Soda Lake
Carrizo Plain National Monument
The generally dry lake bed of Soda Lake is at the north end of the Carrizo Plain. There are six established hiking routes in the area, although all but one of them are less than a mile long. Two of them are devoted to having a look at Soda Lake. Roads also go all the way around the lake, so there are many more vantage points.Overlook Hill
Locate the site.There are a couple hills that seem to rise suddenly out of the flat plane. This one near the road has a parking lot around the back and a short path up to the top past two informative signs. At the top, the expanse of the lake is easy to see. I got to the top to see that it was very clearly dry. Not even a little puddle of liquid out there anywhere. It really ought to be getting to its soggiest by now, but there is only salt resting in frozen waves.
Of course, the hill gives views of more than just the expanse of mineral salts. Behind, there is more expanse and clustered around another hill there is a small ranch.
Soda Lake Trail
Locate the site.I stopped off across the road and took the trail down to the boardwalk for a closer look. Many people have walked out into it for a short distance, but it didn't look like anyone had really set out. Here and there, it does ask you to stay on established trails.
Simmler Road
Locate the site.After the boardwalk, I went over to Wallace Creek and returned along Simmler Road. The changing light had changed the way the salt on the lake looked. It one direction it looked like there actually was water on this end of the lake, but in another direction it was still clearly dry. In between, the color of the salt in the light varied smoothly from the bleached dry white to an image of water that was not quite right blue. I stopped by the road for a few more photos.
©2013 Valerie Norton
Posted 22 Feb 2013
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