tekewin

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9/17/2018 Topic: San Diego Sheriffs in the Carrizo Gorge tekewin	Thanks for the update. Big undertaking for the sheriff.
9/17/2018 Topic: Solstice Cave and Grunt Benchmark tekewin	It's still hot, but I was able to manage a half day for Solstice and Grunt. Solstice was an overwhelmingly peaceful place. Unexpected. I really didn't want to leave. My favorite pictograph was the deer/bighorn/coyote? There are already a couple of reports on it so I won't dwell. My blog report doesn't give away the location. After Solstice, I drove down Carizzo Creek Road toward Grunt. I didn't see a continuation of the road about a mile from the end so I just stopped and hiked from there. I found more of the road further down the creek. The round trip from where I parked ended up being about 5 miles instead of 3. I followed a side canyon on the west side before climbing. I set up the wooden pole that was down and left a pen with the register. There were a lot more signatures than I expected, though the register has been there since 1982 and is only half full. The highlight of the day, though, was driving out from Solstice where I met two bighorn rams (can't say I haven't seen any this year now). One was bashing a barrel cactus to get to the juicy insides. He knocked a chunk off and ate it. They were very relaxed and unconcerned about me. Bighorn Video Looking forward to cooler weather soon so I can spend a whole day in the desert. edited by tekewin on 9/17/2018
9/19/2018 Topic: Solstice Cave and Grunt Benchmark tekewin	Buford wrote: Nice. I’ve seen sheep in that same area earlier this year. They were not concerned about people until the bp came tearing through on atvs making a racket and the sheep bolted. Most of the I've run into sheep, they took off pretty fast, but maybe that was because I was with a group. I guess I'm not so fearsome on my own.
9/19/2018 Topic: Solstice Cave and Grunt Benchmark tekewin	ziphius wrote: I wish I could get water and nutrients out of barrel cactus. Haha! For sure. I don't know why this surprised me so much. I haven't studied bighorns as much as I'd like.
10/17/2018 Topic: Photo editing software tekewin	I don't work with RAW (not a real photographer). I have a relatively cheap point and shoot canon. I do minor touch ups and/or add graphics or comments with Irfanview, a free Windows program. It's pretty powerful for what it is, but it can't do layers or fancy stuff.
11/7/2018 Topic: Sheep Canyon campground road conditions? tekewin	I drove to the middle of Collins Valley at the end of May. The roads were in good shape all the way. Water was about 6" at the 2nd crossing. The usual half mile rough patch is still rough. I went north at the road split in Collins toward Wash BM so I don't know what the rest of the road to Sheep Canyon Campground is like.
11/26/2018 Topic: Any hurt yourself out hiking? tekewin	Dude, that sucks. This is the nightmare scenario I worry about. Well, that and a cougar on my neck. At least you weren't alone and you self rescued despite the injury. Gotta feel good about that. I been lucky to only have minor injuries so far, but I have been battling hip bursitis for over a year. Physical therapy has helped but it lingers. Driving actually causes me more issues than hiking. Rest up and get better. The desert will be here when you are ready. I have an ACR ResQLink locator beacon, but am considering an InReach so I can text my wife when I am safe but running late.
11/28/2018 Topic: The Potrero Three Day BP tekewin	Awesome! I think your bug is a velvet ant, a sort of wingless wasp. Supposed to have one of the longest stingers of any insect. The Indian artifacts are sweet. +1 for Jim Beam as a camping essential. You guys have it all figured out.
12/9/2018 Topic: Rockhouse report tekewin	Cool snake. I wouldn't have expected to see any until March. That's a big piece of pottery. Interesting report.
12/9/2018 Topic: Red Top day hike tekewin	A couple of week ago, Matt and I attempted a day hike of Sawtooth Mountains high point and Red Top. We got Sawtooth, but ran out of daylight about half a mile below Red Top. Yesterday, we went back. We parked on North Indian Canyon Road so we could go over the Tierra Blanca Pass. We cached water in two places: at the entrance to Canebrake and at the bottom of the ascent gully. We went up the gully then drifted north, staying inside a sort of alley between higher ridges on both sides. The terrain is confusing and sometimes a 50' ridge blocked the view where 80' contour lines on the GPS showed a flat area. There was another big gully with huge boulders that got us about 200' below the summit. The wall of boulders choked with vegetation made a direct approach look improbable, or at very least, miserable. We climbed a short wall to the west to reach a final plateau clear of boulders. From this point forward, our GPS track is a mess as we picked our way up and across the maze toward the summit. There was a lot of bushwhacking and backtracking. Sometimes we would split up to explore different options, shouting to each other if it advanced our cause. The last 100' was mostly class 3, with the same kind of recon and route finding needed to find a way to the summit block. A couple of hundred feet below the summit A single red can held the register underneath the summit block. The summit block was about 20', but another boulder was piled against it to provide a head start. While the summit block is rated class 3, the final 10-12' was a mostly smooth surface requiring a friction move. It was a little spicier than expected, though the exposure was not bad. I got down by sliding into the boulder. The views in all directions were spectacular. The southeast ridge view was something special. The Inner Pasture and Canebrake surrounded everything like a moat. For Matt, it was his 69th peak on the Sierra Club San Diego Peak List. For me, it was 100/100 and a perfect list finish. After we both signed the register, we spread out one of the monster slabs for lunch. It took us about 2 hours to descend back to the bottom of the ascent gully. The walk back was long, interrupted occasionally by startled jack rabbits. We thought the sun would set when we reached the top of the pass, but we made it back to the truck just as twilight was fading. Red Top is a unique mountain that thoroughly captured my imagination. It is the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the SDC list. It's combination of remoteness, allure, and layered defenses make it one of my all time favorites. Full report here. Climbing the summit block. Southeast ridge Looking over at Sawtooth East ridge Returning toward the pass, the truck another mile on the other side edited by tekewin on 12/9/2018 edited by tekewin on 12/9/2018 edited by tekewin on 12/9/2018
12/12/2018 Topic: Red Top day hike tekewin	Buford wrote: Nice. I’ll be hitting those up soon. Planning on doing both in a long day via the same route from Indian Gorge. Awesome, looking forward to your report. You take some detailed photos.
12/12/2018 Topic: Red Top day hike tekewin	ziphius wrote: Oh man, I wish you hadn't called it the T-Rex of the SDC list. Now everyone will feel obligated to do it. It used to be such a quiet place. I think it the hardest of the bunch. The Sawtooth summit block was slightly harder, but getting to the Red Top summit block was harder. I needed a rope for Square Top, but the hike and navigation was much easier. I think T-Rex is a pretty good description, haha. I don't know that it will appeal to that many people. I've been into Indian Gorge 5 times and only saw people one time, at the False Sombrero trailhead. One of the things I love about Anza-Borrego is it usually isn't crowded, at least the places I've been going.
1/6/2019 Topic: Cuyamaca Peak Via West Mesa Trail tekewin	Nice hike in rare SD snow. +1 for Darn Tough socks, it's all I wear any more.
1/9/2019 Topic: Pinto Canyon tekewin	Great finds. Are erecto-glyphs a thing? I am skeptical, but I don't know enough to have an opinion.
1/26/2019 Topic: Bighorn-Nolina Canyon Loop tekewin	Those are some nice bones! A great find. I am normally summit focused, but this trip would be worth it for bone hunting. That peak in between the canyons (3567') was dubbed Bighorn Canyon Peak by Richard Carey, so there's that. Great set of prints, too. Lions and bones often go together. I bought a case of MREs for an emergency a few years ago and stored them in my daughters closet, but she ate them all. She said they weren't bad.
1/29/2019 Topic: Picasa Depreciation and Google Photos tekewin	Yeah, great site! I am always picking up new info and new places to go. I would expect with all the rain we are getting, it should be a great spring bloom. APIs and services from most providers evolve for whatever reasons and unfortunately require ongoing maintenance. I had to move all my stuff out of photobucket when they changed the terms of service. Google photos has good integration with their free blogger service, but it is not as sophisticated as wordpress.
2/3/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	Inspiration for this hike came from Rocko1's report on Bighorn-Nolina and Darren' maps. Thanks! Bighorn Canyon Peak is an unofficial peak (3567') between Bighorn Canyon and Nolina Wash in Anza-Borrego. With prominence of 707', it deserves an official name. I pulled off the dirt road near the start of the ridge and began dodging cactus. At the top of the first bump is a plateau where I was surprised to find a guzzler with several tanks. After checking it out, I scrambled up a class 2 slope filled with boulders. Above the boulder slope, I found a radiosonde device. These are NOAA weather balloons. It said "harmless weather device" and a return envelope was attached. The rest of the ridge was gentle, though agave was thick. I didn't want to backtrack too much so I started down the south ridge. I was prepared to climb back out if I cliffed out. It was very steep but was not technical. My blood starting pumping when I reached a cliff about 400' below the summit. However, I was able to drop down a steep gully into Nolina Wash. I think there was also a safe descent path on the other side to Bighorn Canyon. The skull and bone piles described by Rocko1 were all pretty much the same, except the deer carcass had been moved. Super fun hike! I plan to go back for another unofficial peak on the other side of Nolina in a month or so. Sorry I'm too lazy to post all my photos (can be found on my blog). Unexpected guzzler tanks above the first bump on the ridge Summit
2/3/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	Buford wrote: Cool. Looks like you found a NOAA balloon. I’ve never found one. Have the Monday Maniacs been there? I don’t know if a peak counts unless their signature is in the register edited by Buford on 2/3/2019 That was my first balloon! I wonder how many they lose out there. I'm going to mail it back on Monday. Monday Maniacs have not been there yet. There was no register or benchmark. There were 4 claimed ascents in peakbagger: John Strauch, Wayne Wilkinson, Richard Carey, and Don Raether.
2/4/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	dsefcik wrote: Oh yeah...there are two radiosonde balloons that get launched every day from Kearny Mesa I was told by the NOAA folks. I am in south OC so will mail it. It was in good shape. Two a day!? There must be a lot of them lying in gullys and on seldom visited slopes. Interesting. I was thinking about how those guzzlers were installed. I am guessing they used helicopters to get those tanks into such remote areas. Totally worth it to help out the bighorn population.
2/6/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Very nice report! I did not know there were so many guzzlers in such a close proximity. Were either of the guzzlers full and dumping bleed water out? There was water in the first guzzler on the ridge but none of the tanks were overflowing. At Blue Spring, a stream of water was pouring steadily out of the top of one tank. I wonder where the rest are hiding.
2/12/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: I am curious where the tanks you saw first are being filled from? A pipe running all the way to blue seems like it would be very difficult to install. It looks like there is an underground tank behind and above the guzzler tanks. Here is a better perspective: https://i.imgur.com/K02v70m.jpg I am guessing it catches run off from the slope directly above it. There was also a wooden post there for a trailcam, but no camera was set up. This one probably doesn't get as much animal traffic as the one at Blue Spring. You are right about the distance, though, Blue is about 3 miles away.
2/14/2019 Topic: Whale Peak Via Pictograph Trail tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: dsefcik wrote: It was a good hike. It appears Gaia GPS is not recording the elevation gain correctly-when I import the KML/GPX data into Google Earth it's showing a 2,525ft gain. Kind of a bummer as I really like the app but I am now seeing 10-20% discrepancies in gain/loss numbers. Nice trip on Whale. I love that terrain, but I've only done it the easy way from the other side. Getting accurate gain/loss is not easy. After many different approaches, I am now using GPS visualizer with some fine tuned options. The complexities are explained here. So, I use their Profile page, and these options: 1. Add DEM elevation data: best available source 2. Calculate elevation gain: Yes 3. Elev. gain threshold: 5m 4. Trackpoint distance threshold: 5m Give that a try and see if you like the results better. It eliminates a lot of errors but nothing is perfect.
2/19/2019 Topic: Granite Mountain Peak tekewin	A classic route and a difficult one. That was a fun time lapse video. Still trippy to see snow on a desert peak. The cold might have contributed to cramping. Those endurolytes have all the right ingredients to help, should work as well as any supplement. I think I currently have Nuun tabs and Gu gels.
2/26/2019 Topic: Desert snow tekewin	The snow covered desert doesn't look natural. Super photos, though. Looks like some zoom on those sheep, I'm surprised you spotted them if they were far away.
3/12/2019 Topic: Hellohole Canyon - Culp Valley Loop tekewin	Great trip! I've been in the canyon above Pena Springs and it was quite nasty. Climbing up from where you did with camping gear is the kind of "fun" few people enjoy. Love the photos, especially the night shot.
3/12/2019 Topic: Bighorn Canyon Peak tekewin	Buford wrote: Have the Monday Maniacs been there? I don’t know if a peak counts unless their signature is in the register edited by Buford on 2/3/2019 Update to correct the record. Another party climbed this peak at the end of February and found a register placed by...Monday Maniacs. I honestly didn't look very hard because I didn't expect to find anything. The Maniacs have been on just about every bump in the desert.
3/16/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	When I did Bighorn Canyon Peak and the guzzler six weeks ago, I set up a trailcam at the guzzler hoping to find out who was responsible for the boneyard. Well, the bones are very old so this particular cougar may not be responsible, but her relative might be. Anyway, here is the video I got including one cougar, a grey fox, and a ringtail(!?). Here is a still: Nolina Peak is east of the wash and rises to 3858', higher than even Sunset Mountain. There is no trail, so I went up the wash until I found a place that looked reasonable to leave the wash and would get me to a major ridge. The slopes were similar to Bighorn, but the agave got thinner near the top. The small summit boulder was obvious and the register was a glass jar inside a red can. The most recent register was placed by the Monday Maniacs, and an older register went back to the 1980s. Nolina had superior views looking out over Harper Flat toward the Vallecito Mountains. The round trip without visiting Blue Spring would probably be about 5 miles. I dropped off a steeper slope into a side canyon and eventually got back to Nolina Wash. I was relieved to see the trailcam still there and in position. I always worry about it getting picked up by another hiker or in this case dislodged by the storms. There was serious erosion over the last six weeks in Blue Spring. A lot of bones were moved and the skull was gone. My guess is it was taken because it was sitting on a rock and was too heavy for wind to have moved it. The deer carcass was also completely gone, which might be due to animal activity. I carelessly ate some cholla in Bighorn Canyon, but still had a glorious day in the desert. Leaving the wash Near the top Summit Harper Flat Descending back down to the wash and the guzzler edited by tekewin on 3/16/2019
3/16/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Buford wrote: Kitty! Awesome. I have wanted to get a trailcam and leave it for shots just like that. The ringtail is cool, didn’t realize one would be out that direction. I’ve seen one in Palm canyon. Found yet another likely lion kill last weekend. edited by Buford on 3/16/2019 Lion kill bighorn or deer? The ringtail was surprising. So was NOT finding any coyotes or bighorns. All of the animals appear to come upstream from Bighorn Canyon and exit downstream.
3/17/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Buford wrote: The kill last weekend was a bighorn. Not fresh, kinda old. Saw some live ones too. Some cat signs in the area. I don’t think you saw any sheep because of the time of year. Not hot enough for bighorn to need water. Ah, didn't think of that. I was wondering if there are more lions around Cuyamaca because of the deer than in the desert. With 300 or less sheep in the park, lions probably make a better living on deer.
3/18/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Very nice! There were so many cat tracks in that area when I went-many in the Nolina wash just east of the saddle separating Bighorn Canyon. It's disheartening that someone would take the skull but doesn't surprise me. What model trail cam is that? Are you saying the animals are travelling up Bighorn and back out the same way? edited by Rocko1 on 3/18/2019 Hey Rocko1, the trailcam is a Bushnell 20MP Trophy Cam HD Low Glow (about $140 on Amazon). It has a faint red LED at night that animals notice which gets their attention and they often look at the camera. It doesn't scare them. Yes, the animals all appear to enter and exit from the right which is downstream in Bighorn Canyon. I was sad to find the skull gone.
3/19/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Buford wrote: That sucks. I try not to post too many specifics in trip reports because of things like this. According to the sheep scientists, there are more than 300 sheep in the park. I think it was ~600+. The ~200-300 is just how many get counted each year in July, and the count only covers north of the 78. There are also plenty of deer in ABDSP for the lions to eat. The upper San Ysidros have a lot of deer and lion signs. You are right about Cuyamaca, it is crawling with deer and turkeys. Always a tough call whether to post locations. I found a huge cache of deer bones in a northern gully of Hellhole Flat below San Ysidro East. Would be a great place for a cam but brutal to get there. It's good to know the sheep population is much larger than the count. edited by tekewin on 3/19/2019
3/19/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	tommy750 wrote: Great trail cam clips, Tekewin. You can see a little brown line just to the right of your route starting point. That's where I found a cache of several sheep remains a while back. Your kitty is getting around. Need to start parking my old trail cam out in the boonies again! Cool! I suspect desert lions have a big territory. Trailcams are fun and addicting, but often disappointing, too. There is a great web mini-series on Lions produced by UC Davis here. They have released 4 out of 7 episodes so far on Youtube.
3/20/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	ziphius wrote: Great photos and trip report Iron Hiker. The cougar notwithstanding (!) you're very lucky to get a ringtail on camera. Important data point. If you have an iNaturalist account or want to start one, post those trail cam records on there. Bummer about the bighorn skull.... too many lurkers on the internet looking for easy finds. I'm more and more generic (and less frequent) in my posts these days. Out of a couple thousand hours of trailcam video, this is the only ringtail. I had only heard rumors of these beasts before. I wish there was more of it. Will check out iNaturalist, thanks.
3/20/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: When the wife and I backpacked near here a few months ago she woke me up at 2am saying there was something sniffing the tent. I said it's probably a mouse and fell back asleep. I showed her this video and she said 'See! It was a Mountain Lion!' edited by Rocko1 on 3/20/2019 It could absolutely have been that lion trying to figure out if you were food! The timing of her patrol would line up pretty well with your trip, plus all the big prints you found on the way out. Exciting times.
3/20/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: What would you guesstimate the size/weight of that cat you captured? Well, my wild guesstimate would be 130 pounds +- 10 and a little over 6 feet long with tail. I would also guess female based on the lack of scarring on her face, but the only way to know for sure is to look under the tail. Males have a black spot there in addition to other goods.
3/26/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Thanks. Do you mind telling me what settings you use on your trail cam? No problem. I experimented with photos only, then photo/video hybrid, but now I always set it to record video at 720p, up to 30 seconds at a time. Less chance of missing something and each clip will stop before that if motion stops. Unless something is moving fast, I can usually extract nice stills from the video. Many animals are nocturnal or Description but the camera takes pretty nice color video during the day. edited by tekewin on 3/26/2019
3/26/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Very nice! That is a well fed bear. How long was that camera in place? Makes sense on the video settings. Thanks for the info. I usually leave cameras out 6-12 weeks. I think that time was about 8 weeks.
3/26/2019 Topic: Nolina Peak and a cougar tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Got it. Do you have to choose a place that is pretty far away from trails so that it won't get stolen? Also, do you use a small tripod or just put it on a rock and brace it with other rocks? Cameras are safer off trail, but the trick is to find an area where you expect animal traffic. I've had my cameras spotted often, but left alone (so far). I know other people who've had their cameras stolen. Watering holes are good because everything needs water. I don't use a tripod, it comes with a strap and I just strap it to a rock/tree, sometimes supported with other rocks. When I first started, I mounted it too high and missed most of the action that happens close to the ground. I try to keep it no higher than 3' and often lower, depending on the area. Professional photographers build custom DSLR rigs with expensive gear. I am just a hobbyist.
4/8/2019 Topic: Lake Cahuilla roundabout tekewin	That whole area looks nice. I still haven't seen the mud pots, thanks for the video. Is that a chuckwalla?
4/23/2019 Topic: Villager Peak tekewin	I love the view on that ridge into Clark Valley just below Villager. Great trip!
4/23/2019 Topic: Indianhead mountain tekewin	Indianhead is an awesome hike. I did Schad's route back in 2013. I remember having to pick my way around large boulders near the top and burned trees. The views are so sweet, though. If I ever go again, I'd try the south gully. FYI, I host my photos free on blogspot.com.
4/23/2019 Topic: Martinez Peak and Little Pinyon Flat tekewin	Martinez looks like a fun day hike. I appreciate the high def photos. Thanks for the report.
4/23/2019 Topic: Hot, Cool, and High Benchmarks tekewin	My last hurrah in the desert before summer. Benchmark hunting west of Salton Sea. I was looking for two benchmarks above Big Wash (Hot and Cool), and another one somewhere in the hills below Travelers Peak (High). I planned a route from Big Wash off highway 86. I made a few mistakes that made for a longer day and I may have crossed part of a closed area. There were some signs along the jeep trail in Big Wash but I've seen those on other trails referring to a deep sand area, etc. so I didn't pay attention until the way out. More on that later. The road into Big Wash started off in poor condition, then got better. High clearance and 4x4 recommended. I parked a few miles in then headed for the north ridge of Big Wash where Hot BM was placed. Looking back down Big Wash from Hot Next, I headed along the top of the ridge toward Cool, two plus miles away. Moving along the top of the ridge was easy and open and looked a lot better than navigating the wash below. The ridge was broken in one place before Cool where erosion had created a 100' drop. It wasn't too hard to get down and back up the other side. A little more ridge walking got me to Cool where another tiny register lived. The first page of the register was a pre-printed form placed by the Borrego Benchmark Club. I don't think I've seen one of these before, or didn't notice. I took a break at Cool and enjoyed the views of harsh terrain all around. The east side of Travelers Peak looked interesting. High benchmark was less than two miles away (as the crow flies) and 1000' above Cool somewhere in the cluster of hills to the west. As I reached the right elevation, I made my second big mistake. Instead of tracking to the exact location in my GPS, I hiked up to a nearby high point and found nothing. I checked the GPS, then headed to the next nearby high point, then thee next through the intervening gullies. I ended up wasting about 30 minutes visiting every high point and ridge line in frustration. High was near a low point on one of the ridges and I finally found it by strictly going to the GPS coordinates. It was there on a flat rock with a downed wooden pole.The view back to the Salton Sea was now less hazy and quite impressive. When I started back, I took a long gully I had avoided on the way up. It had accumulated some boulders that actually made descending easier. I thought about dropping all the way into Big Wash to the return trip, but it looked more difficult than just staying above it.I picked up three mylar balloons during my trip. Ridge break heading back Back to the sign, it referred to a State Park order that I could not find on the Anza-Borrego web site, the CA state park web site, and even Google couldn't find it. The order closed a section of park in 2013 above Grave Wash and into parts of Big Wash. I think it was part of the Freeman land grant, but Internet searches returned vague info. So, the restriction might still be in place, not sure.
4/24/2019 Topic: Hot, Cool, and High Benchmarks tekewin	dsefcik wrote: Nice Balloon collection...I love the benchmark names, a couple favorites are still Shake and Quake in Earthquake valley. Shake gets little visitation. Yeah, I love the names, too. It would have been great to get Low with High, but Low was too far away. I'll look for Shake in the fall.
4/26/2019 Topic: Hot, Cool, and High Benchmarks tekewin	rockhopper wrote: Nice hike over the desert patina. Did you see any old faint trails heading west towards the mountain canyons? There was a partial faint trail on the plateau between Hot and Cool. It continued past Hot where I dropped back into Big Wash. On the other side of Cool was another faint trail heading further up canyon, but I lost it in a half mile. There was nothing as I headed up to High BM.
4/26/2019 Topic: Hike Suggestions? tekewin	Red Top / Sawtooth Highpoint from North Indian Canyon. 12+ hours. San Ysidro East. Mile High Mountain. Another vote for Indianhead. Square Top. Not really that long, but you'll need to drag a rope up for the summit block.
5/21/2019 Topic: Anyone still here? tekewin	Still here and checking in from time to time. One of my friends from LA might drag me to the desert over memorial day. I might regret whatever he has planned. Great macro photos, more camera envy. edited by tekewin on 5/21/2019
5/27/2019 Topic: Rabbit East Ridge Loop tekewin	I thought I was done in the desert until Fall, but my friend Henry pushed me to do Rabbit's East Ridge. From the TH on Fillmore Street, it's a tough 18-miler. But "Hardcore Henry" pushed for a longer loop descending a ridge near Villager to pick up 3 additional benchmarks: Zosel BM Crab BM Dawn BM That would add more than 3 miles and 1000' of gain to a Rabbit day hike. Oh, boy. We marched out at 3:45 AM with headlamps and gibbous moonlight. The approach in Barton Canyon is braided with washes and large rocks that make it slow and difficult. Some cairns were placed with white rocks that stand out at night easing part of the ordeal. It took 3 hours to start up the ridge. We found a decent use trail to gain the ridge crest that ended in a class 2 section below a flat area. At around 3300', we began 2000' of sustained and steep class 2. It was a long, grueling section of ridge. Above that was a short, brushy, class 3 traverse around a prominent outcrop. Henry ended up going over the top of it, while I scrambled around below. The final section was crossing a couple of false summits, arriving at the broad summit plateau. We stopped at the boulders that make up the high point, but another boulder pile held the HPS register. The view east down to the Salton Sea was blocked by trees and I had to move closer to the western side to see the great views into Clark Valley. It took us 7 hours to reach the summit and we spent another 30 minutes resting. I knew we would be late, so I texted my wife (Verizon had bars on Rabbit). Finishing up the easy part of the ridge This is the short class 3 section This rabbit was in the register box After fresh coats of sunscreen, we dropped 800' from Rabbit to the Santa Rosa ridge toward Villager. Views on this ridge are phenomenal. To reach the descent ridge, we endured 3 miles of undulating bumps, almost reaching Villager Peak. After climbing to Rabbit, these bumps were unwelcome. The ridge was mostly open, unclogged with brush or other obstacles. A pleasant surprise. It wasn't as fast as a trail, but we made reasonable time moving down the gentle slope. I had loaded GPS waypoints making it easy to find Zosel benchmark, then Crab benchmark. Both had registers with few signatures, especially Crab with a register stuffed in a 35mm film canister. As the late afternoon daylight started to cast shadows, I wished the ridge was dropping faster. Half of the 5000' drop to Barton Canyon came at the end and we would end up doing it in the dark. The mighty east ridge of Rabbit The final benchmark we visited was Dawn. We found no register at Dawn, but knowing what was ahead, unpacked our headlamps and hurried down as fast as we could. The setting sun was partially blocked by the Santa Rosa ridge, leaving us in a long, lingering twilight. We had about 2 miles of the steepest part of ridge left when it got dark. Just after that, my headlamp fell off and broke open, spilling its 3 triple AAAs into the dirt. I was only able to find 2. No problem, I had a strong backup handheld flashlight and deployed it immediately. Meanwhile, Henry's phone had died trying to record our GPS track. Also, his rechargeable headlamp was toast from the early morning. No problem, he had a backup handheld light as well. So far, so good. We worked our way back, dipping in and out of 20' gullies and stumbling over boulders. With a couple miles left, my flashlight went dark. No problem, I always pack spare batteries. Score one for battery operated devices. With one mile to go, Henry's last rechargeable light went dim. We would have been seriously in trouble without light. We got back to the truck at 11:45 PM utterly pooped. It was a 13 hour descent from Rabbit and 20 hours truck to truck. Still technically a day hike, 20 hours from 3:45 AM to 11:45 PM! At the park and ride on the way back, Henry and I both took naps before driving the rest of the way home. Every time I do something like this, I swear never again, then I forget. Final stats: 21.5 miles, 7628' gain, 20 hours. Dawn just before dusk
5/28/2019 Topic: Rabbit East Ridge Loop tekewin	Buford wrote: That is an interesting way to hit Rabbit plus the extra BMs. How did it look from Dawn to Alice? I thought the east ridge was a fun route to Rabbit. Definitely a different experience. Alice BM is on a spur ridge a little south of Dawn but the same kind of terrain. It was generally open country and not hard to navigate. You could side hill between the two without difficulty, but we were so tired and behind schedule by then that we skipped Alice.
5/29/2019 Topic: Rabbit East Ridge Loop tekewin	rockhopper wrote: Good show man! Rabbit peak from the East is in the top 3 toughest hikes of my life! We did the same Barton canyon accent route as you did. I have an identical pick of photo #5 but decades earlier. We decended back down from the summit via Barton route. No hiking poles, no headlamps, hiked back under starlight. Your route was truely a heroic effort. Cheers! Thanks, Rockhopper. I won't forget it for sure. You must have had great starlight, there are so many boulders and washes in that canyon.
5/29/2019 Topic: Rabbit East Ridge Loop tekewin	dsefcik wrote: uhhh....count me out...nice work!... Not sure what motivates that kind of "day hike" but power to y'all..!! Yeah, the route is pretty outrageous and I would not recommend it to anyone (except the many people faster than me). We weren't really going for an epic, but we greatly underestimated the descent. We really thought it was going to be 7 more hours, and of course getting caught in the dark made it worse. East ridge of Rabbit by itself is worthy and not as much of a stretch.
5/29/2019 Topic: Pinyon Wash - Memorial Day Weekend tekewin	Big fan of Bighorn Canyon Peak. That guzzler photo is the one on the low end of Bighorn Canyon? I never found the register. I thought the slopes on Sunset were steep and crumbly. The boulders higher up were better footing. Slow coming down from that one. I also remember it being dead silent, but I was there without the wind. edited by tekewin on 5/30/2019
6/12/2019 Topic: Descanso District tekewin	Forest there looks really lush. I had to look up where this was. Boy, the Cleveland National Forest is really big. Probably a nice break from the heat.
6/15/2019 Topic: Anyone still here? tekewin	Beautiful photos, Buford. Love the bighorn shots and the night shots. If only I trusted myself with an expensive camera, I would invest. I don't have a good track record.
6/26/2019 Topic: Trek Poles Grips tekewin	dsefcik wrote: Nice work....I'd have to say my poles wear out way before the grips do....mostly 'cuz I use them to whack all the brush out of the way. Ditto. I use cheapo Kelty poles so it's easier to just get new ones when end up bent. Looks like nice workmanship on the new grips.
7/30/2019 Topic: Light weight long sleeve shirt tekewin	Britain wrote: Suggestions for lightweight hiking pants? I used to go with cheap White Sierra zip off pants, but lately I've started hiking with Prana pants. They are stretchy so scrambling is easier and they are tough. I usually destroy pants in about 6 months but these are lasting longer.
8/25/2019 Topic: Light weight long sleeve shirt tekewin	rockhopper wrote: No lion, just some wicked cats claw in the upper reaches of Martinez canyon. I use a folding saw for branches. Cat's claw I try to avoid at all costs but sometimes we all have to push thru. I have a machete in storage somewhere collecting dust. While traveling down in the Amazon over 20 years ago, the number one injury was machete to leg injuries. You have to be super careful about the machete deflecting off branches and I am too accident prone anyway so I put it away for good. edited by rockhopper on 8/22/2019 I've had mixed results with a machete. It worked great on soft vegetation and brush with thin branches, but was not very useful against small trees or larger. It's long so it stuck out the top of my pack and would often get hung in thick brush if I was trying to pass through or under. I won't take it out any more unless I know it will be effective in the area. Clippers have been a better general solution for me.
9/2/2019 Topic: Anyone seen a Badger? tekewin	Never seen a badger, didn't even know they were in the desert. Was the last shot from Mine Peak?
9/29/2019 Topic: Tierra Blanca High Point tekewin	It's officially the end of summer and though it still gets hot in some places, I made my first trip back to the desert. Started at Agua Caliente State Park, walked a half mile of the Moonlight Trail, then went up an unnamed canyon toward the Tierra Blanca Mountains High Point. With careful route finding, it can all be kept class 2. Lots of boulders in the first mile, then there are some breaks with flat spots. At the top of the gully, I went up left just below a large rock outcrop and found the summit register in a glass jar. Gorgeous view of the Inner Pasture and Sawtooth Mountains. The register went back to 1989 but only had a few dozen entries. Of course, the Monday Maniacs had been there. Inner pasture from Tierra Blanca high point After a short stay, I started back along the ridge line, but dropped into a parallel unnamed canyon also filled with boulders. There are a couple of dry falls that were not easy to bypass, but could be down climbed at class 3. After hours of rock hopping, I was glad to get out of the canyon. I decided to pick up Peak 1882, the bump that the loop trail goes around and Caliente Benchmark which is just off the trail. There was water running along the trail and a lot of vegetation there. Both Peak 1882 and Caliente Benchmark had flying ants that swarmed me. No register or marks on 1882, but Caliente had both. Peak 1882 Water! Caliente Benchmark in the middle When I got to the truck, I smelled something unusual. My first guess was butane but I couldn't place it. I changed into swimming clothes and headed to one of the outdoor pools. I was there for one minute before a fireman came over and told me they were evacuating the park due to a chlorine problem. I guess too much of the chemical was put into the indoor pool. He escorted me to my truck and determined I didn't need decontamination before leaving. I missed out on a relaxing soak, but really enjoyed this fun but tough hike. One mylar balloon collected. CalTopo public map of the route: https://caltopo.com/m/HCEC
9/30/2019 Topic: Tierra Blanca High Point tekewin	What were the odds of a chlorine spill on my first visit to Agua Caliente? Oh, well, another reason to go back. tommy750, whoa, that looks recent. Any cat prints nearby?
9/30/2019 Topic: Tierra Blanca High Point tekewin	tommy750 wrote: Tekewin, how high up were you when you saw the water. Nice to see that out there. The water was from a seep directly along the loop trail just south of Caliente Benchmark. Both canyons were mostly dry with a few damp spots here and there.
10/2/2019 Topic: Pinyon Ridge tekewin	Sweet trip and photos. I noticed a trailcam set up in front of that guzzler. I wonder if the rangers pick up the cards since they check on the guzzlers. Thanks for the report.
10/2/2019 Topic: San Felipe Hills tekewin	Welcome. Great rainbow shot. Appreciate the photos.
10/2/2019 Topic: It is always desert season tekewin	Damn, your photos are so clear. Puts my point and shoot to shame. Love the bighorn photo. I might have to make that my wallpaper for a while.
10/18/2019 Topic: Grapevine Mtn /Bitter Creek Canyon tekewin	Great hike! I went up a route very nearly the one you did in 2017, but you took an interesting way down. Looks steep on the map. The honeycomb is impressive, but I wouldn't want to find one filled with bees. You always seem to find very interesting stuff in the wild. (spelling edit) edited by tekewin on 10/18/2019
10/25/2019 Topic: On the way to Mile High Mountain tekewin	Great photos. Looks like you were near the top. Mile High is tough from any direction. Like Buford, I came from Rosa. I'll have to look up the Jerrry Schad route. I think there might be a way up from Rattlesnake Canyon. Good luck with your hammy. Seems like they take forever to heal.
10/25/2019 Topic: CalTopo is stepping up their game tekewin	Thanks for the heads up. I love CalTopo and use it for planning almost every hike.
11/6/2019 Topic: Sheep outside Anza Borrego (photo heavy) tekewin	Damn! Jaw dropping. Thanks for these.
11/19/2019 Topic: Anyone seen any rodents? tekewin	Well done! Love the birds.
11/19/2019 Topic: Sunrise Hwy to Granite Mountain tekewin	Great report and trip! It was a big day even without hitting the top of Granite. I'm surprised you didn't run into more brush coming down from S1. Not too familiar The southwest route is the only one I've taken up Granite. I peaked into two mine adits that were accessible but had rodent droppings inside. I also remember an ocean of what looked like prickly pear around there. Did you navigate through that? For super long days (>12 hours), I had to add a lot of calories and carbs. I started adding a large sub from Wich Wich or Jersey Mikes. I usually pick it up the night before and keep it in the fridge. It is a black art to find the right combination of food and fluids when you are pushing yourself. I'm sure you'll find what works for you.
11/25/2019 Topic: Elder North first ascent tekewin	Elder North is a spiky peak with good prominence near Elder Benchmark in Collins Valley. From the jeep trail at Salvador Canyon, it's less than two miles away, but the terrain is a tough scramble. There were three ascents listed in peakbagger and lists of john, but none had attempted the class 5 summit block. I headed up Salvador Canyon, easy going at first. Scrambling and route finding were difficult and occasional bushwhacking necessary. Slight differences in route can magnify the effort. After picking my way up the lower ridge, I side hilled around a false summit. From the saddle below the summit, I followed a ledge system running SE to NW. Near the top of the ledge, there was one exposed move that I bypassed by going through a small tree. The final section is a short gully leading to the summit area. Starting up the ridge Passed false summit on the right Views of the surrounding area were amazing. There are several house sized boulders littering the summit. The highest point was a 15' chossy block on top of an multi-story apartment sized boulder. It was well beyond my climbing ability. Before dealing with the block, I attended to other summit business. I located the register in a glass jar inside a small red can. It was signed by the party that placed it, Richard Carey and Shelley Rogers, and no one else. I signed it and placed the jar and can inside an upgraded ammo box I brought with me. I left a second register book I had prepared in case I could not find the original. First view of the summit Summit block Upgrade the register container to an ammo box I flaked out the 40m rope and got a good throw over the block on the first try, using most of it. There is a huge drop off on the far side. I went back down the gully and found a bomber anchor in the form of a 6" diameter tree. About 90' below the summit. Unsure what kind of tree it was. Back on top, I used two Prusiks to ascend the rope. I'm not sure this block can be climbed without aid because it is basically glued kitty litter, coming apart wherever it was touched. I was delighted to reach the summit and straddle the block. It was only about 2' wide where the rope went over and the weight of the rope on the far side exerted a small tug on me. I didn't want to stand up. The block got a little wider toward the pointy end. I took a few photos, then rappelled to safety. It was only a six hour effort, but probably my best solo mountaineering achievement. Note: this was my second attempt at Elder North. On my first try, I brought a rope that was too short and could not find a safe anchor. 3.7 miles round trip, 2063' gain. Anchor Summit far above On the summit block Long drop to the anchor Ascent side This mountain has teeth edited by tekewin on 11/25/2019
11/26/2019 Topic: Elder North first ascent tekewin	Rocko1 wrote: Wow great report! I love the more obscure 'peaks' of the desert. Looks like a great time. These kinds of peaks are why I love Anza-Borrego so much. It is filled with awe inspiring stuff that most people will never see, and wouldn't appreciate if they did.
11/29/2019 Topic: Good places for rainy days tekewin	Kinda late, but I don't have any suggestions for rainy days other than wait until it stops. I like getting wet as much as a bobcat. The rain hikes I've done were not really planned, just took a chance and the weather did not cooperate. I would avoid gullys and canyons and places your vehicle might get stick.
11/29/2019 Topic: Death Valley 9 Days Trip Report tekewin	Love the burros! Nice shot of the kilns, too. How was Telescope? Is there a lot of snow on it right now? I've only been to Death Valley once so most of it is new stuff to me.
11/29/2019 Topic: Elder North first ascent tekewin	Buford wrote: Nice work. Must be a real adventure if the Monday Maniacs have not been there yet. Pretty remote, but not that far from Salvador Canyon. Monday Maniacs turn up everywhere, so it's only a matter of time until they get there.
11/29/2019 Topic: Elder North first ascent tekewin	dsefcik wrote: Nice work....! Thanks, Darren.
12/2/2019 Topic: Elder North first ascent tekewin	Buford wrote: When I did Collins BM, we came down into the mouth of Salvador canyon to exit. The canyon itself looked some it was worth exploring too. Yes, Salvador looks interesting. If you go far enough, there is definitely a palm oasis and what looks like a lot of catclaw.
12/8/2019 Topic: Daughter Shows interest in some hiking tekewin	Nice!
12/16/2019 Topic: PCT South from Scissors Crossing tekewin	Great hike on a section of the PCT I doubt I'll see. Ospreys are my fav packs. I have a Talon 22, but 5L of water seems like a a lot for that pack. Did you do that with a hydration pack and loose bottles? BTW, I prefer the camelbak hydration system because they are easier to clean, at least for me. So I usually end up with an Osprey pack and camelbak hydration.
12/16/2019 Topic: Sheep, Coyote & Rabbit tekewin	Thanks for the awesome photos! What were the odds of getting the PG-13 shot?
12/16/2019 Topic: Granite Mountain West Approach tekewin	Yeah, I haven't seen as much cactus anywhere else...
12/27/2019 Topic: Rain and more sheep tekewin	More strong photos, thanks! That is a bunch of sheep. Looks like many are tagged. The scratching shot was good timing. I saw a bighorn busting up a barrel cactus and eating the pieces. Didn't know they did that. Maybe it's more for the water content than food content?
1/11/2020 Topic: Coyote Mountain tekewin	Nice hike. Coyote is a fun mountain and so accessible from Borrego Springs. Bonus on the Schad sig. I experienced the strongest wind I've ever hiked in on Coyote. Knocked down a couple times and nearly turned back. Didn't even think about going to the south summit. Might be interesting to try it from one of the west ridges.
1/11/2020 Topic: Snow and more sheep tekewin	Great camera work as always! The laughing sheep was hilarious. A little speculation, but maybe canyon bottoms are where they are most vulnerable to cougars. That's usually a source of water and good hunting. Most of the deer and sheep bones I've found have been in a gully or canyon. The cougars I've caught on camera have always been in canyons, in forested ranges, too, not just the desert. edited by tekewin on 1/11/2020
1/11/2020 Topic: Desert Magazine Archive Downloads tekewin	Thanks for sharing these.
1/14/2020 Topic: Snow and more sheep tekewin	deborah wrote: And I can see how an associated risk of the canyons can affect the sheep's behavior. Actually, I think I relate to it personally. It might sound strange, but I notice that different areas have a different "feel" to me. I do a lot of solo trips, sometimes running... It gets in my head sometimes. I've had feelings of a cougar being nearby twice in AB. Once in Cougar Canyon on the way back from Square Top. The other by Goat BM below San Ysidro. Near Goat BM, I also smelled cougar urine shortly after picking up a baby deer skull. A little freaky.
1/18/2020 Topic: Resident desert rat tekewin	Hey there!
1/18/2020 Topic: Easiest way to Hellhole Flats? tekewin	I've visited Hellhole Flat twice. Both times, started at Maidenhair Falls TH. First time, over Sirens, second time over Webo. Is there an easier way to get there than going over Webo? Has anybody gotten there from Culp Valley Campground? Less gain, but all the terrain in between looks pretty nasty. edited by tekewin on 1/18/2020
1/19/2020 Topic: Easiest way to Hellhole Flats? tekewin	dsefcik wrote: I did it from Culp Valley Campground...easy?...sure, I guess...compared to..?? Full route and photos: https://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Hellhole-Flat-10-16-2016/ Thanks, Daren! It looks like you picked a good place to cross Hellhole Canyon. When I was looking at the map, I considered going up the side of Webo, but that would be inefficient. I'll save this track and try it next time I head out there.
1/19/2020 Topic: Easiest way to Hellhole Flats? tekewin	Buford wrote: Easiest entry is probably via the Bonny BM area. Then you are stuck trying to figure out how to exit. A car shuttle makes it easier. I pulled more mylar out of Hellhole flats than anywhere else. Thanks, Buford. I'll take a look at going from Bonnie compared to Culp. I know the area pretty well. I move about about 1.5 mph in this terrain so getting out by dark is a concern in winter. Here are a couple of photos from a visit last week.
1/19/2020 Topic: Easiest way to Hellhole Flats? tekewin	dsefcik wrote: The drop down to the H-E-double hockey sticks (on the topo) is total bushwack and probably ticks, the north side of the draw is much nicer. There was water flowing down in the draw when I did that trip. I also saw a family of deer up there. Awesome, thanks.
1/20/2020 Topic: Easiest way to Hellhole Flats? tekewin	Rocko1, as a baseline, it took me 8 hours 15 minutes to go up Webo, drop down into Hellhole Flat and loop around past Lookout Knob. I want to spend more time in Hellhole but the admission price is pretty high going this way. I'm hoping it's better using Daren's route or coming from the east.
2/4/2020 Topic: Photography tekewin	deborah wrote: Beautiful pictures. The bird photo is unreal... Seriously, it looks CGI. Wow.
2/4/2020 Topic: Photography tekewin	You make a strong case for the Sony camera. I just know I'd crack it on my first hike, then hate myself. Haha.
2/4/2020 Topic: Show us your Cholla bomb photos tekewin	Here are two from last month... edited by tekewin on 2/4/2020
2/16/2020 Topic: Photography tekewin	That lamb, wow!
2/16/2020 Topic: Thimble from Cherry Canyon tekewin	I recently discovered the Cherry Canyon trailhead on BLM land east of San Ysidro. It's a much easier approach to the Thimble and other nearby mountains. I drove in on Via Oak Grove from S22, turned left at the end, then right on Lease road, then right again on the public road that heads into Cherry Canyon. There's sort of a fuzzy patchwork of private land, BLM land, and state park land in this area. I saw 3 other hikers on the road coming back from San Ysidro so it's not a secret. The Thimble is on my favorite mountains and always a fun scramble. This was my second summit. The first time I went up a 20' chimney that required some stemming. This time, I looked around and found a 15' class 3 crack right of the chimney (also right of the gully). It was easier and led to a nice slab and the top. New register was placed on 2/1. Start on Cherry Canyon Road (unsigned) Thimble from the east New crack route, just below that plant. Fairly easy class 3. San Ysidro from the top Down the same way edited by tekewin on 2/16/2020
2/17/2020 Topic: Thimble from Cherry Canyon tekewin	rockhopper wrote: Nice boulder climbing. I like your Iron Man hiking gloves. Cheers. When my wife and I did Half Dome cables in 2017, I bought a 12-pack of these rubber palmed gloves for about $8. This is the 7th pair. I like to use them on rougher rock. not that Thimble is terrible.
2/17/2020 Topic: Thimble from Cherry Canyon tekewin	Buford wrote: Nice. I have used the same trailhead as well. The only thing I didn't like was leaving a car there. Seemed sketchy. Yeah, the houses in the area are a little sketch, probably worth the risk to cut miles out of the round trip. The Thimble was only 1.25 miles as the crow flies.
2/17/2020 Topic: Whale Peak overnight tekewin	Great trip! I've done Whale from the easy side. Seems like a good habitat for lions, clearly good for bobcats. That is a quality scrape. I don't think I would have identified what it was, but I'll have an idea now if I see something like that. Great shot of the shadow, too. Surprising that such a long flat mountain casts a sharp shadow.

Anza Borrego Desert

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