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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/20/2019
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Headed out for a 3 Day back pack to the Santa Rosas with my Brother and a friend. We lucked out with the weather as the wind event had just ended and the temps were in the 40's to 70's at our base camp at the 4000 ft elevation. We started at the Hwy 74 Cactus Spring trail (CST) head and headed south along the CST. Our plan was pick up our water at the Horse Thief creek crossing and base camp the first day and do a search for a back up water source. Day two and day three were day hikes and pack out day three. Leaving Horse Thief creek we carried about 70 pounds of water between the three of us. Once again I am lugging a 60lb back pack as we head for a base camp.
Base camp near the CST with Martinez peak beyond.
Spring wild flowers going up the mountain slopes.
This guy was hanging out near us enjoying the Sun.
Found these Boulder caves near the upper reaches of Horse thief creek.
Neat camp spots with pottery pieces still in place.
Spring flowers with Martinez beyond.
View climbing up Martinez peak. San Jacinto and San Gorgornio beyond.
Rabbit peak beyond
Toro peak with base camp below
Martinez peak boulder looking North. It is a easier climb up to the register on the other side. Bird in frame. Mountian sparrow? Very fast!
Big horn sheep tracks and poop every where. Good sign!
Water still flowing in the upper reaches of Horse thief in Mid April due to wet Winter. Thank God!
Fresh Cougar tracks measured more the 3" across. Here kitty, kitty. Not!
Great trip. Unlimited hiking. Great to be back to this fantastic back country.
Notes:
Mylar balloon count 8
Found a another Jack Miller corral near the creek. Jack was a rancher and prospector of the Jack Miller rock house fame. Flooded and buried and unearthed again by floods. He lived in the area for over 30+ years and was all over this place.
The flood waters rose to a height of over 10 feet Above present Horse Thief creek. Hope next Winter is as good!
Cheers!
edited by rockhopper on 4/20/2019
edited by rockhopper on 4/20/2019
edited by rockhopper on 4/20/2019
edited by rockhopper on 4/21/2019
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/21/2019
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Beautiful and great post...my back started hurting right at "we carried about 70 pounds of water". I hope to get back out soon.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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Britain Posts: 604
4/21/2019
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Nice pack. Thanks for sharing.
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Cant drive 55
Britain
http://icorva.com
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tommy750 Posts: 1049
4/21/2019
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Looks like a nice trip. Cactus Spring dry? Here's an interesting BLM study of water sources in the Santa Rosas from a while back if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.cvmshcp.org/pdf%20files/Water%20Sources-SRSJNM%20FINAL%20REPORT-UCR.pdf
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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/21/2019
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tommy750 wrote:
Looks like a nice trip. Cactus Spring dry? Here's an interesting BLM study of water sources in the Santa Rosas from a while back if you haven't already seen it:
http://www.cvmshcp.org/pdf%20files/Water%20Sources-SRSJNM%20FINAL%20REPORT-UCR.pdf[/quote]
Thanks for the link. Lots of good info on the old timers and water sources.
Cactus spring: I have never seen water flowing out of Cactus spring in many years. A old timer I saw told me it stopped flowing after an earth quake. You can dig down and wait for a seep. I always carried in water from Horse Thief creek.
Auga Alta spring update: We passed 3 fellow hikers that said they were out at Agua Alta and cleaned out the pipe into the spring and the water was flowing real good. I thanked them very much!
Also: Snow level on N. side of Santa Rosas was around the 7500' level with patches lower. The main entrance to Toro peak off the Hwy 74 was locked. :-o
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/21/2019
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rockhopper wrote:
The main entrance to Toro peak off the Hwy 74 was locked. :-o That is interesting....hummm...
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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tommy750 Posts: 1049
4/21/2019
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dsefcik wrote:
rockhopper wrote:
The main entrance to Toro peak off the Hwy 74 was locked. :-o That is interesting....hummm...
Still closed due to winter storms: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recarea/?recid=81714
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tommy750 Posts: 1049
4/21/2019
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rockhopper wrote:
Auga Alta spring update: We passed 3 fellow hikers that said they were out at Agua Alta and cleaned out the pipe into the spring and the water was flowing real good. I thanked them very much!
That's good to hear. Have only been there once about three years ago. Here's the spring before Daren put his back into it...
 Agua Alta Spring by tomteske, on Flickr
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/21/2019
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tommy750 wrote:
That's good to hear. Have only been there once about three years ago. Here's the spring before Daren put his back into it... That was a good trip...!!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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Rocko1 Posts: 597
4/22/2019
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Awesome trip report. How far down the CST did you make it? See anyone else out there?
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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/22/2019
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Rocko1
This was my Brothers 1st time down the Cactus Spring Trail so we made it as far as the pass going down to the Agua Alta spring, the start of the Martinez mountain climb. I think this is like the 6th time I have been out here. I went up the CST up Martinez canyon to Jack Millers rock house from Hwy 86 and down the CST from Hwy 74 to the Jack Miller rock house. This trip was more about exploring areas I passed thru before. We saw a few day hikers day one. Nobody on day two, but we could faintly hear the Coachella concert ( only the bass) ha!
edited by rockhopper on 4/22/2019
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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/22/2019
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tommy750 wrote:
dsefcik wrote:
rockhopper wrote:
The main entrance to Toro peak off the Hwy 74 was locked. :-o That is interesting....hummm...
Still closed due to winter storms: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recarea/?recid=81714[/quote]
Have you seen the new gate? It is truly Massive and closer to the Hwy than the old one. The old gate has never been closed in close to 40 years I have been going up there even in the Winter. We thought it was closed due to the Coachella concerts. Thanks for the link. You always chime in with great info. Thanks!
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tommy750 Posts: 1049
4/22/2019
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rockhopper wrote:
tommy750 wrote:
dsefcik wrote:
rockhopper wrote:
The main entrance to Toro peak off the Hwy 74 was locked. :-o That is interesting....hummm...
Still closed due to winter storms: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recarea/?recid=81714[/quote]
Have you seen the new gate? It is truly Massive and closer to the Hwy than the old one. The old gate has never been closed in close to 40 years I have been going up there even in the Winter. We thought it was closed due to the Coachella concerts. Thanks for the link. You always chime in with great info. Thanks!
This site has indicated the road was closed multiple times in the past few years. But, I've never actually drove out there and checked...
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Rocko1 Posts: 597
4/23/2019
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rockhopper wrote:
Rocko1
This was my Brothers 1st time down the Cactus Spring Trail so we made it as far as the pass going down to the Agua Alta spring, the start of the Martinez mountain climb. I think this is like the 6th time I have been out here. I went up the CST up Martinez canyon to Jack Millers rock house from Hwy 86 and down the CST from Hwy 74 to the Jack Miller rock house. This trip was more about exploring areas I passed thru before. We saw a few day hikers day one. Nobody on day two, but we could faintly hear the Coachella concert ( only the bass) ha!
edited by rockhopper on 4/22/2019
Nice! Can you leave a car at the trail head multiple days?
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tekewin Posts: 371
4/23/2019
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Martinez looks like a fun day hike. I appreciate the high def photos. Thanks for the report.
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Buford Posts: 459
4/23/2019
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Cool report. Too many places to explore and not enough time. I need to make it out that way at some point.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/24/2019
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Rocko1
No problems leaving the car for multiple days at the CST trail head. Only nice people go hiking right?
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