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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 18 | THE COLONY NEWS | MAY 2021 | SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS By Kathy Sullivan When my family was young, we were avid skiers and would take several trips to Mammoth Mountain every year. There is only one thing that is important in skiers' eyes, and that is to get to the slopes as fast as possible and to get home, very exhausted, the same way. No deviations. I remember driving by Red Rock Canyon and thinking, "One of these days." Skiing hasn't been part of my life for 35 years, so it's been a long "one of these days." I finally decided it was time, so I picked up my grandsons and headed to the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon is north of Palmdale, Lancaster and Mojave on Hwy 14. The whole area looks like it was transplanted from the canyon country of Utah and plopped down in our desert. It is amazing to look at these geological formations and wonder how many eons it took to make each section. From what I read, the hard "cap rock" is volcanic and the wind and rain-eroded walls are from years of oceans or blowing sand dunes that once covered our beautiful California. Red Rock Canyon area is the northern edge of the very volcanic Sierra Nevadas. Check out how many volcanic episodes this area has had! The Visitor Center may still be closed due to COVID, but most of the hiking trails are open. The whole area is an off-road paradise. I just opened a map on the internet, and I have to go back! Because of the closure of the Visitor Center, I didn't know about Opal Canyon Road, Roaring Ridge, Scenic Cliffs or Burro Schmidt's Tunnel, and all sound worth investigating. The Visitor Center is normally open in the spring and winter Red rock canyon state park