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http://www.livescience.com/38865-oldest-petroglyphs-rock-art.html

Slightly related, a 'new' photographic tool to create gigapixel images, applied to a petroglyph site in Texas. Based on stitching together high-resolution images, used by Mars Rover. The resolution is absolutely scary! Zoom in and find the petroglyphs, approximately just north and west of of the center of the area, in the 'warmest brown' region. Extensive number of glyphs! You can also zoom in on the scale / legend in the lower right corner to see how they obtained the imagery from the ground:

http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/136529

Great trip Tommy and I loved the video! Next time, bring one of those plastic toy army men with you and prop it up in your field of view for some scale perspective! What a flood!

Great Trip Report
Funny looking at the satellite shot in first picture and then reading your account of what actually transpired.
Bummer about the trash in canyon Sin Nombre. Have not seen that before either.

Looks like my Land Cruiser will finally be back in commission next Saturday..fingers crossed

Been really missing going out to Borrego.
Been living vicariously thru you guys and your trip reports for the past few months.

Nice summer trip! Did you have any problems in canyon sin nombre? There is that one tight section which was washed out last year and a bit rough and rocky.
Also, I am in need of some new tires for my rig and I think you have the BFG all terrains, how did they do in the mud?

2 days ago we drove up to the intersection of Olla and Fish Creek. Could not see any tire tracks going up Fish Creek. Nice to see your pictures!

Very nice Tom! Those are California Patch butterflies! Quite the mysterious aggregation on that one rock. I forget what the caterpillar is... my girlfriend and I saw many of them in the Oriflamme Canyon area last week. Apparently, the natives ate 'em.
edited by ziphius on 9/30/2013

Ditto
Butterfly shot is great and the Ocotillo look amazing.

Way to put that Tundra in a hairy situation Tom..

dsefcik wrote:

........ I wish had time to get out there right now....

edited by surfponto on 9/30/2013

I was hoping the rains would have hardened up the silt sections!

I love that area. Spent lots of time out there before the road got gated. Thanks for the pics.

That one SUV with the cable in the front looks like someone was trying to give it a tow. Nice TR....still wishing I had time to get out there, I haven't been back since the Sheep Count in July.

Looking at those SUV's reminds me of the movie &quotNo Country for Old Men&quot Wonder what the story was?
Looks like a great trip. I am heading out to the mud volcanos and hot springs soon now that the temps are dropping.

tommy750 wrote:

Talked to a BP agent recently who said they found them abandoned. He wasn't sure if they were carrying people or drugs. I wondered if there had been a shoot out since they're riddled with bullet holes but he said BP used them for target practice.

That movie is why I'm walking right past any dope or money lying out in the desert! Tom.

Tommy, I'm pretty sure it is ok to pick up a bag full of drug money as long as you remove the tracking device before taking it home! Very nice trip and photos, thanks for posting! - Jim

tommy750 wrote:

Nice trip! Did you see anything at Harpers Well or Kane Spring? Tom

I don't think I traveled that part of Old Kane Springs Road. Harpers Well and Kane Spring are east of Split Mountain Road, right?

tommy750 wrote:

BorregoWrangler wrote:

tommy750 wrote:

Nice trip! Did you see anything at Harpers Well or Kane Spring? Tom

I don't think I traveled that part of Old Kane Springs Road. Harpers Well and Kane Spring are east of Split Mountain Road, right?

Yes, you're right. Have never been on it. Looks like the part east of Split Mt. Rd is pretty sketchy or nonexistent when looking at GE. Not sure of the boundaries of San Sebastian Marsh/San Felipe Creek ACEC (BLM website down) but they probably preclude anything but a walk through that portion. Looks like you can catch the far east part off 86, though. Tom

Thanks for posting that. From what I've been able to find, Old Kane Springs Road marks the boundary of the ACEC. So you can travel along the route that you highlighted in red. At Harpers Well there's a toppled wall along the wash that used to prevent erosion. About 12 feet of the old well casing has been exposed and toppled, now laying on the sand bar. One of these day I'll need to get out there and explore more of that area.

tommy750 wrote:

Seems like ABDSP is attracting some international visitors this time of year:

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/quicknews/authorities-seize-ultra-light-pounds-of-marijuana/article_373114ec-35fe-11e3-91c0-001a4bcf6878.html

Here's another ultralight crash near Niland from earlier this summer:

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/valley-police-beat-agents-seize-small-aircraft-k-in-drugs/article_05028df8-1078-11e3-a9a9-0019bb30f31a.html

Sounds like they just need to lighten their loads a little bit, maybe just try to carry 40 lbs of weed next time. Seriously though, I saw an ultralight aircraft near the Otay border months ago and suspected it wasn't a hobbyist out for a Sunday flight. Ultralights have become a serious problem in the drug smuggling arena. Smuggling is occurring in the most remote areas, even the far offshore Channel Islands, such as San Nicolas Island, which is entirely operated / owned by the Navy:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/mar/02/panga-found-on-san-nicolas-island-3-arrested/

Nice sighting Tom! Interesting status review too, with the *new* year-round presence in the Coyote Mountains. Maybe the sheep know about some undocumented water source in that region, heh? So, were you literally hiking in Fossil Canyon when you saw them? (judging from the name of your 2nd photo)

I don't think the ewes ever travel far from home, rams on the other hand will travel around. They are supposed to be doing Tamarisk removal in Carizzo Marsh with money from Pattern and the wind turbine project.

tommy750 wrote:

Has anyone actually driven out to the marsh and seen any changes? I haven't been out there in over a year. Tom

Yeah, I posted an update of that area recently. All the Tamarisk has been removed from Carrizo Creek.

Could you tell who they were, army, BP..??

Could you tell who they were, army, BP..??

Thanks Tom
What kind of dash mount do you have for it?
Thanks,
Bob

tommy750 wrote:

I use My Topo on an iPad and love it. It seamlessly connects standard 1:24K topos you download for free. The big touch screen gives you the big picture you don't get on a tiny GPS and you can easily zoom in if desired. Doesn't allow tracking but you can do waymarks and screen saves are easy. Think it cost $9.99. Tom

Hey Tom, where is the one you have from out in Pinto area?

Unknown graves on the West side of Toro Peak , South West of the old lumber mill at elevation approx. 6500 ft.
Anyone have any info?


edited by rockhopper on 11/11/2013
edited by rockhopper on 11/11/2013

Hi Tommy 750,
Either hike in from Rock house Canyon or Hike down from Toro Peak. It's eaiser coming down from the mountian.
As I remember there were about 8 or more marked ( falling apart) wooden grave markers with no info. No idea of age
or who they were. But the view from the memorial ground was fantastic! I have a guess.
a) Converted Christian native Americans
b) Lumber mill workers ( seems like a lot) from the old Santa Rosa lumber mill
c) Homesteders who lived on or around the mountian
Going back has been on my list. If I can still find it! We just stumbled on it hiking down towards Toro Spring.

Third time is the charm.
Good job. It is amazing how hard it is to find,

I agree that falling star/comet picto is very cool.
Did you get pretty scratched up hunting for the cave?

Had my share. It's a miracle I never got lymes disese. Soaking in ubber hot hot mineral baths kills the virus.

Tommy, I just noticed the fancy Oris watch in your photo! Care to provide a review?

Jim (ziphius) wrote:

Nice trip Wrangler. I once poked around the southern part of the Coyote Mountains in mid-summer after a flash flood, looking for fossils in the deep shade of the canyons. Not too bad if you stay in the shade! Have you seen any bighorn in that range in your trips out there? [ I see from your blog that you've encountered bighorn tracks. ]
edited by ziphius on 12/24/2013

Yeah, some friends of mine actually caught sight of some on their way up the mountain. I haven't seen any myself up there for years.


edited by BorregoWrangler on 12/25/2013

For some reason I was thinking Pinyon.
Have never done Diablo Drop Off
Maybe now that it is graded I will do it with the Land Cruiser.
edited by surfponto on 1/2/2014

tommy750 wrote:

Bob, Daren wouldn't shut up about how awesome his new truck was! Tom

tommy750 wrote:

dsefcik wrote:

tommy750 wrote:

Bob, Daren wouldn't shut up about how awesome his new truck was! Tom

Now that we know you're into classic Toyota trucks Daren, here's my favorite taken in Jordan's Wadi Rum on a tour a few years back. Straight up old school. Tom
....

Classic shot.

45 Series Land Cruiser pickups, pickup version of our FJ40.
Things are bullet proof.
Were those the diesel versions?

Ditto on the old indian trails above the old shoreline. Some references state the Lake Chauilla filled multiple times going back thousands of years. It's neat hiking on those old trails. I've seen that trail you hiked on Google E. Need to hike those trails in that area still .There was a lot of prospecting and mining in that area in the last 1800's and 1900's
Here's a pic of a trail above the ancient shoreline to the north I hiked recently.



sunglass for scale of sherds

edited by rockhopper on 2/8/2014

Is there a legal vehicle route all the way through from Plaster City to Fish Creek? I'm assuming there is you went to the Whit BM. I was somehow thinking was closed to vehicles.

-Florian
edited by Florian on 2/8/2014

Nice tour Tom. Is that memorial something you just happened to stumble upon, or is there some history that led you to search for it?

Looks like some fresh tracks going off towards the target. I have heard from a credible source that those circles I mentioned were used by 1960-70's desert hippie kooks...but who knows. Wish I was able to get out there with you...

tommy750 wrote:

EC085 is the way! few areas of deep silt. Wouldn't recommend 2WD unless you're really talented or have a 4X4 right behind you

Thanks for the TR! When we were out there over New Years people were shooting towards the mountains and made it impossible to hike around. Someone even brought a. 50 cal. and was blasting away! Its seems to be a very popular place to shoot out there. What is your strategy for the deep silt areas? Do you take them straight on or try and detour around? I would not even attempt in 2wd, it felt scetchy to me in 4WD plus I lost my camper out their so I have a lot of respect for that road!!!! Have you talked to any Border Patrol about how often the drug runners use that road? It seems that would be a very popular route.

Found this in a book ("Our historical desert" Lindsay) describing the mining in the area maybe?




edit to make picture post
edited by rockhopper on 2/9/2014

I think the "shack" shown as a pinned photo on G.E. near the Carrizo stage station maybe Brandts shack.

Found this shot from our Inner Pasture Hike we did with Daren a couple years back.