2013-05-25 - Borrego Springs, CA - Rectangle

Small object "floats" against the wind.

Near Clark Dry Lake, 10 miles east of Borrego Springs, Ca, on Rockhouse Road directly next to an official State Parks Benchmark indicating the Anza-Borrego Park boundary.

Approx 11;30 am, Saturday, May 26, 2013 I looked up from my campsite and saw a gleaming metallic object, flashing in the sun, falling, leaf-like from the sky to the north-west of my location approx 120 yards.

It was already at about 50 ft elevation and descending erratically. It soon touched the ground directly next to the Boundary Bench Mark along side this dirt road. I assumed that the object was a mylar balloon or piece of airborne aluminum foil judging from the way it reflected the sun brilliantly and its relative small size as well as its apparent flight path and demeanor which both suggested that it was being carried by the prevailing wind (from the north-west to south-east.). Still I felt obligated to investigate.

I walked down an intersecting access trail never losing site of the now grounded, highly reflective object. It was blindingly bright and continued to flash as it apparently swayed in what bare little breeze there was at ground level.

As I came closer, (approx 50 yds) the object, appearing intentionally, moved away from me as if in an attempt to hide. It did this by "hopping" sideways. I still believed it to be merely the wind. As I came even closer the object quickly "hopped" behind a five-six foot high mound of dirt outside of my view. I continued my approach. A few moment later, ( now about 40 yds away) the object raised directly up from behind the mound exposing about 80 percent of itself and then dropped back down (As if looking at me and then hiding again!). I had now closed the gap to about 30 yds from the object and was attempting to flank it from the right when it began rising and also drifting to the west, AGAINST the prevailing wind! It rose and traveled at approx 15 miles per hour and achieved and altitude of (A rough estimate) approx 500-800 feet before leaving my field of vision.

The sky was clear blue and there were no obstructions between me and it. It also moved, ag! ainst the wind, surely strong at that altitude ( as they usually are here) about one half mile to one mile west-northwest of the landing site and now my location. There were no marks on the ground. It was very warm, over 90 f and I am certain that heat could vector lightweight items up from the desert floor in that heat.

At one point when it was "hopping" away from me I got an excellent view of the item. Instead of being a high polished aluminum as I had thought, it was opaque, I could see right through it. However when it turned just so it reflected the sun as if polished metal. Also surprisingly it was completely smooth and flat as if freshly "ironed". It appeared as if it were a plane of glass or plastic.It was a rectangle of about 3x2 feet. It at one moment turned completely perpendicular to me and appeared then as only a black line perhaps 1/2 inch thick or less. It had three "wires" or antenna all of even length ( maybe 2 1/2 feet) hanging from each of three corners of this rectangle. One corner had no appendage.

I am certain of the prevailing wind, not only from lengthy experience here but there was a brush fire currently in progress near Julian, Ca, about 20 miles west-southwest of my location and in the mountains at about 4000 feet. The smoke from that fire was travelling due east and dropping down to the desert floor nearby. This specific location, Clark Dry Lake, typically has a wind from the west-northwest as it is a adjacent to a canyon and is the lowest pass from the Riverside and Los Angeles areas. The wind from the coast funnels through there to the desert floor.