Join us for another epic adventure! Learn about the bizarre world of the Colorado Desert in southern California, including deadly animals, spiny plants, poisonous arsenic gases, and peaks towering above churning clouds. Join the adventure and purchase our book at this link: https://www.anchorandfish.com/buy-our-book. © 2026 by Anchor & Fish. All rights reserved.

There was nothing else to do! In the situation we found ourselves, what else could we do? We were climbing Little Baldy in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range near Westcliffe, CO. Little Baldy? Hardly an intimidating mountain name, and under normal conditions this 12,982-ft. peak is easy compared to its 14,000-ft neighbors. What we found ourselves in was hardly normal conditions. As soon as we left the tree slog and started to the ridge, we were blasted with hurricane-force w

Small creatures are scuttling through the grasses. At first glance, they are almost impossible to see. They perfectly blend in to their habitat – grassy lawns and fields. They nibble at grasses and seeds, catching the occasional insect, until a little before sunset when they retreat into their burrows. These animals are quite easy to identify once you spot them. Thirteen dark and light stripes run along their backs, with small tan spots on the dark stripes. Because of this co