dsefcik

all messages by user

11/26/2012 Topic: Exploring The Island and Myer Valley dsefcik Administrator	@Tom: Yeah, that's pretty much what I saw. When I got to the BLM WIlderness markers I parked and started looking around. BP were on me in minutes both times I stopped out there. Just to the right of your photo was where I found the backpacks with the frijoles in a bag.
11/26/2012 Topic: Box Canyon dsefcik Administrator	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 http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic161-from-the-unpublished-series.aspx
11/26/2012 Topic: Table Mountain Pictographs dsefcik Administrator	Nice TR Tom... Good find on the pictos, I have not seen those. Your metate rock is genuine, could those two pieces be the same just broken in half? It would be odd to find 2 different halves together (unless you found them in a different location and moved them for the photo). I remember one trip out to TM and a big deer jumped out from a sumac bush/tree about 100' away from me and it scared the <s-h-i-t> out of me...he waited until the last moment to run. Love the scat that is all fibrous, hairy diet for sure.
11/26/2012 Topic: Table Mountain Pictographs dsefcik Administrator	Nolan wrote: Nice report! I have always wondered if the rocks you find in the morteros are the ones the Indians really used or if people just put them in there. Most are not, they may have the shape but they do not have the texture or finish.
11/26/2012 Topic: Anza Borrego Thanksgiving dsefcik Administrator	Sorry I missed you guys this year (again) Bob, maybe next year.... Looks like good eating though, anything left over for Diesel??
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area dsefcik Administrator	Love that ant hill shot and nice find on the point! Looks to be a good size also. I am not much of a "rock"ologist to say what kind of material it is though... The close up of the Dragonfly is very good for a Point 'n Shoot, like most technology items I am sure DSLR's will be gone soon, there are already some very good compacts that can achieve very good photos. Did the catsclaw chew up your (sweat?)pants? I would have loved to see a photo of the purple light. I know this weekend I saw way, way too many people in the desert...but more on that later..
11/26/2012 Topic: Camping with your pet dsefcik Administrator	OK....Rusty/Wylie..I am confused....whose dog is it????
11/26/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area dsefcik Administrator	ziphius wrote: time to request D-stretch! You can always try and use the online Java Applet version http://www.dstretch.com/IJapplet/ImageJApplet.html
11/27/2012 Topic: Great 2-day trip: Inner Pasture and BM Stage area dsefcik Administrator	ziphius wrote: Boy, if you saw a lot of people on your trip, given your proposed route, what does it take to get away from it all? We only saw 3 people on day 3 of our trip, they were out geocaching and I think we scared the crap out of them since they did not see us and Gary who was with me came out of some boulders with his beard and all and greeted them...haha... All the people I mentioned I meant to have seen on the highway.
11/27/2012 Topic: So How Did You Spend Your Thanksgiving Holiday? dsefcik Administrator	For the last handful of years it has been with my oldest son in Death Valley and recently in ABDSP. This year though it was with the family and then a 3 day backpack trip afterwards (TR coming soon). @DRT Lakeside: Is the wife/dual sport caveat so bad..?? I don't know what your marker is but at $250 it can't be too important....did it have a date on it?
11/27/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak dsefcik Administrator	Hey John, that is a good hike. If you follow the trail then jeep road you will be fine until the last 1-1/2 miles or so, just keep heading towards the peak and you will get there. I had someone who went out there recently tell me they could not find the register so I am curious if you do, it should be an old army ammo case chained to a boulder.
11/27/2012 Topic: Fish Creek Wash Rd Conditions dsefcik Administrator	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?
11/28/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak dsefcik Administrator	Here is my hike from last year, I missed a turn or two also....
11/28/2012 Topic: Torote Canyon Video dsefcik Administrator	Nice...!! I like it, the sunrise/sunset shots are great! Thanks David
11/30/2012 Topic: Tropical Storm Kathleen Sept 10, 1976 dsefcik Administrator	@wintyfresh: Thanks..!!
12/3/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak Hike Report dsefcik Administrator	Yeah...you made it! Who took the registry???? Was the chain there? Geez, I still need to to post my Thanksgiving trip.
12/3/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	I was fortunate enough to be invited to go tour Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) this last weekend. Little Petroglyph Canyon has the largest known concentration of petroglyphs in the western hemisphere and is located on the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Base. You can only visit this site with Navy approved guides and tour dates are limited to certain times of the year. You can find out more information about touring the site from the Maturango Museum website. Recommended Reading about the Coso Range Petroglyphs This was an amazing site with probably thousands of petroglyphs. Probably one of the most amazing parts of the petroglyphs is the obvious difference in dates of all the petroglyphs. You can clearly see many that have patina dating back thousands of years and some that apear to be probably only a few hundred years. Some dating techniques recently used suggest some of petroglyphs are 14,000-16,000 years old! In the 3-1/2 - 4 hours we spent in the canyon I took almost 1,000 photos, there were petroglyphs everywhere! I trimmed down the collection to mostly all unique photos and you can view them all here Little Petroglyph Canyon Photos Here are a few of my favorites Really,really old petroglyphs I call this guy "Ziggy" Family Petroglyphs Medicine Man The Hunter Bighorn Sheep Kill Now all I need to do is finish writing up my TR from Thanksgiving..!
12/3/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak Hike Report dsefcik Administrator	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...
12/4/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak Hike Report dsefcik Administrator	I know 2 years ago the register at Telescope peak had been replaced, not sure why, I was there 3 years ago and it was in good shape and not needing any swap out.
12/4/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	Nolan wrote: Wow! If I would Have known. A few of my customers have done work on the base and I had an opportunity to get up there but turned them down. If you are on the base can you check them out on your own? I don't believe so, you need a Navy approved guide and they have a million rules, like pants, no shorts, vibram soled shoes, rubber tipped walking sticks, etc...I guess someone a few years back with shorts scraped his legs or something and made a bloody mess and they shut the place down until a renegotiation was approved and the pants rule took effect. They are serious about keeping the place pristine. Our guides were very vigilant in making sure we only walked on dirt or sand as even the small rocks near the surface have many petroglyphs on them.
12/4/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	@ziphius: We saw many feral horses on the drive out to the site but no bighorn. This site is well worth the hassle of getting there.
12/4/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	surfponto wrote: How old is the one you labeled "Family Petroglyphs"? Can't say I am knowledgeable enough to know but based on the patina (or lack of) inside the etched area it is newer than say the ones I labeled as really old. Even the styles are different. There were literally thousands of pictos everywhere you looked, almost too many.
12/4/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak dsefcik Administrator	Nolan wrote: Bob, did you mtb ride the route? I was thinking about doing this soon as well. Do you just park at the gas station? I have always parked under the freeway near De Anza.
12/4/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak dsefcik Administrator	yep, nice little shady spot on the north side overpass...but the gas station may be a safer location for your vehicle, you need to decide if the extra miles are worth it to you.
12/4/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	After Thanksgiving Gary and I headed out to the Vallecito Valley area for a 3 day backpack trip. Original plans that included hiking over to Canebrake changed to just poking around the Sawtooth mountain range for 3 days. That meant my truck would sit all alone waiting for nobody over in Indian Valley. After deciding on a place to leave Gary's vehicle we started out cross country thru a mixed boundary of ABDSP, BLM, County and private lands. We had no set goals other than to hike, explore and camp out for 3 days, pretty simple. We each started with about 9 liters of water thinking we would find some more at a piped spring I knew about but if it was dry we wanted enough to get us back. Temps for the trip were low 80's during the day and low 50's at night with very little wind and an almost full moon each night, pretty darn good weather I think. Not to far into our trip we ran across an old windmill setup I guess the KendallVille name goes back a long time in America's Windmill history Looks like the windmill pumped water over to a trough that had a sophisticated float shutoff valve assembly This must be the towering metal base for the water collection Here is a great view into Storm Canyon Vallecito Valley has many water troughs left over from early cattle ranching days and we found several of them. Here is another dried up trough out in the middle of nowhere Unfortunately Mylar Balloons do not seem to escape our remote wilderness trek The Sawtooth Mountains at sunset Are you a Yoni "believer"? Gary and I had some plans but as we headed out they seemed to slowly fade and we ended up just drifting thru the valley and exploring the landscape and boulder outcrops as the sun slowly began to set. The moon was shining bright enough to allow us to hike during the early evening without lights so we took advantage of that moonlight and hiked several more miles under the moonlit desert skies until we reached a good place to camp near the base of the Laguna Mountains. Here is our moonlit camp on day 1, this is a long 5 minute exposure. Beautiful weather and campsite Early morning sunrise with Monument Peak towering in the background Even though we both brought 9 liters of water for the trip we had counted on getting some water from an old piped spring out in the valley. I knew the last time I was there it had plenty of water and we were counting on it being wet this trip also. Turns out the pipe had a hole in it a few hundred yards up from the collection trough. The spigot was only dripping when we got there and the trough was only inches full, just enough to support pond scum life Gary found the hole and with some old left over repair debris we found and an old beer can we managed to get it back flowing at full capacity. Here is the hole pre-repair Here is the hole post-repair Now the water flow is good and we get a few liters of water to start the day with Damn, boulders everywhere!! Here is an old water trough that has dried up And the valley seems to have miles of water lines that have dried up and broken over the years but have largely been forgotten by now The tranquil day is coming to an end and we look for a place to camp out for the second night of our trip. The middle of the valley is as good of a place as any and Gary schools me on how to "rough" up a soft spot for the night. With the moon still bright we took a short hike up a small finger towards Moument Peak looking for a spring we did not find but it was like the first night, a very restful and enjoyable evening out in the wilderness. The coyotes serenaded us in the early morning hours. On our 3rd day out we stumbled across what we called "chair cave", gotta love those old timers.... We decided a shade break was needed Well since we were exploring we found a few cultural artifacts and some rock art along the way A small arrowhead point A metate fragment Pictogaphs And some historic artifacts, maybe this is a hand forged knife blade?? A Good 'ol boy horseshoe with square nails and all Oh wait, almost forgot the most significant artifact I guess even Dora Explores the Desert Total Mylar Balloon Count - 11 (Not all pictured)
12/5/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	surfponto wrote: Did you see anyone else out there? On day 3 as we were hiking back we saw a group of 3 people I think it was, they said they were GeoCaching. Then as we got to Gary's car we ran into some good citizens who were writing down our vehicle's license number and description info, apparently they had been driving back forth on the highway for the last 3 days and were worried that something may have happened to whoever the car belonged to and they were going to alert the park rangers. They were relieved to see us show up with our packs and all.
12/5/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Jim (ziphius) wrote: Nice pictos too, were they exposed or in a cave? That arrowhead looks like quartz, heh? Nice find. Any animal signs out there? We found all types, some exposed and some sheltered, those I posted were new to me. We also found a few arrowheads, I will dig up some more photos. Not much wildlife other than birds and some coyotes howling in the early dawn. We did see many prints, kitty cat prints. Jim (ziphius) wrote: I don't think I'm a Yoni-believer just yet. That would have taken a lot of work in an already busy schedule, what, with all the rock art and other things on their agenda. - Jim Well, like Gary says, they weren't sitting around watching TV....
12/5/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	BorregoWrangler wrote: Seeing all the structures makes me wonder what those cattle ranching days were like out there. Check out the Old Time Cattleman book
12/5/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	We found several arrow points on the trip, here is another one A Cupule boulder A few more pictographs Some kind of crap in a rock shelter, not sure from what. I wanna say guano but don't think so, probably just condensed rat crap Some initials on the active water trough, I think it is "LG"
12/5/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon Trestle Via MTB dsefcik Administrator	Yep, looks like you hit all the stops. I love the funky green in the trains. I know last year we put plywood over the hole also, looks like it broke thru again. That is a great ride and your right about the lights, you need to bring some! Was there water running down thru some of the longer tunnels? I think my perspective of the crosses was a little different....
12/6/2012 Topic: Ocotillo Express Wind Energy Powers Up dsefcik Administrator	Looks like the wind turbines are turning on http://www.cbs8.com/story/20273068/controversial-ocotillo-wind-farm-goes-online According to an article in the UT a Pattern representative admits they are not sure there will be enough wind to make the project profitable. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/01/desert-wind-farm-jolts-San-Diego/?page=2#article *“In the end, we are taking a risk that there will be wind here, before people purchase it and we can sell it,” Inlow said.* And now they will also be built throughout McCain Valley so go visit Sombrero Peak via McCain Valley now as it will not be the same very soon.
12/6/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon Trestle Via MTB dsefcik Administrator	Nice, thanks for the info! Casey Van Tieghem wrote: 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
12/6/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	OK, cool music, who is the artist on the first two? I just realized the main engine is missing from the Montreal cars, they must have hauled it away. Nicely done, I really liked it and your videos make it look easy and smooth..haha..the side mesh stuff is soooo sketchy feeling when you ride over it.
12/6/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Nolan wrote: Does Gary have the "old school" external frame pack? No, he has a modern pack but that is where it ends...Gary is not old school, he is like me, just not all gaga for new fangled...think modern cowboy...
12/6/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Oh wait, there is more...sorry, too many photos..still going thru them...
12/7/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon Trestle Via MTB dsefcik Administrator	Yeah, that was only last Feb/March and the tracks were clear to the trestle. surfponto wrote: Good find. Weird seeing those train cars out there. Little bit off topic but Hey Daren, remember this ?
12/7/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	Here is a great article about the canyon, I wish I had read it before I went. http://www.cnic.navy.mil/navycni/groups/public/@ca/@cnrsw/@clake/documents/document/cnicp_a198728.pdf
12/7/2012 Topic: December 26th? Indian Hills Trestle to Goat Canyon dsefcik Administrator	Casey Van Tieghem wrote: 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. There are a lot of bypass roads out there. I have always wondered about that high road above the tracks, lets us know what you find. This is the road you are talking about right?
12/7/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	hikerdmb wrote: Can't believe how much of a trail there is along the tracks. Those long tunnels are fun. Good choice of train music. David Between the weekly MTB'ers, hikers and undocumented folks out there, yes, there is a clear "trail".
12/7/2012 Topic: Little Petroglyph Canyon (AKA Renegade Canyon) dsefcik Administrator	Jim (ziphius) wrote: Boy, what I wouldn't give for the chance to walk that canyon 14,000 - 16,000 years ago. I also like the sentence: One small deer-figure is found at eye level on the east wall (5). It has weathered back to the original color of the native rock and appears only when the sun strikes it obliquely. I went back thru my photos to try and find that deer petro but there are many that fit that description. One that stood out to me since it had "delicate proportions" like it also described (you did not cite) is this one There are many very cool looking ones, here are a few more of my favorites There are a few double headed sheep pictos
12/7/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	BorregoWrangler wrote: Here's a video of a work crew heading out along the tracks on a locomotive and 89 foot flatcar. Very interesting..hummm....even in that video dated April 28th 2012 I see the main engine car is gone from the Montreal cabs. The last time I saw the Mexican engine was in Oct 2011. Probably a good thing, people were crapping in the toilet and breaking the windows.
12/7/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Daren Sefcik wrote: OK, cool music, who is the artist on the first two? the first one is http://www.lynnehanson.com/bio.html "off this train"...haven't heard of her until looking over the songs on youtube to put with the video. Canadian eh..?? I listened to several of her videos, I like her music...thanks!
12/7/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Still going thru more photos.... Here is an overview of some of the close up photos I have already posted. You can get a better idea of size/scale of some of them in this photo since my backpack is off to the left. What is hard to see is some of the older black pigment Another shelter had some pictos over some very rough surfaces and some very faded black pigment with red drawings...very interesting...
12/8/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	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.
12/8/2012 Topic: Goat Canyon MTB Video dsefcik Administrator	about 2-2-1/2 years ago. It was clear to the trestle.
12/8/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Pretty crazy I am in little blair right now with 4g BV is great for phone/data reception, I stay there when I need to check in on work stuff while out in the desert.
12/9/2012 Topic: Baja Desert dsefcik Administrator	Gorgeous barrel cactus towards the end....I miss going to Baja. Thanks to Mary for the video...!
12/9/2012 Topic: Vote for Anza-Borrego! dsefcik Administrator	We didn't get 1st..?? I even used the old trick of going incognito on my browser and voted multiple times.
12/9/2012 Topic: Sombrero Peak Hike Report dsefcik Administrator	I would be up for that, I have never been down Pepperwood but I know the rest of the route well. When you wanna go? 1 day or 2 day? Do you know anybody that could drop us off at Cottonwood so we wouldn't have to drive back there? With a 2 day trip you could explore more of Inner Pasture and head out over Moonlight Canyon, maybe have someone drop us off at Cottonwood and meet us at Agua Caliente for a camp fire and camp out and cold beer. A Border Patrol agent said the area around the spring on the way down Pepperwood looks like a clothing aisle at Walmart. BorregoWrangler wrote: Here's a route through Pepperwood Canyon I would like to hike one day. Trail head is also at Cottonwood Campground. It eventually takes you out to the S2.
12/10/2012 Topic: Best Scat Finds dsefcik Administrator	Found this fine specimen at Cuyamaca last week
12/10/2012 Topic: Baja Desert dsefcik Administrator	We used to go every 3-4 months and after the 3rd child we stopped and haven't been back..almost 18 years now. Do I miss baja? yes...but home is also a nice place to be if you just look around. I used to travel all over Europe and South America and home is just fine for me now.
12/11/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Tom, great info..thanks! Found this interview on KPBS with the author of that book and Diana Lindsay http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/apr/08/discovering-the-history-of-california-indian-art/ tommy750 wrote: Nolan (anutami) wrote: Wow! Looks like they painted the whole cave red! Is there any info on what minerals/plants they used to get that red pigmant? There's a great book called "Earth Pigments and Paint of the California Indians, Meaning and Technology" by Paul Douglas Campbell. Apparently there were multiple sources of red ocre in CA used for face paint and rock art, the locations a closely guarded secret. Red ocre AKA hematite AKA iron oxide AKA rust would be mixed with animal fat and applied to surfaces. There's even research trying to identify which red ocre mine supplied individual rock art sites. Pond scum containing a certain bacteria that produced hematite could also be used. The book contains info on the other pigment colors used in CA pictograph sites. Tom
12/11/2012 Topic: First Trips To Baja dsefcik Administrator	Great, great photos Tom...too many classic items in those photos that caught my eye...the caffeine free RC 100 cola shirt, CB radio on the super beetle, vinyl lounge pool chair (I had one), the fish eye lens shot...now I gotta go dig thru my stack of photo albums....
12/11/2012 Topic: First Trips To Baja dsefcik Administrator	Sorry...way off topic... http://www.retrojunk.com/content/commercial/29064/index/
12/11/2012 Topic: Little Blair Valley dsefcik Administrator	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.
12/11/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	Tom, have you also read his survival skills of native california book? tommy750 wrote: Nolan (anutami) wrote: Wow! Looks like they painted the whole cave red! Is there any info on what minerals/plants they used to get that red pigmant? There's a great book called "Earth Pigments and Paint of the California Indians, Meaning and Technology" by Paul Douglas Campbell. Apparently there were multiple sources of red ocre in CA used for face paint and rock art, the locations a closely guarded secret. Red ocre AKA hematite AKA iron oxide AKA rust would be mixed with animal fat and applied to surfaces. There's even research trying to identify which red ocre mine supplied individual rock art sites. Pond scum containing a certain bacteria that produced hematite could also be used. The book contains info on the other pigment colors used in CA pictograph sites. Tom
12/11/2012 Topic: Vallecito Valley 3 Day Backpack Trip dsefcik Administrator	tommy750 wrote: Was at the Brawley Stockman's Club last week. It's a private club set up decades ago by local cattlemen and now used a lot for community functions. They have an entire wall of cattle brands used in the Imperial Valley over the years and I wonder if this may be one of them. Tom Very interesting...ask them about anything they might know about the Vallecito Valley area.
12/11/2012 Topic: DStretch tutorials dsefcik Administrator	I started a DStretch Tutorials Playlist on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0kSVDXJE0vwvXrfnYbNNQLrqw2ll1bws No audio, sorry I am lame... I will be making some more tutorials soon that tackle the tougher job of isolating different colors in the same photo. Comments/Questions welcome...
12/11/2012 Topic: Unread Topics(#) never changes dsefcik Administrator	My unread topic count has not changed, it is at 41 now even though I have read them all....
12/11/2012 Topic: What are you reading? dsefcik Administrator	What are you currently reading about the desert? I currently have on loan from my friend Gary the following books: All the Wild Lonely Places Just Before Sunset The Cahuilla Landscape All great books so far though I have not had a chance to dig too deep into the Just Before Sunset book yet. If you have an interest in the history of the Colorado desert area and the Native Americans who called it home, these are great books to read.
12/11/2012 Topic: First Trips To Baja dsefcik Administrator	My wife and I in San Quintin, probably mid 80's. That is my XT 500 and my mexican plated Jeep....good times...
12/12/2012 Topic: What are you reading? dsefcik Administrator	Jim (ziphius) wrote: Daren, how do you insert them fancy links with the book titles in your msg? Type in the text of the fancy name and then highlight that text with the cursor and then click the "chain" link in the wysiwyg editor menu bar above and then paste in the actual url of the link in the pop up window. This is a big improvement to the old version of the forum software.
12/13/2012 Topic: Yuha Day Trip dsefcik Administrator	Nice TR and pics, I need to make it out there someday. Nice find on the mylar balloon
12/13/2012 Topic: First Trips To Baja dsefcik Administrator	tommy750 wrote: 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 I am with you Tom, I have pics of pristine LA Bay (in an album somewhere) and have not been across the border in 20+ years. We used to go for weeks at a time every 3-4 months. I have no idea what San Quintin looks like now. We used to be able to drive right on the "orilla" for as far as we wanted and then turn around and go back.
12/14/2012 Topic: Yuha Day Trip dsefcik Administrator	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Here is a recent video on my MTB trip to the goat canyon trestle looking at all the old railroad material and not looking where I was going. I clipped my front tire on the railroad tracks! Good thing I did not do this over the edge of the cliff! [hijack thread] That is a cool spot to! Did you go check out the abandoned tunnel there? This tunnel ends quickly and has no supports in it [/hijack thread]
12/14/2012 Topic: What are you reading? dsefcik Administrator	A lot of great reading here, I can see I need to start reading more and get off the computer...
12/15/2012 Topic: Lower Harper Canyon and New Tent dsefcik Administrator	Nice David, looks like Wylie got the upgrade...not you.... I bought a solo tent 2 years ago and it is still in my truck...unused....my bivy and new Bughut Pro from REI seem to be working well but I am a fair weather camper.
12/17/2012 Topic: East Carrizo Canyon and June Wash dsefcik Administrator	Nice TR...yeah, soooo close to Diablo...if you go back when you get up on the saddle go south'ish towards the volcanic rocks and you will hit the BM and register. Check out this virtual tour and you will probably see where you were standing: https://sites.google.com/a/sefcik.com/virtual-tours/diablo-bm
12/17/2012 Topic: Carrizo Mountain & Yuha Basin dsefcik Administrator	Jim (ziphius) wrote: That first photo is ethereal and I'd be tempted to do some Photoshop magic to 'erase' the vehicles. Nice spot! Ditto, I like that photo....Starting with CS5 you can use the Content Aware Fill feature and it works very well for that sort of thing. If you are like me and don't use Photoshop you can use the free PS alternative The Gimp and achieve the same result via the re-synthesizer plugin. I really do not edit my photos much more than color/sharpness/crop but there are times when this type of thing comes in handy.
12/20/2012 Topic: Looking for a place to camp/sleep with electricity dsefcik Administrator	I have a simple A/C inverter in my truck to charge my GPS, phone or run my laptop if I take it. That may be enough to run your machine and not drain your battery. We actually used it with a big long extension cord going into our house when the Great Blackout of 2011 happened, we powered some lights and radio for most of the night.
12/20/2012 Topic: East Carrizo Canyon and June Wash dsefcik Administrator	I usually just use my GPS for "note taking" and keeping track of routes for later study. Maps are good for visually verifying where you want go. My phone with the Backcountry Navigator makes a better map than my expensive GPS with the puny screen but I don't think the phone is as accurate for field marking. The newer larger screen GPS units look good and now they have touch screens, they really need longer battery life though. Anybody used a solar powered charger with genuine success? Something they would recommend?
12/20/2012 Topic: December 26th? Indian Hills Trestle to Goat Canyon dsefcik Administrator	I remember the last time we were out on there looking up at that road wondering what it was. You could probably drive some of the way in your Saturn to Sacatone Overlook but there are some big ruts towards the end when you get to the old mine prospect.
12/20/2012 Topic: Pinto Wash Petroglyphs dsefcik Administrator	Great follow up, thanks Tom.
12/21/2012 Topic: Canyon Sin Nombre to Indian Gorge dsefcik Administrator	Nice TR..!! I have yet to take my big truck down Canyon Sin Nombre from the S2, is that how you went? Not to sandy or steep for a big truck? Looks like you guys climbed up a good distance towards Sombrero Peak, False Sombrero is actually over in the North Fork and is steep climb and there is a register there.
12/21/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article dsefcik Administrator	It is pretty much everywhere, Ocotillo should be the wake up call if anything. Here is more disaster for the Boulevard Community http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/11983
12/21/2012 Topic: Best Scat Finds dsefcik Administrator	Nolan (anutami) wrote: Scat soup anyone? More like Scat Stew....Nice one!!
12/21/2012 Topic: December 26th? Indian Hills Trestle to Goat Canyon dsefcik Administrator	I looked thru some of my photos from the last helicopter trip I did out there and didn't find much but there are some cool photos from above. This one may have something you can zoom in on and see but really...look at this thing, would you ride a train on that..???
12/21/2012 Topic: Best Scat Finds dsefcik Administrator	Jim (ziphius) wrote: dsefcik wrote: Found this fine specimen at Cuyamaca last week This one looks more like a "pellet", something regurgitated by an owl. ?? Could be, it was a pretty big pellet, more like a patty. I have only found smaller pellets but am no expert, I just like scat with bones in it..call me weird I guess.. There is all kinds of wildlife out in Cuyamaca, the deer are everywhere, probably saw 20+ that day I was out. Hawks, Kites, other birds I do not know the names of and oh yeah....the "wild" turkeys....must be hundreds of them running around everywhere. Some of the big open meadows have deer and turkeys just grazing around and people don't seem to bother them to much.
12/21/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article dsefcik Administrator	I know the school I work for has been installing rooftop solar for the last few years and recently a solar powered vehicle re-charging station. They claim a significant reduction in electricity bills. Didn't come from the desert, came from our rooftop.
12/21/2012 Topic: Dos Cabezas advice dsefcik Administrator	Blue route (Dos Cabezas Rd)....NOT Mortero Wash (Some semi deep sand). Dos Cabezas will get you there but you will need to drive with caution, rocks and such but no deep sand or ruts. If you have cheapo tires be extra careful.
12/21/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article dsefcik Administrator	mrkmc wrote: dsefcik wrote: I know the school I work for has been installing rooftop solar for the last few years and recently a solar powered vehicle re-charging station. They claim a significant reduction in electricity bills. Didn't come from the desert, came from our rooftop. Those school rooftop solar projects are paid for with obama cash. They will never pay for themselves with money saved on electricity bills. I am not sure how you determine that, we are not a public school and we negotiate contracts with our vendors. I suppose our vendors could be dealing some back end solar dollar funds (like all of the other desert projects). We (our school) decided to install solar, not Obama. If you want to make a political statement that is fine, I am not advocating for Obama or anyone else...except maybe Mother Nature.
12/21/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article dsefcik Administrator	I should probably add that our first school solar installation was in 2007, before Obama was president. dsefcik wrote: mrkmc wrote: dsefcik wrote: I know the school I work for has been installing rooftop solar for the last few years and recently a solar powered vehicle re-charging station. They claim a significant reduction in electricity bills. Didn't come from the desert, came from our rooftop. Those school rooftop solar projects are paid for with obama cash. They will never pay for themselves with money saved on electricity bills. I am not sure how you determine that, we are not a public school and we negotiate contracts with our vendors. I suppose our vendors could be dealing some back end solar dollar funds (like all of the other desert projects). We (our school) decided to install solar, not Obama. If you want to make a political statement that is fine, I am not advocating for Obama or anyone else...except maybe Mother Nature.
12/23/2012 Topic: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan-Article dsefcik Administrator	Agreed, there was/is probably gov subsidies somewhere in all of our solar installations but I do not know. I think my point to the topic was that the solar power our schools are generating is on the rooftop, not in the desert. Whether it is cost effective or not is another discussion. Mark, your points are well taken. Thanks.... mrkmc wrote: Darren, I am willing to bet it was some kind or federal grant or rebate. When I say Obama, I just mean federal government. The solar and wind thing is a big joke. it takes up so much space and is so inefficient. San Onfore generates power for 1.5 million homes, Ocitillo wind farm, 125,000. WTF?
12/23/2012 Topic: Dos Cabezas advice dsefcik Administrator	I think Tom is correct but the road is so heavily graded now it is easy to get off track.
12/24/2012 Topic: Davies Valley and Pinto Canyon dsefcik Administrator	Tom, that is just an awesome TR...!! I have been looking at my maps for sometime thinking about a route close to that, now I am inspired to get out there. I have seen pictures of those glyphs before, glad you were able to find them. Seeing those two vehicles all shot up near the border like that all I could think of was the movie No Country for Old Men.....you didn't find any cash did you?? The sleeping circles are interesting, I have found many of them in the park, usually up on small hills that have small saddles overlooking a valley. Thanks for Earthpoint lead, that looks interesting.
12/26/2012 Topic: Agua Caliente Park dsefcik Administrator	Looks deserted....every time I have passed thru it is packed full of people....must have been nice to have it so empty.
12/26/2012 Topic: December 26th? Indian Hills Trestle to Goat Canyon dsefcik Administrator	You can see many of the bypasses that go around the tunnels and many of them are very eroded now. I am curious if the book mentions anything about the camps down in the Gorge. I have explored down in there many times and there is a "road" that goes down into the Gorge just past a tunnel south of the trestle and also maybe another even further south. The latter one may have been more elaborate as there are remnants of stone walls going up the side of the canyon and down in the Gorge are several cement foundations and machine parts like large cast iron gears and such.
12/26/2012 Topic: Davies Valley and Pinto Canyon dsefcik Administrator	tommy750 wrote: Here's a route for you. Found it in Desert Magazine July 1946. Have been trying to reconstruct the path based on their clues and help from Google Earth and topos. It's quite a challenge. Would have to skip the dip into Mexico but the rest looks like it could be done. Have tried to find old maps with those springs but can't find any. Mortero and Juniper can be located by their description. Not sure about Mesquite. Caltopo etc doesn't seem to cover that area circa the 1940s. If you know a source, let me know. Thanks Tom, I want to follow up on the map after I get back from my trip this week. That article in Desert magazine looks interesting, I like the first pictures of Petroglyphs on page 4 that are titled Sand Tank Canyon AKA Renegade AKA Little Petroglyph Canyon. I have the same photos from my trip out a few weeks ago.
1/2/2013 Topic: Mc Cain Valley Sacatone Overlook 1/6/2012 dsefcik Administrator	I would say you should be able to get almost to the base of Tule Mt which is close enough to walk the rest of the way but you could walk the whole thing, it is not that far.
1/2/2013 Topic: June Wash, Torote Canyon, Indian Hill dsefcik Administrator	Sorry I missed you out there Nolan...drove right past your rig at Torote Canyon. Just think, your photo of the Sawtooth range showed where we were backpacking and camping. I had a guard one time follow me, stop and get right in front of me while I was setting up a tripod to photograph the landscape. He just sat there waiting for me to leave. I am not certain they have the right to stop you if you are on public land, they are private guards.
1/2/2013 Topic: Agua Caliente Park dsefcik Administrator	I bought some beer and cheese there last Sat.
1/2/2013 Topic: Davies Valley and Pinto Canyon dsefcik Administrator	The whole Diablo BM area has many areas that look like roasting pits and sleep circles. It seems an odd location to me but if you explore the whole area you will find many, many of them. DRT Lakeside wrote: Saw this on our almost hike to the Diablo BM via June Wash and it was on a ridge/overlook/saddle area on the way up. Sleeping circle? or more modern? If I knew what it was, I wouldn't have let the dog on it.
1/2/2013 Topic: Davies Valley and Pinto Canyon dsefcik Administrator	tommy750 wrote: Just had a chance to see p. 4. Have you ever noticed differences between pics you've taken and historic photos you've seen? Tom In this particular instance it looks to me like the photographer climbed up on the rocks for his photo where I was not allowed to and had to use a 300mm lens.
1/2/2013 Topic: First Trips to ABDSP dsefcik Administrator	Very nice photos...sweet helmet your dad has and you are sporting some pretty sweet socks.....my family never went to the desert so no old photos for me...
1/2/2013 Topic: Gray Mountain dsefcik Administrator	Another "on my list" spot....thanks for posting. Did you just go under the freeway pass and head straight up?
1/3/2013 Topic: Piedras Grandes, Blair Valley, June Wash, IP dsefcik Administrator	That looks like a great trip. We may have just missed each other, we backpacked in from Indian Valley, thru Canebrake and over into Potrero and then ended in Agua Caliente. Seems like a lot of people were out enjoying the desert this last week.
1/4/2013 Topic: Recycled Paper Logs for Campfires? dsefcik Administrator	Interesting...did they ignite easily? Maybe they were so dense all they could was smolder...?? A++ for ingenuity...
1/6/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park dsefcik Administrator	The day after Christmas I headed out to Anza Borrego Desert State Park to meet up with a few friends and backpack for a few days and explore the Fish Creek area. We started the trip with a 3 day backpack trip that would take us from Indian Valley out into Canebrake, over to The Potrero and then thru Squaw Canyon going into Agua Caliente. Our first night in Canbrake yielded 24 degrees on our thermometer and I believe it, most of us had frost and ice on our sleeping bags in the morning and my mosquito net was covered with icy frost. Here is a very large sand berm in Canebrake, you can see this easily on Google Earth From the berm we needed to hike all the way to the end of Canebrake where we would go up and over the easiest pass we could find and end up in The Potrero below Monument Peak. Some finds along the way included this old canteen I asked Joel if he wouldn't mind showing us how it was done.... There are a few old water troughs still out in the wash and this windmill helped pump water into them probably not too many years ago but it is now defunct and it's pieces are scattered about on the ground Here is the gang as we head up towards the long and always uphill wash Joel found some nice obsidian flakes and an arrow point I checked in on an arrow point I found out there last year and it seems to still be in good shape, right where I left it This is looking up towards the end of Canbrake Wash. We climbed over the pass you can see straight ahead but just to the right of the boulder outcrop At the end of Canebrake wash looking back at where we hiked in from. The Pepperwood Trail is straight ahead in the far distance going up the draw into McCain Valley. We spent most of the 2nd day ascending and descending this pass and then finding a place to camp out for our 2nd night. On our 3rd day we headed down the old jeep road and passed over the small saddle between Vallecito Valley and the Agua Caliente campground. Weather was still a bit cool and the skies were gorgeous The cross over into Agua Caliente from Vallecito is another one of those deceiving treks where you are trudging uphill the whole way. At the top it turned into a really nice bouldery canyon, I would recommend hiking this up from the Agua Caliente campground. There are numerous springs in this area and signs of wildlife were everywhere. I am guessing this coyote scavenged something from a trash can at the park, looks like plastic of some sort This herd of Bighorn Sheep seemed comfortable with us watching them for awhile. Look at the natural camouflage of them...just amazing.... One older Ram, maybe 4-5 years was with the group but they were mostly all ewes and a few late lambs This guy was munching very happily on the bottom of knocked over barrel cactus, if I was thinking at the time I would have recorded it with the video option on my camera but I was not.....next time.... We ended the backpack trip at Agua Caliente after 3 long days. This gave us a few days to head over to the Fish Creek area and explore. From our campsite in Fish Creek we saw this beautiful sunrise light on Whale Peak We spent one day hiking up thru Sandstone Canyon and around it's many drainages and a second day exploring the east side of Fish Creek Wash. Each side had very different terrain characteristics. The west side seemed harsher with more steep walls and the usual desert vegetation whereas the east side seemed to have more gentle slopes and lots of concretions and less vegetation. Our Sandstone Canyon hike included passing by Diablo BM, here is a view of Sandstone Canyon from one of the ridge lines This looks to be a pile of concretions someone has put together up on a small hill Edrotes- Black bristled desert beetle walking on the alluvium. He was about the size of pencil eraser On our last day we stopped and checked out the Elephant Knees. This area is very cool, highly recommended After we climbed to the top of the Mighty Knees we were able to see in all directions, just an amazing place. This is looking at the entrance to Split Mountain and to the south are the Fish Creek mountains and CIA Here is a link to a 360 degree panorama Virtual Tour from the top of the Elephant Knees I made. I recommend you go Full Screen once it loads. https://sites.google.com/a/sefcik.com/virtual-tours/elephant-knees Here is a link to a 360 degree panorama Virtual Tour from the top of Fish Creek near our campsite, it has the morning sunrise on Whale Peak. I recommend you go Full Screen once it loads. If you zoom in close enough you can see the Laguna Observatory and snow that has blanketed the east flank on the mountains. https://sites.google.com/a/sefcik.com/virtual-tours/whale-peak-sunrise Fish Creek is known for it's fossilized remains and Paul Remeika has a document on the National Park Service website describing some of the features in Fish Creek and we were able to view some of these amazing fossil prints on our trip. Here are some avian prints Elephantoid ceiling cast Feloid prints Llamoid Prints For more information about Anza Borrego fossils you can check out Paul Remeika's book on Amazon Fossil Treasures of the Anza-Borrego Desert This was a great trip with some really good company, I look forward to our next trip together in the desert. Total Mylar Balloons - Probably 20+, I had 13 just in my pack.
1/7/2013 Topic: The Slot and The Wind Caves dsefcik Administrator	That looks pretty cool, is the road out there an easy 2wd or is it rough 4wd?
1/7/2013 Topic: 7 Days in Anza Borrego Desert State Park dsefcik Administrator	@DRT: We had rain I think on Sunday night...the last 4 miles or so of our Sanstone Cyn hike was in the dark and in the rain and cold but that is another story. The BHS were probably a 100 yards or less, I have a 300mm lens. I am not sure I can say I have ever "seen" BHS first, usually you hear them and then you look around and see them. This trip I was out ahead of our group some ways and kept hearing a noise off to the side of me, I finally stopped and looked around and there they were, just watching me. @Tommy750: I use Hugin to stitch photos together. Here is the full 360 of the Whale Peak sunrise

Anza Borrego Desert

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