ziphius

all messages by user

2/11/2014
Topic:
Subject: Presidents Weekend

ziphius
ziphius
Veke wrote:
Thank you so very much. I'm overwhelmed with information. Over the years I've been able to establish relationships with a few DV wonderers and have been blessed with those relationships. My basic question is are any of the diehards on this forum open to meeting new families and creating new friendships? I'm into photography and enjoy hiking especially now that my boys get it. Just asking if there are any interested.



Welcome to the forum Veke. I was just about to recommend any of Nolan's trips over any guidebooks you could possibly purchase when I saw that he had beat me to it! Another good strategy is to stop by the AB visitor center in Borrego Springs and talk to some of the volunteers or rangers there. They are a great source for recommending trips, especially those involving kids. Several of the forum members have met up and camped / hiked or just plain run into each other by accident out in AB. I'm still looking forward to meeting some of the folks here. It's one of the friendliest forums around and a great source of information on the region. - Jim
2/13/2014
Topic:
Cactus, Big Horn Sheep and the Goat Canyon Trestle

ziphius
ziphius
Great photos. Sheep look robust and healthy!
2/17/2014
Topic:
Happy Presidents Day Weekend!!!

ziphius
ziphius
Love the pink and blue! Nice camp visitor!
2/18/2014
Topic:
What are you reading?

ziphius
ziphius
Looks like a good book. I did an introductory 2-hr tracking session with a couple of folks from the tracking team, nice folks. They really make an art out of tracking. Made me pay much more attention to subtle cues and get into the habit of photographing 'poor' tracks - more challenging. Humbling too, I identified a domestic dog track as a bobcat during the class. Fun to go through their old newsletters, each of which contains an 'identify that track' quiz at the end. http://www.sdtt.org/General/Clear_print.aspx
edited by ziphius on 2/18/2014
2/18/2014
Topic:
Blair Valley and Mud Caves with the Kids

ziphius
ziphius
Awesome "stone-pointy-thing" that collectors can't do a google search on ..... Glad future generations will also have a chance to find it and leave it in place too! Love the ants. Rattlers are apparently active a little early this year too, warm and dry winter, heh? Congrats on finding a seashell out there... a rare find. Wish I was a kid again. smile
edited by ziphius on 2/18/2014
2/19/2014
Topic:
Happy Presidents Day Weekend!!!

ziphius
ziphius
Kit foxes don't have to worry about high cholesterol levels. smile
2/19/2014
Topic:
Salton Sea Exploration

ziphius
ziphius
Wrangler, that's a pretty epic trip report. Read the whole thing. I wish I had that 1st station wagon pictured at Salvation Mtn. I'd seen Into The Wild and completely forgot about the Salvation Mtn. scene. Checked out the clip from the movie and then that led me down a youtube wormhole to a video about Slab City called "Living Without Laws". Lots of smokes, beers, missing teeth, propane, freedom, and rattlesnake handling. Thanks again for the Salton Sea tour.
2/24/2014
Topic:
Show us your Cholla bomb photos

ziphius
ziphius
I'm still getting cholla-bombed this morning, unpacking my pack! Yesterday, I stepped on an ocotillo branch that unknowningly, was acting as a lever for a ball of cholla (about 15 segments) that got launched into my right leg. And I keep insist on wearing shorts on most trips, because I'd rather deal with the occasional cholla than wear long pants! Still pulling spines out of my knee this morning too.
2/24/2014
Topic:
Sandstone Canyon Discovered

ziphius
ziphius
very scenic! The business card belongs in the Smithsonian!
2/25/2014
Topic:
Chuckwalla Mountains, The Bradshaw Trail

ziphius
ziphius
Boy, I would have never thought a kit fox would come right up and take a shoe, especially a Merrell (I've got the same shoe!). Looks like a great area to explore, thanks for posting. smile
2/25/2014
Topic:
Show us your Cholla bomb photos

ziphius
ziphius
Hey, don't feel bad if you've been cholla-bombed. It happens to the best:



[from a postcard sold at the ABDSP Visitor Center] smile smile smile
edited by ziphius on 2/25/2014
2/27/2014
Topic:
Show us your Cholla bomb photos

ziphius
ziphius
I'm bumping this topic back up because this is so funny. smile Jim (ziphius) wrote:
Hey, don't feel bad if you've been cholla-bombed. It happens to the best:



[from a postcard sold at the ABDSP Visitor Center] smile smile smile
edited by ziphius on 2/25/2014
2/27/2014
Topic:
Jamul Kiln Ruins

ziphius
ziphius
Maybe this link? http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/email.html A 'Kari Lewis' is listed as Lands Program Manager.
2/27/2014
Topic:
Ocotillo Blooms in Feb?

ziphius
ziphius
Ocotillo were blooming at 2200 ft. elevation at [an undisclosed location] this past weekend. smile
edited by ziphius on 3/2/2014
2/28/2014
Topic:
Ella Wash and Coyote mtn hike

ziphius
ziphius
Those are really good photos Florian, thanks for the report. What camera are you using? Quite the mylar haul too and one of the better sheep scat photos we've seen here. I'm wondering if the photo labeled 'Coyote Mtn trail' represents an old native trail that has seen continued use in modern days. Thumbs Up I like that controlled burn / sunset photo a lot. - Jim
edited by ziphius on 2/28/2014
2/28/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
Alex and I spent one night in the desert last weekend. Some of you will recognize the area, but I'm declining to name it because I don't want it to become popular. The area has come on the radar of group hikes now. Quiet No need to share it with entire internet anymore. [do we have a ‘grouch’ emoticon on this forum?!] I played around with my new camera (Sony NEX6) and we enjoyed a scramble up the west rim of the valley. Saw an owl in broad daylight, getting harassed by some Phainopepla birds, too distant for a photo, could only narrow it down to a probable Great Horned Owl (the other option is Long-Eared owl).


Clouds racing and sun rising before breakfast on Sunday (1st attempt at desert time lapse)


View towards a peak I climbed once before:





Another peek at the peak from a cool cavern:





First attempt at night-sky photography (I need to use the self-timer next time so the long exposure isn't blurred by my initial pressing of the shutter):





Nice day in the neighborhood:





Interesting piece of pottery I found on a walk back to camp. Has a hole drilled into it near the rim and grooves carved into the rim edge:








Above the valley, looking east towards ???? Canyon:



edited by ziphius on 2/28/2014
2/28/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
hikerdmb wrote:
Good first effort on the night pic. Did you wave a flashlight to light up the ocotillo? Very interesting pottery piece too.


Yep, I used my headlamp on the octotillo. Next time, I'm going to try the red light setting on the lamp. Florian, remember the days when folks protected their favorite fishing spots with utmost secrecy? smile
3/1/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
dsefcik wrote:
That pottery is a companion piece to the one we discussed via email. Always love an Orion shot, nice work, doesn't the Nex have some kind of remote shutter mechanism? Anyway, one my favorite areas for sure, thanks for posting.


Daren, interesting that I found the other piece. They are a few hundred yards apart.


You can get a remote for this camera, just like this one: Amazon remote. The NEX6 also has 2-sec and 10-sec shutter delays, which I should have remembered while messing around with the night photos. A good excuse to go back out there! It's macro capabilities are great too. Here's a pic of baby spiders I took the 1st week I owned it. The spiders are about 1/2 the size of a sesame seed and the photo was heavily cropped.


edited by ziphius on 3/1/2014
3/1/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
Tom, you give me too much credit photography-wise. I had to look up "shutter bounce" to find out what it means. smile Thanks for the advice, I like the size of this camera too! It was recommended to me by a coworker who has used it to photograph whales and penguins from a unmanned aerial system (a glorified toy hexacopter). The NEX6 was light enough to get the job done: Unmanned Aerial System Page

I would guess that these systems could be used to conduct bighorn surveys in remote areas, to replace the light aircraft filled with biologists. I've heard the bighorn aerial survey census is defunct because of safety reasons. See, I'm bringing this thread back to an Anza Borrego theme... smile

tommy750 wrote:
Nice trip and pics, Jim. With your night shots and the Sony, at least you don't have to worry about the mirror up vibration problem! Have you tried covering the lens with your hat etc right when you push the shutter to avoid shutter bounce? Liking the size of your camera as well. Full size DSLRs are like carrying a lead brick around with you. Thanks. Tom

edited by ziphius on 3/1/2014
3/1/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
dsefcik wrote:
tommy750 wrote:
Have you tried covering the lens with your hat etc
I tried that once, to try and get star trails with a fireball point....only problem was I started drinking and talking with the other guys and totally forgot to remove the hat so in the morning I had a 16 hour exposure of my hat Toast


I knew there were multiple reasons why you are one of the more-respected photographers here. smile
edited by ziphius on 3/1/2014
3/13/2014
Topic:
Peace and quiet, stars and pottery

ziphius
ziphius
rockhopper wrote:
Re: Pottery
I found this: " Southern Diegueno ceramics were sometimes decorated by incising and painting, with incising being the older of the two techniques."

From: Background to prehistory of the Yuha desert region.


Thanks for the detective work rockhopper. First incised piece I've ever found out there. Sometimes pottery that *is* painted doesn't appear to be so due to weathering or lack of moisture. The author Craig Childs describes a pretty amazing encounter with an Anasazi pot years ago. He found it during a dry season and declared it to be unpainted. Years later, he revisited the site with a partner in winter. They found the same pot, except this time, it was painted. Sitting in the snow that had blown into the crevice where the pot was hidden, the pot had drank up the snow's moisture, revealing the design. Plenty of pots in museums in climate-controlled conditions might look unpainted. smile
3/13/2014
Topic:
Last Days in the Desert movie

ziphius
ziphius
Sounds like the crew had to deal with a lot of sand in their makeup kits. smile Hard times.
3/23/2014
Topic:
Santa Rosa traverse (Toro-Dawns-Rabbit-Villager)

ziphius
ziphius
Epic trip, thanks for posting those photos! It sounds like you were expecting the gate to Toro to be closed.... how much longer would your trip have been if the gate were closed?
edited by ziphius on 3/24/2014
3/23/2014
Topic:
Some benchmarks and Truckhaven Trail, March 2014

ziphius
ziphius
Great trip Florian, nice pics. I still haven't been to the Truckhaven Trail area.
3/25/2014
Topic:
2014 SoCal Desert Rendezvous

ziphius
ziphius
Looks like a great time Wrangler. Can't beat kites, cleanups, the desert and good food. smile
3/31/2014
Topic:
Mojave Desert

ziphius
ziphius
Good to see you out and about Daren. Congratulations on your 1st desert tortoise. I hear that March is prime time for finding them. That triangular petroglyph was no doubt etched by space aliens. Very cool Toast
3/31/2014
Topic:
Fish Creek Mountains

ziphius
ziphius
Tom, I've never been to that part of the park. It looks like a great area to explore. Love the artifacts, especially the.... ahem.... teflon-coated miner's pan that Daren pointed out. What is the distant mountain range shown in your 2nd photo? Superstition Mtns?
4/1/2014
Topic:
Another Journey Up Fish Creek with a Backpack trip

ziphius
ziphius
Great trip and photos Nolan! Lucky kids (and grownups). Great use of the mylar. smile - Jim
edited by ziphius on 4/2/2014
4/6/2014
Topic:
Jacumba Mtn from Tule Mtn

ziphius
ziphius
That is some of the toughest terrain you could ever choose for a hike that is essentially 4 miles (for a bird) from Thule to Jacumba. Just looking at the topo map for the area makes me cringe. smile But I want to do it too! Would love to see photos if you have any. Congrats. - Jim
4/11/2014
Topic:
The Impossible Railroad

ziphius
ziphius
I see this thread was created as an excuse for Daren to post yet another scat photograph. smile For those of us who might be thinking about descending into the Gorge, where is a good parking spot? DeAnza resort? Those plastic shin guards make good snake gaiters, heh?
4/15/2014
Topic:
Southern AB, April 2014

ziphius
ziphius
Dust experiment! I learn something new here all the time. smile Nice trip and jet Florian.
4/21/2014
Topic:
Blair Valley Meditation Retreat 4/11 - 4/20

ziphius
ziphius
Welcome to the forum. Sounds like a nice retreat and a good length of time to spend out there. Thanks for packing out your (and others) trash!
4/28/2014
Topic:
Cactus spring trail to Martinez Canyon Rock House

ziphius
ziphius
Awesome TR rockhopper. What is the inside of Jack's cabin like today? Is it used by animals? Nice stonework on that cabin, just great. Is that a set of deer antlers sitting on the ledge of the right window? PS - Hey, what was your menu?
edited by ziphius on 4/29/2014
5/5/2014
Topic:
Sombrero Overnight Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
First overnight backpack since college, heh? See what hanging out w / Daren will do to you?! smile Great photos, love the night sky. If you keep at the backpacking, you will get to places that no 4wd would ever get you near. smile
5/18/2014
Topic:
Short overnight in northern AB

ziphius
ziphius
I like the 'ocotillo's perspective of an ocotillo' photo!
5/22/2014
Topic:
The Border and Pinto Wash

ziphius
ziphius
Enjoyed the photos Tom. I didn't realize the border 'fence' looked like that out there. Somebody obviously crossed the border though...
5/22/2014
Topic:
A few nice blooms still out there

ziphius
ziphius
Nice snake, really sharp pics. Which camera? That's a massive amount of honeycombs.
5/28/2014
Topic:
Memorial Day Hikes

ziphius
ziphius
Love the boulder lichen. Don't think I've ever seen a lichen-covered boulder in AB before. Great ant video too. How much water did you consume? Do your salt tablets also contain potassium?
6/3/2014
Topic:
First Trip Report with my new rig

ziphius
ziphius
Great trip Nolan. Glad to see you & the family reunited with a camper. smile
6/5/2014
Topic:
Free California Wilderness Wall Map

ziphius
ziphius
I love maps! Free ones are even better. smile
6/18/2014
Topic:
Borrego Palm Canyon "Fannypack" Trip

ziphius
ziphius
That scat looks "ready to eat"! Love the aquatic insect photos. Glad you got out. Your post reminded me that I wanted to alert you to a couple of Radiolab stories that just aired, involving ancient pottery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dvQDNgYmKU

http://www.radiolab.org/story/seed-jar/
6/18/2014
Topic:
Borrego Palm Canyon "Fannypack" Trip

ziphius
ziphius
Well, I want to call your really warty toad a Red-spotted toad, Bufo punctatus, but it looks so unlike every other toad that's supposedly in our area.... best guess. I think the frog is a Pacific tree frog. Your giant water beetle is a member of the Family Belostomidae. I posted a short video of one from Big Spring awhile back. They have a really painful bite and the are fierce hunters of baby turtles, fish, frogs, whatever they can get. Apparently, they have to surface for air ... they also fly at night and can be attracted to lights like other insects. Also a popular food in Thailand (all this from wikipedia, not in my head). 99% sure your damselfly is a Vivid Dancer (from my copy of Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West, which weighs 2.5 lbs and is never carried on backpack trips!).... photographed one at Pena Spring last year. The things with the spikes on their heads are bighorn sheep. smile

The SD Nat. Hist. Museum checklists of the animals and plants of the county are always a good starting point:

http://www.sdnhm.org/science/field-guide/
edited by ziphius on 6/18/2014
6/25/2014
Topic:
Hikes to Local native American campsites

ziphius
ziphius
Nice raccoon tracks! Interesting history. I'm a fan of getting on hands and knees and tunneling through brush too. smile Hey, the desert above Borrego Springs near Ranchita has only been in the high 80s this week! Thinking about going to do an overnight somewhere above Big Spring soon. Short hike, plus water! Good luck in the Santa Rosas!
6/26/2014
Topic:
Poking around near Jacumba

ziphius
ziphius
Cool. Daren, have you systematically looked up the pictograph sites you find to see if any are 'new' in terms of documentation? You sure have a knack for finding 'em.
7/7/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
Looks like your site had the high count for all sites. smile Animals look a lot better this year, heh? In your 3rd photo, is the animal farthest to the right a yearling? Is there just one lamb in the middle of the bunch?
7/7/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
Thanks for the close-up of the spring Daren. I've always been curious to know if it was a seep or a puddle, depending on the conditions. Any idea on the depth? Dimensions? Impressive, considering the lame rain year we have had. Maybe some of last summer's monsoon moisture helped things along.
edited by ziphius on 7/7/2014
7/7/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
I love it when folks report waterholes in gallon units! smile Cool.
dsefcik wrote:
Jim (ziphius) wrote:
Thanks for the close-up of the spring Daren. I've always been curious to know if it was a seep or a puddle, depending on the conditions. Any idea on the depth? Dimensions? Impressive, considering the lame rain year we have had. Maybe some of last summer's monsoon moisture helped things along.
edited by ziphius on 7/7/2014
The surrounding dirt area *was* the bottom which was fed by a trickle on the back wall. That seemed to have dried up last year and was instead bubbling up from the bottom right corner, we dug it out to what you see now and it has thrived for the last year. Approx 25 gallons in it.
7/7/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
I'd use the same units. Just excited that someone made a point to make a decent estimate. Much more satisfying than a typical observation of "I dunno, it was a puddle." I get a little excited about desert water sources. smile

dsefcik wrote:
Jim (ziphius) wrote:
I love it when folks report waterholes in gallon units! smile Cool.
That's how the biologists folks reported it....what would you use?

edited by ziphius on 7/7/2014
7/8/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
1 cubic foot ~ 7.5 gallons. A 4-inch wide mortero filled with water, if it was a perfect sphere, should hold about 0.27 liters of water, if I did my math right. Whenever I see multiple morteros filled to the brim after a rain, I smile. smile
7/9/2014
Topic:
Bighorn Sheep Count 2014

ziphius
ziphius
You guys see any other animal tracks around Rattlesnake Spring? Big kitties?
7/28/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Gorge

ziphius
ziphius
Something very artistic and sad about the struggling calf footprints. Good presence of mind to take that photo. I dunno Tommy, your photos are always razor sharp - are you using some secret filters?

The historic Bromo sign on the boulder has a California historic site number listed (CA-SDI-9159) in an environmental assessment for some project near Jacumba:

https://nemo.cbp.gov/sbi/san_diego/jacumba_area_ea_sec3.pdf

There is also a geocache hidden near it: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3DXY0_bromo-seltzer

Then again, there are geocaches every 10 feet nowadays.

Nice trip guys, thanks for posting. - Jim
8/4/2014
Topic:
Mud Caves via Vallecito Creek in Summer

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip Nolan. Never been to the caves. You guys turned an A/C failure into a swimfest vacation. smile
8/27/2014
Topic:
Racetrack Mystery Solved

ziphius
ziphius
Man, I'm glad that was finally solved! smile
9/9/2014
Topic:
September Rain?

ziphius
ziphius
The following link lists 5 desert sites with 3 day rain totals, along with hourly totals for more recent periods:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/data/hydro/LAXRRMSAN
9/28/2014
Topic:
Olancha, Sirretta Peaks and Monache Meadows Sierra

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip Daren, good to see you out and about. Another view of Olancha from the PCT south of Horseshoe Meadow in June. Did a 5-night trip near Cottonwood Lakes and Old Army Pass in June.

edited by ziphius on 9/28/2014
10/20/2014
Topic:
Return to Ghost Mountain

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip Nolan! Do you have a bank of batteries being recharged, or are you running everything off a single deep-cycle battery?
10/26/2014
Topic:
Yuha and Mt Springs Exit

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip report Tom. Yup, that one sheep looks ridiculous. smile
10/26/2014
Topic:
Driving The Mojave Road

ziphius
ziphius
Interesting that there are so many petroglyphs on such small rocks, have only seen photos of larger panels before. Looks like they made a mini Burning Man piece of art out of Daren's truck, heh? Great photos guys.
10/26/2014
Topic:
Borrego History Authors Day

ziphius
ziphius
Welcome to the forum ABDNHA! smile Thanks for posting!
11/4/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
My first desert trip of the season coincided with the Halloween weekend rains. Arrived on Halloween morning and had camp set up by 1 pm. Saw the clouds rushing over the ridges to my NW. The specific location doesn't matter, though some will recognize the features.



I knew the cold front was coming and made every effort to find a camp that might be sheltered, but protection was limited. The tent was battered by 25-30 kt winds that night. I was smacked in the head by the side of the tent numerous times, but stayed dry and warm otherwise.



Found my tent poles had been bent when I broke down camp two days later. This pole was straight at the start of the trip.



The weather made for some nice views.
[




I had planned the trip on the assumption I would have access to spring water, wasn't disappointed, even with the dry year we have had.



Found a very large scat near the springs, probably a big cat.



But the best scat (this one is for you Daren) came from high up on a ridge, in a small alcove, probably occupied by an owl or other raptor. A perfect little pellet, encasing what looks like a lizard leg.



I ate very well and my 'new' alcohol stove (made from a 69 cent Fancy Feast cat food can) performed great. Homemade wind screen made from aluminum roof flashing. The cook pot handle nests in the notch and the pot sits directly on top of the stove. Directions for the stove can be found at Andrew Skurka's website: http://andrewskurka.com/2011/how-to-make-a-fancy-feast-alcohol-stove/



When I returned to my car 2 days later, someone had hung these keys on my door handle. Unfortunately, they were someone else's keys.

edited by ziphius on 11/6/2014
11/4/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
I was looking for a little hardship smile and the weather delivered. Hiked a lot of ridges and canyons, found many tracks,



but no sheep sightings. I did the usual things, looked for pottery, sheep, tracks, points, wondered how much warmer it would have been down in the valley, looked for water pockets in bedrock (none found), rummaged through my food bag, trying to find dehydrated strawberries, which always managed to find their way to the bottom. Oh, got bit by a huge ant while setting up camp, left quite the throbbing welt. That was a first-time experience for me. Saw a very small and rapid snake that I couldn't identfiy. Watched ravens, wishing I could speak with them to ask about hidden sources of water. I messed around with my time-lapse app too: Clouds over the ridge
edited by ziphius on 11/4/2014
11/6/2014
Topic:
Indian Valley / In-Koh-Pah Mountains Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
Good-looking fox. How far south into the In-Koh-Pah range did you guys go? I look at the topo lines of that area and get inspired to really get back into the nooks and crannies of the region. Future trip for sure. Looks like some of your scats might have some reptile parts in there, heh? Were those pictos a new find for you?
edited by ziphius on 11/6/2014
11/7/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
People have used their cat food can stoves for hundreds of meals. Totally reusable and no moving parts to clog or disposable canisters. They *are* sensitive to wind, so you need a windscreen. Some ultralight hikers use aluminum foil as a windscreen. Mine is more heavy-duty and I haven't weighed it, but it coils up inside of my cook set. The stove itself weighs 1/3 of an ounce. During one dinner, at the height of the wind gusts, I used my sleeping pad as a corral for extra wind protection, but didn't need it during 'normal' wind. I didn't have boulders large enough to hide behind near my camp. Many stoves will boil 2 cups of water faster, but hey, I can pore over my maps, tinker with gear, etc. while it's going. Takes one ounce of fuel and 5-6 minutes to boil 2 cups, which is all I need to rehydrate meals and make tea. Easy planning for fuel consumption.... X meals x 1 ounce per meal + a little reserve fuel. Over longer trips (10 days +) the 'weight per day' efficiency of an alcohol stove apparently surpasses canister stoves ('cuz you gotta carry multiple canisters and pack 'em out). Another consideration is that you could run this stove on grain alcohol ....Everclear ... some have tried Bacardi 151.... if you're the type to carry hard liquor into the backcountry, ahem. smile Duel-use fuel! But if I had to melt a lot of snow for drinking or cook for larger groups, I'd be reaching for a pressurized canister type stove.

dsefcik wrote:
I really liked my Trangia alcohol stove and used it for 5+ years but handed it down to my son recently and bought a
Snow Peak stove and cup setup to combat my back problems and move to lower weight items in my pack.
The snow peak stove/cup/110 gram fuel cartridge weighs 13oz total and can last me 4-5 days of boiling water for
coffee and dinner. My trangia with fuel bottle couldn't come close to that, and my new setup is way smaller.

Here is the Trangia



Your cat food can stove reminded me of another friend of mine who did the same thing on a trip to the Sierras(not Gary),
it worked but seemed to use a lot of fuel and needed a lot of wind block.

How does yours work? Do you make a new one for each trip or the same one?

The alcohol stoves are quiet, cheap, pretty much bomb proof and can use almost anything flammable,
they are great heating devices but I have to admit my new fuel canister based setup is pretty nice, only the refuse
guilt factor gets in the way...upset
11/7/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
"JetBrick" smile Hijacked threads are the best, especially when they turn to geeky subjects. Of course, shedding ounces from shelters, sleeping bags first is the most efficient. I still lug around an almost 4 lb. tent.
11/7/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
tommy750 wrote:
dsefcik wrote:
"...just weighed one of my old 4oz bottles of denatured alcohol full and it weighed...4oz"..


Just, wow.



So, the bottle itself weighs zero ounces! smile
11/8/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
Reminds me of my argument for freezing some of my water bottles prior to hitting the trail...... solid water is 'lighter' than liquid water. smile
11/9/2014
Topic:
Geoglyph Hunting With Harry Casey

ziphius
ziphius
Quite the piece of worked stone...immense. I bet GE is allowing all kinds of researchers to systematically search areas and find new geoglyph (or long-forgotten) sites.
11/9/2014
Topic:
Halloween weekend trip

ziphius
ziphius
Rockhopper, you're right on pic #4, view to Santa Rosa range. Pic 1 is a view of 'The Thimble'.

rockhopper wrote:
I love the desert after the rains. Great for the animal tracks! The keys on the door handle must have been a surprise! Hope it worked out ok for those folks that lost em'!
Also, On pic no.4, I am looking at Coyote Mtn with Villager and Rabbit beyond right?
On Pic. #1 please tell us where that photo is taken. Near Montezuma Grade?
edited by rockhopper on 11/8/2014
edited by rockhopper on 11/8/2014
11/9/2014
Topic:
Best Mylar Ballon Trip

ziphius
ziphius
Five mylar day yesterday on a trip to the Jacumba VABM / Table Mtn. area. This was an artistic bundle of three. Also 9 beer cans.


edited by ziphius on 11/9/2014
edited by ziphius on 11/9/2014
11/10/2014
Topic:
Geoglyph Hunting With Harry Casey

ziphius
ziphius
Wow, didn't realize that some of them are dated to ~ 2,700 years.
11/14/2014
Topic:
Rockhouse Canyon in Carrizo Gorge Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip and tarantula Daren. Any surface moisture at the spring? Animal tracks? I count about 40-plus palms in the immediate area from aerial photos, must be significant water below the surface. Wonder if the ranchers utilized mules to help drag the pipes uphill.

Looks like there is a potentially nice flat and sandy camp area above the spring at about 3200 ft. I like that photo looking out of the shack window.
11/16/2014
Topic:
Palm Canyon Oasis Rams

ziphius
ziphius
Great photos! It's always a rush to see sheep, no matter how close you happen to get. Welcome to the forum. - Jim
11/17/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Gorge Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
You didn't need your red plastic storm trooper outfit for this trip, heh? I remember that old post from when you and your buddy went down through the catclaw, etc. into the Gorge, wearing those homemade 'body gaiters'. Nice trip and bighorn skull. - Jim
11/17/2014
Topic:
Whale Peak via the Pictograph Trail

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip report Brad. Welcome to the forum. - Jim
11/19/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Gorge Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
I remember driving past Carrizo Creek towards Jacumba a year or two ago and seeing all the shattered tamarisk in the valley bottom, wondering if some massive summer flash flood had wiped out the trees. Found out later about the removal program. I want giant water bladders delivered to me in the backcountry! The skull... maybe a possum? Looks pretty flat on the top, teeth are widely-spaced.
edited by ziphius on 11/19/2014
11/19/2014
Topic:
What are you reading?

ziphius
ziphius
A quote from Anza Borrego A to Z, in the Glorietta Canyon description:

"The name Glorietta Canyon first appeared on an ABDSP map in 1982. It was an unnamed canyon at the foot of Pinyon Ridge until the Fall of 1978. Frnata Smreck and Ranger Paul Schuessler named the canyon. Smreck and his wife, Verna, had been camping that season in their Airstream trailer in the canyon that flows down to the east toward Yaqui Meadows from the top of the Wilson Trail. Smreck recalled that Schuessler had asked him, "What would you like to call this place?". The Smrecks continued to camp seasonally in the canyon until 1983, when the canyon became an official destination when it appeared on the park map and visitors disturbed their privacy." [ My take-home lesson: seek out unnamed places. smile ]
11/22/2014
Topic:
Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP)

ziphius
ziphius
Thanks for the heads-up. Existing rooftops. Yes.
11/22/2014
Topic:
2014 OAUSA BorregoFest | Carrizo Mountain Run

ziphius
ziphius
Epic tour. smile
11/25/2014
Topic:
Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon Trestle & Indian Hill

ziphius
ziphius
That's a tough little hike up Mortero Palms to the Goat Canyon area. Looks like someone laid a string of large rocks across the grating parallel to the tracks, perhaps to dissuade mountain bikes? Notice any water around the palms?
11/26/2014
Topic:
RockhouseValley (north) backpacking TRIP

ziphius
ziphius
Great trip and 'small world'. Still haven't been to that area. Enough water at Hidden Spring to yield a few liters for backpacking? Any other water / springs found? - Jim
11/30/2014
Topic:
Rockhouse Canyon / Buck Ridge / Jackass Flat 4 Day

ziphius
ziphius
Great trip Daren! You have a knack for finding dead stuff. smile What were the exposure times on the Milky Way shots? We also saw a lot of meteors this week, on Thursday night, from the Borrego Palm Canyon area. Nice mylar haul.
edited by ziphius on 11/30/2014
12/1/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Palms via East Fork Carrizo Gorge

ziphius
ziphius
Bob, It looks like you had all the elements of a great desert trip: sheep sighting, mylar, cholla bomb, spring water, and a Daren sighting! I haven't been out that way, gotta hoof it overland or make friends with a 4x4 owner. smile Nice trip. - Jim
12/3/2014
Topic:
grand staircase escalante

ziphius
ziphius
Love the homework photo! Nice trip. Great area, I recommend the Death Hollow hike along the Boulder Mail Trail to Escalante, one-way, 16 miles. You show up at Escalante Outfitters for breakfast the day after you return and you talk a breakfast patron into giving you a ride back to your car. smile
12/3/2014
Topic:
Random photos from Borrego Springs and Culp Valley

ziphius
ziphius
Did a combo car camp and Thanksgiving dinner in Borrego Springs. Thanksgiving Day walk around Galleta Meadows was relaxing before dinner.



On Friday, a few of us did a one-way hike up Hellhole Canyon from the bottom and exited a steep ridge just below Culp Valley and Pena Spring. My ex and daughter picked us up there. Maidenhair Falls was no more than a trickle, but enough to collect a few liters if you were patient.




I managed to tear a good $3 thrift store shirt on various evil plant life. Alex is astounded that I choose to punch right through brush rather than deftly picking my way around it. No time to waste when the days are short!




Nice day in Hellhole, photo by Alex:



The next day, we kicked around south of Culp Valley, in the vicinity of the Parioli homesite. We never got as far as the homesite, but spent most of our time hanging around the multiple springs in the area. I was surprised at how much water was present. I guess the summer monsoons recharged the springs this summer. Or, is it water that comes from deeper tectonic fissures, what they call 'fossil water'? Lots of dragonflies, butterflies, and we even heard a frog between Rusty and Chimney springs.



Cottonwoods near Lews Spring:


Painted Lady:


Cupules or morteros near Don Spring:


One fresh mylar balloon was retrieved near the springs, which was used to wrap up about 4-5 aluminum cans. I have an odd habit of picking up all the aluminum cans I see, even though I have a good job. My next backpack will be paid for out of the recycling fund. smile
edited by ziphius on 12/3/2014
12/7/2014
Topic:
Post your Anza Borrego Sunrise Photo

ziphius
ziphius
Daren, the Henderson Cyn and Dos Cabezas shots are great. I'll add

I.P. morning

and


edited by ziphius on 12/7/2014
12/8/2014
Topic:
Borrego Palm Canyon Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
Yes, it is NICE to have water available! You could stay there for a couple of weeks with enough dehydrated meals and fuel! That looks like a wolf spider. Their eyes shine blueish / white under headlamps at a distance. One of my favorite things to do at night is go 'spider-hunting' by headlamp. Nice trip.
12/9/2014
Topic:
Borrego Palm Canyon Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
Looking at the topo for the area makes me want to hike up the Middle Fork all the way to San Ignacio and the Hot Springs Mtn area. I guess you would seek permission to enter the reservation from the Middle Fork, perhaps park your exit car at the Rez itself. I don't think water would be a limiting factor at all, but those upper reaches of the Middle Fork look so vegetation-choked. Take the high route in those vegetation-choked spots? By the way, when one is looking at topos and fantasizing about trips, it is called 'mapsturbating'. Sorry Bob / Daren, I know this is a family-forum. smile
edited by ziphius on 12/9/2014
12/9/2014
Topic:
Borrego Palm Canyon Backpack

ziphius
ziphius
ImpatientHiker wrote:
Great TR. Of all the exploring I've done in Borrego, I've always considered Palm Cyn 'touristy' and have never gone up it. Thanks for opening my eyes.


I'm guilty of the same attitude, but it's always amazing how you can hike just *a little farther* than everyone else and suddenly, you have the whole place to yourself. Everybody must stop at the 1st Grove, because they feel like they've 'arrived' at what they are supposed to see. I've never been to Yosemite for the same 'I-consider-it-touristy' reason, but am told, "Oh, you get off the beaten path just a couple of miles and you're all alone."
12/10/2014
Topic:
Pepperwood Canyon to Canebrake Valley

ziphius
ziphius
Nice cat tracks and wonderful trip John. Getting a glimpse of the Sawtooth Mtns always makes we wish I was out there now.
12/15/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Badlands

ziphius
ziphius
Way to go on sleuthing out the sleeping square from GE. smile That groove / mortero combo is a new one to my eyes. Always something new to find out there. Love the photos, particularly your B&Ws. Funny that you found nail polish containers out there....there is a lot of internet chatter about sniffing polish (and remover) to get high. Maybe they weren't doing their nails after all.... and if you want to get high, word on the street is that Bacardi or Grey Goose is the way to go. wink
12/15/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Badlands

ziphius
ziphius
tommy750 wrote:
Jim (ziphius) wrote:
Way to go on sleuthing out the sleeping square from GE. smile That groove / mortero combo is a new one to my eyes. Always something new to find out there. Love the photos, particularly your B&Ws. Funny that you found nail polish containers out there....there is a lot of internet chatter about sniffing polish (and remover) to get high. Maybe they weren't doing their nails after all.... and if you want to get high, word on the street is that Bacardi or Grey Goose is the way to go. wink



Sniffing nail polish was not even on my radar but I think you nailed it, Jim! That probably explains why my in-house mani-pedi consultant AKA girlfriend wasn't too impressed with the brands (think her expert reply was something like, "do they still make that crap?"). smile


Nail polish in remote desert dunes and immediately my mind turns to nefarious reasons. Sounds like the cheap stuff gets the job done. smile
edited by ziphius on 12/15/2014
12/15/2014
Topic:
Carrizo Badlands

ziphius
ziphius
dsefcik wrote:
tommy750 wrote:
dsefcik wrote:
Absolutely love it Tom, I really like the B/W photos, I need to learn how you make those. I have not been out to Carrizo Marsh yet, would like to go someday. Too bad we missed each other this weekend, you would have enjoyed going with us.



Assuming you're going to post on your trip? Also assuming you got time lapse shots of the meteor shower? Yeah, wish I would have found out about my change in plans earlier so I could have joined you.
Yeah, I will post something up when I get a chance...personally I was snoozing all night but ziphius was with us and he time lapsed something, hey Jim, post up a TR with your time lapse and photos!


I managed to forget to do night photography (or my hands were cold), but I watched 2-3 meteors per minute between 2 and 3 am. smile
12/15/2014
Topic:
Vallecito Valley overnight

ziphius
ziphius
After a couple of years of forum membership, I finally managed to meet up with Daren and his friend Craig for a short trip. Daren's enthusiasm for the desert is unparalleled, except when he sleeps through the Geminid meteor shower. At least 2-3 meteors per minute on Saturday night around 2 am, but I failed to do any night photography. It was kinda cold out there. I did shoot a quick 10-second time-lapse over 40 minutes from camp in the morning. At about the 6-second mark, it's apparent that I caught one of the boys during their morning walk.

Sunrise from camp

Seriously though, Daren's enthusiasm for and knowledge of the region are impressive. It was an honor and a pleasure to camp with him and Craig.

Daren and Craig cruising the terrain:


We had stopped to check out some scat when I noticed a tiny burrow with a low rim of sand held together by silk:



I dropped a tiny stick down the tube and a minute later, the stick began rising back up out of the hole, pushed by a black spider. We figured we could catch the event on camera again, so I dropped the stick down there again and Daren waited:



and waited...



Every time Daren backed off.... the spider would continue to push the stick back up out of the hole. Hope you got something out of the ordeal Daren!

One of several watering troughs in the valley:

A deer antler and jaw jumbled together:

Daren photographing some yonis in the distance, next to about 5 liters of perfectly good, fresh drinking water:

Remnants of a windmill in the valley:

One of several water troughs in the region:

More pump equipment:

Daren was kind enough to show Craig and I a few pictographs. I thought this one looked like a terrier.


After running it through D-Stretch, it occurred to me that this one was the 'fish skeleton' I'd heard them talking about:

Another amazing set of pictos:


Nice views both days:


Thanks again to Daren and Craig for letting me tag along. Look forward to more adventures. smile
edited by ziphius on 12/16/2014
12/15/2014
Topic:
Jorgensen Bighorn Lecture at SDNHS 12-16-14

ziphius
ziphius
DRT Lakeside wrote:
Sorry for the late notice. Assuming many may know about this:

http://www.sdnhm.org/education/naturalists-of-all-ages/lectures-and-films/

Come hear author Mark Jorgensen discuss his five decades of experience studying the elusive symbol of southwest United States and northern Mexico, the desert bighorn sheep, through the beautiful images taken by photographer Jeff Young. A book signing of their new book, Desert Bighorn Sheep: Wilderness Icon, will follow the lecture.


Thanks much for posting! Just bought tickets because of your alert! - Jim
12/16/2014
Topic:
Vallecito Valley overnight

ziphius
ziphius
Daren, that's great, you completely nailed the spider and stick video! smile Didn't realize that the narrator would get picked up so well on audio. It sounds almost as if he is afraid of spiders. smile The ants came out great too. Your picto shots make me realize how much I *need* a fisheye lens in my arsenal.
edited by ziphius on 12/16/2014
12/16/2014
Topic:
Vallecito Valley overnight

ziphius
ziphius
tommy750 wrote:
Have to admit, the spider video was worth the 78 seconds! Were the skid marks from a coyote or hawk or ? Great trip. Need to head back out there.



We saw several 'cat litterboxes' during the trip, which might be the skid marks. Daren had to wait a lot longer than 78 seconds for that spider, he showed a lot of patience. FYI, I attended Mark Jorgensen's bighorn talk and book signing this evening at the Natural History Museum. Great talk, incredibly knowledgeable about bighorn biology (and the politics of conservation). During the talk, Mark showed one of Daren's photos, a dead ram, apparently killed by a mountain lion.
edited by ziphius on 12/16/2014
12/17/2014
Topic:
Vallecito Valley overnight

ziphius
ziphius
dsefcik wrote:
Do you remember which photo he used? I have sent him several, I would be interested in knowing.


It was this one:

http://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Blair-Valley-Alma-Wash/i-Kdh2vzC/0/M/img_1330_2013-11-03-M.jpg
12/24/2014
Topic:
Another Adventure: Arroyo Seco Diablo

ziphius
ziphius
Cannonball! smile Great photos and trip Nolan. Did you notice any surface water at the Arroyo Seco Del Diablo seep? (32.895, -116.161). Headed out tomorrow for 3 nights...
12/28/2014
Topic:
5 Day Backpacking Trip Indian Gorge/Canebrake-

ziphius
ziphius
Love that Ocotillo / Milky Way shot! Looks like an epic adventure. - Jim
12/31/2014
Topic:
Upper Coyote Canyon, Middle Willows Hike

ziphius
ziphius
Nice trip John, thanks for the view of Bailey's cabin. I haven't been to that area yet. With all that water in the area, looks like a region I need to set up a serious backpack trip through. - Jim




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