TR

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6/20/2011 Topic: Wind Caves and Blair Valley TR	I took a trip out to Borrego over the week end of May 27-29. It was very windy as evidence by the lenticular cloud over the Elephant's Knees. The wind was blowing so hard, it felt like I couldn't fall down the mountain when I was climbing down from the Wind Caves. I was going to camp at Fish Creek, but I was afraid the tent would blow away. Does anyone know what this excavation is on the mountainside coming back from Fish Creek?
6/21/2011 Topic: Wind Caves and Blair Valley TR	Daren You got me. I didn't want to duplicate your Little Blair Valley trip pics, so I left them out. It was so windy, that it was actually cold in Blair Valley. If I had a jacket, I'd of worn it. I think this is a Pinyon Pine. A balancing rock. The pictographs, of course. The Valley. I intend to go back out this weekend. I know it going to be hot. But, a little extra water, a big hat, a taking it nice and slow (as if I did it any other way), and I should be okay. I got a Spot locator for Father's Day, since I hike mostly alone. (A gift to myself, but for the peace of mind of the wife). There's a $50 rebate through the end of July at REI. I signed up for the Track Progress feature. So I'll be interested in seeing the tracks.
6/29/2011 Topic: Dos Cabezas and Dolomite Mine trail TR	Well I had a court appearance in El Centro last Friday, so I thought I would use that as an excuse to go backpacking in southern Anza Borrego for the weekend. But in packing for the trip, I guess I spent too much time getting ready for court and not enough time packing for the weekend. After court, when I got off the highway in Ocotillo, I realized that I had forgotten my camera. No problem, I just got this new smart phone, which is brighter than I am, I'll just use it. So, sorry in advance for the the number and quality of the pictures. Right outside of beautiful downtown Ocotillo, I turned on to an unmarked jeep trail. I think it was Dos Cabezas Road. There was a little sign somewhere on up the road that said EC 119. It eventually led me to the San Diego and Arizona Eastern railroad tracks. From there I went to Dos Cabezas Springs. I'm sure one of you knows what type of flower this is. It looks like some type of Orchid, to me. Needless to say, I was the only one there. Well, just about. There were more jack rabbits that you could shake a stick at. This one was resting in the shade. It was too hot to be bothered by me. The heat didn't really bother me, except when I had to get in the car, and the door handle was hot enough to fry an egg. I spent the night at Bow Willow Campground. Again, I was the only one there, aside from a million rabbits and one roadrunner. Before I left San Diego, I filled my Camelback with ice. I had two 2 liter water bottles. Two Nalgene bottles. And the Camelback. I packed two freezed dried meals, one for friday night, one for Saturday. Wnen I stopped for the night I didn't even get the stove out of my pack. I just mixed up some fruit punch drink mix in that cold water from my Camelback. That really hit the spot. In fact, I didn't use my stove all weekend. Ended up bringing both freezed dried meals back home with me. Saturday morning, I ended up driving back to El Centro for a car charger for the cell phone. Taking and viewiing pictures apparently eats up the batteries. On the way back, I bought a ten pound bag of ice and filled the Camelback and all the water bottles. Filled them all, with only a little left over. I went back toward Dos Cabezas via Motero Wash. Saw the only other living human being of the weekend at the water tower. He was a border patrol. Stopped and took the obligatory water tower picture. Then headed northwest along the right side of the track, playing leap frog with the border patrol agent. Just after this trestle the road went steeply up hill. It was seriously rutted, and I was afraid of getting high centered. So I turned around a slunk away, like a dog with it tail between it's legs. But being alone, discretion being the better part of valor, I didn't feel like I could run the risk. Even if the border patrol had just gotten through in his big truck. When I started back Mortero Wash from the water tower, I came to a little used road off to the left. Lo and behold it was a way aroung the rutted hill section. So I continued on till the end of the road. I found this quite interesting. What would justify putting a guardrail here, in the middle of the desert? The tracks are abandoned. Vehicle traffic is nearly nonexistant. It not a section of road the is curved or otherwise hazardous. Who paid for this? When I got to the end of the road, I got out and hiked the tracks for awhile. When I got back I notice this "Jumping" cactus had attached itself to my front tire. I could not get all the spines out. One of the Dos Cabezas, I think. Sunday, while calling my wife to let her know not to expect me back until late, a coyote popped out of the brush, ran in front of me, looked back over his shoulder at me, and then disappeared into the bush again. You may be able to talk and surf the web at the same time, but you can't talk and take a picture at the same time. I started up Carrizo Canyon. I thought I'd go up to the Rock House Ruins. But the soft sand had me worried about getting stuck. With no one around to help me, I turned around at the first firm section I could find. I spent the day at abandoned Dolomite Mine, and the trail the leads from there up over the mountain. This was cast into the foundation. I thought it was an interesting design. This was obviously originally a chute of some sort. Written in the cement were names and the date 1951. This was an out building. From it's size, location, and the stone steps, I'm guessing it was a privy. Stopped at the Lazy Lizzard for a bite to eat before heading home. All in all, I didn't see another human being, other the border patrol, all weekend. And I wasn't really in that remote a section. I have a question though. Has anyone thought of approaching the Goat Canyon trestle from the west? It seems that you should be able to go south in Carrizo Canyon as far as you can on the jeep road. And then go east up the canyon to the trestle. It looks doable on Google Maps.
6/30/2011 Topic: Dos Cabezas and Dolomite Mine trail TR	Bob; Do you ever have problems with the soft sand in Carrizo Canyon? Also, how far does the road go? According to the Google map on Daren's trip report of Sacalone Overlook to Goat Canyon, the road ends just short of Goat Canyon. Tom
7/1/2011 Topic: Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 3 - ABDSP TR	Daren; Is that Coyote Melon edible? Tom
7/18/2011 Topic: New LandCruiser TR	Well after 5 years of being without a vehicle, I broke down and bought a new (to me) LandCruiser. My last two trips out to the desert were in rented vehicles. I wanted to check them out to see what I wanted to buy. The Jeeps were capable, but for what I could afford used, I was afraid of the mileage on them. Whereas a LandCruiser is only getting boken in at 100K. So, Saturday I bought a '91 LandCruiser with only 141,000 miles on it. That only 7,000 miles a year. It seems really solid. The interior is in great shape, but on the exterior the paint is oxidized. Anyway, I went out to the desert Sunday to test it out. It was hot, and the flies were horrible. It was so hot, this rabbit didn't mind sharing his shade with this roadrunner. And it let me get up pretty close. I headed out toward Clark Dry Lake and Rockhouse Valley. The road was pretty good until I got to this rocky section. I was bottoming out on the large granite bolder in the middle. I could have stacked some rocks on the other side to level things out, but between the heat and the flies, I just turned around. I realized after I got home, that I didn't get a picture of the LandCruiser. All in all, the LandCruiser did well. The Pirelli Scorpion A/T's did a creditable job. Though they are only 29". It's probably why it bottomed out on the rocks. They will have to be replaced with something a little bigger. It rattles a bit in the back where the third row of seats would be. But with a 20 year old vehicle I guess that's to be expected. It's a little underpowered. Not exactly neck snapping acceleration. You would measure it with a calendar, instead of a stop watch. It's a 4.0 liter engine. They introduced a 4.5 liter engine in '93. But I only expect to use it on weekend trips to the desert, and keep riding my bicycle to work. So I'm used to going slow.
7/20/2011 Topic: New LandCruiser TR	Bob; What kind of mileage are you getting with the diesel? Tom
7/20/2011 Topic: New LandCruiser TR	I just realized that this was better posted under this topic. So here are pictures of my "new" '91 LandCruiser. Those tires look small for the size of the wheel openning. I'm going to have to do something about that. But I'm afraid that will mean getting it lifted. The cost of that, plus the fact that I'm short, is what has me worried. In spite of that, I'm also planning to pull the running boards off. They probably don't help the ground clearance. Everything works ecept the cruise control, and the drivers door window switch, which works when it wants to. I figure the cruise control is probably just a fuse. And the window switch, I going to pull the switch panel off, and blow it out with some compressed air and see if it that helps the intermittent operation.
7/27/2011 Topic: New LandCruiser TR	Bob; Did you do the diesel conversion to the LandCruiser, or did you get it that way? It's tempting because I'm only getting about 13 mpg. Tom
8/10/2011 Topic: Badlands Off-Road 4x4 Training TR	In light of the fact that I've only had my Land Cruiser three weeks, and I mostly go out alone, I thought it was a good idea to get some training in off-roading. So I signed up for Tom Severin's Off Road Driving clinics. I took his Basic Driving Clinic and his Advance Basic Driving Clinic last Saturday and Sunday. They were given at the Hungry Valley State Vehicle Recreation Park and outside of Mojave, California. I learn alot and gained alot of confidence, and am amazed at what the Land Cruiser will do. I only have pictures from the Advanced Basic Class. There were six of us, and two instructors. Here we are doing some recon on a downhill section. There a big rock that doesn't show up well in this picture. Before the class, I would have attempted this section. Here, I'm taking pictures because I've already made it through. On the trail rides Saturday and Sunday afternoon we climbed some steep hills that I never would have attempted before this course. The Land Cruiser took them in stride.
8/12/2011 Topic: Badlands Off-Road 4x4 Training TR	Yeah, a lift, some BFG MTR's, and some rock sliders. Daren, there was a Tundra the first day. And they kept up pretty well. Tom has taught people in all kind of trucks, including a $60K Ford Raptor. He also does corporate work, for like SDG&E, and work with the military.
8/25/2011 Topic: Picture for Daren TR	I realize that this is way off topic as to Anza Borrego, but I just got back from backpacking in Northern Idaho, and I took this picture with Daren in mind. Yes, that's bear scat! Could be Grizzley, could be black bear. I didn't witness the actual deposit so I'm not sure which. But in light of the fact that the black bears out number the grizzlies, it's a safe bet it's black bear. This is a log that a bear has ripped open to get at the grubs. This is a picture of Ol' Yeller. My F-250 4X4 that I keep in Idaho. It's a family heirloom, but that's another story. Climbed Goat Mountain and backpacked at Moose Lake. It's easy to tell why they call it Goat Mountain. Only a mountain goat woud be dumb enough to climb it. The only things that would stay still long enough to have their pictures taken were the bees and the remarkable turquoise colored dragonfly. I also saw a buck, and of all things, a coyote. But they weren't hanging around for portraits. No moose or bear. Amazingly, I was all alone at Moose Lake.
9/27/2011 Topic: Sad News about Jerry Schad TR	Thank you for the link, Bob. Signed the petition. He will be missed.
10/5/2011 Topic: Indian Hill and RR Camp area TR	I went out Saturday for a day hike in the Indian Hill area. I got a late start. I figured I would hike out to the rail road camp first, and swing back and check out the rock art at Indian Hill on my way back. I had checked out the map. It showed a 4 wheel drive route from Dos Cabezas Road across the valley from the tracks to the track on the other side. Cutting off the loop of tracks to the north. A trip report said the 4 WD road started at the end of the guard rails on Dos Cabezas road. When I got there it was blocked off and signed no off road vehicles. So I continued on, and parked off the road and hiked in. After crossing the tracks and the steep chasm on the other side, I ran into what I thought was the 4 WD road. So I hiked across the dessert keeping it to my right as I went. Later I discovered that this was not the 4 WD route. It was to my left as I hiked. The 4 WD road ran parallel to this old road. They came together eventually after about a mile and a half. I'm thinking it was an old wagon route used by the rail road workers. After a short time I found my first ever pottery shard! I was pretty excited. I've found morteros before, but no pottery shards. Then I started finding old cans from the Rail Road days. Try as I might, I didn't find the RR Camp. I figured it would be easier to spot, with the great quantities of cans, the blasting power keg wall, and the "chin up bar" door frame stick up. But I missed it. I think I was close. This section of track was stamped 1913. I didn't find the cave and the rock art. I figured that it was okay, even Daren didn't find it his first trip out. There was a thunder storm over the Carrizo Palms area, so I thought it best to head back. As it was I didn't make it out of there until 6:45. All in all I consider the trip a sucess, I found the pottery shards and the cans, and lizzards and jack rabbits, but no snakes. And any day hiking in the desert is a good day.
10/6/2011 Topic: Indian Hill and RR Camp area TR	Daren; I took the Land Cruiser. It's stock. I haven't had it lifted yet. I know the section that you are talking about. And I intentionally wanted to see if my 4 WD training would pay off, because I bypassed it on my trip in June. (There's a road around it from Mortero Wash road) Well, I made it through in both directions without any damage. I pondering lifting the Land Cruiser. I have to lift it 2 1/2 inches to put 33's on it. (It running stock 31's right now). But I so short, it is all I can do to climb up in it now. I don't know how I'll get in it if I lift it 2 1/2 or 3 inches.
10/25/2011 Topic: Borrego Days 2011 TR	We also took a day trip out to Borrego Days. Even took a little side trip to Fish Creek / Wind Caves area. And yes, that's my wife in the Land Cruiser. She humored me because it was my birthday. She got out to go to lunch at the Red Ocotillo, and to look at the Exhibitors in Christmas Circle. And she even went off roading with me. That is a big concession for her. Her idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service.
11/1/2011 Topic: Borrego Days 2011 TR	Addendum to the Borrego Days trip, and another trip to Rockhouse Canyon this past weekend. I've seen two mountain lions on the drives home. One from the Borrego Days trip, outside of Ramona. It was crossing the road. The other, this past Sunday evening, on the Sunrise Highway. (Yeah, I like to vary my route back to San Diego.) It was also crossing the road. Neither one was in a particular hurry. There must be plenty of food for them. Because I seeing a lot of scat. I haven't seen a mountain lion in six or seven years. And it was in Yellowstone.
11/2/2011 Topic: Borrego Days 2011 TR	Rockhouse Canyon was good as far as I went. I was experiencing alternator trouble, so I was afraid to go to far for fear of getting stuck out there. The Land Cruiser is in the shop right now getting the alternator replaced. Didn't see much wildlife. Couple of lizards and a few birds. Lots of rock. Some of it seems basalt like. That didn't make much sense, as I don't know of any volcanic activity in the area.
11/2/2011 Topic: Indian Hill, again. TR	I went out again October 8th to Indian Hill to find the petroglyphs. Here's the tower with a couple of birds circling it. It had just rained recently. So there was a lot of fresh tracks. I found this large chunk of rose quartz. It seems a bit out of place as there was no other samples of it around. I was working on the assumption that the cave that the rock art was in was on the north east side of Indian Hill. I think I got that out of Jerry Schad's book. My topo map reading can't be that bad. This has to be Indian Hill. Here is an example of some barrel cacti on the north east side of Indian Hill. A cactus fail, on the north east side of Indian Hill. An Agave or Century Plant. I figured that the cave would not be right at ground level. So I scoured the hillside for possibilities. Then against my better judgment, I climbed the hillside to check out the prospects. It was not a pretty sight. But each site was a bust. Not a cave, or any rock art in the bunch. So I took a couple pictures while I was up at the different sites. First to the north west. With all the climbing around I did, and poking amoung the rocks, you'd think I would have come across a snake. But no snakes. I did almost step on a Kangaroo Rat. But didn't get a picture as it was quite fast. Then to the north east. At the base of Indian Hill I came across this scat. I'm not sure who's scat it is. Unlike most of Daren's pictures, there are no bits of bone and little teeth. So I was thinking it was possibly a domestic dog. But the tracks leading away from it were a single set. No, human foot prints anywhere around. So I sort of ruled out dog. So, as Sherlock Holmes says, when you've eliminated all the obvious clues, the remaining clues, no matter how unlikely must be true. So I'm left with vegetarian coyote or mountain lion? Ran across more cans. One seemed to be opened with a knife or a hatchet slit to the top. And of course here is the large mortero rock the Daren mentions, from my last trip. Does someone have a GPS fix on the cave? Because I don't seem to be able to find it on my own. I got back to the truck at 5:30. I ran into a young man who was just starting his hike to the trestle. He asked if I knew about the trestle. He also asked if he should park there, or continue on down the road. I told him, that parking here are following the jeep trail across the desert would cut out the big loop of track to the north. All he had was a Camelback and another liter of water. I gave him my map, and showed him the jeep trail. Told him to follow it out till it hit the tracks again, and then turn left. By this time it was 5:45. He took off across the desert and I left to go home. I went out Mortero Wash, and by the time I aired up my tires, it was dark. It was really late to start the hike to the trestle. Even if he wanted to see it at sunset, he was going to miss it. I got to thinking that he probably doesn't know that there are a few tunnels between there and the trestle, and he didn't seem to have any lights. I figured he'd probably turn back at the first tunnel. And there's no way he could miss his truck, even if he missed the turn off to come back by Indian Hill.
11/3/2011 Topic: Borrego Days 2011 TR	Bob; Yes, $600 +. On top of the new tires that I had just put on the week before, and the new battery. I was going to wait on the tires, until I had it lifted. But they were just too far gone. Symptoms? Well, I got a battery discharge light, a brake light indicator (indicating hand brake was on), and an automatic tranmission fliud tempature light, all at the same time. I didn't believe it was real because all three came on at the same time. Ithought it might be a short. The battery was brand new, and the parking brake wasn't on. So, that left the AT Fluid. I got out and checked it. It was within the range, and it didn't feel hot. So I went and hiked around for a couple hours. And when I came back, and started it up, the lights came back on. So I headed home. When I got up to freeway speed, all the lights went out. The service tech at Mossy Toyota said that when the aternator goes, you get all three lights. I guess it's Toyota's way off telliing you it's serious, or expensive.
11/14/2011 Topic: Yet again, Indian Hill TR	Saturday, I woke up to the sound of it pouring down rain. So I decided not to go out to the desert as planned. But by 9:00 it had cleared somewhat, so I decided to take my chances. Armed with my another map with the coordinates provide by DHeuschele, my GPS programmed with the same coordinates, and binoculars on a good recommendation by Daren, I start off to the desert. Well, it started raining again before I got to La Meas. But I stuck it out. My wife, sister-in-law and mother-in-law were all at home, so I figured anywhere, even in the rain, was better than being at home. Well, by Jacumba, it was clear and dry. It hadn't even rained there. So, after a brief stop a Subway for my hiking sandwhich, I dropped down into the desert. As I got off of S2 at Mortero Wash, I was right under the line of clear sky and dark clouds. I drove back Mortero Wash to Dos Cabezas and parked at the trestle after the guard rail. As I got out of the Land Cruiser to put on my hikng boots, the first drops of rain started to fall. Well, I weighed the risk of getting stranded out there by a flash flood, against the thought of being so close, and decided what the hell, as long as it was only sprinkling, I was going to hike. So, I put an my rain shell, and took my map, GPS and binoculars and headed out. I knew from the coordinates that the real Indian Hill was southeast of the Indian Hill marked on the map. So I followed my map and GPS to that location. Unforetunately, it led me to the southern or backside of Indian Hill. But I found some nice, although filled with rain water, morteros. And I found a nice cave. Which wasn't the one. And on the way back, I found some fresh scat. And a nice example of an agave. By the time I got back to the Land Cruiser it was 4:30. It was 5pm by the time I made it to the highway. Glad I brought the headlamp. It came in handy airing up the tires.
11/16/2011 Topic: Yet again, Indian Hill TR	No, it was raining harder and getting dark. So I thought it best to get back. But atleast I know I'm in the right place.
1/9/2012 Topic: Eureka, I have found it! TR	Well, all the scratches on my shins had healed, and my Christmas present was itching to get used, so it was time to go back out to Indian Hill. So I packed up and left early Sunday morning. Wind warnings be damned. Well, it was windy, and for a normal person, I guess a bit chilly. The only other two hikers that I saw were wearing jackets and long pants. So I was wearing a T shirt and shorts. For Christmas I got a 70-300 mm zoom lens, so I was dying to go out and get some wildlife shots. So of course I only saw one jackrabbit, and four birds. They were all gone before I could switch out the lens. I guess it was too windy or cold for all the lizzards, and snakes. Saw some more melons. I wonder if they are edible? Probably not, because they are just laying on the ground, and the animals don't seem to eat them. A flower I found particulary interesting. And some scat. These tracks were interesting. They were fairly deep. So whatever made them was reasonably big. Finally, at last Indian Hill. In spite of the numerous resources that I have mentioning that it was mislabeled on the topo map, the first two trips out, I went to the wrong hill. You couldn't sling a cat without hitting a mortero. Finally, I found the cave! With as many earthquakes as we have, it's hard believe to this hasn't fallen. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but the number of interesting caves, and rocks, and yonnis, at Indian Hill is incredible. A little way from the hill I ran across some pottery shards. Trifecta; Agave, Cholla, and Fish Hook cactus. Inspite of the cool, windy conditions, it was a beautiful day. Only one helicopter all day. And it was a full moon.
1/11/2012 Topic: Eureka, I have found it! TR	Daren; Well finding the cave was almost anti-climatic. But the rest of Indian Hill was worth at least 3 trips. Thanks for the Coyote Melon link. Tom
1/11/2012 Topic: ABDSP vs death valley NP TR	Bob; 10 psi is a little low for the Land Cruiser. 15-18 psi is what is recommended. I run at 18 psi when I air down. Tom
2/3/2012 Topic: Marshal South Cabin TR	On Sunday I decided to take a day hike up to the Marshal South Cabin. It was a beautiful day in Blair Valley, and a good day for a climb up Ghost Mountain. I guess this is what happens to Century Plants whose time has come and gone. Beaver tail amoung the rocks. It is amazing the difference a few miles can make in plants. I wouldn't want to fall into this. After one false summit, I finally reached the cabin. I know everybody comments on how ingenious his water catchment and containment system was, but I was just amazed that he carried those 55 gallon drums and that cement up that mountain. And I have to admit, I didn't realize what this was at first. But you have to admit that they had a great view from up there. But I can imagine the after 16 years, Tanya had enough going up and down the mountain.
2/6/2012 Topic: Marshal South Cabin TR	I was very careful to to be sure I saw everything, but I don't think I saw the kiln.
4/10/2012 Topic: Where the wild flowers weren't. TR	I decided to take my wife out to see the wild flowers in bloom. I was thinking about Rainbow Canyon, but since my wife's not much of a "hiker", I decided the Borrego Palm Canyon was a safer choice. When we arrived at the trailhead there was only one parking space in the entire lot to be had. If I had been serious about hiking, I would have gone elsewhere. But since this was only to be a walk in the desert to see the wild flowers. I took the last spot, and we started off. We hadn't gone very far and so far this cactus was the only thing in bloom. But even the Brittle bush wasn't blooming. The Desert Lavender had very small flowers on it, but they weren't open yet. But most of the plants were just not flowering. There was some Indian Paintbrush that was blooming. And my wife really likes the color of these cacti, even without blooms. And of course, you can almost always count on the Ocotillo to be in bloom, but not so the cholla. But looking back on it, even though the flowers weren't blooming, and we didn't see anything other than two small lizards, it was a pretty good day. I mean you couldn't ask for better weather. Even my wife had a good time
4/11/2012 Topic: Where the wild flowers weren't. TR	anutami wrote: Looks like it walked right passed you! I had to move out of her way to let her pass. She was vocalizing quite a bit. And she let me know she was hopping down off that rock. So I backed up and let her pass. She was was less than 10 feet away. She was so unconcermed about me she stopped and put her head down to eat.
4/11/2012 Topic: Where the wild flowers weren't. TR	anutami wrote: Looks like it walked right passed you! Daren; You're absolutely right. I been coming out to Borrego for years. I had never seen a big horn sheep. My wife come out three times, and we have to move out of their way to let them pass.
4/16/2012 Topic: Where the wild flowers weren't. TR	They were easy to spot because of all of the vocalizing. You just followed the noise to the sheep. But I'm sure this was an abberation. If they weren't making any noise, they would be very hard to spot. DHeuschele wrote: herofix wrote: Great pics, thanks for sharing. Love your tongue-in-cheek reporting on the (lack of) flowers, too. I also found the reporting of the flowers funny. Great Pics. I have had pretty good success (3 times out of 10 maybe trips - they go up high near dusk and some of the 10 trips have been at dusk were there is virtually no chance to see them) seeing the sheep on the Borrego Palm Canyon trail (and fairly close - maybe 20') but that is the only trail in ABSP that I have seen the sheep. I was fortunate enough to see ram butting heads at the bottom of the Vivian Trail coming down from San G a few years ago. The display of power was impressive. There were 3 males and we watched for maybe 15 minutes and they were still doing it when we left them. We told a ranger of them and he went up to see them. When he got there they were still butting heads but they had been joined by a fourth one that we never saw (he may have been there all along but just blended in to the background). They were maybe 150' away and all any of us had were point and shoot cameras (we had just hiked the whole divide hitting all 9 summits so we were not carrying an SLR). Even at that distance it was awesome. I have wondered many times how many times I have passed within view of them without seeing them.
4/24/2012 Topic: Rainbow Canyon TR	Went out to Borrego this weekend, by way of the Sunrise Highway. It's getting to be my favorite route. My wife and I stayed a the Laguna Mt. Lodge about a month ago. But that's another story and different pictures. Saw a paraglider along the Pacific Crest Trail. I decided to hike Rainbow Canyon. It took my three tries to get away from the LandCruiser. First, the lumbar pact was so heavy it was falling down around my knees. So I lightened the load. Took out the binoculars, and the first aid kit. Though the later would turn out to be a mistake afterwards. But I wasn't going to cut down on the two liters of water. Anyway, after going back a second time for bug spray, I finally got underway. Nobody seems to mention the barbed wire fence that you have to cross. Not a big deal, execpt for all the gear I had to unload and load up again. Anyway, saw lots of flowers, some quail, couple of lizards, and one jack rabbit on the way back. Here's a few of the flower pictures. Not realy sure what kind of cactus this was, though it looked like a tall cholla. Agave in bloom. These next few are for my wife. She loves the colors. Wouldn't you know it, Daren would come up with a fish hook with more fruit on it. I had never seen this before, and I was really excited to see it beginning to bloom and bear fruit. Bob, I had heard that they were good to eat, but left it for someone or something the needed it more than I. This was the only monkey flower that I saw. I was really surprised as usually they are very prolific. But there were lots of jumping cholla balls. A particularly good paintbrush bush. This is one of a covy of quail. They would run along from cover to cover. And wait till I got right up beside it, and they would take off. This was up on the canyon wall. It seemed to be growing out of an agave. But I don't know what it was. A cholla finally got me. Actually, I got myself. It was on the toe of my boot, and I brushed my boot up against my calf. When the cursing stopped, this is what I found. One for Daren. An obligatory scat picture. And of course the first of the dry falls. I was moving so slowly, takiing pictures, and had to take the time to pull all those cactus spines out with my Leatherman's pliers, I wasn't up for climbing the falls. Besides Schad says that it becomes less interesting above them. Or atleast that was my rationalization. I now have any excuse to go back again.
6/19/2012 Topic: Lower Willows Trail TR	I went out to Borrego the weekend of the second and third of June. I decided to go up Cougar Canyon in hopes of seeing some Big Horn Sheep coming down to the water. I knew that they had closed the gate before the Third Crossing, just a couple of days prior. But I figured I could hike back in. I was amazed at how quickly the road had become void of vehicle tracks. And this was only 3 days since it was closed, and it hadn't rained in the interim. I ran across this lizard. I don't know if it changed colors or not, but it was almost indistinguishable from the sticks around it. I was astounded at lack of water at the Third Crossing. Just to the left of where the road went through, the stream narrowed and I could hop across on the rocks. I decided to get off the road, and take the Lower Willows Trail, in hopes of finding Big Horn. Walking along, scouring the ground for snakes and lizards and the like, I ran across this. Yes, it a golf ball. And a relatively new one at that. God knows I've tried, but I can't imagine a scenario that explains this. Was this a person hiking with a golf ball in his pocket, or was this just a bad shot, hit way out of bounds. (It miles from the nearest course.) There was plenty of water in the stream of to my right. And I got this shot of a dragonfly on a stalk of grass. This was the first of several stream crossings. It was to wide to just hop across. So I ask myself, What would Daren do? And the answer was, Man up, and hop across the rocks! Unfortunately, not being as coordinated as Daren, the second rock flipped over and the next thing I know, I'm wading across the stream. Unfortunately, most of the trail was like this. Hemmed in by willows on either side. They were so thick that I couldn't even seen the stream any more. So I decided to tell you all that every Big Horn Sheep in the park was down there taking a drink, becaused nobody could say I was wrong. It went on this way for over a mile. So I ask myself, What would Daren do? Again, the answer was, Man up, and keep hiking. When I finally broke into a little clearing I had this view of the mountains surrounding me. My map and GPS, said this peak was Monkey Hill. The elevation looked wrong, but I guess when both the map and the GPS say it's so, it's so. Well, I continued on a ways further, until I started back in to the willows again. I figured I wasn't going to see anything in the willows any way, so I turned around and hiked back out. All in all, a pretty boring hike. After I made it out of the willows, there was a duck swimming at the Third Crossing. So, the animal, reptile, insect count was, 1 lizard, 1 dragonfly, 1 duck. The mylar baloon count - 1. It's ribbon had gotten tangeld up in a cholla. When I pulled it loose, there wasn't even a hole in the baloon. The golf ball, of course. And a length of chrome door molding off a fancy SUV. I wish I had taken the Ocotillo Flats Trail instead. I probably wouldn't have seen any sheep, but it was more likely I would have seen some snakes.
6/20/2012 Topic: Lower Willows Trail TR	Jim; Thanks for the clarification on Damselfly vs. Dragonfly. I see so many of them, I'll be on the lookout for them. It was about 96 degrees. But I got an early start so it warmed up to it gradually, and didn't feel that bad. I was carrying two liters of water. Actually, a liter of water, and a liter bottle that I had frozen solid. I drank a full liter. If I had gone further, I would have just run out when I got back to the truck, where I had another liter bottle of ice. Tom
6/20/2012 Topic: Lower Willows Trail TR	Daren; Do these Iguana change color? I saw one before on pavement, and it was much darker. I think it's important to pack out the trash. I'm carrying a folded up garbage bag just for that purpose. Tom
6/22/2012 Topic: Scotchman's Peak, Northern Idaho TR	I realize this forum is for Anza Borrego related trips. But since things are slowing down due to the heat out in Borrego, I thought it might be okay to post trip report from a cooler climate. We have a summer place in Northern Idaho, where my wife grew up. About a month ago I scouted out a climb of Scotchman's Peak. (That's my M.O., to scout out a hiike before I actually tackle it. See for example, my multiple trips out to Indian Hill before I actually found the pictographs. Scotchman's Peak is a local landmark. It 7009 feet, and the trail is about 8 miles round trip. In mid May there was still snow on the peak. The run off was quite fast, and really cold. Saw this deer on the way to the trailhead. There are these warning signs also on the way to the trailhead. The re-introduced Grizzly bears in western Montana about 10 years ago. And the darn things don't pay any attention to state lines, and now their all over northern Idaho, too. So, there's no venemous snakes in this part of Northern Idaho, but there more black bears and gizzly bears than you can shake a stick at. Though, I don't rely on shaking sticks at them, I carry bear spray. Though the locals say, you can alway tell when a bear has been snacking on hikers, their scat is full of little bells and it smells like pepper. This is the first good look I got of the peak while climbing the trail. The trail was so steep here that I was afraid of falling over backward and rolling all the way to the bottom. I'm having a dilema, it would really be good to use trekking poles to ckimb with, but I have a tendency to carry my camera in my hand as I walk. I could wear the camera around my neck on the strap, but that's uncomfortable. I decided to climb as far as I could, or until I hit snow. I found this interesting, a new tree had begun growing out of the stump of an old tree. Old Man's Beard hanging from the trees. Now my Mother-in-law said I wouldn't have any trouble with bears, because they were still hibernating. Well, I don't put much stock in what she says because just several weeks before she hit a bear with her car. To be honest, the bear hit her. It ran into the right front fender, then it got up, shook itself off and ran off into the woods. Even so, this looks to me to be last seasons bear scat. View of the summit from futher up the mountain. Not seeing alot of wildlife. The obligatory flower pictures for my wife. She was very happy to see these as she said she had't seen any ladyslippers she childhood. So, I told her there were two of them up around 5,300' if she was interested in seeing them in person. These are known as Johnny Jump Ups. (Don't ask me why.) The interesting thing about them, is after they open up, they turn upside down. So the bees enter them from below to get the pollen. Trillium. Well, I stopped about half way up, well before I hit snow. And I think the hike is doable in July, if I start early in the morning.
7/10/2012 Topic: 2012 Annual Bighorn Sheep Count TR	I was under the mistaken belief that Coyote Canyon was only closed to vehicle traffic when I went hiking there June 3rd. A check with the park headquarters shows that Daren is in fact correct. Coyote Canyon is closed period. No cars and no hiking of any kind. dsefcik wrote: ziphius wrote: Are there some palm grove areas that are off-limits to hikers during the summer, to avoid disturbing the sheep? Apparently, your spot wasn't one of them? Palm Grove is open, Coyote Canyon is closed.
7/19/2012 Topic: Dragonfly and damselfly project TR	Demselfly June 2, 2012 Google Earth Coordinates (UTM): 11 S 551957 m E 3693075 m N <em>edited by TR on 7/20/2012</em>
8/7/2012 Topic: Mt. Laguna and Blair Valley TR	This was a trip we took in February. But as things have slowed down due to the heat, I thought it would be good to post it now. As I have mentioned before, my wife does not hike or camp. Her idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service. In an effort to get her more involved, I took her up to the Laguna Lodge, and for a walk in the woods, (avoiding the word hike) on the Sunset Trail. My wife made it about a mile and a half up the trail. I went a little further, till I could see Route 78 in the distance. The Laguna Lodge was an excellent choice. They have modest cabins, with fireplaces. They also have satellite TV, though we never turned ours on. We bought some firewood at the store, and watched the fire all evening. They are also pet friendly. We thought we might have to pet sit the grandpuppy, or in the alternative have my daughter and son-in-law join us. But it seems that after to months of seperation, (he is in the Army stationed in Korea,) spending time with the parents wasn't what they wanted. Go figure. There were blue jays all over the place. We had a wonderful dinner at the Julian Grille. They are also pet friendly. The have a seperate carriage house the allows pets. Next morning we had a great breakfast at the Pine House Cafe just down the road from the Lodge. It open Firday, Saturday, and Sunday, because the woman who owns it is from Ocean Beach. We set off for Blair Valley after breakfast. We stopped at the overlook on Sunrise Highway. After leaving the overlook, a bobcat crossed the road right in front of us. Too quick to get a picture. We then dropped down to Blair Valley. You have to excuse the pictures. My wife took them. So it's pretty much the way she sees the desert. All in all we had a good time. Lots of good food, and a comfortable place to stay, which is important to her. And she slept almost all the way home, which means she happy. So, I think I have had her out to Borrego 4 times now. She's seen Big Horn Sheep, and she beginning to recognize places she hears about in the news, like Fish Creek / Split Mountain. That's her in the Land Cruiser.
8/8/2012 Topic: Split Mountain/Sandstone Canyon after the Rains! TR	Daren; Yeah there is definite liability for the truck. If they don't get it out of there, and the State has to remove it, they will definitely be getting a bill. Just to add insult to injury!
9/18/2012 Topic: Sequoia TR	Talked my wife in to going to Sequoia National Park for our anniversary. Though I have been there 3 times, she had never been. So Friday after a half days work off we set for Sequoia. She was amazed by the size of the Sequoias. We went for a little hike through the Giant Forest, just beyond the Giant Forrest Muesum. This is in Grant's Grove. My Daughter in 2005. My Wife in 2012. To give you some perspective, those are cars in the lower left of this picture. From my past trips, they have made some changes in the roads in the park. They are of course re-building the General's Highway into the park from the south. But they have also blocked off the road to Moro Rock, and are running a shuttle bus up to it. Moro Rock. This is my daughter at the top of Moro Rock from June 2005. On the shuttle bus you miss this fallen tree root. You can no longer drive thru the fallen log. I'm sure they have a good reason. This is from my backpacking trip in July 2010.
10/3/2012 Topic: My Jeeps (and past rides) TR	Well, I'm a little late to the party. Having only been 4 wheeling a couple of years. And I still own my first two 4WD's. The first is a '77 Ford F-250 that I agreed to buy from my father-in-law, because it was the love of his life and he was afraid it would fall into the wrong hands after he was gone. It's called Ol' Yeller. He passed two days after selling it to me. Here he is driving with my daughter on his lap. Here she is twenty years later learning to drive a stick. Here, I'm looking down on it from Goat Mountain trail, in Idaho, where it stays year round. It's a bit of a money pit, but it's a family heirloom, so I have to keep it running. Then in July of last year I bought a 1991 Land Cruiser. I was impressed with Bob's, and I liked the reliability of a Toyota. I will eventually get around to making my modifications to it. But after taking the Badlands Offroad Driving Course in it stock, I was amazed what it will do. This is part of the course in the Mojave. I didn't get a lot of pictures, because I was in my Land Cruiser, but this is a drop off I've already been through. We practicing spotting for the others. Here it is in Fish Creek.
10/18/2012 Topic: 2012 BorregoFest Event (October 19th - 21st, 2012) TR	anutami: If you're worried about your rig making it through the one steep, rutted section of Dos Cabezas road, there's a way around this section of road. It starts from Mortero Wash about 300 or 400 yards short of the tracks, and goes down and to the right. It winds it's way around and comes out right at the top of the steep, rutted section. Daren has made it through the steep, rutted section with his truck, albeit with a little mudflap damage if I recall correctly. But he doesn't have the camper on the back. My Land Cruiser just walks up that section like it was paved. Tom
10/18/2012 Topic: 2012 BorregoFest Event (October 19th - 21st, 2012) TR	It looks like from Google Earth that it is actually Dos Cabezas Road the by passes the rough spot. The rough section is the un-named road that runs right along the tracks.
10/19/2012 Topic: 2012 BorregoFest Event (October 19th - 21st, 2012) TR	Anutami; It signed as closed to vehicle traffic, though there has clearly been some vehicles through there. Maybe it's Border Patrol. Tom
10/19/2012 Topic: Orionid Meteor Showers this weekend TR	Daren; Assuming you haven't left yet, what camera settings do you recommend for the meteors? Tom
10/25/2012 Topic: Squaw Tit, Table Mountain and 10 other Benchmarks TR	I've never had any trouble with them. But I'm always going to the Mortero Wash. So that seems to satisfy them. They one question that always throws me is, Nationality? It's so strange a question to be asking.
10/29/2012 Topic: Hiking the Carrizo Gorge Railway and Indian Hill TR	Bob; Are there any tunnels that have collapsed, that you had to hike around, in taking the tracks down to the trestle? Tom
10/30/2012 Topic: Culp Valley to Palm Canyon TR	My son-in-law and I hitch hiked up to where the CRHT crossed the road and hiked down hill 6 years ago. We made it an overnight, with a stop just beyond Culp Valler. It was easy catching a ride with backpacks on.
11/13/2012 Topic: Dos Cabesas Mortero Palms Campground and More TR	Daren; I always use Mortero Wash. I air down my tires right after I get off S2. I've never had any trouble with any of the sandy sections. Tom
11/15/2012 Topic: New Forum TR	Looks good to me, Bob. I'm getting old. All this about accessing it from the phone goes right over my head.
11/15/2012 Topic: Forum Layout Display Problem TR	Oh, good. I thought it was just me. I'm using Internet Explorer.
11/15/2012 Topic: Camping with your pet TR	Don't you worry they will get into a cactus or something? I don't take Lola out with me because bulldogs don't tolerate the heat.
11/15/2012 Topic: Camping with your pet TR	Daren; Is that a different Son, or just older? I thought I remembered a bigger picture of your avatar that included your son, and he was quite a bit younger.
11/16/2012 Topic: Changed Post Thread Sorting TR	I like newest first. But whatever easiest, Bob.
11/19/2012 Topic: Land Cruiser master and slave cylinder replacment TR	Bob; Have you seen the 2013 Land Cruisers yet. MSRP is $80,000. Yikes! Tom
11/19/2012 Topic: Dual battery kit for the Toyota HZJ80 LandCruiser TR	Bob; Did your second battery fit under in the engine compartment, or did you put it in the back somewhere? Tom
11/21/2012 Topic: New tires TR	I have Goodyear Wranglers on my Land Cruiser. I only drive it to the desert and off road there. I milage out to the desert hasn't changed. Once I'm there they perform well.
1/16/2013 Topic: What are you reading? TR	Marshal South and the Ghost Mountain Chronicles. I know from everyone I've talked to, that Marshal South was supposed to be this great man, and great writer, but so far I found him to be a self promoting jerk.
1/30/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 TR	Here's my pictures. I haven't been out to the desert since June due to health issues. But I hope to be back soon. My first BHS! Marshal South cabin. Finally made it to Indian Hill! Sunset over the Coyote Mountains. Fish Creek with my Wife. Desert Iguana. Damsel fly.
1/31/2013 Topic: Favorite Photos from 2012 TR	Daren, you got me. It is actually a moonrise! I mis-spoke. Jim, can you believe it, it was on the Palm Canyon trail. I was looking for an easy "walk" to take my wife on.
2/6/2013 Topic: Borrego off trail camping TR	Andrew; Anza Borrego is the only state park that allows "open camping" anywhere in the park. Just your basic common sense rules about camping near a stream, and open fires have to be contained in a metal container, and you have to pack in your wood and pack out your ashes. I get around that by using a canister type stove. Otherwise just pitch you tent any where in the park. Tom
2/25/2013 Topic: Villager/Rabbit/Dawns Via Mojave & Rockhouse Cyn TR	Daren, Weight was a serious consideration when I swithed from my point and shoot Nikon, to a DSLR. From what I read one of the lightest weight cameras was the Olympus E-620. With a 14-42 mm lens it weighs just 28 oz. I also carry a 70-300 mm lens which weighs 25 oz. I've been really happy with it so far. I bought it reconditioned through Cameta Camera out on NY. I bought the 70-300 mm lens used on E-bay. Tom
2/25/2013 Topic: Villager/Rabbit/Dawns Via Mojave & Rockhouse Cyn TR	Bob and Daren; That's one short coming of the Olympus E-630. It doesn't take videos. Tom
3/5/2013 Topic: Subject: Inner Pasture. Not! TR	Well I went for a two day hike of the Inner Pasture. It was my first foray into the desert since I was hospitalized in the end of November / beginning of December. I chose the Inner Pasture purposely because it is such a gradual rise in elevation. I thought with my weight loss of 60 pounds, and my daily workout on the Total Gym, I was ready for it. That’s what I get for doing my own thinking. I got out there Saturday morning, to a bright cloudless sky. I strapped on my 26 pound pack. That’s 16 pounds of equipment, and 10 pounds of water. Set my GPS, and activated my SPOT, so my wife can keep track of me, and set off. I first came upon one of Daren’s water caches. Looks like this one is going to need refilled. The desert is on the verge of blooming. A Chuperosa in bloom. I have no idea what this is. A cactus ready to bust out blooming all over. Octillo The openning of the canyon to the Inner Pasture. I seemed to be hiking pretty slowly, even for me. I check my watch and the GPS, and I discovered that it had taken me an hour and a half to hike a little more than half a mile. I figured that I had two and a half miles to go to the Inner Pasture. I was exhausted, and more than a little disgusted with myself for being so out of condition. All that work on the Total Gym did nothing for my stamina and endurance. And I was planning on doing the Grand Canyon in April. I decided it would be prudent just to turn around and hike back to the LandCruiser. A lot of thing were going through my head on the way back. Not the least of which was, I was 60 years old and maybe it's time to give up the dream. I was even thinking that REI had the annual Used Gear Sale in a couple weeks, and I have a lot of really good, light weight equipment I could sell. On the way back I ran into a couple of Border Patrol agents who were out looking for aliens in distress. They ask me if I had seen anybody. But I hadn't. By the time I got back to the LandCruiser, things looked brighter. I pledged to work on my endurance, and keep on hiking. So the next day I went out towards the Salton Sea. I got off at Fonts Point because I always heard about it, but had never been there. There's a natural arch about in the center of this picture. Does any one know anything about this? It was a really awsome view. I imagine I'm the last person to go up there, but if not it's worth it.
3/13/2013 Topic: Anza Borrego Peak Wildflower Bloom For 2013 TR	Where do you think you should go to see the wildflowers?
6/22/2013 Topic: ABDSP forum rally TR	Count me in. I would be up for anything other than one on Daren's epic hike's. And the weekend of Nov 16-17 gives us plenty of time to plan.

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