Wildlife and plants can be a good indication that water may
be present in a desert environment. Water in a desert environment can be an
extremely difficult item to locate. Many forms of wildlife would simply cease
to exist if they were not skilled in finding sources of water. In addition to
the presence of wildlife, plants can also be an indicator of recent rains or
the presence of water nearby.
Many plants in the desert will bloom profusely after a rain.
This can be indication of recent rains or a source of water that is nearby. The
desert willow is a prime example of this type of plant.
Many animals will also leave signs which indicate their
presence. Tracks in a dry stream bed will often give away their presence in the area.
Even though you may not see them, you will know they've been in the
area.
The dry stream bed eventually entered a closed canyon after
about a quarter of a mile.
At the entrance there was also a creepy crawler in the form
of an orange and black millipede. The orange and black coloration is a good
indication that it may have had a nasty sting or might be toxic and it was left
to proceed to whatever destination it had in mind.
Inside the closed canyon there were numerous pools of water
that had collected in the depressions in the rock.
There was also another creepy crawler found in one of the
pools. This was a small checkered garter snake. They are also quite harmless, unlike
some of the other snakes that reside in the desert.
The dry stream bed which entered the closed canyon continued
on for approximately a mile before reaching a fairly steep drop off of 25 to 30
feet which would have required some additional gear to proceed any further. This is commonly referred to as a pour-off.
The drop off fed into the waters of the Rio
Grande . Although the river couldn't be seen from the
vantage of our starting point, by following the dry stream bed we were
eventually led to the river.
Plants and wildlife are always good indicators of your
natural environment. When combined with local information and knowledge of the
area in which you are traveling, you will be better equipped to handle the
challenges of a natural environment.
Nature will always give you the signs you need to survive
but you will need to be able to recognize them.
Got desert skills?
Staying above the dry stream bed!
Riverwalker
Posts
4 comments:
I gave the desert Southwest a try, but after a month I realized definitely that I'm a water person.
Good to know that about myself. It has its own beauty, but give me something a bit more lush.
To: Sixbears
I can manage the desert type environment but prefer it a little wetter. As long as I'm pretty close to a creek, stream or river, I can do pretty well.
Cold is my main weakness...lived in a warmer climate too long and can't handle cool temperatures very well.
RW
Hey, I leave by the rio grande in the chiuahuan desert.
Say, how much water do you take with you this days?
To: anonymous 12:11
On a short half day hike, I normally take my Sport Berkey (and a bandanna to filter water) on a paracord lanyard and pack an additional bottle of Gatorade.
If it's going to be a full day hike, I take a soft-sided cooler with an extra 4 or 5 Gatorade and a couple of extra bottles of water ( about 5 pounds) along with my hydration backpack (100 ounces)and a small survival kit. In the desert, water is the main item required for survival.
The majority of weight is in fluids but the load gets lighter as the fluids are consumed. I also like to take frequent breaks when I find a shady spot.
It's also important to make sure you are fully hydrated before starting out on your trek through the desert.
Thanks anon.
RW
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