Rick turned 70 this month and decided – or was pressured – to celebrate at Saline Valley in Death Valley, his favorite place in the cosmos. Judy had arranged to surprise him with various visitors, which was all Rick knew about the arrangements. Rick asked me to come and I agreed. So I was one guest who would not be a surprise. Seth and Sarah were also non-surprises. |
Saline Valley is a large (~500 square mile) remote area within Death Valley National Park. It is a desert, and contains numerous hot springs. Over the years it has been improved by various volunteer efforts to include plumbed concrete tubs, oases, showers and a sink (supplied with hot and cold spring water from underground) and picnic and campfire facilities. The volunteers were nudists who realized that Saline Valley could be made into the world’s best and least hassled nudist resort. When Saline passed from Bureau of Land Management to National Park control in 1994, a rough compromise was worked out to allow the pools to be grandfathered and nudity tolerated at the pools, but not elsewhere. There are now concrete toilet buildings but no running water. There's a resident 'Host' named Lizard Lee who maintains an official presence and cares for the grass in the oasis.
Saline Valley is *remote*. This means that a visitor from San Francisco must travel 10 hours to get to the valley, the last three over dirt paths and dry creek beds. There’s no cell phone access, no electricity, no drinkable water, no maintenance, and the nearest store is 3 hours away. It’s not a place to visit lightly.
Seth offered to take me and his friend Tara. I tried to pack carefully, mindful that I would be sharing a station wagon with two other people and their belongings. (Three, if you include Tara’s dog Foxie). Water and ice are necessities – you have to have enough of each to last your week. We had some drama about my two yellow lawn chairs which we ultimately left behind. We left Oakland at 9AM, dinnered in Bishop, and arrived around 8 PM. Judy rescued us from the darkness and led us to the encampment on a mesa.
Rick and Judy’s campsite was large and spacious, with views of the mountains on three sides. They had an easy-up canopy with serious guy ropes defending against the desert winds and providing shade by day. They had an outdoor kitchen which would be shared by the 11 people in our party (tho Rick still had no idea who would be coming). They had tables and chairs for a crowd. It was a sweet setup. |
This was Saline, so we unpacked and immediately went down to the Sunrise pool to soak. Soaking is what you do in Saline. Each of the two big pools in our end of the valley held as many as 25 people and are continuously fed by underground springs at 107 degrees. The pools were poured in the 60’s by legendary visitors to the park. They’ve stood up pretty well.
It was evening, and morning, and the first day. Here’s how this day, and every subsequent day, went:
· Wake up 6AM – 7AM
· Stretch and pee.
· Wander down to sunrise pool and soak for an hour or two.
· Qi Gong exercises
· Back to the campsite for breakfast. We took turns making eggs or hot cereal or leftover perlue from the night before. Always coffee and fruit.
· Hang out reading or sunning for a few hours.
· Plan for a big hike
· Rearrange the coolers – redistribute the remaining ice.
· Lunch
· Postpone hike till tomorrow
· Carry camp chairs down to the oasis and accompany them.
· Afternoon on the oasis
· Back to the pools to soak.
· Bedtime
· Wake up 6AM – 7AM
· Stretch and pee.
· Wander down to sunrise pool and soak for an hour or two.
· Qi Gong exercises
· Back to the campsite for breakfast. We took turns making eggs or hot cereal or leftover perlue from the night before. Always coffee and fruit.
· Hang out reading or sunning for a few hours.
· Plan for a big hike
· Rearrange the coolers – redistribute the remaining ice.
· Lunch
· Postpone hike till tomorrow
· Carry camp chairs down to the oasis and accompany them.
· Afternoon on the oasis
- o Read in shade
- o Lie on the grass
- o Drink lemonade
- o Play Rick’s unpronounceable Finnish game (similar to skittles)
- o Soak
- o Sun
- o Repeat as needed.
· Back to the pools to soak.
· Bedtime
On Wednesday afternoon, the first surprise guests came: daughter Sarah (not actually a surprise; see above) with Rick's daughter Aviva, her daughter Alina (3½) and Sarah and Aviva's half-sister Mira. Sarah Aviva, and Alina had flown to Las Vegas to pick up Mira, rent a big car, and drive to Saline. Rick was flabbergasted. (Aviva had dropped some disinformation on him earlier, while remaining “within integrity” in Rick’s lovely term.)
Aviva loves Saline from a previous visit, and she was determined that Alina would love it too. The kid is cheerful and adaptable and managed her first camping experience with aplomb. Everyone wanted to read to her, which was fine by her. Aviva is a tiger mom. A word about Mira. Lauren’s daughter by another father, she grew up with Aviva and Zia but unlike them, lived only with her mother and was not |
jointly custodied. When she was 17, she suffered a terrible auto accident and wound up lame and with some brain damage. Ten years ago she married an older gentleman and moved with him to Las Vegas, where they live now. Mira fell in love with me at first sight, but that didn't stop her from faithlessly flirting with numerous other men.
Wednesday night was Rick’s birthday party, and was talked about thereafter all over Saline. People were awed that all of his children came to Saline for the adventure. The party itself consisted of a very nice dinner, noise, presents, and a chocolate cake with whipped cream. Rick’s friend Bonneau presented Rick with a Jeroboam (4 ½ liters) of homemade wine. Rick is on an alcohol fast, so Bonneau spent the next 4 days carrying the Jeroboam everywhere and plying people with drinks. |
The sibs presented Rick with a quilt they had manufactured over the previous year with 12 panels made by 10 people. Aviva supervised and assembled the quilt. It was beautiful.
Daughter Zia arrived Friday after driving solo from San Francisco in record time. Rick was again flabbergasted. Zia is a city slicker through and through, but she adapted herself to Saline’s ways with good humor.
Weather was warm and balmy, tho we had one 24 hour period with gale winds all night and all day. Wind is the fly in Saline’s ointment; people jokingly but superstitiously avoid the word, using synonyms. Too much wind will ruin to trip, and that has happened. People say “Remember Easter 2007 when …” and they’re off. When the wind blows, there’s nothing to do but huddle in the pools, and even that gets old.
Rick is not the only person for whom Saline represents the best of life. Some people come and stay for months at a time (it’s free, with a nominal 30 day limit on visits). Some people fly in for weekends. Lots of folks have been coming year after year and plan their year around the visit.
I cadged a ride with some Berkeley Capoeira folks and returned home on Sunday. I’m ready for my next visit but not yet.
More Saline pictures here
I cadged a ride with some Berkeley Capoeira folks and returned home on Sunday. I’m ready for my next visit but not yet.
More Saline pictures here