Bolting from the Phoenix' realm back to the Bay area, we made a magical stop at one of my favorite places from the PCT: Deep Creek Hot Springs. After a harrowing night of below-freezing sleep like bums on the side of the road, we parked at the Hwy 173 trailhead and hiked the 7 miles up and over the Mojave River spillway along the PCT to get to the springs, where we soaked and sweated our cares away, or at least made a valiant effort to do so. This little overnight trip was just the thing to prepare us for a return to civilization.


As were these little beauties.


Saguaro love is not on the game plan. They're hard to get close to...


How's that for luck? Caught a meteor on camera as it shot through Orion's right shoulder. Sweeeeet.


There's a toy hauler in the back. It was a good time, what with the steaks and the roasted corn and the breakfast casserole and the ice chests full of beers. And the aggressive cacti. And the sounds of the coyotes yipping in the distance as they went about their coyote business. And the reports coming from the nearby shooting range. And the kids slurping sodas at 7 in the morning. And me practicing my Corn Hole so I could beat that little girl big time.