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tekewin Posts: 365
3/29/2024
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I retired on 12/13/23 and had grand plans. Middle Ysidro was early on the list. Unfortunately, on 1/1/24 I rolled my right ankle while running breaking the fibula just below the ankle joint. On vacation in Hawaii. Aloha! First broken bone in my life. Wore a boot for a month, lost half my right calf muscle, and did physical therapy for two more months. I had done a couple of small hikes in February, but this was going to be a real test.
My friend Sean and I started out from S2 just past the Anza-Borrego sign. We made our way past the Bonnie and Clyde benchmarks, then spent a couple miles side-hilling around White BM. As a bonus, I wanted to check out some granite formations that caught my attention on a previous trip. There were four towers (30'-70') on a shelf above the drainage that leads to Hob BM. I called these Hobs Knobs #1-#4. They are nearly in a direct line between The Thimble and Goat BM. Number 4 was the closest and I found an easy ledge to the top. Next, I checked out Number 1 to the east. I saw a good class 3 line using ledges and slabs. I saved the others for a future trip. We crossed the drainage and started up the ridge toward Hob. It would have been easier if we had followed the major gully east of Hob since it had less brush. After reaching the ridge line, we got a look at Middle Ysidro across a brushy saddle.
Knob #1
Me on Knob #1, hard to see
Half way up the ridge
At the base of Middle Ysidro
Sean led the route up some boulders to avoid the worst vegetation. The highest point was northeast of the false summit. The high point was a boulder requiring a single class 3 mantle. There were no marks and no register. Views from the middle of the range were striking. It took us six hours to reach Middle Ysidro. I had planned an eight hour round trip, so water and food were going to be a problem. On the way back, Sean collected some emergency water from a small snow patch and from a puddle on top of a boulder. We descended the gully and made better time. Instead of going back through Hobs Knobs, we followed the drainage, trading extra steps for an easier grade. We took frequent breaks in the shade on the way back. I rationed both food and water. Sean treated the murky water he collected with purification pills and drank up. I drank some of the snow melt, but was not keen on the boulder water. Sean's route finding was key in certain places and I don't think I would have completed this hike without his help. When we reached the truck, I guzzled the water I had, but was very dehydrated. We stopped at the Pala mini-mart on the way back and I loaded up on ice cold drinks. After downing a Gatorade, I was right as rain. I underestimated the effort required for Middle Ysidro. My ankle was sore, but with minimal swelling and no lingering pain. The ankle appears to be back in working order. Hope I can get to the desert a couple more times before it gets too hot.
Sean on the summit block
Amazing Ysidro ridge
Rest stop on the way back
Nursing the last bottle of water
11 miles, 4211' gain, 11 hours
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Britain Posts: 596
3/29/2024
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Nice! Looks like your back on the trails!
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Cant drive 55
Britain
http://icorva.com
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+1
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Brian Posts: 221
3/29/2024
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Nice trip report. I made a half hearted attempt at the western summit last spring but ended up not wanting to deal with the amount of brush on the final approach to the ridge.
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+1
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tekewin Posts: 365
23 days ago
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Britain wrote:
Nice! Looks like your back on the trails!
Yes, great to be moving again.
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tekewin Posts: 365
23 days ago
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Brian wrote:
Nice trip report. I made a half hearted attempt at the western summit last spring but ended up not wanting to deal with the amount of brush on the final approach to the ridge.
I get it. There can be a lot of brush depending on the route you take. Ysidro and the Thimble used to be short-ish hikes from Cherry Canyon. However, with that parking area gone, it's a more serious hike from S2.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1362
22 days ago
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Looks like a beautiful area .
Thanks for sharing
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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+1
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tommy750 Posts: 1040
17 days ago
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I've never even heard of Middle Ysidro but looks like a great day hike. Glad you were able to recover from your ankle injury and keep going.
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tekewin Posts: 365
17 days ago
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tommy750 wrote:
I've never even heard of Middle Ysidro but looks like a great day hike. Glad you were able to recover from your ankle injury and keep going.
Haha, yeah, it's an unofficial peak with a topo mark in the middle of the range. There were no official marks on the summit. I wanted to hike there because I like the peaks on both ends of the range and it felt incomplete.
I am glad to be able to do longer hikes again and not have it be the limiting factor.
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deborah Posts: 115
12 days ago
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That injury sounds like it was rough - good to hear you are back at it! And nice job reaching the peak. It's a good feeling when you get a "project" completed.
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+1
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tekewin Posts: 365
12 days ago
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deborah wrote:
That injury sounds like it was rough - good to hear you are back at it! And nice job reaching the peak. It's a good feeling when you get a "project" completed.
Deborah, thanks for the kind words. The break could have been much worse. At least I didn't need surgery. The only thing I can't do on it now is sustained jogging, but it doesn't hamper my hiking plans. I missed the meaty part of desert season, but the mountains aren't going anywhere.
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