right on the 14th green...

More about Salton Sea...

After doing a little research that night, I found that the Salton Sea used to be fed by the Colorado river but because of the water shortages in southern CA, water has been diverted and it has been drying up for many years now. The remaining water has become more and more saline over time which is making it difficult for the local fish and wildlife to survive. This lake has also been heavily polluted with agricultural runoff and with the lack of any_ incoming fresh water supply, the exposed sea bed is a major health hazard for the mostly indian residents in the Salton City area. In fact, when the wind blows hard enough for the dust particles to become airborne, children in the community_ are having severe asthma attacks. The children in that community_ have one of the highest rates of asthma in the country…


And… If something isn’t done about the exposed sea bed, the article I read said it could become the greatest source of airborne particulate pollution in the U.S. and Mexico…

Clear Lake…

The lake I ran up on in the video was called Clear Lake, and the shore-side community is called ClearLake Oaks. It was a beautiful little town but difficult to find a place to pull off the narrow road, but I managed to find a roadside park a few miles on further down the road and was able to snap some shots…