Talk about a trip you took out to Anza Borrego
Still Too Early
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
3/7/2010
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Just returned from a weekend trip into ABDSP and again this weekend there was lots of wind and more rain than last weekend. It is still too early for lots of flowers but it is very green and it rained on us from about 4:00 AM Sunday until we left the desert at about noon. It was a continuous rain, never turned off the windshield wipers all morning.
We went out highway 8 to Ocotillo to begin our trip. We took the old highway 80 west from Ocotillo and worked our way up the wash and into the very southern part of the park in the Dos Cabezas area. Stopped for lunch at one of our old campsites and then continued on north. Found that the road to Piedras Grande is closed and I was surprised to read from the sign that you can no longer camp in that valley, only day use. We then continued up to the water tank and took some pics. Then down Mortero Wash to S-2.
Headed north on S-2 and went up into Indian Valley. Went about 2/3 of the way up each side of the valley. Visited a old smoke tree that we camped by many many times when my daugters were young, I guessed 20 times but my wife thought it was more than that. The tree is now dead and on the ground for the past 5 years or so. It was a little sad. As we left Indian Valley and were almost back to the highway I saw 2 men standing at the junction of the dirt road and highway. Then a Border Patrol truck pulled up, nabbed one guy and the other fled into the desert. He did not appear to have any water or supplies. The BP chased after him and if he wasn't caught he had a miserable night of wind and rain.
We headed into the east side of Carrizo Creek and camped in the area wher Arroyo Seco Del Diablo meets Carrizo Creek. It was quite windy and started to rain just at sunset. We camped on a little side wash where have camped a few times before that is protected a little from the west winds. The rain wasn't much and it stopped shortly after it began. We had a nice fire and the wind died down before we went to bed. We saw some lightning to the east with huge thunder heads.
I was awaken by the sound of rain on the tent at 4:00 AM and it never stopped. Breaking camp in the rain is no fun! We were planning on going back to Indian Hill and taking a hike but with the rain we changed plans. I see now that I am home that rained 0.66 inches in the Fish Creek Mountains. Nice!
Instead we headed north and just toured through the park. I couldn't believe the number of RV's and toy haulers heading west on 78. I think we were still too early for flowers but the week ahead should be sunny and warm so maybe next weekend the real show will start.
We did find a few flowers this weekend and I attached a few pics.
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