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| Sunset at the Mojave Desert |
Date: December 24, 2021
Place: Mitchell Caverns State Park, Essex, California
Coordinates: 34.943141, -115.512949
Length: 1 mile
Level: easy
A short one this time: I am going back to the end of 2021. In California many places were still under restrictions because of the pandemic and international travel was even more limited so we decided to spend our winter break in Arizona. Specifically - in Lake Havasu City. On the way to Lake Havasu City we stopped in Mojave Desert Preserve, where we have visited several times already. In the middle of the preserve is the Mitchell Caverns at the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. The caverns were closed as we had expected, but we decided to do a short evening walk to the cave mouth to stretch our bodies before continuing our drive southeast.
It was already late in the afternoon and the sky was partially overcast. The rocky desert welcomed us, quiet and serene.
Mitchell Caverns are located on the eastern side of the Providence Mountain Range in the south part of the preserve. The trail was already quite high above the dry desert plain below. The shadow of the mountains was already quite long and the sun was receding fast.
It was very quiet all around. We were the only people for miles and miles. We couldn't see any active wildlife either. The desert plants however, were certainly present, eternally beautiful.
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| California Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus |
Yucca, cholla cacti, and other desert bushes dotted the rocky slope leading the the mouth of the Mitchell Caverns. Pappa Quail and the chikas were marching ahead quickly so I didn't linger behind as much.
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| Mojave Yucca, Yucca schidigera, and Cholla cactus, Cylindropuntia sp. |
The caverns are on the mountain slope but so is the parking area. The trail to the cave was almost completely level, making it a really easy and quick walk.
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| Mitchell Caverns Trail |
On our way we could see a few cave openings. I didn't know if these were 'windows' of the main caverns or separate caves.
Looking into the cave openings that were close to the trail didn't reveal much. It was pitch black inside. I had no inclination to crawl in there at the time.
Interpretive signs along the trail informed us of various aspects of Mitchell Caverns. Being underground the caves provide shelter for wildlife. One sign listed some of the wildlife species that used the cave in ancient time, such as the Shasta ground sloth. It listed also some of the contemporary cave users, like bats.
When we arrived at the official caverns entrance we were already informed about what we might have been able to see inside. The cave however, was gated and the gate locked. Even on normal operation times of this State Park, people are not allowed in there independently. Public access is only on guided tours.
Near the main entrance was another cave 'window'. That one too didn't reveal much about the secrets held behind.
We hanged for a bit by the caverns entrance before turning around to go back. The Mojave desert plain and the narrow strip of sunshine looked very far away, like a different country altogether.
We turned our backs to the cave entrance and started our way down the trail, back to the parking area. I took notice that aside of the cacti and yucca there were also small trees here and there: desert-adapted pinyon pines.
The colors dimmed as the daylight slowly faded. In short time, the only bright color around was the red of the California barrel cactus thorns.
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| California Barrel Cactus, Ferocactus cylindraceus |
Mountain ranges on the eastern horizon were basking in the last sunshine of the day. Dark, heavier clouds were streaming softly over the Providence Mountains and over our heads, traveling east. I wondered if that meant rain, or would those clouds keep on moving without unloading their moisture on those desert peaks.
The way back from the cave's opening was, as expected, much quicker. I already saw what was there to see on the way in, but now there was also much less light to take good photos. I did stop momentarily though, to appreciate a nice rock with some patina-coated inclusions.
On the last few steps before the parking lot I paused and took another photo of the desert plain below. The strip of daylight was farther and dimmer. The clouds were getting their evening blush. The desert silence intensified.
The chikas were hungry. We still had a good distance drive to Lake Havasu City, but the town of Needles was close enough, a good place for a dinner stop. This little walk was only a small taste of the Mojave Preserve, and we left wanting more. We would stop there for a longer exploration time on our way back from Arizona.
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