Southern California Club Xterra
Southern California Club Xterra => SCCX Xcursions => Topic started by: FrankB on November 30, 2010, 10:09:47 PM
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We've done this route a few times now in December - it's generally a really nice time of year to be out that way. In past years the weather has always been mild.
I thought we would explore the washes in the north side of Anza Borrego around Arroyo Salado and 17 Palms Oasis, hike out to 5 Palms Oasis, check out the Pumpkin Patch, then work our way back towards Short Wash, Vista del Malpais (excellent view of the Badlands) and eventually Font's Point. We'll be driving slow, and getting out of the trucks a lot to check out the scenery, but none of the hikes will be strenuous or long. December can have some pretty spectacular sunsets, and Font's Point is great place to view and photograph them from.
This will be an easy run, suitable for stock vehicles, but will require 4WD for some areas of very soft sand. Plan for all day, lunch on the trail, and I would expect it to get a bit chilly once the sun sets. Photographers will want to bring a tripod, if it looks like a good sunset we'll set up at Font's Point and get some shots. The last few times I've done these routes we've always wound up airing up in the dark.
MEET SPOT: Arroyo Salado Primitive Camp, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, located between Mile Markers 34 and 35 (0.8 miles east of Mile Marker 34) on the south side of County Road S-22, otherwise known as the Borrego-Salton Seaway. It's closer to Mile Marker 35, on your right as you're traveling east from Borrego Springs, and on your left not long after Mile Marker 35 if you're heading west from Salton City and Hwy 86. You can't see the campground from the road, and the sign is pretty easy to miss. If coming from the west, the entrance is just about 0.1 miles after Ella Wash, look for a little brown State Park campsite marker. We can meet a little past the vault toilets. If the trail you turn off the pavement on to heads straight south, instead of more or less east, you are on Ella Wash. You want to be on Arroyo Salado. The campground is marked on all Park maps that I have seen.
The Massey book shows the following GPS coordinates for the turn off from S-22, but I can not say for sure if they are accurate: N33 16.98 W16 09.09
For those who can easily get to I-10, you may find it easier and faster to take I-10 east to Hwy 86 South in Indio, then follow that down along the west shore of the Salton Sea to Salton City, turning right on the Borrego-Salton Seaway. We will not be going past the State Park Visitor Center, as it is a long way out of the way. Edit 12/15: it turns out I was wrong about the Visitor Center being out of the way. The shortest route from Hwy 79 to the meet spot is in fact via S-22 and down the Montezuma Grade. That's 9.5 miles shorter than staying on S-2 to Scissors Crossing. Still, we will not be stopping or meeting at the Visitor Center. [end edit]
DATE / TIME: Saturday December 18th, meet at 10:00AM.
If anyone coming from the San Diego area wants to caravan out there let me know in advance and we can arrange a meet spot. I'm east of I-15 off of Scripps Poway Parkway, and plan to leave around 8:00AM.
Reference:
Parts of these trails are covered in Massey's Backcountry Adventures So. Calif. - South Coast #27 (Font's Point) and South Coast #28 (Arroyo Salado).
Communication:
FRS Channel 12, sub-code 24
CB Channel 24
CAMPING: I don't know yet if I'll be camping, but I think a few people have said they might. If you stay with me for the entire route, I plan to leave Font's Point after sunset. You can camp in Font's Wash pretty much anywhere along the 4 mile stretch back to the highway, or head down S-22 a few miles to Arroyo Salado Primitive Camp, or find someplace anywhere else in the Park.
Please post any comments, suggestions or questions, and let us know if you're coming.
Thanks - Frank B.
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I'm in.
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I got the day off, so I'll be there!!
I'll be leaving from El Cajon so if we can meet somewhere that would be great.
Matt
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I got the day off, so I'll be there!!
I'll be leaving from El Cajon so if we can meet somewhere that would be great.
Matt
Matt, we can talk as the day gets closer, but I'm off of Scripps Poway Parkway near Pomerado Road (which is a few miles east of I-15). If you were planning to take I-15 north we can meet at or near my house. If you were going to get to Hwy 67 to go through Ramona we can meet either at the intersection of Hwy 67 and Scripps Poway Parkway, or somewhere in Ramona.
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Done my last fianl is the 17th!!!
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Done my last fianl is the 17th!!!
Your final final?
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Done my last fianl is the 17th!!!
Congrats . . . . but I hope it's not a spelling test.
In any event, I hope this means you can get there before the end of the day this time, so that we can have some time to visit.
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As of now I am going to say I am in. These will be new places to me.
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hahaha no it is not a spelling test thank god. and I just realized that is my last weekend of Scuba certification and i will be diving that day. Will have to meet you guys on the next one.
Have a great trip!!!
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[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] is this the exact spot where we would leave S22?
33.283044,-116.152404
To find this spot in Google maps just enter the coordinates as shown above or follow the following link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Borrego+Springs,+CA&daddr=33.283044,-116.152404&geocode=FcBx-wEdHEIQ-Slxzb2O4CfagDGSUhacNNTClA%3BFeTb-wEdrKcT-Q&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=33.283039,-116.152404&sspn=0.001489,0.00284&ie=UTF8&ll=33.283223,-116.152324&spn=0.001543,0.003862&t=h&z=19
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[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] is this the exact spot where we would leave S22?
33.283044,-116.152404
To find this spot in Google maps just enter the coordinates as shown above or follow the following link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Borrego+Springs,+CA&daddr=33.283044,-116.152404&geocode=FcBx-wEdHEIQ-Slxzb2O4CfagDGSUhacNNTClA%3BFeTb-wEdrKcT-Q&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=33.283039,-116.152404&sspn=0.001489,0.00284&ie=UTF8&ll=33.283223,-116.152324&spn=0.001543,0.003862&t=h&z=19
Yes, that is the exact spot. You can see the little campground sign in the photo. I didn't realize the Google would have street view of that road. It's pretty easy to overshoot that little trail (I've done it) and it's also easy to wind up on Ella Wash heading south instead (I've done that too).
By the way, how did your video and pictures from the last run turn out? I don't think I saw any of them posted.
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im in too. frank, do you want to meet at the same spot we did last time at the gas station?
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im in too. frank, do you want to meet at the same spot we did last time at the gas station?
Zach, that would work. Let's meet there at 8:00AM.
For anyone else coming from San Diego who wants to caravan out - meet at the Chevron Station on the SW corner of Scripps Poway Parkway and Pomerado Road at 8:00AM.
For anyone coming from the Santee area, or otherwise traveling on Hwy 67 towards Ramona, that is out of the way, so you can join us as we turn from Scripps Poway Parkway onto Hwy 67 at about 8:10AM. There is a little parking area on that small street (Rio Maria) that is just across Hwy 67 from the end of SPP, up on the hill overlooking 67. Call me if you're not sure where that is, or if you want to meet someplace else, like in Ramona.
My cell number is six one nine 855 zero eight three six.
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I have an Eagle Court of Honor that day for a scout I helped get to Eagle Scout. They've actually asked me to speak. (If they only knew how dangerous that is ;) ) I will have to take a rain check on this one.
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Frank, I'll be meeting you at SPP and the 67. See ya at 0810!
I also installed front spacers and the rear AAL, so can't wait to try it out.
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Frank, just posting up here too.
I will be attending with my son and two guests.
See you at SPP Chevron at 8:00 am.
John, GhostX
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I am a new member to this forum. I should be able to make it, if not, I'll post and let you guys know. How many miles is this trip going to be?
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Frank,
We'll be on this trip! We'll see you at the Chevron station at 8:00 am.
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I am a new member to this forum. I should be able to make it, if not, I'll post and let you guys know. How many miles is this trip going to be?
I've done this route several times but never really clocked the off-road mileage. As a best guess, I would say we'll do about 20-25 miles off-road.
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Frank,
We'll be on this trip! We'll see you at the Chevron station at 8:00 am.
Welcome back Justin. See you on Saturday.
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Frank,
Is this the address for the Chevron on Scripps Poway Pkwy?
12295 Scripps Poway Parkway, Poway, CA 92064
Thanks,
John
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Well guys. It's cold and wet outside, and I am in no mood to go out there and pack. It's suppose to be worse in the morning so I'm wimpin out. Have fun and watch for flash floods.
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Frank,
Is this the address for the Chevron on Scripps Poway Pkwy?
12295 Scripps Poway Parkway, Poway, CA 92064
Thanks,
John
Yes. It is on the SW corner of SPP and Pomerado Road. It's on the right as as you are heading east on SPP, just before the intersection.
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Well guys. It's cold and wet outside, and I am in no mood to go out there and pack. It's suppose to be worse in the morning so I'm wimpin out. Have fun and watch for flash floods.
Last time I checked it was something like a 50% chance of measurable precipitation out there. Of course, you'll have to drive through a bunch of real precipitation to get there.
I'm not too worried about flash floods this time of year. Depending how much rain, if any, that they have gotten, it could be a bit muddy in places. We may alter the route some, we'll just wait and see. Last month it was raining a lot in the mountains and at the coast, and it was really nice out in Fish Creek.
I was in this same area in early March on a day when it was gray and raining lightly, it wasn't bad really.
(http://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-More-030710/FB012100/805021755_Mu8Rg-L.jpg)
If it's not too windy the overcast sky and light rain actually makes for some nice flower photos.
(http://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-More-030710/FB0120922/805020039_BSKXK-L.jpg)
If it looks too bad on the trails we could always go check out some of the sculptures . . . some of them look really cool when wet.
(http://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-More-030710/FB012029/805007649_8q3gZ-L.jpg)
More pics from the March trip to 17 Palms and Fonts in a light rain are here (http://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-More-030710/).
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Thanks to everyone who showed up. It was really nice out there today. The weather was excellent, much warmed than I expected as the day went on. We had some very light rain on the drive out. It broke up as we passed Ranchita. Lots of thick fog around Santa Ysabel, but other than that the drive home was only a bit misty, no real rain.
I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. I'll try to get some pics posted soon.