On a recent overnight camping trip to Mount Laguna I snapped this picture of the Anza Borrego Desert far below.If you look closely you can see the Salton Sea in the upper left of the picture.

Our annual Thanksgiving tradition is to spend Thanksgiving with our family and then head out to Anza Borrego the following day for a couple days of desert fun. This year turned out to be one of the more memorable trips we have had, so sit back and I will try to explain what transpired. Friday morning found Mary and I heading out to Carrizo Gorge to meet Jan, Gina and crew at one of our favorite campsites. Jan had left the night before to get the Imu Pit ready. Imu Pit ? you ask. Well yes, this year after 5 successful years of grilled turkey perfection we opted to try the Polynesian method of cooking the turkey in a pit in the ground. Th... [More]

If the Governor has his way the Anza-Borrego Desert will be off limits due to state budget cuts. Anza Borrego is on the chopping block along with 219 other parks in the California State Parks system. According to an article in the Union Tribune, the parks being targeted do not have enough visitors to offset the costs associated with keeping them open. Governor Schwarzenegger's budget would cut $213 million from the state parks budget over the next two years. So let me get this right, Californians who have had to trim back on their vacation budgets can no longer take a weekend mini-vacation to their local state park? Please take a minute a... [More]

In an effort to escape the Memorial Day beach crowds, Mary and I left Leucadia and pointed the LandCruiser east. Our destination was Combs Peak located in the northern end of Anza Borrego. At 6193 ft or 1888 m Combs Peak has the distinction of being the highest mountain in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park as well as one of the highest, most remote peaks in San Diego County.   For reference here is a list of the top 10 mountain peaks in San Diego  Rank Peak Name ft m 1. Hot Springs Mountain 6533 1991 2. Cuyamaca Peak 6512 1985 3. Mount Laguna 6378 1944 4. Mount Laguna-West Peak 6299 1920... [More]

What started out as a quick day trip to see the wildflower bloom in Anza Borrego, turned into a trip back in time. Our original plan was to do some hiking and take pictures of wildflowers but at the last minute I decided we would try to find the pictographs at Indian Hill. There are numerous sources on how to find this magical place but most are sketchy at best. Many feel that the less exposure this area gets the better. That being said this is not a post on “How do I find Indian Hill and the pictographs?” . Rather it is a virtual tour of the area that you can take from the comfort of your computer chair. If you do decide to... [More]

At 4229 feet Sombrero Peak is the highest point in the southern end of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We have observed this impressive mountain over the years from various vantage points but never made the trek to the  top.  As Jerry Schaad describes it : "Climbing Sombrero Peak is a feat attempted by relatively few people, but not because of its height (4229 feet above sea level), which is quite modest. Rather, the peak is remote from paved roads, and its boulder-guarded flanks discourage those who are not willing to put up with either a long march to its base (from the west) or a shorter but sweaty eastern approach up from the d... [More]