Covid derailed plans for a 3-day field trip around the greater Salton Trough area at the last minute, but with reservations already made, it seemed like an opportunity to scout a few field locations and check out the UC field station at Borrego Springs to make the eventual field trip run more smoothly. After a tasty lunch in Palm Springs we drove on to the Calcite Mine area to check out one of the slots. I forgot how interesting the area was as we traversed rocky roads up and down in and out of the vast canyon network. We did not have a bunch of time and so opted to check out Palm Slot. We walked through dusty wind up the desolate wash network until it finally began closing in. The palm tree in the slot was a novel feature. Beyond was a nice narrow section of slot with three chockstone boulders overhead including a low one that almost appeared to levitate. This nice section was over all too soon and we reached a 25ft dryfall, our cue to head back out to the car. We drove out the other way, closing the loop. 
After a thorough orientation around the very cool field station, we drove the sandy wash network to check out Font's Point at sunset. This was really quite a cool view over the Borrego Badlands and I am surprised in my many visits to Anza Borrego that it is something I had not seen. The promontory provided a fantastic view over the many intricate badland crenulations, home to untold fossil treasures and some of the sedimentary record of the carving of the Grand Canyon. Driving back to the field station we drove through a dense and violent sandstorm, temporarily reducing our travel to about 20 mph.
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