Desert Adventures
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:45 amHowdy folks,
I've spent a lot of time in the desert this winter, and I'd like to share two pretty cool spots with you all.
First, Quail Mountain in Joshua Tree. Not very big, not very steep, but it offers some very nice views of San J and San G, as well as a healthy portion of JTree. My buddy Ted and I spent a few days out there and decided to climb that peak from our camp spot in Juniper Flats. First time I had ever seen it snow in the desert!
Pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/1086639589 ... iperFlats#
Then, last week, I took a train, then a bus, then another bus, then a trolley, and then finally one more bus, from San Diego to Borrego Springs. There's a weird bus schedule between El Cajon and BS. It only runs on Thursdays and Fridays. I left Friday, therefore you know what that means...
My plan was to climb San Ysidro Peak from Borrego Springs. I planned a route in advance starting from one of the ridges directly west of BS, then traversing Hellhole Flats and going up to the peak. I came back down after four days and spent two nights on the desert floor...waiting for Thursday to get on that bus. It was a good trip, but very challenging. Lots of agave, cholla, yucca, barrels, and other mean bushes. Lots of boulders, small crags, and rocks to scramble and climb. Lots of dead-ends, and agave barriers. Lots of bugs, lots of heat, lots of pain. But I enjoyed every little bit of it! I saw a LOT of deer tracks, but did not see the actual animal. I did not see any signs of human presence until near the peak. (Tracks, and a summit register), but did not see anybody the whole time. I saw some lion tracks as well, and some bones. I met a ranger later who told me there used to be a lot of cattle up there, and they were air lifted out because they introduced foreign bacteria that affected the bighorns. Apparently some slipped through the cracks, and the bones I found were most likely from a cow. I thought they were pretty thick to be from a deer too...
Funny thing, as I was waiting for the bus Thursday at 7:15 AM, an old station wagon pulled up, almost hitting me. An aged gentlemen opened the door and told me he was going to Encinitas (I live in San Marcos, right next door), but he was kindda lost. I helped him find his way and he helped me more than he could ever imagine. (He saved me about 5 hours of commute time!)
His name was Wayne and he was 72, but one of the youngest at heart I have met. He really had a "free bird" attitude in life that I found very refreshing to interact with after spending 6 days alone in the desert!
Anyhow, here are some pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/1086639589 ... goSprings#
And I've got videos for both trips...will post them later. Enjoy!
Oh and by the way, anybody know anything about the San Ysidro Mountains? Pretty cool place, worth checking out. Might be a lot easier to access from Ranchita....
I've spent a lot of time in the desert this winter, and I'd like to share two pretty cool spots with you all.
First, Quail Mountain in Joshua Tree. Not very big, not very steep, but it offers some very nice views of San J and San G, as well as a healthy portion of JTree. My buddy Ted and I spent a few days out there and decided to climb that peak from our camp spot in Juniper Flats. First time I had ever seen it snow in the desert!
Pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/1086639589 ... iperFlats#
Then, last week, I took a train, then a bus, then another bus, then a trolley, and then finally one more bus, from San Diego to Borrego Springs. There's a weird bus schedule between El Cajon and BS. It only runs on Thursdays and Fridays. I left Friday, therefore you know what that means...
My plan was to climb San Ysidro Peak from Borrego Springs. I planned a route in advance starting from one of the ridges directly west of BS, then traversing Hellhole Flats and going up to the peak. I came back down after four days and spent two nights on the desert floor...waiting for Thursday to get on that bus. It was a good trip, but very challenging. Lots of agave, cholla, yucca, barrels, and other mean bushes. Lots of boulders, small crags, and rocks to scramble and climb. Lots of dead-ends, and agave barriers. Lots of bugs, lots of heat, lots of pain. But I enjoyed every little bit of it! I saw a LOT of deer tracks, but did not see the actual animal. I did not see any signs of human presence until near the peak. (Tracks, and a summit register), but did not see anybody the whole time. I saw some lion tracks as well, and some bones. I met a ranger later who told me there used to be a lot of cattle up there, and they were air lifted out because they introduced foreign bacteria that affected the bighorns. Apparently some slipped through the cracks, and the bones I found were most likely from a cow. I thought they were pretty thick to be from a deer too...
Funny thing, as I was waiting for the bus Thursday at 7:15 AM, an old station wagon pulled up, almost hitting me. An aged gentlemen opened the door and told me he was going to Encinitas (I live in San Marcos, right next door), but he was kindda lost. I helped him find his way and he helped me more than he could ever imagine. (He saved me about 5 hours of commute time!)
His name was Wayne and he was 72, but one of the youngest at heart I have met. He really had a "free bird" attitude in life that I found very refreshing to interact with after spending 6 days alone in the desert!
Anyhow, here are some pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/1086639589 ... goSprings#
And I've got videos for both trips...will post them later. Enjoy!
Oh and by the way, anybody know anything about the San Ysidro Mountains? Pretty cool place, worth checking out. Might be a lot easier to access from Ranchita....
