Not many miles distant, sun glints off vehicles on I-15 near the booming oasis of Mesquite. As your gaze continues out and down toward Las Vegas, it rests first on the angular Mormon Mountains and then the more rolling Muddy Mountains. At night Las Vegas seems much closer. The study area is about two miles east on a gravel road. Winter temperatures are relatively mild.
Spring offers the opportunity to see desert tortoises, migratory birds and desert wildflowers.
This is desert country. Carry plenty of water. Temperatures are very hot from May through September. Winter nighttime temperatures can dip well below freezing. The dirt roads in the area are rough and remote.