Meteorite hunting in Lancaster, CA

Well, this post will conclude our adventure in California over the holidays. Next I will need to catch up on MagFest (which we went to in National Harbor, MD after returning to DC) and some of the adventures I have had so far in Costa Rica (where I am currently).

Carlos, BJ, and I spent a gorgeous sunny day outside visiting the landscape and later hunting for meteorites off the beaten path. First, we drove to the nearby Prime Desert Woodland Preserve where we walked the well-maintained trails and saw plenty of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). We even saw a couple of black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), which we were very excited about.

After touring the preserve, we drove around trying to find a good place to hunt for meteorites. We tried visiting one dry lake bed, but it was inaccessible on the Edwards Air Force Base. BJ took us to an area where he and his friends ride dirt bikes and as we stopped (after driving off road for a while), we saw a Greater Road Runner (Geococcyx californianus) run into a bush right in front of us!

We had brought two hand-made (by Carlos and BJ) push/pull contraptions with industrial-strength magnets to locate small meteorites. We didn't end up finding anything huge, but we did collect a lot of small magnetic rocks (and metal debris bycatch) with these devices! We also found some pretty rocks for Shannon and BJ's yard, which we brought home.

After combing the desert, we stopped at In-n-Out for a late lunch, hunting for meteorites in the desert really works up your appetite!

We had so much fun visiting Shannon and BJ in their natural environment -- Carlos and I can't wait to go back to visit. Maybe we will be able to overlap with the Antelope Valley Poppy Festival!