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Took a day trip with the dog out to Yuha Desert.
I had wanted to get out to the Shell Beds since I was a kid and a friend gave me some fossil oysters. Figured I would swing by the Crucifixion Thorn Wilderness Area and then head out to the shell beds from the 98, maybe catch the geoglyphs etc., end up at the Dunaway exit and head out to Superstition Mt. area to visit some friends camping out there.
I have driven past the sign for the Crucifixion Thorn area a bunch of times and the map shows a campground, so I wanted to check it out. Not what I pictured, and may have been nicer in the past + it turns out the Crucifixion Thorns are right by the road anyway....
Heavy USBP presence but they were very friendly.
Forgot my map of the Yuha trails (turns out the maps are not that accurate, at least for me) It was fun, but the deep power sucking sand is not easy in our little samurai.
Made it to the shell beds, but I think many of the trails are sort of washed out or have meandered around. It was fun, but I want to go back and explore a little more when I have time to spare.
Pics and captions are here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/111004590236580500907/albums/5820349641107685665?authkey=CJbLg4X675j_Lg

Dave

PS one of the wind turbines was spinning on the way down, slowly and maybe just for show since the newspaper article said they were powering up. Also noticed on the way home in the dark that each tower has a blinking red light on top and a bunch of them blink in unison. All night long.....

Great story. Really captures the essence of Baja.
You are right in that it is a lot different but there still seems to be pockets where not much has changed.

Speaking of Boojum trees there are large forests of them in the protected area outside of Catavina.

That is where the video was shot.

Adios,
Bob



waning moon wrote:

Boojum trees, were you North of Rancho Santo Ynez?

Well, could go on for days about Baja and by then everyone would have quit the forum, maybe hung themselves. Benn a long time

So many campfires we reminiscised and told tales of our past Baja trips, most pre Highway 1, some after. Basically I remember the unequalled scenery, but the people, the locals meant so much. Sadly so many are gone.

But one favorite story, my father in law being an expatriot of the USA (after being unceremoniously let go by a large military contractor just shy of retirement) lived for a time at Rancho San Jose (Meling) in a trailer park style trailer. Being Swedish as Ida Meling was, they new each (from when he was in San Diego Mountain Rescue) and were friends. My wife and I visited frequently and often her brother would come along.

We left once after a long weeked on Sunday night, traveling quite fast as we had to go to work the next day, it was raining and the road was mud and puddles, I really did not avoid anything as I had a large 4 wheel drive truck at the time. My bother in law following had a 65? 67? Chey van, affectionately known as the bondo buggy (always waiting for a nice 10 pound chuck to fall off the rocker panel). I went through a pool rather than just a puddle, he rev'd up and tried to follow. The van stuck and died in the middle, made him hook up and pulled him out.

The old Chevy vans had an air foil under the chassis to force air into the engine compartment, his had just shoved half the mud and water from the pool into the engine. I worked on it pulling plug wires, distributor cap, points etc. cleaning them off and drying them out, no luck, kept shorting out and our flashlights were now giving out.I knew we were close to San Telmo and there was a cervesaria there, most also had some sundries. Headed out for pilas (batteries), got there and half a dozen locals, three sheets to the wind, were in front of the adobe, came back to the van with half the village instead of batteries. We discussed the situation and they immediately started gathering twigs and grass, before I could say incoming they lit the engine compartment on fire, I waited for it to blow up.

Well the van started, a few singed wires but it made it back state side. that is how it was, the locals would do anything for you and would not take anything in return (it was an insult if you offered)

My wife especially, and I so very much miss that, old Baja, immaculate children in white dress, sharing a barbecue with locals at Coyote Bay.

Would like to go back down, it has been at least 12 years, hard to reconcile the past with what has become of Baja now, I think memories are better

I have sleep apnea, so I'm somewhat dependent on the CPAP machine which requires electricity of course. But I want to camp or sleep in the desert so I can cut time out of the 2 hour drive out there. Normally what I would do would be to get on Priceline and find a hotel for cheap, but I probably could only find a Hotel in El Centro, or north up near Indio.
I am not totally dependent on the CPAP, it's just that I have a terrible time sleeping, and I'm used to using it. I'm not talking about hiking to a place, then camping, but rather just being in the area. I see a hotel in Jacumba, and Boulevard, and then there is the Golden Acorn. I think there's a hotel in Ocotillo but it doesn't sound recommended. Any suggestions? Maybe I could get some batteries that would last overnight, and an AC inverter.

Looks like a great spot. Have not been in that area
How long did you camp out there?

Have to agree on your FJ Cruiser comments
They are great vehicles that can pretty much climb anything.
Mine had the rear locker and A-Trac and I was constantly amazed at what it could do

Bob

One of the two steel troughs in Canebrake still has drops of water. The trough bottom is broken so it collects no water but the pipe from the spring still drips and could be a water source if needed. I know of another cement trough in Canebrake that is dry but water is nearby. Gorgeous area and always a pleasure to go hike thru. I plan to revisit the area many more times.

waning moon wrote:

So very nice Daren, the Inner Pasture, last time I was up there it had water, good water. Sad to see it has been abandoned, but open grazing stopped some time ago in ABD, no need to maintain it I guess (I saw the same thing happen on the Arizona strip, where cattle had to be removed for environmental reasons, waterworks left to vandals). It seems so little time ago that ferrel cattle and burro tracks were everywhere in ABD, all the way out to Carrizo Marsh. But it is so nice to see the Borrego in your photos, more than an even exchange I think. I can see cattle at the grocery store cold case anytime I want.

Highly unlikely I will ever walk those trails again. So more photos

I saw some chuparosa blooming in Pinyon Wash (no pics). The creosote bushes were very green in Harper Flat (no pics). There were a few brittle bush plants with some blooms in Pinyon Wash and in Harper Flat this weekend. I am hoping for some more rain and a huge bloom this spring. But I bet everyone is wishing for that.
David

waning moon wrote:

It is so beautiful, and all I am is more envious, lovely photos, still trying to figure out how to make mine larger, any advise?

That depends on how you host the photos. Usually you have size options to link to them with, where do you upload them to?

Hi again
Was able to enlarge the pics on your original post. Some still show up missing but the majority are there.

They are great pictures!

Bob

waning moon wrote:

OK last try, the google program is not "Picasa", I venture into the WEB only as far as it suits my interests, do not trust it as far as I can throw it. Something, "Google Chrome" has been offered, but again I never upgrade or download, maybe that is where Picasa is? My Google album is public (cannot believe I did this but I have very good firewalls) still ABDF will not accept my copy and paste URL in attach files. So here goes another click and drag that was somewhat successful before.

Old Millers

Looking up Devils or as I see it now called Myers creek

Washout

Coyote Wells looking South to Yuha Buttes (when Coyote Wells was actually a place)

Railroad tracks

Railroad tracks with Ocatillo in the background

Carrizo Wash from McCains, clean cut from storm, I do not think this is Saccatone (this was before McCains was closed)

I happened to be to the top of San Pedro Matirs shortly after the Hurricane as well, huge pines (Jefferies) as large as Ponderosa's not like our drawf Laguna Mtn. Jefferries were pulled up as so many twigs and tossed around. At La Grulla the creeks were washed clean, 6" fingerling trout all that remained (and knowing that PETA and the Sierra Club will now be after me, I still ate them) no roads back then, 35 miles on a horse to the top in one day.
edited by waning moon on 1/17/2013

Nice, you saw some BHS. I was out in Culp Valley last week and it is pretty burned up.

Where do you think you should go to see the wildflowers?

hikerdmb wrote:

I love the photo of the skull and bones under the boulder. Great shot. Is that the vertebrae in the photo of the small sheep carcass?

Yep..looked like it still had some dried flesh on it.

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.

waning moon wrote:

Tom,

This is Fish Creek Beach and Dunes, "Ancient Beach Line" extensive long terrm Cahuilla village site, still hundreds of shards, chip and flake throughout the area. When I first started visiting, 1966 or 67, there were still metates and manos buried in the dunes, picked up a few beautiful wonderstone (rhyolite) and agate arrowheads mostly laying on the mud flats. I theorize bow fishing and waterfowl.

I do not know how far West you made it but it looks like your photos are just past the Gyp railroad trestles? where Fish Creek and Carizzo wash join?

Thanks for the pics. Haven't been that far North yet to see the village site. Definitely want to head up that way. When was the last time you were out there? Still look about the same?

The Cahuilla beach I walked on is between Fish Creek Mts. and Superstition Hills. Here's a screen shot from Google Earth. Tom


The Beach by tomteske, on Flickr

Nice...I noticed lots of stuff blooming this weekend in Collins Valley. Where did you take the moon photo? I did not see much of a red moon.