Beautiful in any setting, this Inyo Mountains slender salamander seemed especially so against the desert background.
“Next right” Gary said. “It’s just a mile or two up the road.”

”OK. Whoops you mean here?”

“Yes. I guess we’ll have to roll the boulders.”

So we huffed, puffed, strained, and somehow moved the huge rocks just enough to allow the car to sneak carefully through.

Ahead of us was a rocky trail that seemed to go a few hundred feet into the desert, up a rise, and then peter out entirely.

With Gary directing we got to the end of the trail. Then carefully avoiding rocks we managed to go a few hundred feet farther.

“We walk from here.”

And walk we did. Over the rise, then down to an orchid laden desert spring, along a marsh, and following the run, to a desert wonderland, a willow surrounded waterhole thickly edged with flat fist-sized rocks.

“Go to it” Gary said, “but be sure to replace the rocks as close to the original position as possible.”
So I did and I did, and within minutes I had uncovered, photographed, and returned to its hiding place one of the most beautiful salamanders I have yet seen, a light phase Batrachoseps campi, Inyo Mountain salamander. These deserts are just alive with amphibian surprises. Thanks again, Gary.