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Talk about a trip you took out to Anza Borrego

The "New" McCain Valley Messages in this topic - RSS

tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048


3/19/2017
tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048
Decided to head out to McCain Valley yesterday since the desert floor was a little toasty for an overnighter. Was I in for a surprise! I knew Tule Wind was coming but wasn't expecting a tsunami. Sunrise Powerlink was one thing but this project is orders of magnitude more disruptive to the wilderness. 50 ft access road? That's the same as four lanes of I-5. Looks like a number of turbines will be sitting on the road with essentially zero setback. With a west wind, those blades will be slicing overhead every time you pass by.

McCain Valley by tomteske, on Flickr

Trucks by tomteske, on Flickr

Clearing by tomteske, on Flickr

Turbine Foundation by tomteske, on Flickr

50 ft Swath by tomteske, on Flickr

Cottonwood by tomteske, on Flickr

After paying my parking fee at Cottonwood, I headed north. You can still pretty much escape in Northern McCain Valley at least for now.

The view toward the Jacumba Mts

Toward Jacumba by tomteske, on Flickr

Balancing Act

Balance by tomteske, on Flickr

Obligatory lighted tent shot

Campsite by tomteske, on Flickr

Did a little exploring this morning. Nice rock shelter with a small metate sitting on a rock and possibly a prayer stick.

Rockshelter 300M North by tomteske, on Flickr

A nearby broken metate

Broken Metate 40M NE by tomteske, on Flickr

Faded pictograph panel

C-636 Pictos_yrd by tomteske, on Flickr

These almost look like orchids

Desert Orchids by tomteske, on Flickr

Definitely flowing water out there for the first time in years. Lots of tadpoles in this pond

Tadpoles by tomteske, on Flickr

Enjoy. Tom
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surfponto
surfponto
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Posts: 1364


3/20/2017
surfponto
surfponto
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Posts: 1364
Great trip but really sorry to see that project ramping up. :-(
edited by surfponto on 3/20/2017

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rockhopper
rockhopper
Posts: 668


3/20/2017
rockhopper
rockhopper
Posts: 668
Nice trip Tommy. Thanks for posting. Some neat finds there.
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ziphius
ziphius
Posts: 911


3/20/2017
ziphius
ziphius
Posts: 911
Looks like fun Tommy. Too bad about 'progress'. Were the tadpoles part of a natural or 'improved' watering area?

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tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048


3/20/2017
tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048
ziphius wrote:
Looks like fun Tommy. Too bad about 'progress'. Were the tadpoles part of a natural or 'improved' watering area?


The pond appeared to have been created when a small stream's drainage culvert under Canebrake Rd plugged with debris. Still had good flow as did a couple other streams which was really nice to see. Going to be the second plague redux in a few weeks smile
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Bob S
Bob S
Posts: 7


7/12/2017
Bob S
Bob S
Posts: 7
My first time out to McCain Valley was in 1965. Have camped out there many times over the years. Spent Monday night at Cottonwood and more than likely won't be back. RIP McCain Valley.

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dsefcik
dsefcik
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Posts: 2622


7/12/2017
dsefcik
dsefcik
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Posts: 2622
Bob S wrote:
My first time out to McCain Valley was in 1965. Have camped out there many times over the years. Spent Monday night at Cottonwood and more than likely won't be back. RIP McCain Valley.
Amen.....however you can still venture off into some remote areas if backpacking or distance hiking. The sights of evolution are discouraging to say the least.

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tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048


7/12/2017
tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048
Was last out there in May doing an overnight in Canebrake and again couldn't believe the additional destruction since I posted this in March. Agree, really sad to see. Lark Canyon OHV is starting to look pristine in comparison.

Bob S, was Cottonwood campground even around back in 1965? Things must have looked very different! Thanks for posting.


New McCain Valley by tomteske, on Flickr
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Bob S
Bob S
Posts: 7


7/18/2017
Bob S
Bob S
Posts: 7
When I was 14 I went on a day quail hunting trip with my uncle and his friends. I couldn't get out there again until about 1970 when I could drive. We never camped in Cottonwood at the time because there were so many other remote places to camp. I'm sure Cottonwood was there in 65. Sometime we would cruise Cottonwood just to check thing out. The campground was always well maintained (not like today) there use to be these really nice heavy duty redwood picnic tables in all the camp sights. Seldom did we ever see anybody camping in Cottonwood because at that time you could camp anywhere you wanted to as long as were not on private property. There use to be another campground about a mile south of Cottonwood called White Arrow. It wasn't vary popular because there were no shade trees. When 1980 came around out of the blue the BLM closed down just about everything east of McCain Valley Rd. All of are former camp sights are a thing of the past like Davies Valley and Sheephead Mt. Rd.

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Big Sandy Shooter
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dsefcik
dsefcik
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7/18/2017
dsefcik
dsefcik
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Posts: 2622
@Bob S: I really enjoy reading about old memories of how things were....any further stories you care to share about how things "used to be" out in the desert and surrounding areas would be great to hear about....your accounts of names that never made it to the maps or books is valuable to know about..thank you for sharing...

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tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048


7/19/2017
tommy750
tommy750
Posts: 1048
Actually hiked up the access road to White Arrow a couple years ago but had no idea what it was at the time. Only get one hit on the internet for that name in an old BLM document from 1979. Thanks for the info, Bob S.
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