ziphius

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11/21/2012 Topic: Torote Canyon Loop - Solo Backpacking TR ziphius	Nice trip. Sounds like there is a lot of sheep activity in that area lately, heh? Did you run across any water / springs? I'm debating whether or not to lug my tent with me this weekend. It would be great to leave it behind if the wind isn't going to come up. Like you, I'm planning on "camping high" for the views and opportunities to look into some nooks and crannies that I've spied through binoculars on my last trip. Jim
11/21/2012 Topic: Hapaha Flat, Dave Mcain Spring, Split Rock ziphius	Yep, you have the luckiest kids on the planet! Any water at the spring / tank? Jim
11/21/2012 Topic: Torote Canyon Loop - Solo Backpacking TR ziphius	hikerdmb wrote: Daren... I went back and looked at your old TR and I did indeed do the same loop. I figured my trip somewhere between 6-7 miles. That is exactly where that mountain is so it must be False Sombrero. ziphius... I did NOT see any water or springs on this trip but I did see the palm grove that is above the north fork of Indian Valley and it might have water. It looked very green in there. Maybe someone else has been up there. It looked really rugged up there from the vantage point of my camp. I like going without a tent as long as there is no wind. Nothing like "camping high" in the desert. rockhopper... There were plenty of side canyons/valleys and peaks and peaklets all over that area just begging to be explored and I couldn't believe the amount of animal tracks through there. David David, thanks for the info. Your description of the many animal tracks has got me thinking that I should take 1/2 day or more on my upcoming trip to find a good vantage point and "just sit" and see what walks or flys by. That's a hard thing to do, because I always feel like I should be "on the move". - Jim
11/25/2012 Topic: Torote Canyon Loop - Solo Backpacking TR ziphius	Awesome Daren! Exactly what I'm hoping for. I'll be careful. Daren Sefcik wrote: ziphius wrote: I'm planning on "camping high" for the views and opportunities to look into some nooks and crannies that I've spied through binoculars on my last trip. Jim Be careful of what you might find up in those nooks and crannies...
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area ziphius	Arrived at Agua Caliente on Friday afternoon, paid my $3 a day to park in the day-use area, and set out with my pack on my back and an extra gallon of water to hand-carry. Perfect weather for walking. Since I got a late start anyway, I decided to set Camp One: Not the most-inviting spot, but I knew the weather would be dry and I needed to practice pulling cholla spines out of my calves anyway. The first night, I did a moonlight scramble up to a nearby ridge. I couldn’t believe what I saw across the valley to my NW. An eerie purple light (no Timothy Leary jokes please) emanating from an impossibly steep spot halfway up a mountain between Squaw and Moonlight canyons. Somewhere around 2200 ft. Someone out looking for scorpions with a UV light? Luckily, I was carrying my binoculars with me and could now see it was a ‘purple tube’ with light emanating from inside. A tent. Up there? Who would camp there on purpose? Did someone manage to get caught out after dark and decide to bivouac there? I checked their location again after I returned to camp, did some triangulating so I could relocate the spot in daylight, but whoever it was was gone by morning. View from Camp One in the morning: I started out for Inner Pasture in the morning to check on the status of a water cache I left in May. Good news, it is still there, no worse for the wear. I did notice that the low winter sun was striking the plastic container though. Not sure how long it will last, this is somewhat of an experiment (or a needed gallon of water for some future trip). It will be packed out, either way. After some hours hiking with the big pack, I saw a shady overhang near some large boulders and decided to take an early lunch. Check out that loaf of bread .... olive and rosemary .... I was dining gourmet! Weird pattern on the sheltered side of a boulder that I thought I should photograph. Don’t know what to make of it. I call it ‘petromaybe’. I enjoyed this trip because of the amount of time I spent with the big pack OFF and the light pack ON. Made exploring much easier and satisfying. Don’t worry, I still got a good workout hiking in and out. Saw my first dragonfly of the trip after lunch and tentatively identified it through my binoculars as a ‘Variegated Meadowhawk’. They range all the way south to Honduras and north into Canada. Remember a thread I posted here about wanting to know about the sighting locations of dragonflies and damselflies in ABDSP, because I thought these locations would yield clues to water…. well, it turns out that this particular species is often found FAR from any water, especially during migration, which is right now for this species. But keep the sightings coming if you see ‘em, other species will yield better information. Decided to try and sneak up on this one for photos. I’ve got a small point-n-shoot digital, so I’ve got to get close. Initial attempts scared off the dragonfly, so I tried coming at it from below: This seemed to work, but I couldn’t stand, otherwise it would fly off. It took laying on my side initially, with my arm outstretched, trying to keep my hand/camera from shaking: Then I planted one palm on the ground and raised myself into a yoga pose for a closer attempt. Start in a push-up position, then raise one hand off the ground, rotate your body to the side of your raised hand, lift your head and raise camera arm as high as possible. And make sure you get the exposure correct. Several attempts yielded half-of-a-dragonfly, blurry-dragonfly, and then finally: I think that was my favorite moment of the trip! Later in the day, I photographed a rusty stain on a boulder, thinking, I’d better have, because this is the closest thing I’ve seen to a picto yet. I call it, guess what, ‘pictomaybe’. I’m imagining all sorts of things in this rock, a fish, a human-figure… time to request D-stretch! Encountered a bonsai-like sugarbush (Rhus ovata) later in the day, which had wrapped itself around a boulder. And an interesting set of seed pods, on what I tentatively identified as a cat claw (?): Later in the day, as the shadows grew long, I came upon some tendrils on the ground and decided to have some fun. I call this Freddy Kruger goes hiking: The last morning, before packing up, I went for my morning constitutional walk to loosen up the effects of sleeping on a pad. I decided to walk off the beaten track, avoiding the old jeep road, instead going straight through the worst ocotillo and cholla gardens I could find. Figured I’d head to the north end of Inner Pasture, since I hadn’t been along that rim yet. Back in February, I had found a couple of pottery pieces and was hoping to see one more if I was lucky. Plenty of jackrabbits out that morning. I found an interesting burl from a fallen ocotillo and liked the pattern it left: The sun was up a little bit now and I saw an illuminated circle up ahead. Hmm. Turns out it was an anthill just catching the morning light: It was a gorgeous morning, with Red Top in the distance. As I got closer to camp, I saw a fragment of rock. My brain said, wait… Sharp. Different. Doesn’t Belong Here. Those three phrases spilled out of my brain as I came upon it: An arrowhead or point, whatever the appropriate term is. It felt really good in my hand and I wondered if it had been used or merely lost. Funny how our initial reaction is to want to possess something like this, take it home, show people, and honestly, that was my gut response. I took a few photos and left it there. Maybe I was the first non-native in a long time to handle this. It makes sense, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been there for me to find. I left it there so that someone else may stumble upon it one day. The location is general, I doubt I could ever relocate it again, even knowing its proximity to my camp. I want to know what kind of rock it is and how far it traveled to get to this spot, where only quartz and decomposed granite seem to exist. I’d like to dedicate this trip to my boots, which kept me out of harm’s way. And my folding pliers, which got me out of trouble with the cholla more than once. Thanks for reading and looking. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/7/2012
11/26/2012 Topic: Anza Borrego Thanksgiving ziphius	That looks great Bob! Friends and I have a tradition of driving a cooked turkey, pumpkin pie, etc. out to any trailhead with a picnic table, hiking for a couple of hours so we're starving by the time we get back... and then it is mayhem. This year this Turkey Day hike was the east end of the Santa Ysabel Preserve. We saw a bunch of wild turkeys during the walk and an immature golden or bald eagle. Good-looking turkey.... Jim
11/26/2012 Topic: Box Canyon ziphius	I like that area and hiked it a year ago. Like others have said here, the Mormon Battalion history is very interesting. These were tough folks in the days before Goretex. Apparently, you can find some rust marks in east county (maybe in Box Canyon too?) from the repeated traverses of wagon wheels through ruts in the rock. Nice butterfly photos. - Jim
11/26/2012 Topic: Table Mountain Pictographs ziphius	Congrats Tom on your 1st scat photo! Some creepy pictos there. Some of them look like boot prints. I wonder what the symbols mean? Those metates look like the real deal, heh? - Jim
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area ziphius	surfponto wrote: Great TR Jim, Everything from a mysterious purple light, to pictographs to arrowheads. Looks like it was a great adventure. Really like the closeup of the dragonfly picture. I wanted to comment on the tendrils going across the desert floor. We saw the same in Box Canyon. Very invasive vine! If you look close the "vines" cover the plants around them and smother them. Pretty eerie. My wife and I tried to pull a bunch of it off but it was pretty futile. I am wondering what it is? Pretty sure it is not Sahara Mustard so i am wondering if we should ask the park service? Bob edited by surfponto on 11/26/2012 I'm betting if I had stood there long enough, the vines would have absorbed me into the surrounding countryside. Like something out of a horror flick. Jim
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area ziphius	I almost forgot, I photographed another boulder that had some suspicious-looking marks, more like modern graffiti. Does anyone see a three-letter word in these photos? edited by ziphius on 11/26/2012
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area ziphius	Nolan wrote: Nice Trip! Love the ant hill pic. Your mysterious purple light sighting might be related to one of these stories.... there may be buried treasure where that light was :0 Check it out http://issuu.com/awodigitaledition/docs/ss_offroad_october2012?mode=window&viewMode=doublePage starts on pg 26 I like it. The ghost lights of Borrego. But these were pretty obvious. Just in a crazy spot.
11/27/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area ziphius	Thanks for the comments gang. Daren, nope, I wasn't walking through cat claw in the fleece pants, those are just for lounging around camp at night. I ran my photo through the D-stretch applet, trying various options (worked my way through the entire menu I think) and came up with the photo below. I'm guessing not a picto. Boy, if you saw a lot of people on your trip, given your proposed route, what does it take to get away from it all? I saw three sets of tracks between the mouth of Moonlight Canyon (where it meets Inner Pasture) and in IP itself. Two sets were a pair travelling together, typical hiking soles. The third was a loner with shoes that had no pattern on the bottom, and they weren't cowboy boots. Old-school shoes, like a CPA might wear. This person came from the direction of Crawford Ranch and worked his / her way up to the mouth of Moonlight Canyon. I lost the tracks after that. edited by ziphius on 11/27/2012 edited by ziphius on 11/27/2012
11/27/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak ziphius	John, That is a nice route to Sombrero. There is a great (I hope it is still there) gnarled, bonsai-like specimen of mountain mahogany growing out of a crack in a boulder almost at the summit. It's my favorite individual plant in the whole of ABDSP. Please pay my respects to it if you see it. It is likely over 100 years old. - Jim edited by ziphius on 11/27/2012
11/29/2012 Topic: Torote Canyon Video ziphius	Great video David, you can't go wrong with Wilco. Video has me chomping at the bit to get back out asap. Liked the route you took down from camp into Indian Valley. Throw in some close-ups of the animal tracks on your next production! - Jim
12/3/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak Hike Report ziphius	Looks like it was a great day! I've done the same west approach a few times and always forgot how deceptively close Sombrero looks as you are walking towards it. Any photos of the tracks you saw? Nice TR. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/3/2012
12/4/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) ziphius	Awesome display Daren! Your camera must have been smoking! Some of the positioning of the glyphs is impressive. I'm imagining the artist leaning into the rock, on a ledge no wider than a foot, 25 ft above the deck, chipping away. I'm with Tom, the Navy takes its resource management very seriously and has done a great job protecting these sites. As a biologist, I wish that the military owned MORE land in California.... the animals and cultural sites ultimately are better-protected than if the land were public (imagine if Camp Pendleton were suddenly open to developers ....). The preponderance of bighorn glyphs made we wonder how many bighorn (if any) still occur in the China Lake area. I read this morning that over 50,000 bighorn petroglyphs have been found in the Coso range alone. As recently as 2005, there was a translocation effort to supplement China Lake with bighorn from Mojave National Preserve: http://theguzzler.blogspot.com/2005/12/relocation-project-planned-for-bighorn.html In 2005, the bighorn population at China Lake was pretty small, 17 rams and 2 ewes. Haven't found any more recent info. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/4/2012
12/5/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip ziphius	The weather was awesome that weekend, wasn't it? ! I was looking forward to this post. Great trip Daren and kudos on the balloon haul. Trips without any geographic goals or agenda are my favorites...seems like you discover more by poking around than by covering ground. The photo of you and Gary is my favorite. I was beginning to wonder if we were only going to see glimpses of the mystery man in your posts. Nice pictos too, were they exposed or in a cave? That arrowhead looks like quartz, heh? Nice find. Any animal signs out there? I don't think I'm a Yoni-believer just yet. That would have taken a lot of work in an already busy schedule, what, with all the rock art and other things on their agenda. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/5/2012
12/6/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon Trestle Via MTB ziphius	Looks like a great trip! Really, particle board? Yikes. Where did you start riding? - Jim
12/7/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) ziphius	Boy, what I wouldn't give for the chance to walk that canyon 14,000 - 16,000 years ago. I also like the sentence: One small deer-figure is found at eye level on the east wall (5). It has weathered back to the original color of the native rock and appears only when the sun strikes it obliquely.
12/7/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video ziphius	Great video, looks like fun!
12/8/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip ziphius	tommy750 wrote: Nolan (anutami) wrote: Pretty crazy I am in little blair right now with 4g I hear you. The girlfriend and I are in the Table Mt. backcountry right now enjoying a campfire and both surfing the net. You guys get off the internet right now and look at the stars!
12/10/2012 Topic: Yuha Day Trip ziphius	That looks like an interesting area Dave. Dog enjoyed the trip too, heh? I bet there are a few shark teeth fossils in among the oyster fossils, but it takes some work to go through those fossil beds meticulously. Nice trip. - Jim
12/12/2012 Topic: What are you reading? ziphius	The Mysterious Lands Survival Skills of Native California The Devil's Highway: A True Story I read Lester Reed's 'Old Time Cattlemen' last year. edited by ziphius on 12/13/2012
12/12/2012 Topic: Wind Power Facility - Wildlife Fatality Levels ziphius	This came to my email box today. Software Offers Tool to Evaluate Wildlife Fatalities at Wind-Power Facilities Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST CORVALLIS, Ore.— Resource managers now have a user-friendly tool to estimate wildlife fatalities at wind-power facilities, thanks to software and auser's guide released today by the U.S. Geological Survey. The software combines counts of animal carcasses and detection-rate information to estimate the number of fatalities and to provide measures of uncertainty of these estimates to help managers address concerns about the potential environmental effects of this rapidly expanding industry. Bird and bat fatalities at some wind-power facilities have led to recommendations and sometimes requirements from state and federal regulators that facility managers monitor wildlife fatalities as a condition for facility development and operation. Usually this monitoring involves searching for carcasses beneath and near turbines. Unfortunately, simple counts of dead animals do not reflect actual fatality because carcasses are detected at varying rates. Carcasses may be removed by scavenging animals before monitors are able to include them in count information. Some species are inherently easier to detect than others; for example, an eagle is much easier to find than is a hummingbird. Furthermore, carcasses can be obscured by vegetation or fall in steep terrain that is difficult or impossible to search. In 2010, USGS scientist Manuela Huso published an approach to estimating fatality that accounts for variable detection rates among carcasses. The tool being released today, that Huso and collaborators Nick Som and Lew Ladd of EcoStats, LLC subsequently developed, provides a bridge between the highly technical details of her original publication to the needs of consultants and field managers conducting wildlife monitoring. "Accurate and unbiased estimates are critical to our understanding of the effects of wind-power facilities on wildlife," Huso said. "They are necessary to compare techniques currently available to managers to reduce fatalities, to assess cumulative effects on wildlife populations, and to develop predictions of potential fatality prior to a facility's construction. Even more important are measures of the uncertainty associated with estimates of fatality, which this software also provides." This software has its limitations, however. A different set of statistical tools is needed to evaluate fatality of a particular species for which few individuals are expected to be killed but for which accurate estimates of fatality are critical, e.g. rare or endangered species. Huso said the USGS is working to develop these tools as well. Once these tools are available USGS will release them to the public. The publication is Huso, M.M., Som, N., Ladd, L., 2012, Fatality Estimator User's Guide: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 729. edited by ziphius on 12/12/2012
12/13/2012 Topic: What are you reading? ziphius	rockhopper wrote: Thanks for the suggestions. Heres a short one I liked http://angeles.sierraclub.org/dps/archives/dps00752.htm Great thread. The trip he describes, Villager - Rabbit - Toro - etc. is inspiring and makes me feel like a complete wimp. Daren, thanks for the tip. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/13/2012
12/17/2012 Topic: Lower Harper Canyon and New Tent ziphius	Harper Canyon looks like a nice spot, never been there. I'm a Big Agnes user too: edited by ziphius on 12/17/2012
12/17/2012 Topic: East Carrizo Canyon and June Wash ziphius	Nice trip Dave. Enjoyed the rainbows and washes. You were SOOOO close to Diablo.
12/17/2012 Topic: Carrizo Mountain & Yuha Basin ziphius	That first photo is ethereal and I'd be tempted to do some Photoshop magic to 'erase' the vehicles. Nice spot! The scallop fossil is awesome too. Kids love finding that sort of stuff. Did you approach Carrizo Mtn. through the jeep trail in Painted Gorge?
12/18/2012 Topic: Carrizo Mountain & Yuha Basin ziphius	Tommy, nice 'David Copperfield' job on the disappearing vehicles!
12/18/2012 Topic: East Carrizo Canyon and June Wash ziphius	DRT Lakeside wrote: On the plus side, I was able to find my old GPS Unit (never used it much and had it in a box in the garage as I thought it had stopped working-turns out the "new" batteries I kept putting in were not new) Anyway it took a while to find satellites once powered up, but it works fine now. I will be studying up ahead of our next trip It is not the latest but should work fine for me once I get the hang of it. Thanks again I've had enough issues with batteries where I'm always prepared to navigate "old-school": edited by ziphius on 12/18/2012
12/18/2012 Topic: Pinto Wash Petroglyphs ziphius	Tom, thanks for the update on the skull. Quite the sleuth job re-locating your hiking poles on 'meetup'. Glad to hear that your hiking poles are being put to good use.
12/19/2012 Topic: East Carrizo Canyon and June Wash ziphius	It is a fun, or a game-within-a-game activity to ignore your GPS for awhile, figure out where you are via map and compass, and THEN see how much difference (if any) there is between where you really are and where you think you are.
12/21/2012 Topic: Canyon Sin Nombre to Indian Gorge ziphius	I was laughing with the Shrek soundtrack playing during the Old Country Road video! It looks like you guys had a great time. That photo of the water-filled morteros (you did see standing water!) with the cave in the background is great. It just oozes pottery shards, arrow points, and pictographs somewhere nearby. Awesome rainbow too. I'm wondering if my 2WD sedan handle the Indian Gorge portion of road shown in your second video. Any thoughts on driving a 2WD sedan along the dashed road section of Indian Gorge in the pic below are welcome. - Jim edited by ziphius on 12/21/2012
12/21/2012 Topic: Canyon Sin Nombre to Indian Gorge ziphius	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Yeah, shrek is one of a few dvds that can entertain kids and adults. Your 2wd sedan should have no problem in Indian gorge. The only problem is protruding rocks in the first couple miles. Just do some careful driving. The dotted section is compacted sand with no rocks. You can get going pretty good. The problem is if someone is coming in the opposite direction and you stray from the road. There was a 70 year old man from carlsbad who drove his 2wd s-10 fully loaded with 2 weeks of supplies to the end of south fork indian gorge and was just leaving when I pulled up. I was jealous he was out there 2 weeks! Poor guy had been searching for the solstice cave and never found it. He said he drove through the old county road area and got "delayed". The tire tracks are about 10"-12" deep maybe more. I would avoid that area without high clearance at the least. I'm jealous that the old man was out there for 2 weeks too! Thanks for the info. - Jim
12/21/2012 Topic: Best Scat Finds ziphius	Oh man, I was eating lunch when I saw the 'scat soup' update. And Daren thought this thread would fade into oblivion....
12/21/2012 Topic: Best Scat Finds ziphius	dsefcik wrote: Found this fine specimen at Cuyamaca last week This one looks more like a "pellet", something regurgitated by an owl. ??
12/21/2012 Topic: Dos Cabezas advice ziphius	Never been to the Dos Cabezas area. Is is advisable / possible with a 2WD sedan, given either of the two routes I've outlined below? Any other tidbits of info are welcome. Jim edited by ziphius on 12/21/2012
12/21/2012 Topic: Dos Cabezas advice ziphius	Caution, not a slam dunk, I understand, many thanks. edited by ziphius on 12/21/2012
12/21/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article ziphius	surfponto wrote: I love seeing my employer (UCSD) installing more and more PV. UCSD has covered the building I work in (pic) as well as the parking structures around campus with large photo-voltaic panels. No nature was harmed in the making of this solar farm I was happy to see those PV panels going up at UCSD. Always brings a smile to my face when I walk up there for lunch.
12/25/2012 Topic: Dos Cabezas advice ziphius	Thanks gang! We made it in the Honda, along the blue route mainly, but did not cross the tracks at any point. Trip report pending! Jim
12/26/2012 Topic: Davies Valley and Pinto Canyon ziphius	Thanks for sharing that awesome trip Tom. I was so mesmerized by the glyphs on the right of your 1st photo, that I completely missed the human figures to the left. Those petroglyphs are quite ornate and eeire. Yep, No Country For Old Men ran through my mind when I saw the bullet-ridden SUVs. I'd say you've found a 2nd sleeping circle for sure. Great trip. Jim edited by ziphius on 1/4/2013
1/2/2013 Topic: Piedras Grandes, Blair Valley, June Wash, IP ziphius	Happy to report that I spent more time in the desert over the break than I spent at home. Three separate trips, two with my girlfriend and one with my daughter, including a 3-night backpack into June Wash and Inner Pasture. Came away amazed at the hidden treasures and beauty out there... seashells imported from far away into Inner Pasture, obsidian points, a two-headed 'petroglyph' pecked into the wall of a cave, snow on Red Top, a yoni (I'm starting to believe a little), a dead loggerhead shrike, morteros and grinding stones, my very first (and my daughter's) BIGHORN SHEEP sighting.... etc. I'm a little overwhelmed at the experiences of the past week. Here's some photos: Many thanks to forum members for their advice on the best route for my girlfriend's 2wd Honda (she calls it the Rubiconda) to Dos Cabezas, where the holiday season began: Pictos found first by moonlight hike, returned next morning to photograph: Sun yoni? I'm starting to believe. Blair Valley gourds: Fresh bighorn tracks: Fresh bighorn scat: Fresh bighorn sheep! Checking on my water cache with the kid prior to the backpack trip. End of day trip at Mile 41 marker. Morning after setting up tent in the rain and wind near June Wash: Wabbit season.... Morteros and what looks like the matching grinding stone: Nice points in the morning light. The obsidian point is my favorite. Nice serrated quartz point: When you find seashell fragments (not fossilized) in Inner Pasture, you are looking at trade items from either the Pacific or the Sea of Cortez. This was one of four found: My girlfriend and I are debating about how old (or genuine) this might be. Found in cave in IP. Yucca seed pods emptied: View to Inner Pasture from north rim of Inner Pasture. You can see 'Pattern' in the far distance: Red Top from top of north rim of Inner Pasture: Found this freshly dead loggerhead shrike the last night of the trip. edited by ziphius on 1/3/2013
1/2/2013 Topic: June Wash, Torote Canyon, Indian Hill ziphius	Like I've said a couple of times in regard to your posts, your kids are the luckiest kids on the planet! Looks like we weren't far apart, we had the same view of the mile 41 canyon that leads toward Inner Pasture on Sunday night. Rain, snow up high, great light, heh? Great photos and trip report! - Jim
1/2/2013 Topic: Nolina Wash ziphius	That looks like a fun trip Bob! The rock formation is very curious..... Jim
1/2/2013 Topic: Gray Mountain ziphius	Wow, that's the biggest piece of pottery I've seen. You almost had the whole olla! Great puddle too. How deep was it? I salivate over desert water. I was adding up all the water that I found in morteros this week and figured I could have extended my trip by a day if I had harvested it all.....
1/3/2013 Topic: Piedras Grandes, Blair Valley, June Wash, IP ziphius	Yep, it was a cold trip! I brought my 15 degree mummy bag! I saw a tuna can or two in a difficult boulder-strewn canyon exit in north Inner Pasture at roughly 33.931 and 116.339. Can only imagine that the walkers had one thing on their mind: NORTH! Certainly are better options for getting out of IP and out to S2, heh? Also forget to post another point found during this same trip: Other trip memories were the numerous water-filled morteros, some with live bees drinking away at them. There were a few dead bees in them too, which tells me that even bees make mistakes! edited by ziphius on 1/3/2013
1/7/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park ziphius	Great trip Daren! The bighorn munching on the barrel cactus reminded me that I've recently seen a lot of munched barrel cactus at the bottom of 'mile 41 canyon' that leads to IP, along with bighorn scat / tracks. This is coincidentally where my daughter and I saw bighorn last week. My girlfriend was wondering if the bighorn might purposefully dislodge barrel cactus on the steep slopes above 'canyon 41' , where they would bounce down the slopes, crack open, and be ready for the eating when they came to rest. Those fossil cat tracks are great too. Never been to the Fish Creek area. I was wondering how you guys were going to traverse from Canebrake over into Potrero, thanks for posting an image of the pass. Was Joel happy to be reunited with his old canteen? edited by ziphius on 1/7/2013
1/7/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park ziphius	Follow-up question: what are the sizes of the feline fossil prints?
1/7/2013 Topic: Pinyon Wash to Harper Flat and Cabin ziphius	Nice area and trip. Any idea what the claim was for? I guess it could have been for one of many minerals, heh? I like that the cabin utilized the existing terrain for a lot of the wall structure. Impressive dam. Any mylar balloons seen?
1/8/2013 Topic: Travertine Palms Oasis and Caves ziphius	That's a great trip in an area we don't get to see often. The obsidian outcrop is great. Reminds me of the obsidian points shown at the ABDSP visitor center that came from the Mine Wash area, where they state that the nearest source of obsidian comes from the Salton Sea. Photos of those old native trails just tie that whole collection, transport, and production of obsidian points from that region to other parts of AB together.... Any water at Travertine?
1/9/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park ziphius	dsefcik wrote: Jim (ziphius) wrote: Follow-up question: what are the sizes of the feline fossil prints? Regular 50-60lb dog size in the mud....I think the Remeika document has details of them. I think Joel humored me for the canteen photo as he hiked on and left me in the dust, he is tougher,smarter and in better shape than most people I know. Daren, you ought to consider growing a huge beard so you fit in better with that backpacking crew. I'm envious that you get to spend time with such a knowledgeable and experienced desert gang.
1/10/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park ziphius	Awesome. Jerry Garcia on a bike! dsefcik wrote: Jim (ziphius) wrote: Daren, you ought to consider growing a huge beard so you fit in better with that backpacking crew. I'm envious that you get to spend time with such a knowledgeable and experienced desert gang. How about this..... I suspect once I leave the office enviro I will return to my roots. I am very grateful I am able to spend time hiking with the crowd I do.
1/14/2013 Topic: Lower Myer Creek and Old Hwy 80 ziphius	Definitely an Adelie penguin Tommy! And no doubt the 1st record for AB. You should publish that finding before someone else scoops you on it! Looks like you found part of a bighorn, heh? I've seen people with metal detectors looking for stuff around Millers before.... Your photo of the water jug reminded me that I finally used my water cache that I had left in Inner Pasture back in May. Same kind of jug, but boy, the repeated heating of the water in that jug over the summer months sure gave the water a plastic taste. I'll be striving to cache my water in stainless steel from now on.
1/16/2013 Topic: What are you reading? ziphius	On my last trip to Desert View Tower, I picked up a copy of Earth Pigments and Paint of the California Indians by Paul D. Campbell. Quite interesting, with some great photos of pictographs scattered throughout CA. His other book that Tommy mentions, Survival Skills.... is a good read too. I was particularly mesmerized by the trapping methods they used for small mammals.
1/22/2013 Topic: ACTIVE EAGLE NEST REMOVED TO MAKE WAY FOR WINDFARM ziphius	Progress... and this is from the Canadian government, which has taken a nasty, anti-environmental turn in recent years. Shame on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for issuing similar 'take' permits in our country. If you can't have your own USFWS on the side of the birds, then you are really in for trouble. edited by ziphius on 1/22/2013
1/23/2013 Topic: What are you reading? ziphius	Just picked up a copy of The Desert Bighorn Its Life History, Ecology, and Management. Lots of great information and first-hand stories about bighorn, including historical ranges, known locations (generalized) of rock art depicting bighorns, an account of two golden eagles cooperatively hunting and killing a bighorn lamb, etc. There is an image of a 'death trap tinaja' in the Chocolate Mountains, just 3 miles from the Colorado River, where the remains of 34 bighorn sheep were found in 1969. The image and text from the book is shown below. edited by ziphius on 1/23/2013
1/24/2013 Topic: Where's The Wind? ziphius	Frustrating for the public to get data from any regulatory agency without doing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. I'm not sure that a FOIA request on power generating data would even be honored, as the power producers would likely claim that such data represent 'business trade secrets'.
1/25/2013 Topic: Modern day homesteader ziphius	I'm envious. I've had enough of 9-to-5 and avoiding death on the highways. Tierra Blanca Mountains, here I come. If I ever buy a piece of 'worthless' desert property, I will make sure it has plenty of boulders. What a great building material...
1/25/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 ziphius	Variegated meadowhawk, Inner Pasture: Anthill in Inner Pasture: First bighorn sighting, Dec 2012, near Tierra Blanca Mtns: Piedras Grandes backpacking: Sun yoni: Creepy photoshop experiment from near Red Top: I also like Tommy's petroglyph photos from Pinto Canyon! edited by ziphius on 1/25/2013
1/28/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 ziphius	Great photos everyone. Got permission to post this one, a cold morning in Inner Pasture a few weeks ago: edited by ziphius on 1/28/2013
1/28/2013 Topic: Modern day homesteader ziphius	mrkmc wrote: That is awesome! I came a cross a shack in a mountain range that was partially built into some boulders. No one was there, but it had a window and a locked door! Looked like someones secret hideout, on public land! My dream home!
1/28/2013 Topic: Dos Cabezas Spring and vicinity ziphius	Did a one-night camp near Dos Cabezas. Hiked around the Indian Hill area on the first day. Set out for Mortero Palm Canyon the next morning, with Goat Canyon Trestle as our goal. Thick ground fog east of Octotillo in the morning, howling coyotes in every direction, mild temps. Fun trip. Afternoon view from near Indian Hill: More morteros than I’ve seen on any one rock, near Indian Hill: Recent campfire remains near Indian Hill and charcoal graffiti: Close up of graffiti. Hunter shooting deer? Some of the less-heralded pictos near Indian Hill: Blue sun cave: D stretched pictos: Deep mortero near IH: Rainbow (“rainblock”) near Dos Cabezas: Morning fog in the valley and ever-present Pattern: Mortero Palm Canyon: View of fog and Pattern from Mortero Palm Canyon: Crazy, twisted yucca stalk north of Jacumba Mtn: Close-up: On the way to Goat Canyon: Goat Canyon Trestle: Another mylar convert: On the way to Dos Cabezas Spring: edited by ziphius on 1/28/2013 edited by ziphius on 1/28/2013
1/28/2013 Topic: Dos Cabezas Spring and vicinity ziphius	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Looks like you got some much needed rain. That ground glyph is strange. Hard to tell if it is indeed ancient. I ended up camping right by it when brett and I hiked to mortero palms. Did you d stretch the photo you labeled the less heralded pictos? You always seem to find the coolest type of plant life around. Trip report http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic232-mortero-palms.aspx Here is a stretched version of the 'less-heralded pictographs'. If you squint, maybe you make out a pink/red sun symbol toward to top center of the black picto? The ground glyph had a bunch of pottery pieces in the center, which made me skeptical of it being very old. There were also very unique (non-granite) stones strewn throughout the structure. I should have checked with my compass to see if the 4 points roughly aligned with North-South-East-West. Also forgot to mention that there was flowing water (from a pipe) at Dos Cabezas Spring. The Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon Trestle overlook is very beautiful. The area above Mortero Palms Canyon and above Goat Canyon is relatively flat, with abundant choices for camping. But you've got to lug your pack up there through Mortero Palms Canyon, which is boulder-strewn for a good portion of the trip. edited by ziphius on 1/28/2013
1/28/2013 Topic: Dos Cabezas Spring and vicinity ziphius	surfponto wrote: Looks like you had a great trip. Love that route up and over Mortero Palms and then down into Goat Canyon. Haven't done that route in a few years now. Did you guys actually get rained on? Looks like a lot of water in the morteros. Bob Bob, we saw only sprinkles and arrived Saturday around 2pm. Judging by what I saw on the weather radar news images Friday, I think most of the rain fell that day. The old cement watering trough at the mouth of Mortero Palms Canyon had about 1/2 inch of water in it. There were numerous granite 'birdbaths' full of water almost everywhere we hiked. Dos Cabezas Rd. also had several large puddles. I joked that we didn't even need to bring water on our trip.
1/28/2013 Topic: Rebuilding the 1HZ Diesel Motor ziphius	How many miles on that engine Bob? Rebuilding the engine is one of the greatest forms of recycling you can do. Most people throw in the towel and buy a new vehicle.
1/29/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 ziphius	John, Your photos initially were not showing up, but I checked 'em out through the links I could see, they look great. [ I've found that after making a post, I have to edit and update the topic, then the photos magically appear. Looks like Bob has fixed it for you, man that guy is fast! Maybe it is something buggy with photobucket, which I also use.] Did you hike all the way down the treacherous parts of Goat Canyon for your shot of the trestle? Jim edited by ziphius on 1/29/2013
1/30/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 ziphius	Great photos TR! You don't see many BH photos from above the animal! What general area did you see the BH? Hope your health improves and you get back out there soon. - Jim edited by ziphius on 1/30/2013
2/1/2013 Topic: Borrego off trail camping ziphius	Andew, Welcome aboard! mrkmc not only gave you good camping advice for the park, he posted one of the funniest videos I've ever seen. Jim edited by ziphius on 2/1/2013
2/8/2013 Topic: Question about avatar ziphius	Having a good avatar is pretty important on this forum.
2/8/2013 Topic: Presidents Day Weekend Backpack Anyone Interested? ziphius	Daren, Your post prompted me to read up on Dawn's Peak. It sounds like a good trip. You should see if you can get these guys to go with you: Jerry Schad mentions some petroglyphs in the general vicinity. I can't make it that weekend, but good luck in whatever adventures you encounter. - Jim
2/11/2013 Topic: Subject: Grapevine Cyn Side Trip ziphius	Those morteros are so deep. It must have been a long-used site. Great photos, especially the bighorn. Did you ever 'pull any color' out of that creek back in the 70s?
2/20/2013 Topic: Villager/Rabbit/Dawns Via Mojave & Rockhouse Cyn ziphius	Holy crap. Congrats on making it back safely. The descent from 6582 to RHC sounds like it was sketchy for a portion. Really cool that you found Jerry's register entry. So.... you picked up 10 cached liters near Villager.... how many liters did you carry prior to that point? The petroglyph / picto panel must be the one that Schad mentions in his book, heh? Who was your booze sponsor? Congrats. - Jim PS - Schad mentions that the rock tower on 6582 was built sometime in the 1970s by unknown forces (perhaps extra-terrestrial? ). The tower looks pretty stable after all this time, given how windy it gets up there, earthquakes, etc. Any evidence that it has been maintained / repaired over time? edited by ziphius on 2/20/2013
2/20/2013 Topic: Anza Borrego Wildflower Season Preview - 2013 ziphius	Looks great Bob! Good way to gear up for this year's wildflower season.
2/26/2013 Topic: Villager/Rabbit/Dawns Via Mojave & Rockhouse Cyn ziphius	Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents since Daren's thread evolved into a camera discussion. If you are going to be bush-whacking, descending crazy ridges, occasionally getting rained / snowed on, dropping your pack with your camera in it, you may as well go for one of the waterproof / shockproof point and shoot models. Because these cameras are so LIGHT, they are more likely to be at-the-ready in a shirt pocket when fleeting photo opportunities arise. The 'waterproof' features are usually only good to 20-30 ft., but that is enough for backpacking. It also allows you to do crazy things like submerging your camera in a spring to shoot photos/video of dragonflies in reeds above the surface, smearing peanut butter on the camera and leaving it on in video mode for 30 minutes (secured to a bush) while you go for a walk to see what the ravens will do in your absence....or any other crazy ideas you come up with. Also makes getting the dust off your camera easy in the field, just pour water over it! I've got an old Olympus Stylus 850 with shock / water proof features, it's what I use for all my forum photos. The newer models, such as the Olympus Tough Series look even better at 14 megapixels.
3/5/2013 Topic: Kelly USA - Kelly Volcano Kettle Review ziphius	Looks pretty good Bob, nice video. Might get one!
3/5/2013 Topic: Rockhouse Canyon / Dawns Peak ziphius	The level of detail on those truck scratches says a lot about the Canon Powershot! Did you taste the fruit of the fishhook cactus? I hear they are pretty good. How much water did you cache?
3/5/2013 Topic: Kelly USA - Kelly Volcano Kettle Review ziphius	Yeah, I was wondering what extra parts you would need to cook food with it after checking it out online. It also seems like a good item to have around the house for the inevitable power outages in San Diego. Or the boil-your-water orders following our water-main-of-the-week-breaks. The city is falling apart.
3/5/2013 Topic: Subject: Inner Pasture. Not! ziphius	Don't give up TR! You will gradually work your way up to it. Where were the Border Patrol? At the mouth of mile 41 canyon that leads to Inner Pasture at S2? "A 1,000 mile journey begins with one step."
3/6/2013 Topic: Burial Grounds behind Jacumba? ziphius	Welcome to the forum. The aerial image you posted does show some suspicious geometric features. No matter what these might be, it's generally a safe policy to not broadcast their location to the general public, because there are folks out there who "loot" cultural sites. You will probably notice cryptic references (even photos) on this forum to pictographs, petroglyphs, and other things of cultural interest to us "desert rats". But generally, we won't divulge the locations of things on the forum itself to ensure that these kinds of sites remain protected. There are a lot of folks out there who lurk on forums such as these to pick up tips on where to do their pillaging. I don't even like to get too specific on where I find (and leave in place) arrowheads. Your site does look interesting though! ps - a lot of cell phones and digital cameras these days have GPS-enabled features that add location tags into the metadata of photo files. Other users can get GPS location data from your photos if they know where / how to look. edited by ziphius on 3/6/2013
3/7/2013 Topic: Burial Grounds behind Jacumba? ziphius	Larry, no problem... again welcome aboard. You will find this forum to be a great resource and social spot. Look forward to seeing your posts. - Jim
3/8/2013 Topic: Post your Anza Borrego Sunrise Photo ziphius	I'm always fond of looking in the opposite direction to the sunrise. When I see the rim of Inner Pasture light up in the morning, I know it's going to be a good day: edited by ziphius on 3/8/2013
3/11/2013 Topic: Santa Rosa mountians: Whole lota shaking going on ziphius	Felt it here in La Jolla! US Geological Survey site
3/11/2013 Topic: Smoketree Canyon area ziphius	Nice one-night backpack into the Smoketree Canyon area this weekend with my buddy Dan. A clockwise loop: Things seen, but not photographed: a breeding pair of prairie falcons at a sheer cliff site, a short-eared owl flushed during a daytime walk, a desert iguana that scampered away too quickly. Started out with a drive through Cuyamaca with snow still falling Sat. morning: The view north up Smoketree Wash: Desert poppy I think: Smoketree canyon: Dan and bighorn sheep. Only saw two, but saw them high on the ridge without ever hearing them. They were as still as could be, but their shapes stood out for some reason. Only one remained in sight by the time I raised my camera: View south after gaining a little elevation: The terrain was rocky and canyon-gouged, so any flat spots without rocks were a rarity. Dan wanted the miraculous flat spot photographed: An idea of the terrain, heading north, generally towards Pyramid Peak, but we didn't make it that far: The "brains" of the trip (Dan, you can be the 'brawn'), with Salton Sea and peak 2697 in the background: Gorgeous views to the NE: Peak 2697, below which we would eventually set camp. I spied a suitable camping spot through binos just to the right of this photo, a 1300 ft 'skip' down a ridgeline, following sheep trails. Camp One (and the only camp!): Views from Camp One: Morning views from camp: The next morning, there was some jagged terrain to cross if we wanted to complete this loop. I looked at it and said 'ugh'. But it turned out to be quite enjoyable, with a modicum of adventure: How to get down into one of the canyons that drain to the south that would bring us back to S-22 was the challenge: We had a couple (ok, maybe a few) of false incursions toward the canyon bottom. Eventually, we chose a natural drainage to follow and hoped it wouldn't end at a 20 ft dry fall. After you, Dan! We put a little bit of work in to descend into the bigger canyons, but nothing dangerous: We had to remove packs in other tight places to get under boulders that had blocked our progress: Found a natural arch in the sandstone, something I had not seen in AB before: From the other side: The walking was easy in the canyon bottom for the most part: I was sitting, having lunch when Dan said, hey, look at THAT. I looked up and saw this: Then I looked closer: Dan always notices stuff that I miss, he's a good hiking partner to have. Dan immediately dismissed this as modern and I sort of did too. But now I'm wondering.....there was no modern graffiti in the immediate vicinity and this was pretty faint, whaddya think? : More modern petroglyphs: We eventually came to where the canyon met S-22 and I knew there was going to be an erosion control pipe going under the road, but I didn't think we would be able to walk through it: The south side of the pipe at S-22 and the beginning of a jaunt partly on and off S22 back to Smoketree Wash: Nice trip to a part of AB that I had never seen before. I think a future trip would involve bringing more than 6 liters of water and making it all the way to Pyramid Peak, making the clockwise loop a bit bigger and exiting somewhere closer to Calcite Mine. Thanks Dan for driving and suggesting the trip. - Jim edited by ziphius on 3/11/2013 edited by ziphius on 3/11/2013
3/11/2013 Topic: Another Carrizo Canyon Cave ziphius	Gorgeous photos Tom and it looks like a great trip. I've come home with ticks that I find 2 days later, eeeeeek! I've found that storing your camp clothing in the freezer overnight DOES kill them.
3/11/2013 Topic: Smoketree Canyon area ziphius	Bob, I think we maxed out between 70-75 degrees, judging by what the car thermometer said when we got back and started the drive home. We had good breezes most of time and when we weren't exposed to the wind, we got some shade in the canyons. Brought back memories of fossil hunting north of Ocotillo several summers ago, following a flash flood in the area. We were hopeful that the rains had exposed some new stuff. The 110 degree heat wasn't bad because we were in the shade of the canyon most of the time. Jim
3/11/2013 Topic: Elephant Knees ziphius	Boy, THAT looks like a great adventure and a great location to check out. I bet the kids weren't even worried, heh? Awesome photos, especially the sunrise! To the point that you got stuck, what are the road conditions like? 2wd-driveable?
3/26/2013 Topic: West Mesa and Ancient Lake Cahuilla ziphius	Very educational and beautiful Tom. I'd be interested in seeing a KML outline of the ancient lake boundary as viewed from GE. Or is it just portions / fragments that appear to be visible? - Jim
3/27/2013 Topic: West Mesa and Ancient Lake Cahuilla ziphius	Awesome Tom, that's what I was interested in seeing!
3/28/2013 Topic: 4 Day Backpack in Rockhouse Canyon / Dawns Peak ziphius	Looks great and peaceful Daren. I agree, having been in nearly all habitats except polar regions, I'd take the desert over any of them. Dawn's Peak 3x in a month...I thought I was tough doing El Cajon Mtn 4x in one month.....I change my mind.... I don't want to hike with you. Are these all with the new camera? I wonder if the butterflies were getting moisture from the scat? Did the tenaja at Jef's cache contain water? Those fishhook cactus fruits look awesome. - Jim
4/1/2013 Topic: Rattlesnake Spring / Pyramid Peak ziphius	Great photos Daren! Love the ram skull. Is that 'standing water' at Rattlesnake Spring, or more of a seep? Can't tell from photo. Jim
4/1/2013 Topic: Indio Fish Traps and SSTB ziphius	Great photos and tour Tommy. What camera are you using? That digitate petroglyph took a moment to take form for me. Thanks for finding my jeep, forgot where I had parked it.
4/5/2013 Topic: Table Mountain day hike ziphius	Alex and I parked near the gas station/Subway one day last weekend and explored Gray Mountain / Table Mountain. Nice area, with a diverse terrain of grasslands, boulders, volcanic rocks. Extremely windy at the top of Table Mountain, probably 40 knots. Nice area that we want to return to for exploring/camping. Saw this little guy within a few minutes of starting: Found what looks like a dry spring area and some rhyolite flakes and pottery pieces showed up. Nice curved piece from the neck of a jar: We were seeing lots of sheep / deer scat and then found this antler a little while later: Dry spring area with Gray Mtn. in background: Alex cruising the terrain: Some terrain views: edited by ziphius on 4/5/2013
4/6/2013 Topic: Table Mountain day hike ziphius	Yep, I even put the pottery piece back in the depression that had formed around it in the clay. Tommy and mrkmc, thanks for the ID on the 'desert patch nose'. We also saw a much larger and faster snake near Table Mtn. later in the day, it left too quickly for a photo... wanted to call it a 'racer' based on what I saw. I did find a rosy boa a few weeks ago in the Jamul Mountains near Otay Lakes. Didn't go up to Gray Mtn. this time, but we realized we had the time to do it as we skirted its flanks on the way back to the car. Daren, interesting that you have seen both deer and bighorn in this area, 'cuz I was thinking that this seemed like a habitat overlap zone where you could see either. - Jim edited by ziphius on 4/7/2013
4/6/2013 Topic: Ranching around Anza Borrego ziphius	We love old news about the desert. Keep 'em coming!
4/8/2013 Topic: Pegleg Smith's Liars Contest ziphius	Welcome aboard Space Cowboy! Looks like a fun event.
4/10/2013 Topic: Cougar Canyon and Boulder Alley ziphius	Boy, that was a great introduction to an area I've never been to. Kids (and grown-ups) must have had a blast. Great damselfly photo, I'll see if I can scrounge up an identification for you. The pictograph.... who knows?
4/11/2013 Topic: Nolina to Palo Verde and Spots in between ziphius	Very cool! I'm pretty sure that is a 'windscorpion'. My colleague hiked the John Muir trail last year with his wife... 21 days! Good luck!
4/12/2013 Topic: What are you reading? ziphius	That looks like a good one DRT. My navigation skills are also worrisome at times. I just picked up a 2nd-hand copy of a book primarily about the Salton Sea area, with lots of wonderful photos and stories. - Jim edited by ziphius on 4/12/2013
4/15/2013 Topic: Fish Creek Mts and Ancient Lake Cahuilla ziphius	I agree, please post more on Lake Cahuilla! You gave a great history of the area in these last couple of posts. Few of us make it that far east, so this post is like water for thirsty desert explorers. - Jim
4/15/2013 Topic: Agua Caliente Hot Springs ziphius	Nice, I've never seen Squaw Pond, was curious what that trail was like. Jim

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