California Through My Lens - A High Desert Sandstorm in Lucerne Valley


I post a lot here about abandoned places and things here in Louisiana but the Pelican State doesn't have a Monopoly on such things. While diving into my archives tonight I came across these shots taken in the high desert region of Lucerne Valley in California. Just like living in the deep south the settlers in California's deserts had to constantly fight against the harsh conditions that Mother Nature dishes out. The summer temperatures here can reach upward of 110 degrees, it almost never rains and the wind blows all the time.

Due to the lack of moisture the soil is dry and brittle and when the gusts get really high it becomes a mass of tiny airborne projectiles. In a way it's very much like flying sandpaper that over time will take the paint off of just about anything. 

Whomever owned these dwellings in Lucerne obviously had enough of being roasted alive by the desert heat and moved on to pastures that are much greener, wetter, and cooler. I often wondered why settlers chose to stop in this desert region and set up a homestead with the San Bernardino Mountains clearly in view just miles away? 

Today the desert is dotted with abandoned structures and ghost towns leaving behind a legacy of numerous untold stories of hearty pioneers and those who simply wanted to live a secluded existence that tried and failed to carve out an existence under the harshest of circumstances.

Surprisingly just a short drive away from this location almost half a million people are living in the cities of Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville. Modern inventions like air conditioning have helped mankind defeat many of the weapons in nature's arsenal turning a once vast wasteland into an oasis for those wanting to escape the urban sprawl of Los Angeles and Orange County.

Besides it's only a three hour drive to Las Vegas, one hour drive to Los Angeles, two hour drive to the beach, and thirty minute drive to Big Bear Lake from there. Everything you could ever want is just a car ride away.

If you look closely at these pictures you can almost hear the wind howl and see the dust blow.

Map:


Here are my photos:






 Check Out:


California Through My Lens - An Antique Paradise in Oro Grande on Old Route 66


Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2023 at 8:05 AM

    I live in the High Desert area of CA, right at the base of Wrightwood. These pictures show what living here was/WAS and in my opinion show a different view of the beauty, strength and resilience of those who were here before me.

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