[PatBranch]

In December, my family and I went on a trip: LA to San Diego, then to Palm Springs with the Salton Sea on the Way.

Downtown LA

San Diego

Salton Sea (http://local.google.com/local?hl=en&q=ddt&btnG=Google+Search&t=h&ll=33.275435,-115.680542&spn=2.167596,3.746338&t=h)


The Salton Sea is a little bigger than Lake Tahoe. In the 60's, DDT's were used in the crops above and beside the lake. The DDT washed into the Lake, polluting it and killing a huge amount of birds.

It is so wierd. When we got there, we saw the HWY sign that said there is swimming and boating. Also, the AAA book said this too, as well as the link to the map above.

We found the visitors center and went in. My dad asked why it is supposedly a recreation area if it so polluted. The man in there said something like, "beleve half of what you read and 20% of what you hear". My dad then asked, if it is safe, then why are there are so few boats or people there. His reply was "they are all on their 4 wheelers on the hills".

If it is safe, then it would be a famous, very popular lake. Does anyone know what is going on? On one shore (Bombay Beach), there is an area with prefab homes. Some of them were abandoned, while others were occupied.

Here are the pictures:
I'm the one in the red whistler shirt- (the sun was in my eyes)

Bombay Beach

That sh!t color water looks clean

That foam doesn't look like pollution

A shore towards Palm Desert

Me in Palm Springs

They are little fuzzy; but they are sharp on my computer.

 

[ncrider]

It was once a booming tourist trap and then people found out that stagnet water and 100F temps sucked sweety ball sacks. People bailled out. End of story.

 

[foesjunky]

Some info for ya
http://www.saltonsea.ca.gov/histchron.htm

 

[PatBranch]

Thats really interesting; thanks for the link.

Is it really safe to swim in though? I don't see how they could clean out all those chemicals in only a few years.

 

[Slugman]

If that is the only thing you rode in palm springs... you missed a TON of great riding!!

 

[PatBranch]

I rode down some rocky hills that my dad drove me up. I made a thread in SouthCA and asked people. I couldn't find the trails.

 

[MikeD]

The Salton Sea is hell on earth. Eugh. Those who swim in it...well, I recommend you go read the HP Lovecraft story, "Shadow over Innsmouth."

And you shoulda hit the Art Smith trail in Palm Springs, esp. this time of year. The Goat Trails are fun, too.

 

[MikeD]

Oh, and there was a recent movie about it, wasn't there, or at least a book? (sorry for the double post-dialup makes it hard to edit b/c the pics have to load before I can hit the edit key...)

Here it is-movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235737/

The 'book' I think I recall was a National Geographic article, now that I think about it.

MD

 

[Ciaran]

The abandoned buildings look a bit like the buildings in Chernoble.

And you look younger in the photos than in person. Don't sweat it though... when you're 50 you still be pulling down hot 20 year olds.

 

[lovebunny]

whos that fat kid?

 

[black noise]

I'm pretty sure the Salton Sea is saltwater, hence the white crusty stuff on the beaches.

The book Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer has some stuff on the Salton Sea in it too. Plus it's a kickass book, everyone read it.

 

[PatBranch]

I just saw a really cool documentry on it from the Santa Barbara Film festival a few days ago. They interviewed many people. It was really cool! There are sooo many fish in it. A huge amount of fish end up on the shore dead every years or so, but they keep multiplying.

Now the Sea is diminishing, because water to it has been cut off, and instead going to san diego.