all messages by user

Is this fixed now? The interface looks different.

Here is a pic of the road heading up


the protruding boulder...i would say this is the end of the line

Just a few more days to go! I was really sick for over a week and afraid I'd have to cancel this trip. So happy I've been feeling better! On the return trip along the tracks I'm thinking about cutting through where the old railroad workers camp is along with Indian Hill. I don't think the guys I'm going with have been there yet so it would be a great addition to the hike. Then we'd just make our way to Doz Cabezas Road.

Bob, I tried to get to the forum on my iphone and there was no tab to click on...

Help
Nolan

Here is some obstruction a month or so ago, it threw me off also but I found my way after driving thru their trucks on both sides of the road a little further back. You can see the road on the right with the "No Ocotillo Express Traffic" sign but they have completely bulldozed the road and I could not get over it in my truck.




harmono wrote:

Do you plan on taking Dos Cabesas road on Saturday out there? If you do, could you take pictures of the construction there? It seemed like the construction was blocking the road. What I saw was the buildings and fences, then I drove about 100 feet and saw a road cut to the right. But if you continue on the road, there was construction going on right next to the road. I'm not sure if the road that cut to the right was Dos Cabesas, or if it was this road that went along this creek that cuts off to the right of Dos Cabesas.

Thanks.

Some of the challenging desert photos for me are during the day when there is very bright sunlight and dark shadows all in the same photo. The bright sunlight will &quotwhite&quot out the sky and the shadows will look very dark. My camera has and HDR mode that will take several photos with different exposures and blend them together to get a well balanced photo. I just saw a friends Android phone that had an HDR mode on the camera and it worked very well!

You can take manual photos with different exposures and blend them together with software but if your camera supports HDR mode you should give it a try first.

Here is an example before/after photos with HDR applied
(Rancher Shack in Mason Valley)

Normal Photo


Blended HDR Applied Photo

Not sure about anyone else but the message compose area for me is very, very thin. The old version I could drag and expand it larger but this new version does not allow me to do that and the compose area is only 3-4 sentences tall.

Bob, any advice ...?

My iPhone 4 has HDR. I usually take the pics so I get a regular and an HDR version of each shot and then keep the better of the two photos.

I'm likin the new software Bob! Need to try out the app. Tom

Looks good to me, Bob.
I'm getting old. All this about accessing it from the phone goes right over my head.

One easy test for HDR mode is inside your house. Find a room with windows and bright sunlight coming in. Take a picture of the room looking out the bright windows. Usually the photo will look all washed out in the windows and very dark inside the room. Try the same photo with HDR and you should see photo looks much better with the exposures correct for both the windows and inside of your house.

I am getting ready for an ABDSP trip leaving this Friday through Wednesday and was 100 miles over needing and oil change. I almost thought about not getting one but decided to go yesterday.

This is what they found in my rear differential case! I hope it can be fixed today!

surfponto wrote:

I added the Forum tab in the Mobile App but for some reason the login screen gave me an error.
Give it a try

Bob

anutami wrote:

Bob, I tried to get to the forum on my iphone and there was no tab to click on...

Help
Nolan

Yeah I am getting the error screen after getting to the forum tab....(I have an iphone 4s)

phew....shop just called me and it is not the gears...said it is a shim that came loose that does no do anything....my rear brakes however are at 5%....

here is the rear diff plug with a lot of metal shavings attached to the magnet

edited by anutami on 11/15/2012

....... Fortunately it's only been needed for important stuff like drunk dialing Mom from deep in Baja ........ Tom

I also just noticed on FF that if I make my browser really narrow there is no scroll bar at the bottom and the website gets chopped off. It could just be me but I will also check when I get home on a different computer.

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.

OK, I admit, this may be over the top a bit but what the heck..the domain was available.....

http://www.rockybones.com/

Bob, excellent post but you know I could fill pages with pics of my dog. Here are 3 to start.
......

Can you tell yet that I LOVE this dog!

Hey where did you find those Sierra Nevada in the can?

Vons, I am pretty sure all the stores should have them...they also have the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA in Pint size cans as well...IPA puts me asleep :0

I prefer it with the oldest first, esp. in when it's a new trip report. That way you see all the pics first and then other readers' comments below. But I'll defer to whatever the group decides, no big deal.

not sure what you did but the background is all messed up now. see attached screenshot.

surfponto wrote:

Think I am going to pick up a bunch for our post Christmas Baja trip

anutami wrote:

Hey where did you find those Sierra Nevada in the can?

Vons, I am pretty sure all the stores should have them...they also have the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA in Pint size cans as well...IPA puts me asleep :0

Just picked up a 12 pack myself vons has them on sale for 12 bucks great deal

Posting this with my iPhone thanks Bob!!!!
edited by anutami on 11/16/2012

Daren Sefcik wrote:

Newest first...thanks Bob

Not sure why I wrote this, I meant oldest first, just like the old site. It is confusing with the newest first.

It's a well guarded secret, but chihuahuas loooove camping......
"edited by OjaiRAV on 11/18/2012

All is right in the forum world now.

Hi Bob, I am new to the forum and am very much enjoying it, thanks for your work on this. I posted my first reply, but unfortunately do not have the hang of inserting images inline, judging by my images on the "camping with pets" thread which only made it as attachments. Could you help me out on the finer points of correctly specifying the html to make the inline images flow?
Thanks,
Celeste


surfponto wrote:

I changed the Post thread sorting to have the most recent responses at the top.
This way you don't have to scroll to the bottom to see the latest response on a particular post.
Let me know if that works OK for everybody?

Best,
Bob

Bob;
Did your second battery fit under in the engine compartment, or did you put it in the back somewhere?

Tom

Bob;
Have you seen the 2013 Land Cruisers yet. MSRP is $80,000. Yikes!

Tom

Wow..a whole $1,000.00 reward...must mean a lot to the BLM.....

Here is what appears to be an attempt to steal petroglyphs...sigh...

Seems like the "unread topics(#)" next to my avatar never really changes the number and when I click on it I always get the same list of forums that supposedly I have not read but I have.

Bob, how is that counter supposed to actually work?

I found the pics from the Bishop area from about 25 years ago.



looks like a "chunk" was missing back then.

Is that an alien spacecraft pictograph?


edited by rockhopper on 11/21/2012
edited by rockhopper on 11/21/2012

Nope, did not fix it...

surfponto wrote:

Thanks Daren,
. I think it does change but I thing it is cached or something because if I log out and then login it changes.
Try that.


Daren Sefcik wrote:

Seems like the "unread topics(#)" next to my avatar never really changes the number and when I click on it I always get the same list of forums that supposedly I have not read but I have.

Bob, how is that counter supposed to actually work?

Nice trip. Was in Torote Canyon on 12-11-10 and noted the Ocotillos were changing colors. There seemed to be two distinct groups, red and yellow. Not sure this was a transition they all went through or two different hybrids. Anything similar this year? Also noted our Torotes have nothing on the Baja Torotes! Tom


Christmas Lights10 by tomteske, on Flickr


Christmas Lights9 by tomteske, on Flickr


Senor Torote by tomteske, on Flickr

I like the way the site handles the small iPhone screen. That's well done. But logging in is another issue. I tried several times but always got the message "Server Error in '/AnzaBorrego/Forum' Application." You can see the entire error here: http://www.anzaborrego.net/AnzaBorrego/Forum/default-iphone.aspx

You're right Bob, I too have driven by the monument numerous time and never stopped! Would suggest everyone check out Wikipedia's article on the Mormon Battalion. An amazing story even more apropos in view of our recent presidential election, the battalion has numerous additional local monuments most (including myself) are not familiar with. Tom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Battalion

Great butterfly pics!!! I too have passed by many, many times and have never stopped!

Did our camping trip last week. Had a great, relaxing time. Stayed in the Fish Camp campground, only ones there until we left Friday. Nice views. Didn't drive any further into Split Mtn, was too nice just to sit and read and relax! But we are driving in this Saturday with some friends who are visiting from Holland. Love showing off our desert!

I have another idea, and would like some feedback. This one is solely to help the park. Suppose you're driving down the road and you see a road hazard. What do you do? Who do you call? Or suppose you're driving around in the backcountry, and you see a group of people illegally camped, littering the landscape. What do you do?

I am toying with the idea of writing an app that allows anyone with an iPhone to report these and other incidents with a few taps on their iPhone. With the app I tentatively call "Anza Borrego Reporter" you would choose from selections such as "Road Hazard" or "Illegal Activity" or "Environmental Damage" or even something like "Sheep Sighting." Then you'd add more info, take a picture, and all this info would be either posted to a web site, or sent as an email message to a responsible party for them to act upon.

Those are just some basic ideas. But at the same time I don't want to unnecessarily burden an already over-burdened understaffed park with more information than they may want to deal with. But I would develop this app for the park because I love this park and want to do something to help it.

Anyone have any thoughts on what I've posted so far? Thanks!
-Bill

I still like calling the rangers and talking to someone, but taking a picture and sending it would provide proof and gps coordinates. It is pretty crazy how many areas of the park you get cell coverage!

I like that area and hiked it a year ago. Like others have said here, the Mormon Battalion history is very interesting. These were tough folks in the days before Goretex. Apparently, you can find some rust marks in east county (maybe in Box Canyon too?) from the repeated traverses of wagon wheels through ruts in the rock. Nice butterfly photos. - Jim

You have never stopped..????

What about the other side of the road from the monument, have you looked over there??

I have... http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic161-from-the-unpublished-series.aspx

Sorry I missed you guys this year (again) Bob, maybe next year....
Looks like good eating though, anything left over for Diesel??

My whole family was puking with the stomach flu

surfponto wrote:

then my wife and I camped near Mason Valley on Saturday and didn't see a soul
Very relaxing.

Nice pano Bob, did you guys camp out on the short spur rd to Cool Cyn or somewhere else?

Very cool, I made a (albeit poorer quality) PDF version a few weeks ago if anyone's interested.

http://onosendai.org/files/kathleen.pdf
edited by wintyfresh on 11/29/2012

I posted on this book after seeing it in East County Magazine earlier this month (http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/Forum/topic316-more-split-mountain-flash-flood.aspx#post2438). Downloaded it from scribd.com ($9) and agree it's an awesome book. Always wondered what the concrete blocks and twisted rebar in Myers Creek were from and the book explains. No way the current Myers Creek culverts under I-8 would help with a flood of this magnitude. Also looks like North Ocotillo was built directly in the Myers Creek flood plain. Tom



Myers Creek Floodplain by tomteske, on Flickr

Come join me on a rewarding hike out to Sombrero Peak in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park!




"Cone-shaped Sombrero Peak rises head and shoulders above the east lip of the McCain Valley plateau, overlooking a hundred-square mile expanse of rock-strewn mountains and gorges, sun-baked valleys, and distant badlands. Conversely, the peak itself is a prominent and familiar landmark widely observed from the desert below.
Climbing Sombrero Peak is a feat attempted by relatively few people, but not because of its height (4229 feet above sea level), which is quite modest. Rather, the peak is remote from paved roads, and its boulder-guarded flanks discourage those who are not willing to put up with either a long march to its base (from the west) or a shorter but sweaty eastern approach up from the desert floor." -Jerry Schad


More photos and the whole story here: http://johnandautumnsadventures.blogspot.com/2012/12/sombrero-peak-hike.html?utm_source=BP_recent
edited by BorregoWrangler on 12/3/2012

Looks like it was a great day! I've done the same west approach a few times and always forgot how deceptively close Sombrero looks as you are walking towards it. Any photos of the tracks you saw? Nice TR. - Jim

BorregoWrangler wrote:

Daren Sefcik wrote:

Yeah...you made it! Who took the registry???? Was the chain there?
Geez, I still need to to post my Thanksgiving trip.

No, there was only the anchor and one chain link left.

Guess we need to plan a trip out and hoof up a new registry...

Previously I was planning on going out to Goat Canyon Trestle via an unknown creek/wash that is north of Piedras Grandes. It's not Indian Wash. Now I'm thinking of possibly going from Indian Canyon trestle north of that, and going up that wash to a creek that goes south of Indian Hill. This creek cuts through the mountains, and takes you near "Toy Trestle", and I plan on walking on the hill that the tunnel cuts through south of it there.
I mapped it out on Google Maps.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200894553877442534046.0004cd8885173c865ca28&msa=0&ll=32.73666,-116.180871&spn=0.012238,0.013819

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89836383@N03/
edited by harmono on 12/4/2012

surfponto wrote:

I would like to join but we may be doing a MTB ride out to Goat Canyon.

Bob, did you mtb ride the route? I was thinking about doing this soon as well. Do you just park at the gas station?

Jim,

I took Daren's advice and parked under the freeway, right before the de anza rv park.

Just a little train trivia as I'm kind of a new railfan as well as a weekend hiker. The first picture of trains there you see a train marked 7773. I believe at least two of those trains have been sold. In the meeting minutes for SD & AE they mentioned that the buyer of the trains would like them delivered, or would like a refund. So if you notice any cabs missing that's probably the explanation. I think someone else noticed a cab was missing, but I'm not sure which one. The montreal cars probably belong to the Mexican tourist train, so those might be re-claimed after the track is up and running. Just sayin'

http://www.sdmts.com/MTS/documents/2012-7-10COMPLETEPKG.pdf
edited by harmono on 12/6/2012

Here is an update on this just in case you are following this. Let me know if you are interested in going there. I have changed the date but it's tentative, late December is all I can say.
What's really cool is this panorama photo taken by Deren, I hope he doesn't mind me posting this link.
http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Panoramas/16201833_YA53r#!i=1250440396&k=iM7CB&lb=1&s=A

In this panorama I was able to learn things about the area that I could not through other tools. I've been looking for photos of the toy trestle. In this panorama you can see two trestles on the left part (north).
The trestle on the right I believe is called "Toy Trestle" , to the right of that is the area of interest. I was wondering what the descent would be like. What I found interesting is that I suspected that there was a road partially down the descent and I was right apparently. I can see what looks like a road cut out from the side of the hill that seems to go from the north part of the tracks behind a rocky hill, then down towards the tunnel south of the toy trestle. That was confirmation of what I had suspected. I'm not sure if I will be taking this route, but I will probably be trying to document this route for others. I have never heard anyone mention this apparent road even with the controversy surrounding the CZRY police enforcing trespassing laws. This path would reduce walking on or near the tracks to a minimum (or if you just wanted to view the area) in case people are concerned about that.

BorregoWrangler wrote:

Can I get one of those railroad attachments on my Jeep? :-D

Just drive your Jeep out there, Bob and I saw 2 vehicles driving on the tracks from Dos Cabezas to the trestle. They did not cross the trestle since there was not enough solid surface on either side. They basically drove out there with with one set of wheels on the side dirt and the other set on the tracks.

The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association has announced plans to use the recent award of $10,000 from the EcoAmbassadors competition to expand the ABDNHA Desert Exploration program (Anza-Borrego Just for Kids) with development of an outdoor learning center, a beautiful garden of desert plants and bird habitat on property ABDNHA owns adjacent to it's headquarters building, one block west of Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs. Situated among mature palo verde trees, the outdoor learning center will be a place of beauty, education, inspiration, and relaxation. It will extend the Desert Exploration Hands-on and Online program by providing a place where school children, families, visitors, and local residents can learn about the desert and enjoy the desert landscape.



ABDNHA says "It is our intention that the ABDNHA Desert Garden will become a community project, something all of Borrego Springs will be proud of. It will also be a place where everyone who voted in the ECO Ambassador campaign can come to see the results of their efforts." ABDNHA plans to get started on the project in the year ahead, using the $10,000 award plus additional donations and in-kind contributions.


Read more here: http://www.abdnha.org/2012_ecoambassador.htm

Gorgeous barrel cactus towards the end....I miss going to Baja. Thanks to Mary for the video...!

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.....

Seems like the park closed of many of the spur rd spots to camp in Little Blair, not sure why. During the summer the bees are insane, one trip I had to retreat into my truck for the night and leave very early at sunrise because of them.

Sorry...way off topic...

http://www.retrojunk.com/content/commercial/29064/index/

My wife and I in San Quintin, probably mid 80's. That is my XT 500 and my mexican plated Jeep....good times...

We used to go down to Bahia de Los Angeles every year during the 80's and 90's. Good times!
Thanks for sharing. I've got some old photos around herer somewhere

Is that Punta Gringa? Looks awesome. When we drove to Cabo two years ago (my first trip down there in 25 years), couldn't believe the amount of development. Every pristine beach had a dozen shacks and a fence around it. Back then, LA Bay only had Papa Diaz' place and that was about it. Tom

This came to my email box today.
Software Offers Tool to Evaluate Wildlife Fatalities at Wind-Power Facilities
Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST

CORVALLIS, Ore.— Resource managers now have a user-friendly tool to estimate wildlife fatalities at wind-power facilities, thanks to software and auser's guide released today by the U.S. Geological Survey. The software combines counts of animal carcasses and detection-rate information to estimate the number of fatalities and to provide measures of uncertainty of these estimates to help managers address concerns about the potential environmental effects of this rapidly expanding industry.

Bird and bat fatalities at some wind-power facilities have led to recommendations and sometimes requirements from state and federal regulators that facility managers monitor wildlife fatalities as a condition for facility development and operation. Usually this monitoring involves searching for carcasses beneath and near turbines.
Unfortunately, simple counts of dead animals do not reflect actual fatality because carcasses are detected at varying rates. Carcasses may be removed by scavenging animals before monitors are able to include them in count information. Some species are inherently easier to detect than others; for example, ­an eagle is much easier to find than is a hummingbird. Furthermore, carcasses can be obscured by vegetation or fall in steep terrain that is difficult or impossible to search.

In 2010, USGS scientist Manuela Huso published an approach to estimating fatality that accounts for variable detection rates among carcasses. The tool being released today, that Huso and collaborators Nick Som and Lew Ladd of EcoStats, LLC subsequently developed, provides a bridge between the highly technical details of her original publication to the needs of consultants and field managers conducting wildlife monitoring.
"Accurate and unbiased estimates are critical to our understanding of the effects of wind-power facilities on wildlife," Huso said. "They are necessary to compare techniques currently available to managers to reduce fatalities, to assess cumulative effects on wildlife populations, and to develop predictions of potential fatality prior to a facility's construction. Even more important are measures of the uncertainty associated with estimates of fatality, which this software also provides."

This software has its limitations, however. A different set of statistical tools is needed to evaluate fatality of a particular species for which few individuals are expected to be killed but for which accurate estimates of fatality are critical, e.g. rare or endangered species. Huso said the USGS is working to develop these tools as well. Once these tools are available USGS will release them to the public.
The publication is Huso, M.M., Som, N., Ladd, L., 2012, Fatality Estimator User's Guide: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 729.

edited by ziphius on 12/12/2012