Our Mt Vaca Radio Club annual Spring desert trip went to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, March 23-28, 1996. Anza-Borrego has 600,000 acres of land, just west of the Salton Sea in Southern California, and is one of the largest U.S. state parks.
Our group left on Saturday morning, March 23, 1996 with eight participants:
Lew, WA6ESA; Les, W6TEE; and Ed, KE6AFB, Sunny, KE6AFA, and Sunny's
sister, Heidi, caravaned from Lyon's in Elk Grove. Bill, N6MSI, and Bill's
dad, Curly, left from Sonora. Ed's guest, Rand, met the group in Indio. All
five vehicles were 4WD. (Photo shows Lew, Rand, Ed, Sunny, Heidi, and Bill at
Palm Spring.)
We had fine sunny weather the entire trip, with some periods of mild wind at the park, and brief rain returning over Tehachapi.
Those of us meeting at Lyon's caravaned using 147.555 MHz. simplex. We talked to Bill briefly on the Intercity 440 Network before breakfast at Lyon's, but due to a link being down, we did not contact him again until we neared Indio that evening. The group spent Saturday night at the Indio Motel 6.
Sunday morning we drove to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We stopped at the Visitor Center, then drove to Tamarisk Grove Campground, where we had reservations. This camp is in a grove of trees which makes it unusually shady, especially for Anza-Borrego. We selected our three sites, but since it was early and they were not all vacant yet, we went sight seeing.
We drove over the Southern Emigrant Trail, along Highway S-2. We turned off
the pavement to Blair Valley to visit the Morteros (indian grinding rocks)
and the Pictographs. Each were a short hike from their parking areas.
Returning to the highway via Little Blair Valley, we traveled south to Box
Canyon, which was an Army route during the 1847 Mexican War, and later used
by the Butterfield Stage. We continued to Vallecito Stage Station County
Park, which was a stop for the Butterfield Stage from San Antonio to Los
Angeles, 1858 to 1861.
We returned to set up camp. Les, Bill, and Curly had Campsite 19. Lew and Rand had 20, across the road. Ed, Sunny, and Heidi had 21, next to 19, but closer to the rest room and hot showers. Happy hour and dinner followed.
Monday morning, we set out for Coyote Canyon, a popular 4WD route in the NW
corner of the park. But first, we stopped in Borrego Springs, the town in
the center of the park, for groceries, ice and gas. Coyote Canyon has been
closed at Middle Willows, so our trip was out and back, rather than going to
the town of Anza and returning by highway.
The drive is mostly easy but bumpy, except for the Lower Willows Bypass. In
the guidebook, "The Anza-Borrego Desert Region", by Lowell and Diana Lindsay,
it says, "The challenging vehicle route is absolutely
four-wheel-drive/jeep only for a one-mile pitch AND requires a highly skilled
and experienced driver. Whether climbing or descending, a scout should be
deployed afoot to restrain opposing traffic from the gully until clear.
There may be more brutal jeep traverses somewhere out there in that great
desert, but the authors know of none." Any comments on our group's
travel over this route would seem immodest.
After turning back where the trail is closed, we lunched near the mouth of Salvador Canyon. We returned over the "brutal jeep traverse", and headed for the highway and Font's Point in the NE corner of the park. We viewed the Borrego Badlands from this overlook, then returned to camp.
After hot showers, happy hour and dinner, a campfire was built and popcorn popped. We viewed comet Hyakutake on its closest pass.
Tuesday morning, we set out to the southern end of the park. We traveled
Highway S-2 past Vallecitos and turned off to Palm Spring. This is a palm, a
spring, a couple of signs, and a pupfish pond. We continued up Carrizo Wash
6 miles and turned north up Arroyo Seco del Diablo (Devil's Dry Wash). After
an interesting photo and fossil stop next to the high walls of the arroyo, we
emerged and crossed Middle Mesa to the Devil's Dropoff, a steep sandy hill.
Continuing down Dropoff Wash, we intersected Fish Creek Wash, which took us
into Split Mountain, where we had lunch. This was the end of the trip for
Rand, who left from here. Then we were seven.
After lunch, we emerged on paved road, where we turned off to see the
Elephant Trees. Continuing north to Ocotillo Wells, we turned west on
Highway 78 to Buttes Pass Trail. This took us to San Felipe Wash where we
took the Cut-Across Trail to Una Palma, Five Palms, and 17 Palms Oasis.
After a photo stop at each one, We returned to Highway S-22 via Arroyo
Salado, and back to camp via town.
Wednesday morning, we packed up to leave. Lew left first, to get home that night. Then we were six. The rest drove to Borrego Palm Canyon, just north of the Visitor Center. We took the one and one half mile hike into the canyon to view the palms and waterfalls. Returning to town, we had lunch at Christmas Circle in the center of town. We drove to Palm Springs and stopped at a new art gallery opened by a friend of Ed's. Next, we drove to Victorville, via Yucca Valley, and spent the night at the Motel 6.
Bill and his dad left early Thursday morning. Then we were four. The rest of us waited until 9 AM when the Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Museum opened. After enjoying the museum, we started back to Sacramento and arrived after 6 PM.
Thanks to Lew for suggesting the trip, and thanks to the others for coming along. I think we will go back again, but perhaps not next year.
Les Cobb, W6TEE
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