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DRT Lakeside Posts: 62
1/31/2012
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Going to try Sombrero Peak this weekend with my bro. I have been to the end of the S. Fork of Indian Valley but am not too sure about where to start toward the peak. Should I go up the gorge and work my way toward the peak when appropriate, or is there another more suitable way. It looked to be sort of choked with shrubbery along near the water when I was there around new years.
Thanks and hope the weather holds
Dave
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1366
1/31/2012
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Hey Dave
If I remember correctly we kind of stayed on the high edge of the gorge and then hooked left when we saw a relatively easy spot.
I believe there was even a "duck" marker when we did our hike to Sombrero Peak a few years back.
Bob
DRT Lakeside wrote:
Going to try Sombrero Peak this weekend with my bro. I have been to the end of the S. Fork of Indian Valley but am not too sure about where to start toward the peak. Should I go up the gorge and work my way toward the peak when appropriate, or is there another more suitable way. It looked to be sort of choked with shrubbery along near the water when I was there around new years.
Thanks and hope the weather holds
Dave
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
1/31/2012
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Park at the end of the south fork and just go up wherever you want and follow the ridge! If you do stay in the draw though just stay left and you will see some ducks leading up a very steep trail and it will cut left up into another draw, that seems to be the popular route but really just start going up!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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mrkmc Posts: 87
1/31/2012
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I was there a few weeks ago. There are use trails and ducks everywhere. Never encountered an area that was overly brushy. You will be fine.
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
1/31/2012
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Last time I was up Sombrero there were lots of ducks and it is easy to find your way. There is a false summit but just keep going up. There are a couple of huge boulders at the top that are fun to climb on also. The views are great the whole way up! Have a great time.
David
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DRT Lakeside Posts: 62
2/5/2012
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Went out for the day today with my brother. We jetted down in the morning and reached the end of S. Fork Indian Valley by about 8:40 and started up toward Sombrero Peak. Everyone was right, there were a lot of ducks, maybe so many that we followed the wrong ones. Not sure : ) We hiked up and along the left "fork" of the draw and in retrospect it may have been easier to veer to the right. It was steeper than I anticipated the entire way, but we made it past the few false peaks and finally arrived at the top in just about 2 hours.
Wow, what great views. The weather was perfect; clear skies, just enough breeze and clear (even cool in the shade when we started). I was not expecting to see the wind turbines near Golden Acorn from the top, but we could just make them out. (the pics on google + seem to lose some detail)
I have a few questions about what we could see from the top when looking back down the valley. Looking back toward the trailhead and S. Indian Valley, what are the two valleys/canyons to the right ((eastish?) I think the nearer one is Bow Willow, and the next one (much wider and sandier looking) east is Carrizo, is that right?
I also noticed on the map that there is a Sombrero Peak Palm Grove, has anyone been there?
Lots of scratches and scrapes, but worth it for the views and experience. Now I think my brother has the desert fever again and is going to come with me more often.
We saw more people than usual along S2, and an orienteering class (it looked like) at the Indian Gorge turnoff. On the way out, there were about 8-10 vehicles camped along the road until we got to the fork and then we didn't see anyone for the rest of the day until we headed back down.
All in all a great day
Here are some pics of the day... link
I wish they were a little clearer but oh well
Dave
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
2/6/2012
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DRT Lakeside wrote:
I was not expecting to see the wind turbines near Golden Acorn from the top, but we could just make them out. (the pics on google + seem to lose some detail)
Dave
If you would like to keep the views pristine and not full of wind generators, help fight the Ocotillo Wind Energy project. The entire Ocotillo valley is about to become full of wind turbines.
https://sites.google.com/a/sefcik.com/ocotillo-wind-energy-project/
Download the facts Here
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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DRT Lakeside Posts: 62
2/6/2012
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I was unable to open the link to the facts, but was able to open up your picture(s) and the links from your site. I hope it does not come to fruition. Hard to refute the data in the ppt.
I subscribe to a BLM newsletter that comes via email once a week or so and it has tons of info r.e. what is going on in and around our public lands. (you may already get it) There are always numerous links to "renewable" power projects. (about halfway down the latest newsletter), public comment periods and other interesting things going on with the BLM. I have found it to be pretty informative, and it seems for the most part they do a pretty good job managing the public lands.
Here is the link to the latest newsletter from Friday 2/3
link
Is the wind project in Ocotillo on private or public land?
Dave
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1366
2/6/2012
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You are correct. Carrizo Gorge is the next canyon over past Bow Willow.
I think this is the view you are talking about. The upper wide stretch of sand in picture is Carrizo Gorge
Bob
DRT Lakeside wrote:
Went out for the day today with my brother. We jetted down in the morning and reached the end of S. Fork Indian Valley by about 8:40 and started up toward Sombrero Peak. Everyone was right, there were a lot of ducks, maybe so many that we followed the wrong ones. Not sure : ) We hiked up and along the left "fork" of the draw and in retrospect it may have been easier to veer to the right. It was steeper than I anticipated the entire way, but we made it past the few false peaks and finally arrived at the top in just about 2 hours.
Wow, what great views. The weather was perfect; clear skies, just enough breeze and clear (even cool in the shade when we started). I was not expecting to see the wind turbines near Golden Acorn from the top, but we could just make them out. (the pics on google + seem to lose some detail)
I have a few questions about what we could see from the top when looking back down the valley. Looking back toward the trailhead and S. Indian Valley, what are the two valleys/canyons to the right ((eastish?) I think the nearer one is Bow Willow, and the next one (much wider and sandier looking) east is Carrizo, is that right?
I also noticed on the map that there is a Sombrero Peak Palm Grove, has anyone been there?
Lots of scratches and scrapes, but worth it for the views and experience. Now I think my brother has the desert fever again and is going to come with me more often.
We saw more people than usual along S2, and an orienteering class (it looked like) at the Indian Gorge turnoff. On the way out, there were about 8-10 vehicles camped along the road until we got to the fork and then we didn't see anyone for the rest of the day until we headed back down.
All in all a great day
Here are some pics of the day... link
I wish they were a little clearer but oh well
Dave
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1366
2/6/2012
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Hey Dave,
You can read a story I wrote about it a couple of years ago.
Ocotillo Express Wind Farm
The majority of it would be on BLM administered lands on the border of the Park.
Basically another example of privatizing Public Lands.
If you Google "Industrial Wind Farms" you will learn all you need to know about the huge impact such projects have on the environment.
DRT Lakeside wrote:
I was unable to open the link to the facts, but was able to open up your picture(s) and the links from your site. I hope it does not come to fruition. Hard to refute the data in the ppt.
I subscribe to a BLM newsletter that comes via email once a week or so and it has tons of info r.e. what is going on in and around our public lands. (you may already get it) There are always numerous links to "renewable" power projects. (about halfway down the latest newsletter), public comment periods and other interesting things going on with the BLM. I have found it to be pretty informative, and it seems for the most part they do a pretty good job managing the public lands.
Here is the link to the latest newsletter from Friday 2/3
link
Is the wind project in Ocotillo on private or public land?
Dave
<em>edited by surfponto on 2/6/2012</em>
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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DRT Lakeside Posts: 62
2/6/2012
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Thanks for clearing up the wash/canyon locations for me. 
For the record, I heartily agree that fast tracking pseudo green projects is not the way to go. I would hate to see the good people of Ocotillo steamrolled with bogus facts and claims. Once that ball gets rolling it is hard to stop and once built we will have to look at those turbines forever (whether they work or not). Here in Lakeside we are seeing the uglification of El Monte Valley due to the Sunrise PL. I want my kids and grandkids (eventually) to enjoy the desert as it is and not talk about how it used to be.
I haven't researched it a lot but tend to think that we might be better off with smaller local power generation options, i.e. private homes with solar feeding into the grid. It seems there is enough square footage available on the top of existing structures to reduce the need for Megastructures like many of the proposed wind farms. Power companies own the infrastructure, so there is that hurdle. Of course conservation is also gets you a lot of bang for your buck.
Let us know if we can do something to help
Dave
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
2/6/2012
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This project is about to happen...if you want more info, PM me with your email address and I can put you on the email list of people trying to fight it...but it does not look good right now.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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