Salton Sea

[index]

I'm going to go give this place a try at the weekend, any advice from anyone who has been?

[mudxdresser]

Bug spray and expect sort of a nasty beach! Best mud is said to be near the Salton Sea mud volcanoes near the southeast corner of the lake. However, I've also read an account of a kayaker who paddle around the whole circumference of the Salton Sea and he said that there was bottomless mud up north where the river comes into the Salton Sea. Suggest checking both areas out.

But be prepared to be disappointed, you probably won't like the nasty organic mud you find or the salt deposits on the beach mud. Suggest you give highest priority to visiting the mud volcano field instead, they look large enough to get in with a little luck.

Good hunting! Please let us know if you find anything decent.

[index]

The plan was to go check out the volcanos, hoping to find some good spots.

[Nessie]

I have a totally non-expert comment.

I would be curious to know how this went if you make it.

Nessie

[index]

If all goes well hopefully I'll have a good tale to tell and maybe some picture for those who would like to see a big bearded Scottish guy in some Californian mud

[Nessie]

If all goes well hopefully I'll have a good tale to tell and maybe some picture for those who would like to see a big bearded Scottish guy in some Californian mud

That's me!

If there's really salt in the mud, though, be sure to cover any cuts you have! Ouch!

Nessie

[Sekani]

Bring some perfume or cologne and dab it under your nostrils; especially around this time of year the odor is nauseating.

The seashore also tends to be really dry in the summer months, but since it rained earlier this week and has stayed fairly humid since, you may get lucky.

Oh, one final thing. The U.S. Border Patrol has a checkpoint near Niland on Highway 111 on the east side. Make sure you have your passport and/or other ID available. Not sure if there's anything to watch for on Highway 86 (west side) other than heavy truck traffic.

[Rickington]

Bring some perfume or cologne and dab it under your nostrils; especially around this time of year the odor is nauseating.

The seashore also tends to be really dry in the summer months, but since it rained earlier this week and has stayed fairly humid since, you may get lucky.

Oh, one final thing. The U.S. Border Patrol has a checkpoint near Niland on Highway 111 on the east side. Make sure you have your passport and/or other ID available. Not sure if there's anything to watch for on Highway 86 (west side) other than heavy truck traffic.

Or bring a nose plug (i.e. the kind for swimming).

[index]

Well it was a good day and a bad day.

The drive was nice, the weather was great and the scenery was good to photography.

Unfortunately the mud volcanos, while geologically fascinating, don't seem suited to our 'needs'. They are mostly small pits and generally at the top of the volcano mounds they form. I checked a few out of curiosity and I can report that you would very seriously burn yourself sticking any part of your body into the bubbling mud. Where it runs away from the actual volcanos the mud is cool and very smooth but you couldn't exactly wallow in it.

There is also a very large plant of some sort built right next to them that doesn't show on google maps. While it is not close enough to pick out people moving around it does somewhat spoil the sense of isolation that you would otherwise have. I wouldn't like to get naked and start rolling in what little mud there is this close to it. I don't think anyone would come asking questions if they saw you walking around them, they are afterall a piece of geological wonder, but I would think a naked muddy person might draw some attention.

So for any Southern Californian sinkers I wouldn't recommend this as a potential sinking site. It was kinda cool though.

Will upload some pictures once I get them off the camera.

[Nessie]

Too bad it wasn't wallowable but it sounds like it was photogenic. Your remark that it was kinda cool anyway supports something I've always said about mud-hunting...if the journey itself bores you (you don't like being outside, being in wilderness or you don't like going new places) you won't last long as many, many times, the journey is all you get when you get there and find out that can't sink after all.

I would like to see the pictures. Mud volcanoes do look really awesome.

Nessie