Seasons of change
LA County reinstates its mask mandate, Yucca Valley is getting a new fire station, and the gender reveal couple accused of starting the El Dorado Fire is charged.
Hello from California’s high desert. We’ve luckily avoided some of the worst of the wildfire smoke, which has made its way nearly 3,000 miles east to New York City on Wednesday.
It’s always been hard for me to pick a favorite season.
I grew up in the Midwest where spring almost always included a late May snowstorm, summer was so muggy and buggy that it was borderline unbearable to be outside, fall was enjoyable for roughly two weeks before the snow returned, and you wouldn’t see the sun for months in the winter. Then I moved to San Francisco, where every day is roughly the same as the one before it. The closest thing we had to seasons was the few summer months when the fog rolled in.
Now, though, I have a different problem. Every season in the desert is delightful — yes, even the heat — and so picking a favorite season is like trying to pick a favorite child. I haven’t lived here the prerequisite seven summers quite yet, but I’m not yet tired of the novelty that comes with winter snow or summer monsoons.
New research on the rapidly changing climate suggests that places with highly variable seasons are those that will be hit hardest first. The heatwave that took over the Pacific Northwest a few weeks ago, followed by hundreds of wildfires in Northwest Canada, are both examples of that phenomenon. Same goes for the weird tropical storms floating into the Northeast US and flooding in the Midwest.
Until recently, it was assumed that hot, dry places like the Morongo Basin would be the first to become even hotter and drier as the planet warmed. Researchers predicted that Pheonix would become uninhabitable by 2050, partly due to a lack of reliable access to water.
But as the last few weeks have proven, other areas are warming and drying out even more rapidly than us desert dwellers. Seasons are bleeding into each other or being entirely supplanted by fire and smoke season or flooding season.
We have encountered these elements in our seasons in the Basin. We have opted to live in a place that was pretty hostile to human life even before the climate crisis arrived. So far, it seems that our collective gamble has at least delayed the immediate impacts of a warming and changing planet. I was able to talk a friend through the different strategies of keeping her home cool during the Seattle heatwave — cardboard in the windows, freezing water bottles ahead of time, stock up on ice to place in a bowl behind a floor fan for DIY air conditioning — because these were strategies I’ve relied on during brutal heat before.
I am looking forward to the fall again, but I’m not looking forward to the inevitable smoke haze, which is more dangerous than previously thought, that will eventually make its way into our haven. I’m hoping that this winter will bring more rain and snow than last year. I hope next spring greets us with a super bloom of epic proportions. I will always enjoy the quiet stillness of summer once the tourists return home and the average temperature rises above 100 degrees. The seasons aren’t predictable anymore, so I am determined to enjoy them all while I can.
And now, onto this week’s news.
Los Angeles County officials on Thursday reimposed the mask mandate for all indoor activities regardless of vaccination status.
The change came as Los Angeles County reported 1,635 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The sharp increase is due to the highly transmissible Delta variant and a lagging vaccination rate in the county.
On reopening day in June, LA County health officials reported 210 new cases.
San Bernardino County has an even lower vaccination rate than Los Angeles County with just 47% of residents fully vaccinated. Roughly 49% of Los Angeles County residents are fully vaccinated.
Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that a statewide mandate could be reimposed if cases continue to climb and vaccination rates continue to lag behind the herd immunity goal of 70%.
Tucked in the state budget proposal was $12 million to build a new fire station in Yucca Valley. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill on July 12.
The funds will not be available until after September 30. The location of Yucca Valley’s third fire station is still to be determined, although officials indicated that the new location should also be suitable for emergency responses in Landers.
Assemblymember Chad Mayes spearheaded the effort, according to a report in the Victorville Daily Press, after hearing about the increased congestion on Route 62 and related increase in fatal accidents.
According to the report, total collisions have decreased slightly along Twentynine Palms Highway from 2016 to 2020, but the number of fatal crashes has increased.
The infamous gender reveal party couple accused of starting the El Dorado Fire last year was charged with eight felony and 22 misdemeanor counts by the San Bernardino County DA on Tuesday.
Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez each face one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, three felony counts of recklessly causing a fire causing great bodily injury, four felony counts of recklessly causing a fire to inhabited structures, and 22 misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to the property of another.
The El Dorado Fire near Yucaipa started on Sept. 5 and ultimately burned 22,680 acres. One firefighter, Charlie Morton, died, and 13 other people were injured. Four residences were damaged, and five residences and 15 other structures were destroyed.
The couple pled not guilty, and are due back in court on Sept. 15. They each face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted as charged.
Pupdate of the week: Alice and Oliver are both enjoying the slightly cooler weather on their early morning and mid-evening walks. Alice has considerably mellowed, and we were able to catch Game Six of the NBA Finals without too much distraction. We would not have been able to do that a month ago!
Trail tip of the week: Turn around, don’t drown is just as much for hikers as it is for drivers. It is flash flood season in the desert, and a normally dry wash can turn into a fast-moving river with just a bit of rain. Avoid any hikes that run along washes in the afternoons — when the storms typically develop — and turn back if you see any running water.
Book of the week: During my break, I finally got a chance to sit down with Desert Oracle: Volume 1 by Ken Layne. I do not recommend reading through the short stories at night if you are easily spooked, but it held the same draw that campfire stories always produce. It is a fantastic collection of UFO stories, myths, and educational tales of our local Mojave desert.
Show of the week: I am a sucker for musicals. I can’t help it. So I had incredibly high hopes for In The Heights on HBO Max, and was extremely bummed when the release was delayed in 2020. But the wait was entirely worth it. I laughed, I cried, and I sang along with the residents of Washington Heights. It was everything I love about musicals, and one of the better film adaptations I’ve seen to date. It’s no longer streaming but is running in theaters for a few more weeks.
Small business of the week
My husband has recommended I highlight Algoberto’s Taco Shop in Yucca Valley. They offer a great dinner or lunch deal — $5 for five street tacos of your choice. It’s a no-frills meal, but it gets the job done. I personally am a major fan of their churro selection.
Algoberto’s is located at 56143 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley. It is open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day
That’s it for this week! Have a great rest of your week, and make sure to enjoy the cool weather by getting outside this weekend!
- Megan