WEST COAST OF THE USA STAGE 10: PHOENIX - SAN DIEGO (SALVATION MOUNTAIN)

Not all the fish was already sold on this trip. There were still things that would surprise us along the way, and two of the rarest ones are found on this stretch of our West Coast route between Phoenix and San Diego. Without even knowing they existed, we went through huge dunes, the Dunes cottons, and finally we climb to the top of the Salvation Mountain, something we wanted to do since we saw the movie Into the Wild.

So it was and today we tell you 🙂

This was the car ride from Phoenix to San Diego, through the Dunes Cottons and Salvation Mountain

With the tiredness of carrying a few hours of car already in the body we did not know if that which extended in the distance was real or product of our imagination. A huge yellow mass seemed to cut the horizon and, through it, a road that climbed it. It would have been cool to have had the same vision, however they were as real as the Mexican music that plays on the radio.

The Imperial Sand Dunes, or also known as Algodon Dunes, are the largest set of dunes in California, and are within walking distance of the state of Arizona (from where we come from) and Mexico! As you approach the landscape changes dramatically, it gave us the feeling of entering a forbidden territory, thankfully we did not know that military tests were done here in the II GM.

At present it is not a totally desert area, although in the surroundings there is not a single soul, it is a place that is usually used to make routes off the road with quads and SUVs, and in the cooler months the campsite welcomes many adventurers. In addition, they have been the setting for many films such as Stargate, Resident Evil: Extinction and some scenes from the planet Tatooine in Star Wars.

It does not take long to travel and the road is in perfect condition. There are a couple of points to park and go out on the sand, some of them (Osborne Overlook and Cahuilla Ranger Station) with very cool panoramic views.

How to explain what Salvation Mountain is? At first glance it looks like a set from an old movie, abandoned to its fate after filming. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is true that he gained fame (at least we knew of his existence) thanks to a film: Into the Wild, but this work of art was there long before. Here we leave the scene:

That nice guy who appears in the movie is, neither more nor less, than the creator of Salvation Mountain himself:Leonard Knight. In 1984 one of those hippies who lived away from the system in their caravans (and currently live) began to create this mound based on adobe, to paint and decorate it with messages of love and peace, loaded with their religious faith. A few years later he "got off the mountain" to also build other pavilions and formations with the help of the Navajo Indians.

Leonard died in 2014 but left a wonderful work of art accessible to anyone who wants to visit it. For us it was really something we will never forget. It is of those places with magic, with power, that attract you in a strange way and in which you can almost notice the energy of his spirit. It was a strenuous heat, we were not climbing mountains or wanting to entrust ourselves to God ... But the memory of this place is worth that little effort.