Art Freaks & Sandy Seas
Meet: Trojan Ground Starbucks, 12/4 Saturday 7am
Return: 12/5 Sunday 2pm
Member: $63 Non member: $79
Participant Driver: not needed
Activity: Desert exploring, art walk, car camping, light hiking, photography
Difficulty: (3/8)
Come join us to discover the most Mad Max-iest parts of Southern California on our overnight desert adventure.
We'll be driving down Saturday morning to the Salton Sea, the largest lake of California and the most stunning accidental atrocity. On the way we’ll hit the Painted/Ladder Canyon trail for some short and unique ladder-based hikes in desert slot canyons.
Afterwards we’ll have a chill day exploring weird and artsy desert communities. We’ll visit Bombay Beach, a beach resort turned ghost town, and Slab City, the mecca of society outcasts and off-griders, known as “the last free place in America”. We’ll see wild sculptures and art installations like the famous Salvation Mountain (shown on cover image), check out a hot spring, and maybe chat with some far-out local residents. We’ll camp for the night right on the beach of the infamous Salton Sea itself, cook dinner, and hear more stories about this strangest part of America.
On our way back we’ll be driving through the Anza Borrego State Park, take in beautiful panaromic veiws from desert vistas. We'll wrap up our trip by visiting the giant metal sculptures littered across the town in Borrego Springs. We’ll also have the opportunity to try the signature dessert of the desert, the date shake, for a sweet ending to our trip. We’ll be back by 2pm on Sunday, leave you enough time to (not) keep procrastinating for final studying.
Heads up - ladder hike will require good footware and semi-decent balance.
Contact the Guides:
Ria Xi - ria.xi@scoutfitters.org
Sam Feehan - sfeehan@usc.edu
What to Bring:
*REMINDER: if you do not have something on this list, do not panic. SC Outfitters has gear that can supplement whatever you have!*
Masks, hand sanitizer, and cleared Trojan Check (will be worn in all closed spaces and in transit)
Daypack (most school backpacks will work)
2-3L of water (in water bottles or water bladder)
Comfortable walking shoes (can handle rough terrain)
Toiletry (tooth brush, tooth paste, contact lenses, etc.)
Prescription medication
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Tent (if you prefer using your own)
Pillow (if you need, not essential)
Headlamp (if you have one)
Jackets or hoodies for night (desert nights are colder than you think)
Socks (Extra pair for night just in case)
Change of clothes & underwear (if desired)
Sunscreen for daytime
Hat
Sunglasses
Mess Kit (Fork, Plate, etc.)
Camera (if you have one, places we are going are prime photo op spots)
Open mind for desert weirdness