GHOST MOUNTAIN HIKE & WE PASSED THE SITEMETER 100,000 MARK FOR BLOG VISITS TODAY:))

JAN & MIKE ON LEFT GIVING AN INFORMATIVE TALK ABOUT GHOST MOUNTAIN BEFORE THE HIKE

When I'm able to start the blog off without complaining about the wind you will know that we have probably left the Southwest.  We were both up in the middle of the night again retracting slides before the wind ripped the awnings off.   Needless to say I was awake a big part of the night & this morning I felt like I'd been run over by a road grader.

           

SOME YAQUITEPEC RUINS

Sometime in the night our Sitemeter recorded over 100,000 hits on our site since starting the blog.  "WoW, who would have ever thunk it!!  Thanks folks:))

Had to be over in Blair Valley by 9 a.m. to meet a group of people for an organized hike up Ghost Mountain to the Marshal South homestead site.  It's close to an hour's drive through the twisting & winding Yaqui Pass southwest of here so I was out the door & on my way by 7:30.

IN THE BLAIR VALLEY

Beautiful morning & I enjoyed the challenge of the drive as it took me back many years to those snappy sports car days of old.  When you can hear the tires squeal a bit in the curves you know your having a fun time:))

 

A PROPERTY NEAR SHELTER VALLEY

This was my 3rd trip to Ghost Mountain & I couldn't help but think back 2 years ago when Kelly & I first drove out to Blair Valley in search of a place where a family had eked out an existence back in the 30's & the 40's.   That day standing atop Ghost Mountain in the few sparse ruins of the Marshall South homestead made a lasting impression on me & I came down of the mountain that day with a fascination for the man, his family, & their story.  Bought the book, 'Marshall South & the Ghost Mountain Chronicles' & my interest deepened.  This is the BLOG I wrote that day & these are the PHOTOS

SMALL WORLD...Couple on right lived in London Ontario back in the early 60's & had a cottage in Grand Bend.  Grand Bend is a 20 minute drive south of Bayfield where we live. (Standing in the homestead ruins)

Last year while boondocking near Borrego Springs I blogged about plans to hike up Ghost Mountain again.  A few days later we received an email from director John McDonald who had done a documentary about Marshall South & the Ghost Mountain story.  John & his wife Lydia were camping in the area & said the 'Ghost Mountain' alert program on his computer kept showing him people were clicking on a site called, The Bayfield Bunch because of the blog I had written about our hike the year before.  To make a long story short Kelly & I drove out to Ghost Mountain a few days later & I hiked up to the top again.  Kelly was nursing a sore ankle at the time so waited at the bottom.  By the time I came down John & Lydia  had arrived at the foot of Ghost Mountain & we were able to meet them & pick up a copy of his documentary.  Here is my BLOG & PHOTOS of that day.

 

STRONG WINDS ARE BLOWING HEAVILY ON MIKE'S HAT (click pics to enlarge)

I knew our stay at Borrego Springs this year would not be complete if I didn't hike myself up to the Marshall South site again so I had been watching for an organized hike this time.  I knew hike leaders would be able to point out things I had missed before.....and so they did.

GHOST MOUNTAIN IS IN THE BACKGROUND AT THE TIP OF THE TALLEST BRANCH ON THIS OLD TREE

Turned off highway S2 for the 3 mile hard packed sandy drive along a bumping road to the meeting point at the bottom of Ghost Mountain.  Met hike leaders, Mike & Jan Bigelow.  Six other people arrived & after an informative talk by our hike leaders we were in single file making our way up the steep, narrow, & rocky switch back trail leading to Yaquitepec.  About a quarter of the way up two separate hikers cell phones rang & I thought, wonder what Marshall South would have thought of all this modern technology on the trail.

SEPARATE CELL PHONES RANG AT THE SAME TIME

Jan led the hike while husband Mike brought up the rear.  We had a couple of informative rest spots on the way up & then crested the last ridge & walked the short distance to the ruins.   Questions were asked & answered standing amidst the homestead remains & the group split up to explore around & take some photos.  Time there lasted about 25 minutes & the group reformed for the hike back down the nearly mile long rocky path.  Everybody but me of course.

TODAY'S GROUP AT YAQUITEPEC

From the first time I set foot in the ruins of  Yaquitipec 2 years ago I was aware of a very special feeling.  That feeling returned last year on my second hike when I spent about 40 minutes wandering around the site by myself.  And that feeling was present again today as I walked around looking at a few spots mentioned in the book.  Jan had pointed out to me the very spot Marshal South had sat among the rocks to write his many Desert Magazine articles.  She also pointed out the rock piled kiln they used.

 

ROCK PILE KILN & MARSHALL SOUTH'S SUNDIAL

It was quiet on the mountain after the group left except for the cool & heavy west winds blowing across the ridge.  it made a howling sound in some of the tall Agave stocks.  I had brought a thermos of coffee & a nature bar with me & what better place to drink my hot coffee than in the exact same spot Marshall South sat with his old typewriter on his lap.  He had mortered up a short wall of stones between two large boulders in the lee of a pinion Juniper.  It blocked him from the sometimes howling chilly winds & gave him a quiet secluded refuge not far from the house.  I could look out & see the exact same landscape this writer, spinner of tales, & talented craftsman could see some 70 years ago.   It was a special moment for me & a cup of coffee in a place I shall always remember.

 

THIS IS WHERE MARSHALL SOUTH CAME TO WRITE HIS ARTICLES FOR THE DESERT MAGAZINE AND THE VIEW HE HAD SITTING THERE

I ambled around the site taking a few photos, looked at the kiln, & then took Socky Geepers out of my bag & did a little photo shoot with him around the site.  It was after I had take the photo of Socky in the old 'wading pool' that I turned around & saw something orange underneath a Juniper tree.  Upon closer inspection I saw a dark garbage bag wrapped around something.  Moved some rocks & twigs away & felt that there was something hard & rectangular in the garbage bag.   Carefully lifted it out & looked inside the bag.  I had just accidentally discovered a Geocache.  First one I have ever seen.  It was a metal military ammunition box.  Opened the lid & discovered a treasure trove of articles that other folks had left inside.  A religious pamphlet, some lip balm, business cards, some coins, & maybe a half dozen other things.  A zip lock bag contained a list of people's names & the dates they had been there since the cache was left at this site back in 2008.  A small piece of paper had children's drawings on it.  I recognized a rocket ship.  Only thing I had to leave was a Bayfield Bunch card.  Carefully put everything back & re-wrapped it all up in it's garbage bag.  Placed it under the tree & put some rocks & twigs over it.  Later wished I would have thought to look for information on who put it there & what the co-ordinates were.  Next time I will know what important things to look for.

THE GEOCACHE AS I FOUND IT, SOCKY GEEPERS DISPLAYS THE CONTENTS, & THE GEOCACHE AS I LEFT IT (Socky Geepers is with me:))

The unrelenting winds finally worked their way through my clothes & I began to feel the cold creeping in.  It was time once again to leave Yaquitepec.  I had been there alone on the mountain for a whole precious hour.  As twice before, I said good-bye to the many mountain spirits present here.  The Indian people who inhabited the mountain & roasted Agave stocks & hearts nearby.  Goodbye to the spirits of Tanya & Marshall South.  Goodbye to Yaquitepec & goodbye to Ghost Mountain.  I hope to one day pass this way again.

GOODBYE YAQUITEPEC......I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR:))

MARSHALL SOUTH & GHOST MOUNTAIN - THE STORY

PHOTOS OF MARSHAL SOUTH'S FINAL RESTING PLACE - JULIAN CEMETERY

I was down the mountain & in the car headed back across Blair Valley in the direction of Borrego Springs by 12:45 p.m.  Great drive stopping for a few pics here & there.  All & all this day will remain one of my more memorable days on this trip so far this year.  Hope I can squeeze a few more in before heading home.  Back to the rig by 2 & the rest of the day was spent semi-dozing in my chair.  Winds have substantially picked up again just in time to keep me awake for another night..........Ooooohhh:((

A SNOOZY LITTLE MOTORMOUSE

And as we pass the 100,000 visitors mark today I noticed tonight we have two new followers.  Welcome aboard to Julie & RickNB.  Didn't look like you folks have blogsites or I would have linked them here.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Q: Who has the right of way when four cars approach a four-way stop at the same time?
A: The pick up truck with the gun rack and the bumper sticker saying "Guns don't kill people. I do."

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

HISTORIES NARROW PASSAGE THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S BOX CANYON NEAR BLAIR VALLEY

 

STANDING AT THE BRINK OF A 30 FOOT DRY WATERFALL IN BOX CANYON NEAR BLAIR VALLEY

We had a high cloud cover this morning & it was on the cool side but sitting around the rig for another day was totally out of the question.  I don't mind a few relaxing days back to back but for us this great RVing lifestyle is about change, adventure, discovery, seeing & doing things & being as much a part of this great land as we can.  The reality of all this is simply that there will come a day when for whatever reason, this adventure will end.  We would like to see & do as much as we can........... while we still can!!

MORNING WALK (click pics to enlarge)

Borrego Springs has a great little newsletter entitled, The Sand Paper that is readily picked up at the Desert Nature Store across from Jilbertos.  On the cover of it's latest edition was an article about the Road to San Felipe Station.  This was an area southwest of the Blair Valley & near a place close to my heart, Ghost Mountain.  We had heard of Box Canyon & had driven by & through it several times over the past couple of years but had never stopped to see the place where history had seen the passage of Indians, Pathfinders, Soldiers, Gold Seekers, & the wild west's Butterfield Stage.

ALONG THE BOX CANYON TRAIL

We would hike to the very spot where in 1847 a battalion of soldiers physically hacked out a rough road through the rugged rocky California landscape to bypass a 30 foot dry waterfall.  The soldiers, tired, hungry, thirsty, & many of them shoeless after a long march had to move their horses, cattle, sheep, mules, & 5 wagons up over 200 feet through seemingly impossible rock strewn & insurmountable boulders. Thorny cat claw, barbed agave,  & mesquite trees blocked their every way.  To bypass the waterfall they had to hack away at the rocks with hand tools & axes.

TRAIL HEAD - CHECKING THE GPS - NOTICE HOW GREEN THE DESERT IS TURNING

Because of the the soldiers determination & hard impossible work, a rough road was forged through the canyon & opened up a southern route for people emigrating to California's gold rush.  The Butterfield Overland Stage had a mail route through this passage in the 1850's & 60's.  This narrow rock strewn road also allowed a few Californians to travel eastward to fight in the Civil War.

FOLLOWING THE DRY CREEK BED

Our plan today was to drive to a point north of Box Canyon, park the car, & pick up a dirt trail leading down into the canyon where the 30 foot waterfall was located.  We wanted to see the narrow passage beside the waterfall where countless numbers of hardy pioneering people passed through on their way west, or east, well over 150 years ago.

   

KELLY EATS HER PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES WHILE AL SLIPS DOWN TO THE BASE OF THE FALLS

It's a 45 minute drive to Blair Valley & we had our boots on the path at 10:32 a.m.  This is an easy hike that follows a path along a dry wash gradually descending into the canyon.  No rock scrambling.  The warming sun felt good and a cooling breeze coming up the shallow canyon made for a perfect hiking day.  Pinion Juniper, Mesquite, & numerous Agave lined the trail.  Very green, very pretty, & very rocky walls added to the beauty of the landscape.  We could hear the occasional car above on the road that parallels the trail.

YOU CAN DRIVE RIGHT TO THE SPOT WHERE THE WATERFALL IS BUT WE CHOSE TO WALK THE 2.5 MILE RETURN TRAIL INTO THE CANYON & BACK

Spotted a small place among the rocks on the west side of the dry wash & decided to set up Socky Von Geepers for his very first photo adventure.  Hope we can find the coordinates on the GPS later.  Also placed a Bayfield Bunch card at the spot under a rock & then proceeded to write the wrong date on the back of it.  Oh well. (hoping to post  Socky photo co-ordinates in tomorrow night's blog because the batteries in the GPS are totally dead right now)

   

PLACING SOCKY VON GEEPERS FOR HIS FIRST PHOTO SHOOT.....WE LEFT A BAYFIELD BUNCH CARD HERE UNDER A ROCK

We reached the 30 foot dry waterfall about 11:15 & it was immediately apparent why it was such a formidable obstacle to the battalion of soldiers back in 1847.  We stood on the very spot where so much hardship had passed, where backbreaking work was done by a shabby band of soldiers making a rough shod passage around the waterfall.  Only a few heavy rocks piled together to form a road bed are visible to tell anyone what went on here so very long ago.   I stood there on the path trying to imagine an old stagecoach lurching along through there.  So much of history is just too unimaginable.  I'll never understand how so many hardships were overcome by such simple means back in those days.

    

Had we not read of this spot we would have hiked right by not knowing of it's place & importance in history.  Took a bunch of photos & set Geepers up for his second adventure photo at the top of the dry waterfall.

                         

KELLY MARKS THE GPS CO-ORDINATES FOR SOCKY'S SECOND PHOTO LOCATION PEERING OVER THE BRINK OF THE DRY WATERFALL.  CARD UNDER A ROCK TO KELLY'S RIGHT with the wrong date on it of course:((

The sun & wind were at our backs as we ascended the gradual mile or so back up the wash & along the trail.  Many Agave plants in this area & they always remind me of Marshal South & Ghost Mountain.  If you type  Marshal South or Ghost Mountain into our search box you can see our blogs & pics about our hikes to that area nearby over the last couple of years.

  

WATERFALL IS BEHIND KELLY AS SHE STANDS ON THE NARROW ROAD FIRST MADE BACK IN 1847 - ONLY VISIBLE SIGN OF THE ROAD - PATH ALONG TOP OF THE RIDGE AT LEFT WAS THE ROAD.  HARD TO IMAGINE THE OLD BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH MAKING IT'S WAY THROUGH HERE ALONG THIS TRAIL

We were back to the car at 1:30 knowing we had had ourselves a good hike.  Spending a couple hours like we just did is one of my favorite things to do & the thought occurred to me on the way home that if I pushed myself to do more things like that I would be less likely to be so grumpy in my blog all the time.  Boredom is not a good thing for me!!

ALWAYS GREAT TO GET BACK TO THE CAR

At exactly 4 o'clock this afternoon it was like somebody flicked a switch & turned on that giant California wind machine again.  The wind came suddenly down the canyon & sent me scrambling to fold up lawn furniture again, get the flags down, & secure anything that was not tied down............  I plan to put the rest of today's photos into a Picasa Web Album tomorrow.

THE SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE VALLEY FROM US (Nikon D40 - 200mm)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down.  During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make
this the farm of your dreams!"   A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer.  Lo and behold, it's a completely different place.  The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows.  "Amazing!" the preacher says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!"   "Yes, reverend," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!"

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.