Images From The Wild And Remote Region
On The Arizona Utah Border
Photos By Art and Lorna Pundt
Copyright 2014
This country is tough on range cows!
Formation created by ancient sand dune layers.
This formation is called Brain Rocks!
Prickly Pear Cactus Bloom.
Precious water in a desert slick rock pothole.
And some wild sunset water formations from the St. Lawrence River NNY.
From the colorful rock waves or AZ and Utah to the water waves of the River.
Beauty is everywhere, you just have to LOOK!!!
So what is in those desert hiking packs anyhow, and other equipment?
For long 8 to 10 + mile day hikes in rugged remote desert terrain.
Light weight internal frame backpack. Fits well for scrambling and climbing in rough terrain.
Minimum 2 liters of water in cool weather, 1 gallon minimum if it's warm or hot.
Water purification tablets
High energy snacks +lunch
Fleece jacket
Gortex wind / rain jacket
Fleece ski hat (cool weather hiking)
Extra synthetic underwear shirt and long johns (late fall, winter, early spring desert hiking)
Leather gloves
Survival kit
Emergency chemical light stick
Lighter, waterproof matches, fire starter
First aid kit
10 feet of. Duct Tape, dental floss, safety pins (for repairs)
Knife
Loud whistle
Heavy duty emergency survival space blanket
Closed cell foam pad
LED headlamp, 850 lumen tactical LED flashlight, extra batteries
Silva Ranger compass with sighting and signal mirror
GPS, and map coordinate measuring tool
Smart phone with topo mapping software, paper map backup (Usually out of cell range)
Flagging tape to mark confusing or difficult return routes (never left behind as trash)
Large heavy duty garbage bag (emergency shelter or improvised rain gear)
50 ft. of strong parachute type cord
Sun screen, lip balm 30+SPF
Sun hat
UV and polarized sunglasses
Pencil or pen and paper
Trekking pole(s)
Small binoculars
Sewing needle for removing cactus spines
TP or paper towel
A few Ziploc bags
Comb for removing nasty Cholla cactus spine balls.
Tweezers
And of course...a camera!
Total weight of pack about 15 to 20 lbs. depending on distance, terrain, and temperature.
My wife carries a pack with similar equipment in case we were to get separated or injured so we can each be independent if the condition calls for that. We usually prefer to explore remote desert wilderness backcountry and rarely are on trails. That is because there usually aren't any. No signs guide posts or kiosks, or rangers, it is all navigation and map work and selecting routes in remote terrain, and we very rarely see any other people.
Sometimes our longer hikes end in the dark which raises it's own set of challenges. We have sharpened and frequently practice our survival navigation techniques in case our navigation gear were lost, or not functional. This involves using the sun and stars and other natural signs for finding direction, but also knowing how to use all the navigation gear competently, especially a map compass and GPS is critical.
We have found that being versed at backcountry navigation in remote and rugged terrain has taken us to some incredible and beautiful places not many other people get to see since many hikers like the comfort and relative safety of trails.
If you find an interest or opportunity to visit the incredible American deserts, particularly if you plan to hike or drive in remote areas...be properly prepared. The desert is an incredible, fascinating, magical and beautiful place, but it can be very unforgiving of mistakes or of the unprepared, especially in the hotter weather.
Literally in he middle of nowhere repairing a broken leaf spring on my truck
with a piece of chain and bolts. Some desert 4wd roads get pretty rough.
And ironically you will see cold weather gear on my desert pack list. Low desert winter night temps can easily go below freezing and occasionally as low as the teens. Our sleeping bags are rated to about -5 F. In the high desert winters it can regularly snow day or night! And in the wide open desert you are at the mercy of the wind when it decides to get whipping.
Because of the dry clear air the diurnal temperature swings can be as much as 40 or 50 degrees!!!
And the American desert is not one. There are several types each very unique, some hotter or colder than others. The 4 basic deserts are:
The Sonoran.
The Mojave
The Great Basin
The Chihuahuan
The desert is not a wasteland. If you visit please be kind to it.
One of our Mojave desert camps with the truck as a base camp for day hiking.
When we leave a camp you will never know we were there. We use the Leave No Trace Ethic (or as little trace as possible, mainly foot prints.) After a careful sweep up, and with a strong wind, and or a little rain and there will be virtually no evidence we were there. We have gone back and actually checked these sites after a few months or a year. Although amazingly because of the dryness I have been able to go back and track myself after as much as 6 months later where I didn't brush out our tracks. Also good practice for my search and rescue experience.
And there are still military tank tracks from 1944 when Patton was training troops in the CA desert!
People think the desert is a hostile place but it is still very fragile where man can do a lot of environmental damage.
Like green zealots spreading sprawling renewable energy projects all over the place!!!
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