Thursday, October 22, 2020

Day 34 - Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

This morning we headed out to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge about an hour west of town. There are numerous springs in the area and until the mid-80s there was a push to develop the area. The plans seemed overly ambitious as there didn’t seem to be that much water in the area.

This is one of the springs and is the home to an endangered species of fish. Very small, maybe a couple of inches long and could be seen in this little pool. 

This cave entrance called “Devils Hole” goes down almost 500’ and is the home of the pupfish. The entrances are covered with cages with video cameras to keep people out. Even though there are numerous signs posted “No Swimming”, there are numerous comments on Yelp on how refreshing it was to swim in the pools. 

This is the view from one of the cave entrances. It is a pretty desolate area with only a handful of other visitors. 

Predictably, the visitor center was closed but the boardwalk behind it was open. It was a nice mile loop with numerous signs, shelters, and benches along the way.

BTW, I took the case off of the phone since the camera lens cover looked scratched up. The clarity of the photos improved. It may be time for a new phone case. Without a case, the phone feels really slippery. 



5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I never even heard of the place. The RV park had a brochure at the desk.

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  2. Definitely looks worth a visit! Interesting how awkward it is using a phone without a case!

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    Replies
    1. The phones are too thin and slippery now. Plus they don’t have lanyards anymore.

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  3. Isn't it amazing that nature provides a spring in the middle of a desert? Awesome place.

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