When we first arrived at Mahogany Flat, there was only one other camper. It didn't take long for us to become friends with John and his friendly dog Spud. We all left the campground together and on his way home, John showed us around the Trona Pinnacles. The Pinnacles are very eerie and fascinating spires rising out of the desert. This area is very striking and has been used in a number of movies and commercials--we'll have to keep our eyes peeled to try and spot them from now on. The scale on the photos can be deceptive. These things are HUGE.
We were sad to part ways with John at Red Mountain but we still needed to race down to Apple Valley to get a few pictures for Erica and then head down to San Diego for dinner. Traffic was not too bad and we made it to Nina & Michael's place before sunset.
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Following John's camper down the road from the park to Trona.
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A giant solar panel farm.
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John, Giselle & Spud. (Bill didn't realize the timer had already been set so he's fiddling with the camera)
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The whole group!
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Seeing the Pinnacles from a distance
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Crossing the tracks in front of a train that was picking up empty cars to take into Trona.
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Another view of the train
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A glimpse of the Pinnacles far off in the distance
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Dirt roads and railroads.
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We're getting closer!
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Otherworldly!
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Spud isn't sure about these crazy humans. Why'd they want to walk around in this heat anyway?