Talk about a trip you took out to Anza Borrego
Rainbow Wash
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
2/14/2010
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Headed out Friday morning in the jeep for one night in Rainbow Wash.
On the way we went down the Jasper Trail for a few miles and then backtracked to the road down to Culp Valley. There is lots of water/erosion damage to these two roads but still passable to most smaller 4X4's. There are plenty of plants that are now green but no flowers at these upper elevations. On the final part of the descent into Borrego Springs the roadside hills are turning greener by the day, lots of grasses. Brittle bush are green but no flowers yet. Ocotillo are very green with some blooms.
Once on the valley floor we headed up Coyote Canyon. No people or water in the lower stretches of the wash but some mud. The valley floor all around Borrego Springs is green but again no flowers yet. The snow on the mountains was limited to the upper reaches of Toro Peak, unlike 3 weeks ago when that storm left the snow level much lower. Did not go past the Desert Garden.
Then we headed south and went through the Texas Dip and turned into San Felipe Wash. There was a little mud in spots but nothing bad. Went up Rainbow Wash as the ranger plane flew overhead. Camped up the wash a ways and did a nice hike up a side wash toward the badlands. Lots of water came down this wash with lots of new erosion on the sides of the wash. But in this part of the desert there was not too much green. It was a beautiful night with NO wind and temps in the high 40's. Had a nice little fire and watched the Milky Way pass overhead.
In the morning we went out the way we came in and then headed to the Red Ocotillo for breakfast. If you have not been there since they moved to the Palms Hotel, be sure to go and have breakfast. Never crowded and they still have Trivial Pursuit cards to entertain you while you wait for your food.
On the way back up the road, the hills were greener than the day before. A great little trip.
I atatched a couple of pics but not sure if they will come through since this is my first new post on this site.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
2/15/2010
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Awesome trip report !
Appreciate the flower update. We were in the Southern end of Anza Borrego and pretty much the same. Some Ocotillo blooms but not many flowers. Some of the Chuparosa bushes were beginning to flower also
I am going to add a post tomorrow with some pics.
By the way your scanned map was crucial in helping us find the Railroad camp.
Thanks so much.
Bob
<em>edited by surfponto on 2/15/2010</em>
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
2/16/2010
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Glad you found the camp. Just curious though, how close was my X on the map to the actual location? I think it has been close to 10 years since I was there.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
2/16/2010
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It was pretty much dead on. 
I was able to look at the topo elevations and from that add a waypoint to my GPS.
Worked perfectly.
Bob
hikerdmb wrote:
Glad you found the camp. Just curious though, how close was my X on the map to the actual location? I think it has been close to 10 years since I was there.
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
2/16/2010
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Glad you found it so easily and can't wait to see what the southern part of the park is like. I was down there 3 weeks ago and am curious to see how it has changed since then.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
2/16/2010
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Lots of green Ocotillo with orange blooms everywhere
A few barrel cacti with yellow buds.
I am thinking in 2-3 weeks it could be really nice.
hikerdmb wrote:
Glad you found it so easily and can't wait to see what the southern part of the park is like. I was down there 3 weeks ago and am curious to see how it has changed since then.
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
2/16/2010
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That's what we were thinking for the northern part of the park too.
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