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hikerdmb Posts: 423
2/25/2014
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After our November trip out to the Orocopia Mountains we decided we needed to return to the same area east of the Salton Sea and north of The Chocolate Mountains. The trip started on Friday afternoon and we headed out to Borrego Springs to get a burrito at Los Jilbertos. After dinner we headed out to Font's Point to see the lights of town. There were lots of trucks and cars parked just off the highway at the turn off to Font's. We headed out to see what was up. They are filming a movie out there. It is called "Last Days in the Desert" and it stars Ewan McGregor as a holy man (Jesus) on a journey through the desert. While we are standing there talking to the location manager, who should walk by but Jesus himself. Well, finally after 40+ years of me roaming the desert, I finally saw Jesus. My life is now more complete. Can't wait to see the movie and see where all they have shot out there. The location manager, who we talked to for a while, said they were moving over by the air park to shoot later on. It was a pretty amazing sight to see all of the people it takes to make a "low budget" movie. That how it was described to me anyway.
After seeing all the people we headed east to Palo Verde Wash to wait for my brother to join us for the trip east. It was a great night in PV Wash with no wind and very nice temps. Saturday morning we got in the jeeps and headed toward the Salton Sea. We went through Mecca and out Box Canyon to I-10. Then east on 10 to Chuckwalla Valley Road. This road was closed but a friendly CHP officer told us to go ahead and go around the signs. Kept going east until we reached Graham Pass Road. Headed south a ways and turned off onto the Augustine Pass Road. Here is the view looking south to the Chuckwalla Mountains from the road heading to Augustine Pass.
This was a fun road in the jeeps but I would not want to take anything with a much longer wheelbase or wider track on this trail. There are lots of twists and turns that would be very difficult in a larger rig. Here is a pic of the squeeze just north of the pass.
Once over Augustine Pass we stopped for a late lunch break.
When we were down off of the pass we joined up with the Bradshaw Trail. This is my third time on this trail. Did it the first time west to east and then did the western most section in November. Each trip has been so different but incredible in its own way. After driving west for a ways we came upon the bomb exhibit. These are all practice bombs that are filled with cement. It seems that the less damaged duds must have landed on a soft surface while others were split wide open. The fins have all be removed from these but we did see some others that still had the fins.
We kept heading west and took a little side trip up the loop trail of Amy's Wash. Came upon the the Karen Kayla Mill Site and old cabin. It is pretty rough inside but I guess you could stay in there if you wanted. There were some supplies and a register to sign.
We backtracked away from the cabin a ways and found a nice campsite with a great view. Here are the jeeps at camp, resting and dusty.
And here is the sunset from camp on Saturday night
Again on this night we had no wind and nice temps. I didn't set up my tent again and just slept on the ground, some people call it cowboy camping. When I went to bed I set my shoes right next to me. So I wake up in the morning and find that my shoes are missing. I look over and see one shoe about 10 feet away, then a sock, then about 30 feet away I see the other shoe and sock. I looked close and saw some tracks. Here is a track right in the middle of the pic.
My buddy, who is sleeping on a cot, says, "Is that what that Kit Fox was chewing on last night? I thought it was trash." The little guy tried to steal my shoes and chewed up one lace. I'm sure glad he didn't get all the way off with them because I had no back up shoes to wear. I have never had anything like this happen before. Anyone else had items stolen or attempted to be stolen by desert critters?
After a slow morning in camp we headed on west to the cliff at the bottom of Red Canyon.
Then on to the end of the Bradshaw Trail. Here is the view to the Salton Sea from just before hitting highway 111. It was a beautiful afternoon even if it was a bit hazy to the south.
Finally here is the route we took. We went clockwise and the small loop we also did clockwise is Amy's Wash.
I am guessing we did close to 350 miles on this trip from home to home. Hope you enjoyed the TR.
David
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ziphius Posts: 911
2/25/2014
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Boy, I would have never thought a kit fox would come right up and take a shoe, especially a Merrell (I've got the same shoe!). Looks like a great area to explore, thanks for posting. 
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
2/25/2014
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Cool trip David...I could probably join you on those trips now and fit thru the squeeze in my new truck! I drove it on the EC085 yesterday and plowed thru all the silty sand with ease. Joel, one of the older guys I have backpacked with told a story of one night he woke up and a kit fix had his sleeping bag in his mouth and was trying to drag it and him away...pretty funny.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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DesertWRX Posts: 135
2/25/2014
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I had a shortwave radio and it had a long wire for the antenna. I left the radio sitting on the ground and during the night something gnawed through the wire and took it!
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DHeuschele Posts: 87
2/26/2014
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Not a desert fox but the fox of Catalina are bold and will jump on your sleeping bag when you are sleeping. I had used an ursack which I think peeved the fox as he got food from almost everyone else and came back nightly to try to get my food.
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rockhopper Posts: 668
2/26/2014
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Neat trip. I will have to see that movie when it comes around. I used to go mine exploring in that area back in the day. Most of the old mining roads were washed out up in the mountians so we had to hike in. The wild life seems to be geting more bold/ smarter every year maybe as a result of the drought.
Shoe story: Not wildlife related by once truck camping out at Lucerne dry lake , I kick off my tennis shoes onto the ground below my rear bumper as I crawled into my camper shell to sleep at nite. During the nite it got windy, real windy. When I woke, my shoes where no where to be found. Gone. No back up shoes. Drove home in my socks.
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Florian Posts: 129
2/26/2014
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Thanks for the info re the movie crew at Fonts. I saw them this morning along S22.
-Florian
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ImpatientHiker Posts: 41
4/1/2014
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Hello, I'm new here. Great TR. In the late 70's I was camping with my friend & his parents in Fish Creek above Olla Wash and a kit fox was circling just outside the firelight. When we went to bed my friends dad left a cup with some beer in it out for the fox. We awoke to find the beer gone and in its place a small poop. -Robert
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/2/2014
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ImpatientHiker wrote:
We awoke to find the beer gone and in its place a small poop. -Robert That is awesome..!!!!!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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