Pullin' Chocks

Picnic at Baker Tanks

Out here in the southwest desert, water is not an abundant resource... well most of the time anyway.  When it does rain, it can rain hard, and the water collects very quickly and runs off in impromtu streams called washes or arroyos.  These run off flood waters can be considerable and do cause some magnificient erosion.  Tanks are just that; features in the earth, soil and rock that are carved out by the rain flood waters and the erosion features will capture some of the water after the run off flooding is complete, hence the name tanks.  Livestock and wild animals alike drink from the heaven sent waters in these tanks.  The Baker Tanks are on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Test Range Land.  With a permit you can go there and there is even a picninc and restroom facility set up near the tanks.

After the picninc and a short exploratory walk we headed over to the Dobson Museum.  We will add a post about the Dobson Museum next. 

The Baker Tanks from Google Earth.  The round object at the right is the picnic shelter.

 The view to the north from the picnic shelter.

Everyone arriving and settling into the shelter.

Having lunch now. :~)  Quirt, Marilyn and Kathy in the shade of the shelter.

Tending the hot dog fire.

Lunch in full swing

 We even had fresh french fries, yum!  Steve & Jerry circling the hot fries

Making more new friends.

After lunch we walked over to the nearby Baker Tanks.

Crawling down into the first tank.

 Looking up, I see Gari...

 Looking into the first tank

 That's Gari back there

 Quirt and Marilyn sure and steady on the rocks

 Quirt and Yvonne surveying the landscape.

 Steve looking into a lower tank.

A lower tank

 Gari's long legged shadow

 We observed many grind holes, just like the ones we saw in California.

 Could this rock have been a Grinder Tool?

 The last Tank

This was a great place, we must return!