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Looks like a great area and fun time. Love the cabin-in-the-morning and frog photos. Whenever I hear of a pool of water being 'putrid green', my immediate thought is blue-green algae, which can contain some deadly toxins or at least stuff that won't make you feel good. Any photos of the putrid green pools? You guys obviously made it back alive!

Great loop trek! Please post more photos. Did you find the sections of the Indian trial heading down from Agua Alta trail? I have an old topo showing that trail also. I tried going up to Agua Alta spring from the bottom on that route years ago but was low on water and had to turn back. Good to see you guys using the cactus spring trail. It needs more traffic to keep it recognizable. I was just there last season, Cactus Spring trail / Jack miller cabin / Auga Alta spring. The trail they say is over 1000 years old and is cut wast deep as it heads over the pass towards Pinyon valley.

btw Jack Miller built a road to his cabin up the canyon in the 1920's with a Buick with additional wheels bolted on the back! The road was in constant need of repair after the floods. Also, it was his second Cabin. The first one was down stream a bit and was washed away. You could still see remenets of the old cabin about 20 years ago as I remember.

Sign off the trail on a ridge on my last hike

edited by rockhopper on 11/30/2015
edited by rockhopper on 11/30/2015
edited by rockhopper on 11/30/2015

rockhopper wrote:

Daren, how did that water taste? Hope you are ok.

Nothing like burping up algae iodine water all day....yummm, made my coffee and oatmeal have some added trail flavor. By the last day it was tasting good, kinda missed it....

It is a pretty crazy story...cool though
http://www.robertmarcos.com/ghost-ship/

Going with miners candle holder

http://www.miningartifacts.org/minerscandleholders.html

I,m sure the geologists said " There does not appear to be any recent signs of enhancement and the surface appears to be naturally weathered". A follow up question should be " In what time frame would signs of enhancement be erased by natural weathering" There unanimous answer would be " Ummm, I guess maybe 300 to 500 years depending on many unknown factors". Tommy750 is correct with his info on Charlotte's study, But he must not have read her conclusion. She writes "Four Yonis appear to have been altered by pecking, grinding or carving,or carving. (7 others) appear to have been enhanced to make them more closely resemble their human counterpart, the vulva." She also wrote in her conclusion "In many cases, the yonis are directly incorporated into village sites." Once you have seen as many as I have, you develop a feel for what is altered and what is natural.

Looks like a great trip Bob. If you're looking for Whitney training opportunities, the El Cajon Mtn. hike is a good one! - Jim

Looks like an amazing trip. I did that hike with Daren once over the saddle. For some reason I remember it being hard and I think I went home with a few cuts

Here is my post when i did the hike into Canebrake with him many moons ago.

What a huge rarely travel area in the county. You could spend weeks looking around in that valley. Need to get out there some day!
Great trail report and photos. Wow 6 points in one trip! Rabbit and bird hunting points?

tommy750 wrote:

Apparently the saga will never end!

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/09/desert-line-gets-new-operator-repairs-starting/

surfponto wrote:

We should plan to do this again.
I probably need a few weeks so Mary will forget about how hard it was than we will drag her back up there

I remember August as always being a good time to hike it...

This just in! Good for ABDSP!

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/17/borrego-park-regulation-change/
edited by Borregolinda on 6/17/2016

Hi Tommy. I apologize for using your photos without your permission. Back on our 2008 hike, my partner Tom and I split up the cargo - he carried a 4 x 5-inch field camera and tripod, (which I thought was unnecessary), and I carried 3 gallons of water - plus all the normal equipment. We're both professional photographers and as such we always put our paying client's projects ahead of our own. So it was months before I saw one of his 4 x 5" images, (very dull since it was taken at twilight and the wall of petroglyphs was in shadow). I did however provide that image, (sharpened and with added contrast) to the archaeological team which was assembled by Dr. Raymond Ashley prior to the Maritime Museum's trip to the Pinto Canyon petroglyph site. I lost track of the image after that. So I hope that helps to explain my lack of photos from that trip. Thanks and best wishes - robert
edited by RobertMarcos on 7/5/2016

Interesting story. I wonder if the pot is still there. The description of its location is a bit detail-rich, the kind of clues that pot-hunters would take advantage of.
edited by ziphius on 7/5/2016

This was found in Pedras Grandes on a leaf of a plant about 2 feet above ground. Literally lifted it as it grew. I wish I had a shot of that! I believe it's a dart, but not for sure.

Nice find! Looks like a Sierra Side Notch point, a type of Desert Side Notch with a third basal notch presumably to center it easier in the shaft before mastic was applied.

Tom do you have a book title that tells of the different types? I'd like to learn more about the different types.


tommy750 wrote:

Roryborealis wrote:

This was found in Pedras Grandes on a leaf of a plant about 2 feet above ground. Literally lifted it as it grew. I wish I had a shot of that! I believe it's a dart, but not for sure.

Nice find! Looks like a Sierra Side Notch point, a type of Desert Side Notch with a third basal notch presumably to center it easier in the shaft before mastic was applied.

edited by sddarkman619 on 7/11/2016
edited by sddarkman619 on 7/11/2016

I got this book a while back and found it quite helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Spear-Arrow-Points-California-ebook/dp/B002EZYXGG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468268631&sr=8-3&keywords=arrowheads+of+california

Looks like it's out of print but a kindle version appears to be available.

Not being able to collect mushrooms, flora and fauna seems sufficient enough to me...

Nice trip and report Tom, wish I could have joined you. I was exploring Pine Valley gold mines Sunday and saw lots of lightning just up towards the Lagunas. Looks like a good trip, hope your new Zpack gear earned it's pay....8-)

I like the view from inside the kiln. Funny-sounding spring too. That tent is known for its head room big man.

Great trail report! I remember the old cabin before it burned down. 20 years ago?? I might have some old film pictures buried some where. It's nice to get up and in the shade of the pines this time of year. I see Borrego Springs dipped into the 90's this week. Yeah!
Thanks for sharing.
edited by rockhopper on 9/5/2016

the cabin by the spring you didn't go see, why didn't you go further? what did the sign say? and could you not go see it from a different angle?
How many miles was the hike? and did you walk it from the bottom where your tracks begin?
edited by sddarkman619 on 9/20/2016

Great trip and photos Tom. I'm always amazed at where people used to drive their VW beetles (and managed to get them out every time). Looks like you got into photography at an early age too.

Sure you don't want to put a small pop up truck camper in the bed of your tundra?

Looks like a great trip Tom...I am somewhat envious...since you mentioned my photos, here is San Borja circa 1990 from a motorcycle trip with my wife when we toured BC...can't beleive there is now a road sign pointing the way...haha..and some (dstretched) pictos from San Javier, these are all film of course...

oh, how did **you** get a sunrise photo??

Very cool! The mission is a great site, thanks!

how old was that mission?

Thanks for the memories! Great trip report and photos. The picto graphs were neat find. My friends and I spent a lot of time in Baja in the 1970's thru the 1990's also. Hey living here in San Diego I was on vacation and didn't even know it and Baja was our other "backyard".! hehe. Baja was like going back in time. I'll add some pics for fun.
This trip was from the 90's








edited by rockhopper on 10/31/2016

HOW MANY are they going to put in?
and Canebrake rd from Mccain is that open to drive on?
Are they going to lock down McCain so we can't go hiking during construction and then after?

Nolan,

Yep, that's an inflatable pillow, love it (Sea to Summit brand). Except when I lift my head on a windy night and it blows out from under me (with a tent, no problem). Ocotillo is a small, rural town. Something tells me they've been pretty conservative for a long time.

anutami wrote:

Nice report and pics. Love the cowboy emblem pic. Nothing like pacifco and topo maps. Is that an inflatable camp pillow at your campsite? How comfortable is that thing? That is the single most reason why I never get a goods nite rest in the backcountry, can't seem to find anything that works. I wonder if the town of ocotillo has gone to the trump side because of all those wind turbines signed off by President Obama.
Happy trails

I'll have to forward this to my friend in the paleo department at the ADBSP head quarters. Looks like a archeological off set marker??

To bad you can't camp in Davies Valley anymore. it was fun while it lasted. 71 to 85.

Cool stuff Tommy. Keep hijacking. Was the petroglyph part of the rock alignment?
edited by ziphius on 2/28/2017

I believe those double survey bench marks might be at a Section or Range, to account for the curvature of the earth. I need to go back and look at my old survey books or others please chime in.

I just noticed the Section 18 on the marker. So it is an alignment marker along a straight line of Section 18. Why two markers so close? 100 feet apart. I last surveyed about 35 years ago. We always set or next marker at the furthest distance possible. Tommy750 may know.

Looks like fun Tommy. Too bad about 'progress'. Were the tadpoles part of a natural or 'improved' watering area?

Nice trip Tom, wish I could have gone with you.

Great point finds too. Was this an out-an-back trip or a counter-clockwise loop going through Mason Valley eventually?

Tommy and Gary,
Great adventure! Nice to see running water. That's a great place to find "cooler " temps when our desert heats up. Did you guys have to go thru a lot of poison oak? I am a magnet for that stuff down near the creeks. The Oriflame / Rodriguez loop is a neat one too. Nice arrow points you guys found! Gary's looks very unusual and old!!!! Material made of ?? Your green point is neat too. Obviously these ancient peoples were using what ever they could find to manufacture arrow/spear points when the ancient Lake Cahuilla covered the best local obsidian source. btw I found a green point near the coast years back. I think they used rhyolite??? or other semi chipping material.
edited by rockhopper on 4/26/2017

What a great trip with the bonus of water. Does anyone know if a hike down Cottonwood Canyon from the PCT/ Sunrise HWY is feasible?

Tommy, your magenta trees are Western Redbud! Very cool.

Did you stay in Oriflame all the way to Cottonwood? I've over nighted near the top of Oriflame but never went into Conttonwood. Really nice pack!

Can you post tracks or a map? In 1980"s I hiked up with the kids. It was really over grown and difficult along the creek. I would like to give it a try in the future but don't want to end up being in a jungle. Almost like starting at the top of the Mason trail and going down. Haha in 2006 I lost a spare tire on my jeep on the Mason trail, the carrier broke loose and the tire went all the way down to the creek. Was a task getting the tire back.

I think the fire was in 2006 or 7. I hiked the area on top of Mason once the brush was taken out by the fire.

Your probably right on the year. The brush was fairly cleared off in 2006

tommy750 wrote:

Bought a signed (yeah, that's how I roll ) copy of Wray's book at the Desert View Tower a few years ago. Just called over there and they say they're sold out and can't get Chris to get them any more. Anyone know how the third edition differs from the prior one??

What I remember was he updated some photos, added more GPS coordinates and I think he added more places/info...but I had that conversation over a year ago with him. When you order direct he will sign the book by name to you if you ask...8-)

Is it considered safe to hike this area?