The Mojave River originates in southern California's San Bernadino Mountains and flows north into the Mojave Desert. This desert is one of the most arid and hot areas in America. Soda Lake is the nominal terminus. It's a dry, salty saline lake located near Baker, California. It is no surprise that water flows along the Mojaves only in extraordinary flood years.Afton Canyon is the only place in the Mojave where there is perennial surface water. It is located less than 20 miles away from Soda Lake, the river's ultimate sump. Because the canyon is new geologically, the bedrock is quite shallow. The water is forced to the surface. This is a remarkable occurrence for wildlife and humans. It is a beautiful setting, thanks to the contrast between the canyon walls in ragged colors and the bright green vegetation that runs along the watercourse.This canyon was created by Lake Manix, a Pleistocene lake in the west, which was then the sump of the Mojave, about 25,000 years ago. Because much of the rock beneath was extremely soft, rapid downcutting followed. It is made up of mostly coarse sedimentary rock that is less cemented than dried, mud.Afton Canyon also houses a major railroad. It is one of the few rail links to Southern California. It is now part of the Union Pacific. It was built as the San Pedro and Salt Lake Railroad early in the 20th century. You can expect to see at least one train when you are in the canyon. Sometimes, parts of the right-of way have been washed away by the occasional floods that wash down the Mojave. One of the photos is of a stretch of track that was twisted like a pretzel, just beyond the canyon where watercourses spread out.
