Showing posts sorted by relevance for query The Great Stone Eagle. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query The Great Stone Eagle. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, November 25, 2013

IN SEARCH OF THE GREAT STONE EAGLE NEAR WARNER SPRINGS CALIFORNIA

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THE GREAT STONE EAGLE

(This is Sunday’s post, had problems publishing it Sunday night)

It was a clear & crisp morning for locating Comet Ison.  But I didn’t locate it.  My head was still located on my warm pillow.  Rare for me to be asleep when skies are lightening in the East but sleep in I did & missed the Comet.  There is another Comet in the sky at the moment which I will look for as well.  Named Comet Lovejoy it is under the handle of the Big Dipper at the moment.

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WE WERE BUZZED BY A COUPLE HOT SHOT FIGHTER HANG GLIDER JOCKS THIS MORNING

Checking the overall weather map this morning we are finding ourselves in a very fortunate location.  Many fellow RV Bloggers are experiencing cold & rainy weather at the moment.  Congress is getting a lot of rain so we lucked out in traveling over here to Borrego Springs when we did.  And back home in Bayfield they are buried in a snow storm.  Mark from BOX CANYON BLOG  is having a tough time with with the elements as well.  Cold & wet in Utah.  GEORGE & SUSIE are toughing out cold temps somewhere in Texas.  My thought is why not just pack up & head for warmer climates.  But then again if one has commitments & reservations it may not be the most economical thing to do.  Oh Dear:((

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NOTICED THIS VEHICLE IN BORREGO SPRINGS A COUPLE DAYS AGO & AT PEG LEG SMITH’S THIS MORNING.  OLDER COUPLE DRIVING & IT HAS A EUROPEAN LICENSE PLATE

Am getting more inquiries about our solar installation so I will try & put together a more in depth description of what we had installed tomorrow & how to get in touch with Solar Mike at Slab City.

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PEG LEG SMITH'S HAS REALLY FILLED UP FROM JUST A FEW DAYS AGO

My apologies about the yellow color of tonight’s default printing.  I was 3 paragraphs into the post before I realized I had not switched to the easier to read custom color.  Just didn’t have the energy to go back & re-type everything…………………..

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Kelly packed up a lunch & we all piled into the Jeep heading out in a search of a large bird we did not expect to find.  First a stop in Borrego Springs to drop off a small bag of garbage in a trash barrel at Christmas Circle.  Next stop was the Big Horn Fudge Company for a coffee & a hunk of fudge.  Quick stop across the road at the Anza-Borrego Park Store for some info on where to find the bird we were looking for….the great Stone Eagle.  With directions in hand we boogied out of Borrego Springs heading for Montezuma’s Grade.

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Montezuma’s Grade.  Now here’s a drive up the side of the San Ysidro Mountains that rivals the Yarnell Hill.  I would say this drive is twice as long & gains a higher altitude.  Views of the Borrego Valley are spectacular.  More curves,twists, & turns than the Yarnell Hill but the Hill may have some tighter hairpins.  We have been up & down Montezuma's Grade before & never tire of the experience either climbing the grade or tumbling back down.

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WITH BINOCULARS IN HAND KELLY IS LOOKING FOR OUR RIG AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF COYOTE MOUNTAIN & YES WE COULD SEE IT….BARELY

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Our directions had us heading for a place we had never been before.  A place we have heard & read about.  Think I may have first come across it in Marshal South’s Ghost Mountain book.  Liked the looks of WARNER SPRINGS soon as we drove into it.  A historic past with the Warner Range being a stop on the Butterfield Stage route back in the mid to late 1800’s.  Small community on highway 79.  And it was at the local fire station in Warner Springs we caught a break.

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KELLY ASKS A WARNER SPRINGS FIREMAN FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE STONE EAGLE

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The 2,663 mile PACIFIC CREST TRAIL running all the way from the Canadian border to Mexico passes through Warner Springs right beside the local fire department.  We knew it was a 3.5 mile hike from that point to where the great Stone Eagle could be found.  We knew we could not make that 7 mile round hike but we wanted to at least walk part way.  We couldn’t exactly find the trail so stopped at the fire station to ask where it was. (it was about 40 feet away)  Kelly asked a fireman on duty about the stone Eagle & how long he thought it would take someone to walk there.  And here’s where we caught the break.  Fireman told Kelly we could cheat a bit & just drive to where the stone Eagle is located.  He gave us directions & off we went.  Ten minutes later we came around a curve opening into a huge valley.  There in the distance were several rock outcroppings & there I recognized the great stone Eagle from pictures I had seen.

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KELLY CHECKS OUT A BARBED WIRE GATE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THROUGH

Went a little further & found a short pull off with a barbed wire gate.  A wagon trail led in & ambled it’s way towards the Eagle about a quarter mile away.  Silly us even knowing we were going up into the higher altitude mountains today had not thought to throw a couple coats in the Jeep.  There was a good wind blowing, temperature was 53 & we were cold.  Kelly had a long sleeve shirt & I dawned my yellow rain coat to cut the wind.  First thing we had to do was get on the ground & get ourselves under a few strands of barbed wire.  We were determined to walk to that Eagle.  And walk to that Eagle we did.

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What a beautiful valley this was.  A few pockets of large boulders looked as though they had an ancient intelligence to them.  Kind of reminded me of England’s Stonehenge a bit.  I was also aware this felt like a very special place.  I have experienced that before.  Happens to me every time I enter the Blair Valley west of here to climb the trail to Marshal South’s homestead. 

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But today it was the great Eagle we were walking to & how amazing to see this striking rock formation looking every bit like a an Eagle on the ground with wings spread against the wind.  Took us about 5 minutes to walk the wagon trail to the Eagle.  Sure worked out better for us not having to walk 7 miles.

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California’s section of the Pacific Crest Trail travels right past the great Eagle with a short path leading up behind the site.  Pheebs & I made our way around behind & were able to climb up on the Eagles back & stroke the back of it’s magnificent head.  I whispered in it’s ear to fly us away high up into the sky.  No harm in trying, I’ve always been a dreamer.

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BEHIND THE GREAT EAGLE

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PHEEBS & I CLIMBED ONTO THE EAGLES BACK, I PLACED MY HAND ON THE GREAT BIRD’S HEAD & SOFTLY WHISPERED………………..

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Wind wasn’t letting up & with a growing cloud cover casting long shadows the air was cold.  Kelly was feeling it & we quickly headed back to the warmth of the Jeep.  A bit of scrambling under the barbed wire gate & we were on our way up the road. 

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HEADING BACK TO THE WARMTH OF THE JEEP

We were on the Los Coyote Indian reservation & knew there was a campground ahead so took a drive up & had a look at it.  Not somewhere we would consider going.  No water, no electric & for that they still wanted $25 a night.

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KELLY SCRAMBLES UNDER THE BARBED WIRE GATE

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WHEN PHEEBS SAW ME ON THE GROUND SQUEEZING UNDER THE WIRE SHE FIGURED IT WAS PLAY TIME

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“MOM, MOM, DAD’S FALLEN & HE CAN’T GET UP”

Back to highway 79 in Warner Springs.  A right turn would have taken us to Temecula.  We turned left into Warner Springs & stopped across from the fire hall & ate the ham sandwiches Kelly had made for us.  From there it was back highway S2 heading for Borrego Springs.  We began our long descent down Montezuma’s grade with a stop near the top at the Culp Valley Campground.  We had stopped there about 5 or 6 years ago one time & did a couple hikes.  We stopped there again today but didn’t walk too far.  Nice campground & popular with tenters.  Roads too rough & spots too small for most RV’s.  It was already after 3 o’clock & we were tired.   Tumbled our way down Montezuma’s Grade, slipped though Borrego Springs with a nod to Christmas Circle.  We were back at the rig well before 4.  Stretched out in one of our new Gravity chairs, turned on the IPod Bose, put on some of my very most favorite ambient tunes & just relaxed soaking up the later afternoon sunshine until it slipped slowly down behind the San Ysidro Mountains.  Another great day in the life & travels of the Bayfield Bunch:))

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THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL WANDERS PAST THE STONE EAGLE SITE HEADING SOUTH TO MEXICO

Tomorrow I will have additional photos from today showing more of the area around the Eagle, Los Coyote Campground, Warner Springs, the Culp Valley Campground, & tumbling down the Montezuma grade.  I’m too tired tonight to include them & you are too tired right now from reading all this……………………

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GROANER’S CORNER:(( 

Q: Why do they say 'Amen' at the end of a prayer instead of 'Awomen'?
A: The same reason they sing Hymns instead of Hers!

Q: Why did Moses wander in the desert for 40 years?
A: Even then men wouldn't ask for directions!

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

BUSY WITH RV CHORES THIS MORNING & VISITING WITH JEAN & SKIP THIS AFTERNOON

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DO YOU SEE THE GREAT CLOUD SERPENT LURKING JUST ABOVE THE S22 HIGHWAY…LOOK FOR HIS EYES

(This is Monday’s post)

I hit the ‘Publish’ button on Sunday night’s post at 10:08 p.m.  Sat here until 11:25 repeatedly having to re-hit the button about every 5 minutes because of an error message.  It kept timing out.  Finally gave up & went to bed.  Tried again Monday morning & after about 20 minutes it finally published.  Very tiring & very frustrating.  If you don’t hear from us for a few days it will probably be some kind of Internet connection we are having problems with.  At some point in the next few days we plan to head over to Blair Valley just this side of the Vallecito Valley which is further west towards San Diego.  I’ll do my Ghost Mountain hike from there.   

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MORE PHOTOS TONIGHT FROM AROUND THE ‘EAGLES NEST’

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THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL PASSES JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM THE GREAT STONE EAGLE

Looked for but didn’t see Comet Ison this morning but did see the Planets Mercury & Saturn very low on the horizon & fairly close together.  I think Ison is too close to the sun now.  Will wait to see if it re-emerges.  Did see another bright object about 10 degrees to the right of Saturn & Mercury but do not know what it was.  It was already getting a bit light & with no other stars visible in the area to act as guides I may have been in the wrong section of sky.

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A little confusion again about the blog’s text color.  When I typed Sunday night’s blog it was mistakenly in yellow but I see now it published in the correct color.  This aging day to day confuselment for me is not getting any easier.  But a great tip from QUILTIN' LIBRARY LADY about correcting my yellow text color.  She said, “Couldn't you just highlight the text, then choose the custom color, and click on the entry and presto, changeo, new text color? Try it and see if it works.”  Yes QLL it does work.  Thanks for that:))   

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Had a long time blog reader drop by this morning.  Jerry from the Escapee Club Boondockers walked over from their group.  Been following the blog & knew we were here close to the Solar Oven site.  Jerry’s from Arkansas & has been coming here to Borrego for a few years now.  Said he was a bit leery about walking over knowing how I get a little blustery over the ‘people thing’ occasionally.  Yes I do get a little overboard about that sometimes but I was glad Jerry dropped by to say hello.  Very very rare for me to take a dislike to another RV’er I have met but I sure don’t like a lot of the noisy ones I haven’t met.  RV folks are almost always the best bunch of people a feller could want to meet.  You know, I’m not as bad as I seem sometimes but then again at other times I are about as worse as I gets.  Thanks for dropping by Jerry & if you fellers can’t find that big stone snake just come & get me & I’ll show you where it’s at…………..

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HOW COME I’M ALWAYS THE SHORT GUY 

Had a busy morning attending to some necessary RV chores.  Climbed up on the rig’s roof & put the solar panel down.  Secured the bin doors, left our chairs, BBQ, tables in place on our site & headed off to the big Arco station over by the Salton Sea.  First order of business was dumping our gray & black tanks.  From there we hopped over by the fresh water hose to fill up our fresh water tank.  Next was propane & we finished off with a full tank of gas.  We were back on our site about an hour later.  Up with the solar panel again & we were back in the business of enjoying southern California’s great sunshine & warm temperatures.  We sure lucked out & dodged a nasty weather bullet by coming to this area last week.  Both breakfast & supper outside in the warm sunshine today.  Nice:))

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It was here in Borrego Springs we first met Jean & Skip a few years ago.  They stayed with us a few days in Congress a year ago about this time & today we met them again here at the Clark Dry Lake Bed when they dropped in this afternoon.  They rolled in from Yuma Sunday.  They are boondocked about a mile North-East of us.  Jean & Skip with their 3 dogs Sophie, Louie, & Jake travel here to the South-West each winter from Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada.  Easy going couple & we took a liking to them the first time we met here in Borrego Springs 3 years ago.  We’ll see more of them them this week & maybe get a little off-roading in.  They have a 4 wheel drive Geo Tracker.

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JEAN & SKIP

Not often we eat bacon & eggs anymore but that is exactly what Kelly whipped up on the BBQ this morning & they were the best ‘sitting outside’ B & E’s I’ve had for a long time.  With the American Thanksgiving week-end coming up we just might stay where we are here at the Clark Dry Lake Bed near Borrego Springs.  We have us a good spot & we know there will be some heavy mountain traffic on the road over near Blair Valley as a lot of ATV’ers head this way from San Diego later this week.  We had thought of heading to the Blair Valley for a few days this week but we may just put that off for another time.

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Sorry but I didn’t get our Solar info together today like I said I would but will work on that tomorrow hopefully.  I just darn well plum forgot:((

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VALLEY OF THE GREAT STONE EAGLE

Okay here’s the driving directions to the Stone Eagle which I featured in Sunday’s post.  From Borrego Springs head up Montezuma’s Grade on S22 going through Ranchita until you hit a T intersection.  Turn right onto highway 79 & head into Warner Springs.  Continue past the fire hall on right & watch for Camino San Ignacio Road also on the right.  Follow this for a few miles out into a valley.  You will see some stone cropping's ahead & to the right.  The Stone Eagle is one of those rock formations & you will recognize the Eagle as you drive further along about a quarter mile back from the road.  There is a small laneway spot to pull off & park.  You will have to squiggle under a barbed wire fence & follow the laneway to the Eagle.  There are cattle in this large field.  If you would rather walk to the site then watch for the Fire hall coming into Warner Springs on your right.  The Pacific Crest trail runs right along beside the Fire Hall there & will take you the 3.5 miles to the Eagles Nest.

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Not sure what we are doing Tuesday but for sure we will be doing something.  ‘Gotta make hay while the sun shines’ is the old saying & here while in Borrego Springs we want to make the best of our time.  Always lots to see & do in this area.

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Spent a little time under the stars tonight with my  tripoded Celestron 15x70 binoculars.  Borrego Springs is well known for it’s dark night skies & tonight was no exception.  Do not believe for a second if anyone tells you we are the only one’s in this particular Universe…………………… 

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PHEEBS RACES TOWARDS THE GREAT EAGLE SUNDAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A snake and a rabbit were racing along a pair of intersecting forest pathways one day, when they collided at the intersection. They immediately began to argue with one another as to who was at fault for the mishap.
When the snake remarked that he had been blind since birth, and thus should be given additional leeway, the rabbit said that he, too, had been blind since birth. The two animals then forgot about the collision and began commiserating concerning the problems of being blind.
The snake said that his greatest regret was the loss of his identity. He had never been able to see his reflection in the water, and for that reason did not know exactly what he looked like, or even what he was. The rabbit declared that he had the same problem. Seeing a way that they could help each other, the rabbit proposed that one feel the other from head to toe, and then try to describe what the other animal was.
The snake agreed, and started by winding himself around the rabbit. After a few moments, he announced, "You've got very soft, fuzzy fur, long ears, big rear feet, and a little fuzzy ball for a tail. I think that you must be a bunny rabbit!"
The rabbit was much relieved to find his identity, and proceeded to return the favor to the snake. After feeling about the snake's body for a few minutes, he asserted, "Well, you're scaly, you're slimy, you've got beady little eyes, you squirm and slither all the time, and you've got a forked tongue. I think you're a lawyer!"

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.