8/6/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
We are considering camping out by Clark Dry Lake for Labor Day. We've only camped during the winter and spring out there and wondered if anyone has some "first hand" knowledge of the weather at the beginning of September. I expect HOT....but is it "crazy hot like 115 or just HOT like 100 degrees? Any input would be appreciated! |
8/6/2011
Topic:
Indian / Clark / Blair Valley
svcheerio
|
You take some amazing photos. Thanks for sharing them!
dsefcik wrote:
Official trip report is on my website http://www.sefcik.com/2011/04/indian-clark-blair-valley-abdsp.html
Bob has a great trip report for the day he was out with me, read his first, he is far better at writing up trip reports than I am.
http://www.anzaborrego.net/Travel/AnzaBorrego/post/2011/04/02/Wildflowers-and-Pictographs-in-Southern-Anza-Borrego.aspx
--------------Copied from my website----------------------
Camped out for three nights last week in Indian Valley and Blair Valley. Bob from the Anza Borrego website wanted to check out some pictographs Scott and I found on a previous trip so I met him in Indian Valley for a second trip out to Inner Pasture where the pictographs are located. Along the way we spotted a Red Racer snake lounging in the sun and also many wildflowers blooming in the sandy washes and rocky ridges we climbed.
The next day I headed over to Clark Valley to finally see the petroglyphs located near the dry lake bed. Temperatures that day reached 97 degrees on my truck dash, it was hot and I ended up drinking close to 120 ounces of water for a 4 mile hike. I camped the last night in Blair Valley where I knew it would be cooler and it was 87 degrees when I arrived near 5pm. I ended up camping at the Pictograph trailhead and in the morning hiked down to see the pictographs and also Smuggler Canyon. These pictographs are well documented by all of the Anza Borrego Visitor information pamphlets and are actually pretty cool to go see. The road is a 5 mile hard packed dirt road passable by almost any vehicle in good weather. In fact the only people I saw showed up in a Honda Fit. They stayed briefly and then I had the whole area to myself until I left the next morning.
Total Mylar balloon count for 3 days of hiking....15
You can see more pictures of Indian Valley, Clark Valley and Blair Valley here http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Indian-Clark-Blair-Valley-03/16442960_DPj8h
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.
Red Racer snake
Fishhook cactus, now I see why they are named this..8-)
Desert Beetle covered in pollen
Turkey Vulture in Indian Valley
Desert Iguana in Clark Valley
Side-Blotched Lizard in Blair Valley
White-crowned Sparrow in Clark Valley
Here links to some very large panorama images of Clark Valley and Smuggler Canyon (warning, they are very large to download, 4mb & 9mb)
Clark Valley: http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Panoramas/clarkvalleypanorama/1237667571_t56Ud-O.jpg
Smuggler Canyon: http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Panoramas/smugglercanyonpanorama/1237668078_bNyuH-O.jpg
--
edited by dsefcik on 4/3/2011
 |
8/6/2011
Topic:
Indian / Clark / Blair Valley
svcheerio
|
You really take some great photos!! Thanks for sharing them! |
8/7/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
You know, we thought about Blair Valley. We have hiked up to Marshall's homestead and thought it might be a good place to go back to and see what else we could find. My only concern during the Labor Day weekend is "off roader" noise. We aren't young....just young at heart ....and have our motorcycle days with kids behind us! As you know, one of the beauties of Clark Dry Lake is that it is pretty quiet out there......even during the "busy desert" time. But it is a consideration and I know that it is cooler since it's higher up. Thanks for your input. And, again I say, you take great photos!! Is it your hobby or profession? A close friend took some AMAZING photos of the Big Horns in Borrego Canyon last Thanksgiving... up close and personal, blew it up and had it framed and matted for my RV. (poster size). Everyone who sees it thinks it's a poster. |
8/7/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
You know....that really DOES make more sense! I don't know why I thought of it as a bit "noisier" spot.....I'm thinking a change of plans is in order! Thanks so much for the insight! |
8/21/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
Where is Plantation Rd in the Blair Valley area? Is this the road that leads into the camping area? I keep reading things about Plantation Rd but can't find it in my guidebook or on my maps. Can anyone help me out? |
8/22/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
Thanks for the info. Do you think that a 31 ft motorhome (not particularly high clearance) would be able to negotiate the way to Little Blair? (not gonna hold you responsible for the answer! LOL) We like "more remote" and never run our generator as we run everything on solar. We're into peace and quiet! Thanks for the weather update as well. This will definitely be the better place for us over Labor Day. |
8/22/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
Ok, Thanks ! |
8/22/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
Your links were really helpful in getting our bearings. Thanks again! |
9/7/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
We did go to Blair Valley for 6 days over Labor Day. Out of the 6 days it was really uncomfortable only 1 out of the 6. The rest were "hot" but ok for us. The last 2 days we had overcast sky and rain on and off. Those were our favorite days although the stargazing suffered! Thanks, Daren for suggesting it as it would never have been on our radar. We found a good spot up against a hill off of Plantation Rd. We seemed to be the only campers there (us and our friends) and loved the solitude. We took our car into Little Blair and YES....the north side wasn't doable for the RV but we agree that the other probably would have been. It's really nice back there! As we watched a car or two amble along the desert heading to Ghost Mountain we wondered if one of them might have been you since I can see that you go out to Anza-Borrego frequently.
Thanks for all of your help. This was a perfect spot for us over the holiday!
Jo Ann |
9/7/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
hikerdmb: Yes, well, one would THINK we would have taken a bunch of photos....but it seems my camera was still sitting on the kitchen table when I got home! I guess we just had a "Senior Moment" as we were leaving. Maybe next time! |
9/27/2011
Topic:
Camping over Labor Day....too hot?
svcheerio
|
Unless you consider ANTS wildlife, we saw nothing other than rabbits and crows. We only heard coyote's 1 night and they sounded as though they were pretty far away. We even commented on it since we seldom get out of Anza Borrego State Park without at least 1 snake sighting (of the rattling kind) and an occasional scorpion. When we went over to Little Blair and started down the trail to the Moteros we did see some snake prints in the sand. But...that was it! |
9/29/2011
Topic:
The House Forgotten
svcheerio
|
That's very very cool! |
4/2/2012
Topic:
2012 Wildflowers are beginning to bloom
svcheerio
|
Gorgeous pictures as always from you! We can't wait to get out there this week!  |
4/3/2012
Topic:
2012 Wildflowers are beginning to bloom
svcheerio
|
Thanks for the info on Rainbow Canyon. While we won't be camping in that area we will be out in the desert for 2 weeks so we will have plenty of time for a trek out that way. We haven't been out to Anza Borrego since Thanksgiving so we are really anxious for this trip |