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tommy750 Posts: 1077
1 days ago
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Most probably wouldn't consider June Wash an attractive choice for a day hike, but climb to its "headwaters" and you might return with a different perspective. June Wash actually ends just east of the summit of Whale Pk and from what Google Maps labels as the Diablo Pk trailhead, it's a good 15 mile 4K g/l trip checking a lot of the standard desert hike boxes.
 IMG_0100 by tomteske, on Flickr
For the past couple of years I've been wanting to explore the flats east of Whale and was able to hike up Bisnaga Alta to one of them ( https://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/Forum/topic1681-bisnaga-alta-to-near-whale-peak.aspx ). Last November and last month I took a couple more hikes to the area. The blue dot is the flat I visited in 2023 and the red dots are from last month. You can see June actually starts just east of one of them.
 June Wash by tomteske, on Flickr
You do have to climb up a rather braided wash to get close to Whale and are finally met with this, a sandstone wall pushed up against the granite of the Vallecito Mts.
 IMG_0115 (1) by tomteske, on Flickr
 IMG_0127 by tomteske, on Flickr
Here's a geological map showing the contact and faulting with the orange dot marking June wash.
 June Geology by tomteske, on Flickr
There's maybe a dozen 10 ft dry falls ahead but all are easy to climb.
 IMG_0128 by tomteske, on Flickr
Things get a little more interesting with this 70-80 footer.
 IMG_0134 by tomteske, on Flickr
The lower half is not bad but the remaining part is fairly slick and as a solo old guy hiker, I decided to not risk it and try a potential bypass to the left of the photo.
 IMG_0136 by tomteske, on Flickr
Fortunately, the steep bypass was doable and actually scattered with pottery sherds so I knew I was on the "preferred route." At the top was a large rock shelter with rock walls, pottery and milling.
 IMG_0159 by tomteske, on Flickr
 IMG_0157 (1) by tomteske, on Flickr
 IMG_0147 by tomteske, on Flickr
Further up the wash were rock circles with pottery sherds and more milling. I still had a mile or so and 1K elevation gain to get to the first flat and it was getting late so I turned around stopping at the Whale Peak guzzler on the way down.
 IMG_0205 by tomteske, on Flickr
These bees need a lifeguard.
 IMG_0211 by tomteske, on Flickr
Finally returned last month and made it up using another ridge.
 IMG_1742 by tomteske, on Flickr
Nice pot drop about 2/3 of the way up.
 IMG_1750 by tomteske, on Flickr
Finally made it to the first flat and found a total of one pottery sherd. The second flat had nothing cultural but nice views all the way to San Jacinto.
 IMG_1758 by tomteske, on Flickr
 IMG_1760 by tomteske, on Flickr
The ridge route back had one annoying bouldery descent I wasn't expecting but the rest was the typical.
Found this guy scattered down the drainage below the guzzler which descends 400 ft before rudely cliffing out literally twenty feet from the wash. Fortunately found a workaround to the left.
 IMG_1766 by tomteske, on Flickr
This little curious guy followed me for a bit down the wash. Hard to see looking straight at it but at a distance the eyeshine was amazing. Enjoy!
 IMG_1768 by tomteske, on Flickr
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