Randsaburg, CA.  Santa Barbara Catholic Church.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

Randsburg, Past and Present....

Antique bottles with house reflected in the glass.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

The dangers of air-conditioner lethargy..

Besides the comfort it affords, air conditioning enables one to drive with the windows up.  This keeps one's camera equipment mostly free of dust. 

My problem is that I resist leaving the cool interior of my Jeep.  I've actually talked myself out of stopping to look at sights (and sites).  Who knows what I've missed?!

El Paso Mountains Photograph...

An oldie; I shot this photograph during a 2009 foray into the El Paso Mountains.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.

If you can't stand the heat...

Since I've returned to the one hundred degree heat of my home city in Southern California, I'm giving some thought to my next desert excursion, which I have scheduled on September 6th.  Food, plenty of water, and a friend in another vehicle, are certainly necessities.  But, there's nothing wrong with being comfortable while out on the trail.  That's why I use my vehicle's air conditioning when out on the trail.  Most modern vehicles are equipped with an auxiliary electric fan, or an electric main radiator fan that comes on when the air conditioning compressor is engaged.  Generally, this prevents overheating.  Naturally, the driver should glance at his or her temperature gauge frequently- a malfunctioning fan or other issue will cause the vehicle to overheat.

Reluctance to leave one's air-conditioned vehicle in order to explore an interesting site or take a photograph, can be a problem.  I call this "air-conditioner lethargy".

Desert on my mind...

I just spent the last four days on vacation in Santa Barbara.  Cool, ocean breezes, quaint shops, kayaking near the Channel Islands.  Still, my mind still strayed to my beloved Mojave Desert.  I yearn to feel her warm embrace.

If you can't stand the heat....

I never venture more than a mile or two off-road, unless another vehicle is traveling with me.  Do I really have to explain why?

If you can't stand the heat.....

Previously, I'd mentioned nipping mechanical problems in the bud, at the first sign of trouble.  During the past few days, I'd noticed that my Cherokee's starter was sounding, well........anemic.  I was planning to have it looked at within the next two days, but fate intervened.  This afternoon, I turned the key, and the starter would not turn at all. 

The point is that, had I taken the vehicle on a desert trip with a potentially faulty starter......

If you can't stand the heat....

Cellular telephone coverage is spotty in certain parts of the desert.  So, if you have a problem, your options may be limited. The  ability to utilize an alternate form of communication, such as ham radio, is a good idea.  The odds favor finding a nearby repeater, and many of them are "linked" to each other via the internet, are pretty good. Of course, you need a license to transmit on ham radio frequencies, but the license is not that hard to obtain.

If you can't stand the heat...

Another thing to have plenty of, is gasoline. 

In aviation, pilots are responsible for knowing how much fuel their aircraft burn and for planning fuel stops accordingly.  Likewise, those going on off- road trips should know how far their fuel tanks will carry them.  I am very conservative in my fuel estimates.  Since I rarely drive more than 10-20 miles off road on my trips, I find that filling my six-cylinder Jeep Cherokee's fuel tank right before hitting the trail head gives me an ample fuel reserve.  That's my vehicle.  The reader will forgive the cliche, but "your mileage may vary."

Calico Mountains: August 9, 2013

Turquoise deposit.

Calico Mountains: August 9, 2013.

Iron deposit.

If You Can't Stand The Heat.....

Carrying two gallons of extra anti-freeze is a good idea, too.  I prefer the pre-mixed water/coolant combination.  One never knows when a coolant leak will develop on the trail.

If you can't stand the heat....

Carry plenty of water!  For one-day trips, I carry two 1-gallon jugs of drinkable water.  On two to three day trips (the longest ones I ever take), I carry the aforementioned jugs plus a six-gallon military surplus water container (filled, of course). 

More from the July 20, 2013 Mule Canyon excursion....

Mule Canyon.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

                                       Mule Canyon.  Photo by Scott Schwartz.

If you can't stand the heat.....

Frequent inspections-I'd say weekly and before each trip-of items like hoses and belts-should be conducted.  These components are the weakest links in automotive mechanical systems.  If the reader does not know what to look for, I suggest that he or she read up on the subject.