Sunday, June 26, 2011

Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 3 - ABDSP

Here is Part 3 of my trip report.

Part 1 and 2 can be read here: Part 1 Part 2

Anza Borrego is rich with stories of people trying to navigate it's Badlands and also of people trying to make it a place to call home. One of these stories is of Olin Bailey. He built his cabin in 1906 and it had many structural features that were not found in homes built of the same era. I had a hard time finding much history about the cabin, the newly built interpretive signs seem to have quite a bit though.

Baily Cabin Clues
Bailey Cabin Clues

The actual cabin had a protective roof structure built over it in 2007 to preserve what remains. You can read more about this effort here Bailey Cabin protective structure, Borrego – 2007
Bailey Cabin with a modern protective shelter

Looking at the east facing side of the cabin
Bailey Cabin

The front door(?)
Bailey Cabin

Continuing my explorations this day in 105 degree heat proved too much for my trusty two-wheeled companion. I ended up with 2 flat tires and a broken rear sprocket that left me stranded 3 miles from the S2 highway. I was prepared of course, I always set out with at least 2 gallons of water and food.
My bicycle with a rear flat in Potrero Canyon

She was shining with pride at 9pm under an almost full moon the night before
Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Some really cool things grow out in the desert, like this Coyote Melon
Coyote Melon

I found some more wreckage debris from the F8-J about an hour's hike away from the engine I found in trip report 1
F-8J Crusader Hose debris
F-8J Crusader Hose debris

Some interesting milling sites and rock shelters
I **love** to grind
Rock Shelter and Milling Site in Vallecito

Also some really big pottery sherds in the area
Some big pottery sherds

On my way home I decided to stop and check out the alien spaceships nearby
Fred finds a ride home

One of the aliens offered to take me for a ride...that was interesting...
Approaching the Desert Tower my alien driver explained about the Worm Hole

The whole alien family had to watch the gringo go by
I had to ask Fred's friends first but they said yes and let me ride in the spaceship

They wanted to take me thru the Worm Hole but I declined..I was late for supper

Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 2 - ABDSP

Here is Part 2 of my trip, for Part 1 look here

After a long day of kicking cactus and pulling rocks out of my boots I had a few ice cold beers and ate some late lunch. 5pm was still early in the day for summer so I hoofed it up to the Marshal South Home location. I was sorta half out of it and was taking pictures with the lens hood on and twisted sideways so forgive the black corners.

For more information about the Marshal South Home check out this documentary website:

Marshal South Documentary Website

Buy the book, it is a very interesting story, I guarantee it!

Brief History of the Marshal South Home (click to enlarge)
Marshal South Home Interpretive Sign

Looking at the rear of the home ruins from inside the house. The front of the house actually faces east, not west
Marshal South Home ruins

View of the house ruins. The bed frame is against the rear of the home
Marshal South Home ruins

This is the front door
Marshal South Home ruins

View of the cement pond and house ruins
Marshal South Home ruins. You can see the cistern with the house ruins in the background

Old sun dial, I have seen older photos that show an actual rectangular piece and not just a bolt so this may just be leftovers
Crude sundial. I have seen pictures in Desert Magazine that show a rectanglular peice instead of a bolt used to cast the shadow n the rock

Some cool rock shelters
Rock shelter in Earthquake Valley
Rock shelter in Earthquake Valley

Part 3 coming soon...

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 1 - ABDSP

You never know what you will find when you start hiking cross country out thru the desert. I spent a couple of weekends exploring Earthquake and Vallecito Valley. From the very north end of Blair Valley to Potrero Canyon there are many interesting desert features to discover if you spend the time exploring. Temperatures ranged from 105 during the day to mid 50's at night.

Mylar balloon count for this trip - 5

Animals seen - (1) Bobcat, (1) Coyote and many Raptors, Lizards and Mice.

After arriving in the early evening to Blair Valley, I decided to do a quick hike up to the top of Ghost Mountain.

Interesting rock carvings
Yoni style rock carving
Possible Yoni Rock carving

Cool old Pepsi can I found
Old can I found

One of my favorite milling stations at Morteros Village
Milling work area, notice the smaller holes around the edge

Geologically interesting boulder for sure
Really Interesting Split Rock

View of Little Blair Valley and the Morteros Village area from Ghost Mountain
Blair Valley

Ghost Mountain Register
Ghost Mountain Register

Night time stars near Morteros Village
Star Trails at Morteros Village
Star Trails at Morteros Village

First stop in the morning is what Earthquake Valley was named for, Shake 'n Quake
Shake Benchmark
Quake Benchmark

The Shake BM Register was in good shape, it did not have too many entries. Only a few small pages from the original 2002 date of the first page. Apparently not very many people come here.
Shake Register

Hiking cross country thru the cactus and sun baked volcanic rocks reveals some more interesting finds. There is some debris left from an old F-8J Crusader crash that happened in the late 1960's.

Here is part of an engine
F-8J Crusader engine

Here is what looks like a wing section
F-8J Crusader wing

Close up of the wing flap hinge, it was pretty massive
F-8J Crusader wing hinge

More scattered debris and some landing gear in the distance
F-8J Crusader debris

Close up of the landing gear
F-8J Crusader Landing Gear

An old shovel and a couple of faded water bottles in the shadows of a nearby Juniper show someone was trying to unearth the massive airplane wreckage debris
Old shovel and faded water bottles near the engine debris

Moving along across the bajada I spotted some pottery and a few milling sites
Pottery Sherds

Can you see the pottery sherds in the centuries old sun baked volcanic rocks?
Desert soil and volcanic rocks

Here is an old Indian Agave Roasting Pit area
Possible roasting pit area

uhhh..old Indian Phalic symbol..??
uhhh..Phalic boulders...

And it's counterpart..
Companion to the Phalic boulder

Pictographs enhanced with DStretch


This is what I call the three "P's"...Pencil,Pottery & Poo. Don't mess with Mountain Lions


Well that is Part 1 for now, I will post Part 2 in the next few days, thanks for reading!