Every year around Easter a group of scout leaders bring girl scouts out to a desert to camp, hike, rappel, etc. They originally camped up in the Great Falls area, but sometime in the 80’s they moved their camp to the Indian Joe’s area.

A former participant named Cindy wrote the following description:

It was the highlight of the week for the older girls to get to rappel down off the big rock that sat up over that little waterfall and spring. It was deep in the canyon. (I have pix if you’re interested). I first went in 1980 or so, then returned as an adult to help teach rock climbing in the early 1990s. We’d also hike to a place called the Mule Flats, up in the Argus Range somewhere? It was worth the hike because a small pipe had water running out of it and you could wash your hair! (The only water down in the camp was from the water buffalos the Navy would bring in for us from China Lake and we had to be frugal with it!)

The “flats” part had low grass covering it (said to have grown from the hay seed brought up to feed the mules and/or grown from seed in the mule’s’ poo?) I have many fond memories of that place. One year, the Space Shuttle landed at Edwards while we were at the encampment. I remember hearing the sonic booms as the shuttle and escort jets flew overhead. I think that was the same year we saw the aurora borealis (1982 I think?)

One year we boiled (106 degrees) and on another year at the Mule Flats we froze (woke up with my breath frozen to the inside of my ground cloth! I saw a bobcat one night and, of course, heard the burros. We’d also have a slideshow night where this old man came out and showed/told us about the history of the area. I can’t remember his name. (Indian Joe or something?)

Anyhow, I’d love to see a post on this topic. I’m sure there are literally THOUSANDS of women from the Los Angeles region who have similar memories of the place too. Thanks for listening!

FROM THE MPE.CAMP WEBSITE:

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