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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/7/2014
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Took a quick overnight backpack trip with Craig up Borrego Palm Canyon. Lots of day hikers to the first grove but we did not see anybody the whole trip after that. We tried to hike up the north fork but it was too choked with brush so we retreated back to the 4th grove and camped out for the night. We did see some type of hawk and misc birds but that was about it for wildlife, no bighorn. The first grove did not have any water but there was plenty from the 2'nd grove and up. Craig brought his filter and it was a nice change to only carry a couple liters of water and just pump some more when we needed it.
Looking east down at the 1'st grove and Craig
The north fork is pretty choked with vegetation
The canyon is pretty big, here is Craig near some of the many palms in the canyon
Looking down at the 4th grove, this is where we camped and I can't think of too many places in the desert where I have camped where I got to sleep to the sound of palm tree fronds blowing in the wind and running water, it was very nice.
There was quite a bit of running water all the way up the canyon
Plenty of these guys came out at night...right where I was sleeping...
Some nice green reeds....not sure what the official name is...
Total Mylar Balloons this trip - 1 (rescued form the water)
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
12/8/2014
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How deep was the pool in picture 5? Looks like you could take a soak in that one.
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anutami Posts: 491
12/8/2014
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Awesome! You are getting some amazing photos! Of all the times you have not used a tent have you ever been bitten? I once woke up to a 3" spider hanging out on the top of my tent and never got into a bivy because of it.
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/8/2014
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hikerdmb wrote:
How deep was the pool in picture 5? Looks like you could take a soak in that one. There were several you could take a soak in, even during normal summer months. I know on the sheep count in July the BPC folks usually get to soak in the water pools at the ed of the day. It was a bit too cold for me this trip to take swim though...
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/8/2014
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Nolan (anutami) wrote:
Awesome! You are getting some amazing photos! Of all the times you have not used a tent have you ever been bitten? I once woke up to a 3" spider hanging out on the top of my tent and never got into a bivy because of it. Thanks Nolan, I took 10lbs of camera gear only to take pictures my 7oz S100 could have easily done. I brought a tripod, 500mm lens, filters, etc, but ended up not using much of it. I was hoping to see some bighorn and use my 500mm lens but that didn't happen. I guess as Chase Jarvis said, "The best camera is the one you have with you".
I have never been bitten but have woken up with twice with a scorpion between my pad and bivy/sleeping bag. I know there are others here that have been sleeping out in the raw longer than I have, maybe they have some stories to tell....
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
12/8/2014
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Really nice area. Have not hiked around there.
By the way the plant you were asking about is called horsetail and it is a reed.
I have never seen it out in Borrego.
I believe it is considered somewhat invasive
We had some in our HOA complex and it pretty much took over
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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ziphius Posts: 911
12/8/2014
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Yes, it is NICE to have water available! You could stay there for a couple of weeks with enough dehydrated meals and fuel! That looks like a wolf spider. Their eyes shine blueish / white under headlamps at a distance. One of my favorite things to do at night is go 'spider-hunting' by headlamp. Nice trip.
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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tommy750 Posts: 1049
12/8/2014
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Nice trip, Daren. Only carrying two liters would make almost any hike a great one 
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/9/2014
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surfponto / ziphius: ranger confirmed, horsetail and wolf spider...you guys know your stuff..!! 
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ziphius Posts: 911
12/9/2014
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Looking at the topo for the area makes me want to hike up the Middle Fork all the way to San Ignacio and the Hot Springs Mtn area. I guess you would seek permission to enter the reservation from the Middle Fork, perhaps park your exit car at the Rez itself. I don't think water would be a limiting factor at all, but those upper reaches of the Middle Fork look so vegetation-choked. Take the high route in those vegetation-choked spots? By the way, when one is looking at topos and fantasizing about trips, it is called 'mapsturbating'. Sorry Bob / Daren, I know this is a family-forum.
edited by ziphius on 12/9/2014
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/9/2014
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Jim (ziphius) wrote:
Looking at the topo for the area makes me want to hike up the Middle Fork all the way to San Ignacio and the Hot Springs Mtn area. I guess you would seek permission to enter the reservation from the Middle Fork, perhaps park your exit car at the Rez itself. I don't think water would be a limiting factor at all, but those upper reaches of the Middle Fork look so vegetation-choked. Take the high route in those vegetation-choked spots? By the way, when one is looking at topos and fantasizing about trips, it is called 'mapsturbating'. Sorry Bob / Daren, I know this is a family-forum.
edited by ziphius on 12/9/2014 Choked is correct....I think most of us mapsturbate, was doing it this morning....
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edited by dsefcik on 12/9/2014
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ImpatientHiker Posts: 41
12/9/2014
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Great TR. Of all the exploring I've done in Borrego, I've always considered Palm Cyn 'touristy' and have never gone up it. Thanks for opening my eyes. Your pic's remind me of the canyons west of Laguna Salada in Baja. The horsetails, or Equisitum, has an ancient lineage. Whenever I pass through an area containing it, I always imagine giant dragonflies & dino's.
Jim, you got me, the first thing I did after reading Daren's TR was open up Google Earth. I thought, wow, it'd be fun to do the whole cyn-looks choked-can I bypass parts-would I need permission-where would I park? It was then that I realized that I too am a mapstur.....
On a sidenote, on Sun I hiked/jogged from McCain Vlly by Sombrero and down a ways to the desert & back. The ground sucked up that recent rain as I saw no signs of water flow anywhere. This storm expected Fri might actually cause some runoff due to the ground still being wet from the last one.
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ziphius Posts: 911
12/9/2014
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ImpatientHiker wrote:
Great TR. Of all the exploring I've done in Borrego, I've always considered Palm Cyn 'touristy' and have never gone up it. Thanks for opening my eyes.
I'm guilty of the same attitude, but it's always amazing how you can hike just *a little farther* than everyone else and suddenly, you have the whole place to yourself. Everybody must stop at the 1st Grove, because they feel like they've 'arrived' at what they are supposed to see. I've never been to Yosemite for the same 'I-consider-it-touristy' reason, but am told, "Oh, you get off the beaten path just a couple of miles and you're all alone."
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
12/9/2014
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Guilty as well, truth be told I have never been to the Grand Canyon, the damn desert keeps getting in my way...
We did not see a single person beyond the first grove and the sad part is everything really beautiful was past the 1'st grove. As far as getting up the middle and north forks you could do it if that was your mission, we were just exploring and were returning anyway so we just turned around instead bushwhacking ourselves to death but you could get past it if you wanted to. The loop we are going to do someday is Collins Valley/Indian Cyn/BPC, I think Schad has it in his book.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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AdventureGraham Posts: 170
12/10/2014
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Man, that's a lot of water. Great trip report!
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