This trip goes back a while, to a time when my friend, Matthew Parks, was serving in the Marine Corp at the San Diego Recruiting Station. He had a weekend off, and I had a ticket that I had to rebook, for some reason that escapes me now. So it was off to Southern California. Flew in to LAX and picked up my rental - a Jeep Wrangler. I was most pleased to see that it was a Rubicon, so I planned to put it to the test out in the desert.
Matthew has since completed his service and is now enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi.
First stop was the Beverly Hot Springs, which is not too far from LAX, in order to take the waters and wash off the trail dust.
Originally discovered by an unknown oil wildcatter around the turn of the century and "rediscovered" in 1931, the well's contents sold for drinking water at 10 cents a gallon. Now, many years later, the area boasts a beautiful facility where the public can relax and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the only natural mineral thermal spa in Los Angeles. The balmy waters of the Beverly Hot Springs gush from a natural artesian well 2,200 feet beneath the earth's surface. The water issuing from the hot spring is heated by geothermal heat, essentially heat from the Earth's interior. Hot springs contain various minerals and elements such as alkaline, radium, sulfur, sodium and alkaline sodium chloride, which have healing properties and health benefits.
There are separate men and women’s facilities that include hot and cold pools, steam and dry herbal saunas, and shower rooms. Natural mineral water is used in all the pools, which operate on a flow through basis so chlorine is never added to the water. Water temperature ranges from 97º – 106º in the hot soaking pools.
My attitude adjusted in a very natural way, the Rubicon and I head for the desert. I really like the desert, when the temps are bearable, i.e. in the winter and early spring. First stop is an interesting springs known as the Slab City Warm Shower, for what will soon be obvious reasons.
Upon arrival, you are greeted with the inviting sign. Wonder what you are being asked to stay away from?
Interesting, but I did not qualify here.
Slab City was once Camp Dunlap, a WWII military barracks. After the war, the camp was dismantled, leaving the concrete foundations or "slabs." It appears there are more or less 3 groups of people that inhabit the Slabs from time to time. There are snow birds, usually retired people that live in places with cold winters (and flee them for warmer climates-hence the name), have higher-end RVs, and have some sort of pension or retirement income. Some snow birds come to the slabs year after year for the free camping. Then there are the free-spirited traveler types. These are people that are attracted to the culture and freedom of the slabs, but like the gypsy lifestyle, and will come and go on a whim, possibly visiting year after year, but not necessarily becoming lifers. Lastly, but most importantly there are the residents. They call Slab City home. It's their primary residence. They have carved out for themselves a life there. They don't like going into town. Slab City is their world and they aren't going back. Some live there year round, braving the high temps, but most of them do stay somewhere else for the hot summer months. Quite a few people are know by clever nicknames: Builder Bill built the Range, Solar Mike has a solar panel business, Beatles Mike, etc.
Just down the road, I found the Slab City Hot Springs. That's my ruby behind some of the abandoned drilling equipment. Seems they must have been drilling for oil and hit hot water. A memory was jogged here, and it took me awhile to connect the dots. Also, there's something odd in the top right of the photo. More later.
This is the rather muddy (and that is an understatement) hot springs. Hey, it's in the desert and it is water.
I qualified here, and it was a better soak than it looked like at first. Not a great soak, but it is deep and just the right temp. Now, back to that strange memory. After my soak, it hit me that this area was used in the filming of the movie "Into the Wild." It was used to depict the "Oh My God" hot springs that is described in the book. They could not use the real OMG springs because the State or the Feds had bulldozed the place after filling up the springs with concrete. Now, if you saw the movie, you might have an idea of what is off in the distance: Salvation Mountain.
Salvation Mountain is a colorful art installation covering much of a small hill near Slab City and just several miles from the Salton Sea. It is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message that "God Loves Everyone." Knight refused substantial donations of money and labor from supporters who wished to modify his message of universal love to favor or disfavor particular groups.
There are all sorts of relics on the grounds, most defy explanation or comments, so I will just share the photos.
Knight lives full-time at the site in a small cabin mounted on the rear of a 1930s-vintage Chevrolet two-ton truck. Like Salvation Mountain, Knight's "Salvation Truck" and a collection of other vehicles and machinery are entirely covered with paint and Biblical quotes. Enjoy the slide show.
And here it is: Salvation Mountain
Steps cut into the side of the hill lead to the summit, which is topped by a cross.
Salvation Mountain also features many large straw bale and adobe walls supported by a matrix of logs enclosing several cave-like spaces.
Here are the birds that were seen in the movie.
He estimates that more than 100,000 gallons of paint have gone into the creation of the mountain and that every California-based paint manufacturer has donated paint to the project.
Friendly and accessible, Leonard welcomes visitors to Slab City and Salvation Mountain and gladly accepts donations of both labor and arcylic paint. I wish I had taken him up on his offer to have breakfast in Niland. Once labeled an environmental hazard, the hill was threatened with removal by Imperial County. In recent years, the furor seems to have died down and the project has been likened to an epic work of folk art comparable to the Watts Towers. Although the project is an unauthorized one on state land, Salvation Mountain was placed under protection in 2002 when Senator Boxer entered it into the Congressional Record as a national treasure.
Next stop was Five Palms Hot Springs. Wonder how they came up with that name? The springs are under the palms.
The water makes it way to the surface through the pipe in the middle of the pool. Really good soak here. Nice, clear hot (really just warm) water and shade in the desert, aaaahhhhh!
Oh well, all good things must come to an end, and so it was with this soak.
Now, it's back to the city to pick up Matthew.
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