Although I did get out for a ‘first day hike’ it wasn’t very far or to any destination, just an hour long loop walk from camp. On the 3rd I took a longer walk leaving at 10:30 am while sunny but still crisp wearing a warm hat and plenty of layers. Got water, snacks and backup camera batteries. All set.
I walk across the desert puzzling over the Anza-Borrego geology headed to Clark Dry Lake and wondered how long has this lake been dry.
Rocks and plants
I decided to walk cross country towards the lake keeping an eye on a prominent landmark and following major washes that would flow in the right direction. So many pretty rocks that I try to keep out of my pockets. At first I am confused because the well eroded rock in the wash that came from the surrounding mountains looks granitic with lots of quartz and sparkles that might be pyrite or fools gold. What I remember about the geology from the Visitor Center is several layers of different claystones, silts, limestone and maybe sandstone. What I don’t remember is metamorphism, the change of rock by heat and pressure. After millions of years marine sediments were metamorphosed by coastal subduction followed by fault produced uplift creating the granitic mountain ranges. OK, enough geology, let’s get on with this walk.
Only a few moist places remain in the dips of this otherwise dry sandy wash. How quickly the ground absorbs the rain from just four nights before. In fact the sand acts like it’s full of static electricity leaving a light sparkle on my boots. Must be easy digging for ants because their hills look like 10 inch volcanoes. I am in awe of the strength and tenacity of ants.
The surrounding landscape is lush with creosote bushes, the notorious chollas and an occasional ocotillo. Not much sign of wildlife although I startled a jackrabbit and saw tracks that could be dog or coyote. Tried unsuccessfully to figure out the one elusive bird with roller coaster flight that disappears too quickly for me to photograph. Most startling to see a dragon fly on a creosote bush.
The Lake – Bombs and fairies
The landmark I walked toward appears to be one of the abandoned landing strips that create a cross on the dry lake bed. This area was used as a bombing range during World War II. Although the sign says no motorized vehicles I followed a recent track on ground still a little soft. Pilots were warned not to land here after rain.
Dry and lake don’t seem to go together in a sentence. But about 1 million years ago mammoths, camels, squirrels and coyotes frequented this lake shore. Now the lake is seasonal and actually full of life when it rains with fairy shrimp who appear after a dormancy of 10 years or more. We didn’t get enough rain for that to happen and instead the dry lake bed resembles a jigsaw puzzle in 3-D.
Pieces that don’t quite fit
A loud sound of pounding on metal intruded on my totally absorbed quiet desert walk to the lake. Shapes and colors caught my eye that look like two semi-structures made of mostly natural materials plus a frame covered with camo-netting, an orange car and blue truck that I guess was being pounded on. Remote settlers or squatters? I kept my distance.
An occasional rusty can mostly riddled with bullet holes. On the whole, very little litter. It seems the people visiting here know how to show respect for the land. There are many 4×4 roads too narrow and sandy for my rig that allow jeeps, ORVs and dirt bikes but are not recommended after heavy rain.
I accidentally discovered two Benchmarks that I was curious about so I went to Google. There is actually a hobby, known as “benchmarking hunting” complete with a website to look up and report Benchmarks. I went there and didn’t find CL 15 or CL 16, but I have no GPS to give coordinates. I am not a geocacher but have always been intrigued by benchmarks, which I seem to actually just kind of trip over. In fact according to the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) we all probably walk right past several of them a day. Benchmarks, or survey markers, are placed to establish the angles and distances between various points and were used for map-making.
Putting the puzzle together
Not quite 1.5 hours to the lake and the same back. Maybe 2+ easy miles each way. I sat on the runway about 30 minutes absorbing the sound of silence. Two other people arrived, stayed briefly and quickly passed me along the track back towards camp under a warm sun that allowed me to happily remove two layers.
There’s still more to explore in Anza-Borrego Desert, the largest state park in California. The name comes from 18th-century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, the Spanish word for bighorn sheep. How I’d love to see them somewhere across this vast Sonoran Desert landscape which also protects the state’s only and endangered native California Fan Palm. In addition, the park contains 7 million years of rich fossil records. And although I tend to walk alone, the Anza-Borrego Natural History Association offers many guided hikes and lectures plus manages sales at the State Park Store in Borrego Springs and in the park’s visitor center.
Must be time to get off my butt and go discover more of the park.
The sun was out and it was suppose to get to 61F, so at 11:30 I hit the road. I’m not a super early morning person, and besides what’s the rush. Just before downtown Borrego Springs I turned onto S3 and cruised past the fancy looking Borrego Springs Resort, Casa del Zorro Resort and Spa, and even the Borrego Medical Center all surrounded by tall palm trees amongst their lush desert landscaping.
Soon I’m out of town and back in the park headed over 1750 foot Yaqui Pass. There’s a gravel parking lot at the pass that is also a dry camp though not very enticing with no signal but a lot of barrel cactus, cholla, ocotillo, century plants, yuccas and the William L Kenon Overlook trail. I stopped briefly but didn’t hike.
Tamarisk Campground is at the junction of California 78 surrounded by giant towering tamarisk trees. I got twisted around and went the wrong way but not for long and turned around. And then, OMG, massive amounts of big rigs towing on this curvy road and bringing in their toys and jeeps to play in the desert. Thank goodness only certain areas of the park allow the drive anywhere you want ORV space.
The traffic decreased once I turn onto S2, 21 miles to Agua Caliente over a 2000 foot pass, down into valleys and up again curving past cactus studded landscapes. Through Shelter Valley, population 300 and I can see them all in this long flat valley.
I stopped to check out the Blair Valley dry camp and only saw one tent way off in the distance. No signal and no RVs as it seems we all want our technology. Gone are the days when the Butterfield Stagecoach delivered the true ‘snail mail’ across this unpaved route.
And finally I got to Agua Caliente, a noisy, parked right on top of each other, RV parkish place. No thanks. But maybe after the holiday rush is over and kids are back in school. I mean it is soaking in hot water. Ahhh….
The return drive was prettier than before without the bright sun shinning in my eyes. I smiled returning to this extensive piece of desert off Rockhouse Trail. Sure glad I made the reconnaissance trip to Agua Caliente instead of making those online reservations. And such a beautiful drive.
BTW, it did rain Tuesday night and the morning light of New Year’s Eve showed snow capped mountains all around and down to 2000 feet. Thank goodness I’m not at more than several hundred feet.
A Merry Christmas morning started off mostly clear sky with a tablecloth of cloud rolling off the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west bringing a rainbow gift to the day. Wind gently rocked the camper and rattled something in the stove hood causing an obnoxiously loud hum. Time for a change of scenery.
Left camp at 11:30 headed to Coyote Mountain in search of the giant snake that Al, 
I may have followed a rather circuitous trail to the snake. But the sun felt fine even with the wind in my face and the views were spectacular. Looking northeast towards the Salton Sea, my rig is that tiny spot just above center.
Met some returning hikers with a friendly young pup at a junction of trails and they pointed me in the right direction. Seems this snake was out soaking up the sunny warmth. Over a few more little berms and across the rocky terrain around a corner and low and behold, there lies the giant snake with its head in my direction.
I climbed onto the rocks above it for a bigger view. Then sitting on the rocks, almost out of the wind, I too soaked up the sun.
I eventually approached this giant from the tail end for a close up view and being it wasn’t moving braved the head end as well. Somebody unknown did an awesome and detailed construction, double rows of dark rock with quartz on top to set the pattern. Probably about 30-35 feet long in its undulations across the desert floor.
A couple more small critters have crept into this sheltered little valley. Hard to tell what they are, maybe a turtle (which I forgot to take a photo of) and scorpion, the third I can’t tell. What do you think? They certainly don’t compare to the marvelous work put into the snake.
I spent an hour with the snake observing it from many directions and wondering about the mystery person who created this piece of desert art.
More magnificent views as I looked down to where I’m parked in the middle of flat nowhere plus off to the south the town of Borrego Springs. A delightful loop hike took me three hours and I returned to the camper to start dinner.
Christmas dinner of roast duck with prickly pear cactus jelly, baked potato and cucumber salad. No room for desert. Growing up, duck was always on the menu for holidays so this was an extra special treat.
I bought this half a fresh/frozen duck at the Borrego Springs Farmer’s Market Christmas Eve where I ran into Al and Kelly from