FLOWERS IN COYOTE CANYON & A HIKE UP ALCOHOLIC PASS

THE TRAIL LEADING BACK FROM THE SUMMIT OF ALCOHOLIC PASS

I was surprised how much our landscape had changed this morning when I stepped out of the rig.  A lot of neighboring RV's were gone with more packing up & pulling out.  There were probably 40 rigs scattered about the desert landscape over the week-end but I only counted 19 left.  The neighborhood was looking very empty.  Ya know, we never met any of those folks but I kinda miss seeing their rigs in place.  Strange huh.

BEAVER TAIL CACTUS BLOOMS

Winds were brisk & cool when the sun went behind the clouds.  Well actually it's the clouds moving in front of the sun, right.  Short morning walk but we came across some vehicle tracks not far away that I was very familiar with.  They have been there over 2 years now & mark the spot where a Canadian couple from Alberta tried to take a short cut though the desert with their pick-up truck & travel trailer a couple years ago.  I was sitting at the computer that day when Kelly said, "hey, I think those people are stuck."  Well, they sure were!!  Had the four wheel drive truck buried to it's axles.  I hopped on my bicycle & zipped over to Butch's & we hopped in his truck & went to see what we could do for the hapless couple.  Well, turns out.......not much:((  Here are the STUCK PHOTOS from that day.

                            

2 YEAR OLD RUTS STILL REMAIN IN THE DESERT

We had some errands to run in Borrego Springs this morning & then we drove out to Coyote Canyon east of Borrego Springs.  Figured the flowers would be blooming out there & they sure were.  Took a bumpy jeep road back along the base of Coyote Mountain for a couple miles until we came to the trailhead of Alcoholic Pass.

  

Quote: "For centuries, Cahuilla Indians used Alcoholic Pass as a convenient shortcut between Coyote Canyon and Clark Valley. In time, a well-beaten trail was worn across the precipitous slopes west of the pass. Around the year 1900, the Clark brothers, early cattlemen who homesteaded in Coyote Canyon, used this trail to transport some primitive well-drilling equipment to the site now known as Clark Well in Clark Valley. Near the top of the pass, the old Cahuilla trail squeezed between two boulders so closely spaced that the burros’ loads had to be unpacked to fit through. Today, you can still follow the obvious trace of this historic pathway."  Unquote

 

FILLING WATER JUGS IN BORREGO - OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY - AND THE TILE ROOF GROCERY STORE

The 'Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert' book by Robin Halford said this was a strenuous hike.  Well, she was right!!  The section along the wash was alive with large Ocotillo plants in bloom.  Beaver tail cactus & varieties  of flowers competed for space among the many rocks.  The wash started off smooth enough but soon the wide sandy trail led us to a narrow path veering off to the right & up!!  From that point we climbed 600 feet up a long winding foot path with every footstep higher than the one before.  The trail reminded me of the steep Ghost Mountain trail over in the Blair Valley.

THE DESERT IS BLOOMING

Took us the best part of 45 minutes to reach the top with stops for pictures & breathers.  It is on trails like this that I am reminded of the excess baggage I carry.  I make promises to myself while puffing along that I will never eat another peanut butter sandwich or hamburger with fries.  Not ever not never.  I'm not so good at keeping promises like that though & we just kept on trudging onwards & forever upwards.

COYOTE CANYON

The views out over Coyote Canyon to the San Ysidro mountains was beautiful with cloud shadows moving across the mountain faces & into the canyons.  Far below on the valley floor lay countless acres of neatly spaced & trimmed orange orchards.  Beyond that another 5 miles or so lay the sweet little town of Borrego Springs.  The sky was alive with personality as the lumbering clouds increased in size & density.  Stopped to take some nice photos & I have already uploaded today's hike photos into album entitled, COYOTE CANYON & ALCOHOLIC PASS 

THE OCOTILLO'S ARE IN BLOOM

The trail actually leads over the summit pass & down the east side of Coyote Mountain to the Clark Dry Lake Bed area where our motorhome is but we just went as far as the summit.  There was a post along the trail with a box affair on it with a plastic zip lock bag containing a trail log for people to sign.  Lots of names, dates, & comments, in the book.  We left a couple Bayfield Bunch cards in the bag too.  Because this is called Alcoholic Pass some people had left comments regarding their affiliation with alcohol so of course I had to add my sobriety date of October 19th 1979 beside my name:))  Am I proud of that........you bet!!

 

SIGNING THE LOG AT THE SUMMIT

We marked the spot with our GPS & the co-ordinates for the summit are...N 33* 21.5544 x W 116* 22.5640  Elevation 1,546 & the time was 1:23 on March 8/10

TIME TO PUT THE SWEATER BACK ON BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR WINDY DESCENT

The climb up had us sweating but the trek back down the west south side of the mountain was much cooler as the winds picked up & the cloud cover increased.  Took us 35 minutes to gingerly pick our way down the grade that had our toes trying their darndest to poke holes through the front of our hiking boots.  A lot of ankle twisting loose rocks so we couldn't hurry.  Always glad to reach the car for sure.

ACRES & ACRES OF ORANGE TREE ORCHARDS WITH BORREGO SPRINGS IN THE BACKGROUND

We just had to drive back out coyote canyon & around the south end of Coyote mountain & we were back at the rig.  A big flop in the chair & it wasn't long & I had some zzzzzzzzzzz's floating around my head.

A few more rigs had left while we were away & a few more had arrived.  With probably 50 to a hundred square miles of space here we were lucky nobody pulled up right beside us!!  Our friends Jim & Rene weren't so lucky as they had a Class A practically park on top of them late Saturday.  Remember yesterday's picture of that white fifth wheel......well, that's Jim & Rene.

DESERT BARREL CACTUS BLOOMS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you hear about the man who avoided funerals because he was not a mourning person.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

A LONG RAINY SUNDAY IN THE DESERT

ANOTHER BORREGO SPRINGS SUNSET SHAPING UP

The pitter patter sound on our roof this morning told me it was probably going to be an inside day.  The rain wasn't coming down hard but it was steady & will no doubt shorten the week-end for the week-enders out here in the desert.

DESERT LILY AFTER THE RAIN

THE WEEK ENDERS WERE PACKING IT IN TODAY

When I let Max out early this morning I could see the glow from San Diego's lights backlighting the mountains to our southwest & to our west & northwest the Santa Rosa mountains were rimmed with the ambient light from the Riverside & Los Angeles areas.  A neighboring RVer had just come back from the Riverside area & said, "don't ever go over to the other side of those mountains, it's traffic & people chaos over there!!"  Not to worry I said, We'll be staying right here on the quiet side of the mountains for sure.

     

THAT'S US DEAD CENTER.....HIGHWAY S22 IS IN THE BACKGROUND & ROCKHOUSE ROAD RUNS THROUGH THE FOREGROUND

               

YES, WE DO LIKE OUR SPACE:)) (click to enlarge)

Noticed a comment in our Shout Box from Darrell asking a question about etiquette regarding boondocking.  I don't think there is a single answer here about how near to camp to someone because situations vary.  However, common sense & respect are two key factors & I can only attempt to answer this from our point of view.

AN EXAMPLE OF RIGS WELL SPACED

When we pull into a boondocking area the first thing we look for is who else is there.  If nobody is there we'll try to pick a spot with a view on the area's perimeter.  By parking on the edge of an area with our side door facing away we lessen the chances of someone pulling into 'our front yard' & blocking our view.  If another boondocker is in the area we'll first try to find a spot where there is not a line of sight between us.  That helps with our dogs not seeing the other folks & going over there & bugging them.  As a rule of thumb we prefer to be out of earshot of another rig.  Both Kelly & I have zero tolerance for people noise like loud cell phone talking, loud stereos, rumbling ATV's or dirt bikes, & the sounds of party goers.  I've included photos today showing some typical RV boondocking etiquette out here in the desert east of Borrego Springs, California.

AN EXAMPLE OF CROWDING.  FIFTH WHEEL ON LEFT HAS BEEN HERE 4 DAYS & THE MOTORHOME ON THE RIGHT CAME IN YESTERDAY & PARKED CLOSE TO THEM.  HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF ACRES HERE SO WHY THE NEED TO CROWD SOMEBODY!!

LOTS OF ROOM HERE

For us, one of the main reasons for boondocking is the simple peace & quiet we prefer, not to mention the huge money savings when you don't have to pay those big Park fees every night.  We keep to ourselves & are very sensitive & respectful of any neighbors.   We prefer to look out the RV window & not see any RV's, people, man made structures or whatever.  I am the same way at home but we live in a community with nearby neighbors.  My only defense against that over the last number of years has been to plant & grow a jungle around our place but it's not the best solution.  I probably won't be content until we land ourselves a quiet little place in the country somewhere, someday.  A little place with a long driveway in from the road & not a neighbor in sight.  If that ever happens I will know then for sure that I have died & gone to heaven.  (wherever or whatever you perceive that to be)

THE SMALL CLASS C AT BOTTOM RIGHT IS OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR.  THANKYOU FOR BEING RESPECTFUL SIR

So, Darrell, I guess in my long round about usual blabbering way of answering a question I will just sum it up by saying, if I can hear my RV neighbor's voice....he's about a mile too close!!  If you go to the RV NET FORUM & find yourself the 'Boondocker's' group, just post your question in there & you will get all kinds of varying answers for sure.  By the way, that RV Net Forum is 'THE' place to go for all RV folks with all your RV questions.  Lots of fellow RV'ers there ready & willing to help you on a multitude of topics.

A CLUSTER OF RIGS WELL SPACED OUT

A few weeks ago I grumbled about a few small things I didn't like about our new Toshiba Satellite A505 computer so this morning I just want to mention a few things that I really like about.  The bigger brighter screen is way better outside than our old Toshiba.  I've been able to tweak a little better sound out of it & I really like the long foot underneath running across nearly the whole length of the computer.  This foot tilts the screen slightly towards the user plus allows air flow underneath making the computer run cooler.  That foot also acts as a helping hand grip if your moving or carrying your computer around.  The type pad also seems smoother than our older machine.

I just uploaded all the photos from my GHOST MOUNTAIN hike this past Wednesday & they can be found here at our PICASA WEB ALBUM site.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Some Definitions

Boy:  Noise with dust on it.
Chickens:  The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
Dust:  Mud with the juice squeezed out.
Mosquito:  An insect that makes you like flies better.
Raisin:  A grape with a sunburn. 
Chemicals: Noxious substances from which modern foods are made.

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.

NICE MORNING BUT THE BIG WINDS CAME BACK THIS AFTERNOON!!!!

IN SEARCH OF A SLOT CANYON

With the number of headlights I saw bumping & chinking around in the nearby desert last night I knew we would wake up to a slightly altered landscape this morning.  And so it was.   We had more rigs closer to us this morning but the consolation is that they are probably week-enders & will be gone by Sunday night.  Everyone was respectful of our space & there was no rude crowding in like a week or so ago.

 

Cloudy skies sent us scampering to the computer's weather page for a looky see on what's happening.  Sunday is not looking good & it's doubtful that the Astronomy talk I'm attending tonight will have any telescopes set up.

 

Noticed WANDERING WILLY made it home safe & sound & he has a picture of himself relaxing in his big easy recliner chair.  By the look of contentment on his face I have a feeling that's the only thing he's gonna be driving for awhile. 

                               

Our desert hiking book told us there was a small slot canyon hike not far from where we are here at the Clark Dry Lake Bed so about 9:15 off we went heading north on S22.

BEGINNING THE HIKE UP A SANDY WASH

The book made it clear where to pull off the highway near mile marker 35 so that's just what we did.  The sky was clearer than earlier morning & it didn't take long for the sun to start heating things up.  The trail leading up 'West Truckhaven' was a dry wash bed & right from the time we left the car I'd say 98% of our hike was in soft sand.  Walking in sand is difficult at the best of times & this dry wash had a slow but steady incline.  Combined with the hot sun & breezeless morning we found this short little 2.2 hike a bit of a puffer.

TOUGH SLOGGING IN THE SOFT SAND

At one point I heard the drone of a small airplane overhead & looked up to read the letters on the wings, 'Ranger Patrol.'  I right away knew who was flying that.  Confidentially sitting at the controls of that white & green wing tipped single engine plane was, Kelly 'Mighty Mouse' McCague.  She was undauntedly on the job early this morning keeping an eye out for everyone's safety below.  You can read the post I did about Kelly & her 180HP 2000 pound Aviat Husky A-1 here at, MIGHTY MOUSE McCAGUE

                        

YEP, THAT'S MIGHTY MOUSE McCAGUE UP THERE ALRIGHT

The open dry wash eventually led us into a small slot canyon & we were grateful for the shade as we walked through the few narrow openings.  Only one rock scramble & we we were once again into the sun on the other side.  It's a small slot canyon & nothing like the one Butch led us through just a few miles away on the other side of the Borrego Badlands.  For the pictures of that hike 3 years ago just click here... BORREGO SLOT CANYON

SLOT CANYON-A ROCK SCRAMBLE-ON THE PATH

Our hiking book gave directions to a dry waterfall after leaving the canyon but we never did find it.  Followed other boot marks in the sand but they just eventually led to dead ends.

 

HAPPY WANDERER-CHECKING GPS-FLOWERING OCOTILLO

The hike back to the car was much easier because we were heading downhill & a slight breeze had kicked up & cooled us off as it came up the canyon.  Took a short cut over a small rocky hill & we had the highway & car in sight.  Always so nice to get back to the car, peel off all the gear & flop into those nice comfy car seats.  We were back to the rig in less that 10 minutes & total time elapsed since leaving earlier in the morning was 2 hours.  Just enough to put me in a state of doze for the rest of the afternoon.  And in the meantime a big cloud cover moved in & that was the end of our sunny day.

 

A ROCK SCRAMBLE-GROUP OF ANTS WORKING ON BRINGING HOME SOME FOOD-HARD TO FIND TRAIL SOMETIMES

In yesterday's blog I included a photo of a stunt pilot beside his airplane.  One of our blog readers & internet friends recognized the pilot as REINHOLD BEYER http://www.advancedaerobaticteam.com/Reinaldo_Beyer.html  & sent us a link this morning about the man, his plane, & his position as Captain of the Advanced Aerobatic Team.

 

OCOTILLO -KELLY UNWRAPS A PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH-GLAD TO SEE THE CAR

Tonight I am off to the Anza Borrego Visitor's Center for one of the, 'Desert Skies Outdoor Lectures.'  Popular astronomer Dennis Mammana is giving a talk on the amazing sights & mysteries of the cosmos followed by some telescope stargazing with weather permitting. (not likely)  I may post this before I go or have a crack at it when I get back sometime after nine.  Or, I just may blog about it tomorrow.   If the weather is good Sunday (not likely) we may do an organized group driving tour of the area.  We'll see what shakes out in the morning............

DESERT LAVENDER

'UPDATE'  8:45 PM Just back from the Astronomy talk & it was great.  An hour well spent & some things well learned.  This fellow takes groups of people all over the world on Astronomy trips following eclipses, etc.  It was too cloudy for any stargazing so I was back to the rig an hour early.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  I like European food so I decided to Russia over there because I was Hungary. After Czech'ing the menu I ordered Turkey. When I was Finnished I told the waiter 'Spain good but there is Norway I could eat another bite'.

 

DENNIS MAMMANA....ASTRONOMER AT LARGE

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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