One of the many things that I love about the desert is the smell. It is strongest right after a rain. A sweet musky aroma that is a mixture of Yucca, Juniper, Mesquite, Cat Claw, Grease Bush and the earth.
The valley stretches several miles until it hits the base of the Hualapai Mountains. That is another world that consists of pine trees, deer, mountain lions, and snow in the winter. But here at the base of the Black Mountains, at the far west end of the valley, is my world. I share this world with a wide variety of creatures, including snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, rabbits, quail, cactus wrens, turkey vultures, lizards, ground squirrels and coyotes to name a few. Also, my beloved horses and dogs. Home is where I recharge my soul with the beauty, quiet, and smell of the desert.
During the monsoon season the lightening storms over the Hualapai Mountains are spectacular. I have a great view to watch these storms. I sit on the back deck and enjoy the show. I can often watch two or three storms going at once across the vast mountain range. The rain, when it does come, is usually a few drops or a sudden burst with downpours that quickly fill the washes and small ruts in the earth, making many streams that often disappear within minutes of the rain stopping. The rain, or very often hail, is sometimes a wall of water that can literally fall in the back yard and not in the front.
One one rare occasion, we had a slow steady rain for close to three days. After which, I and my three dogs went for a hike in the direction of the Black Mountains. When I came up between two mountains, off in the distance I heard the sound of rushing water. I was anxious to find the source. Water in the desert is something to get excited about!
I followed the sound, while hiking through thick brush and up and down washes, until I came to a good size wash that ran back into a canyon in the direction of a very tall mountain. I followed the wash for a short time when I came to the oasis. The rushing water just stopped at a shallow pond, but the closer I got to the large mountain, the deeper the water was. I stopped to let the dogs enjoy themselves in a pond that was about ten feet wide and three feet deep. I sat on a rock slab next to it, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beauty.
My big black Labrador, Cannaan, walked into the water and buried his nose in it while blowing bubbles. My blue healer (Bullet) and chow (Bear) walked into the water up to their stomachs and then lapped up some of the cool refreshment.
Months later I found the trail head to this wilderness land owned by the BLM. The walk from there was much easier. I hadn't been the first to discover the oasis, but now I knew what it felt like to do so.
