[pct-l] Burning Deserts

[scourtway@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Steve Courtway)]

are you telling us it's simply MO-HAWV instead of MO-HAWV-EY ??? ???


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Corcoran" <kevin@antelecom.net>
To: "christin pruett" <christinpruett@hotmail.com>; <pct-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 7:26 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Burning Deserts


> My understanding is that the CO Desert is like a subset of
> the Sonoran Desert, so I guess the answer is yes.
> The CD is hotter than the Mojave (Saline / Death Valleys
> excepted).  That's generally owing to the CD's lower elevation as
> drainage into the lower CO River (Salton Sea basin excepted).  The
> Mojave doesn't drain to the ocean or CO River.  The Mojave is
> actually a transitional area between the Great Basin Desert and the
> Colorado Desert but with elements of each. It's far less vegetated
> than the Mojave, generally without the Joshua trees which like sandy
> higher elevation slopes.  Joshua Tree NP actually straddles the
> Cottonwood Mts which is the Mojave / Colorado Desert divide. There
> actually is a delineation, albeit not always so clearly
> recognizeable, but generally drawn along the divides of drainage to
> the CO River vs drainage to dry inland basins.
> Your 'Mojave crossing' segment is indeed a 'shortcut' thanks
> to the friendly board of the Tejon Ranch Corporation. It crosses the
> westernmost corner of the Mojave (the Antelope Valley, where I live)
> and bottoms out around 2900 ft.  The PCTA Data Book reveals that the
> trail dips below 3500' for about 20 miles there. Though dry, if you
> hit it before mid-June, it's generally not hot (95+).  But it is dry,
> windy, and very sunny.
>
> Kevin "Mojave is 2 syllables, not 3" Corcoran
>
>
> >Is the Colorado desert a portion of the Sonoran desert?  What types of
> >vegetation are found there?  Any Joshua trees?  I have been in Joshua
tree
> >NP and always thought that was part of the Mojave.  Maybe there is no
clear
> >delineation between these two areas.  I guess I'll have to hike southern
CA
> >to find out.  Thanks for the info.
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