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Driving into the desert toward Borrego Springs

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Borrego Palm Canyon campground near the Visitor Center. We spent the first night here before heading out toward a primitive site with no facilities

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Ocotillo

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View of Borrego Springs from an overlook above the campground

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Near our campsite in Little Blair Valley there was a colony of very active bees

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Pictographs in Blair Valley

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On the trail to the morteros!

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California checkerspots

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Looking across Little Blair Valley, our campsite is tucked into the base of the hills on the right

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These morteros were created by indians using the rocks as a mortar and pestle

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Desert cactus and wildflowers

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Heading up into the Mountain Palm Springs loop in the eastern Tierra Blanca Mountains

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Mary's Grove

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A good lunch spot in the shade!

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Approaching the Palm Bowl Grove

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View across Little Blair Valley from our campsite

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The mesh top to our tent allowed lots of night star-gazing and tracking the moon as it crossed the sky

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Soaking up the suns rays and a little vitamin D!

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Ecstatic to be out in the desert with no one around for miles...

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...except for this guy!

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On the Elephant Trees Trail

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A huge ant hill surrounded by cactus spines

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The lone elephant tree still standing

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Prickly pear blossom

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Climbing up toward the wind caves

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Half the fun was driving down Fish Creek Wash!

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Our little car parked in the shade

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Wind caves!

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Another good lunch spot in the shade!

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Jumping cholla! (Named so because if you walk too close it'll jump on ya!)

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Another tarantula friend

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Little Blair Valley at sunset

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Juvenile scorpion