Whitewater

It was much hotter than it should've been that day and the wind was gusting to 70mph. The PCT through hikers we met said it was even worse at higher elevations and everyone was heading down to take shelter. I had to concede to Mother Nature and get off the trail and head back home, or at least in a different direction. The jeep was swaying so badly at stoplights that I was getting seasick and trying to keep it on the road over the mountain passes had exhausted me almost to the point of tears. That's when I saw the most beautiful cool blue green water cascading through the desert floor and I had to go investigate. I followed it up until I reached the Whitewater Preserve, part of the Wildlands Conservancy. After hiking around a bit and enjoying the cooler temperature, I hung out out at the visitor center talking with all of the through hikers who were there to hunker down for the night. The ranger warned us that bears have been very active near the water and to be careful...the lake at the park is stocked with trout. It's a beautiful park that I never would've found if I hadn't decided to follow the river.