salt flats, sunrise

first, there was a text message from elliott: "come sleep on the salt flats friday night. 9pm depart. come back at sunrise."

next, i decided this was an adventure not to be missed.

then, briana and i put on our pajamas and loaded up our (minimal) camping gear: sleeping bags, pillows, a tarp (graciously procured for us by emily), water, headlamps, courage.

afterwards, we drove and drove and drove to the west and west and west in nathan's sturdy jeep, towards our destination, a small road off the freeway that google earth had promised would lead us to the flats. we kept our eyes peeled for "no trespassing" signs. we saw none.

suddenly, we were there!

accordingly, we parked the car on a breakwater, loaded the gear onto our backs/shoulders/waists and began walking and walking and walking, for three long, flat, dark miles, away from the car and the maniacal hum of the freeway. when we decided that we had arrived, we stopped, threw down our tarps and slept soundly on the salt.

by and by, the glorious sun arose, and our world looked like this:







slowly, our little colony awoke to greet the strange and stunning morning.





















whereupon, we concluded that waking up in the great expanse of nothingness was better than anything we had imagined or hoped for.







subsequently, bathroom breaks were in order. but the flat(FLAT!) expanse of the salt flats(FLAT!) affords little privacy, no matter how far you wander. and so our tarps were put to a different, most practical use.



(also, a word to the wise about peeing on the salt flats. get low (it splashes!) and move often. the salt flats do not absorb.)

ultimately, it was time to leave our temporary and alien home.

and so, we traversed the great expanse of nothingness again. rested. renewed. awed.













the end.