RETURN TO GHOST MOUNTAIN

A VIEW FROM GHOST MOUNTAIN

Kelly's ankle is slowly on the mend (we hope) but she still has to use a borrowed cane from JoAnn to get around. She is able to hobble on the front end of her foot but the heel & ankle are still pretty sore. Had wrapped it last night for support so she has decided to leave the wrap on for a few days. We still have no idea what happened.

I remembered to put a photo in last night's blog of an egg pocket but forgot to put in a description. Kelly says it's puff pastry that is filled with a sliced ham, cheese, & egg combination. The corners of the pastry are then drawn up somehow & fastened into a pouch.....or pocket. I guess it is then baked or something. Anyway, sure tastes good:))

Another sunny start to the morning as we scurried around (well, I scurried & Kelly hobbled) getting things ready for our trip over to the Blair Valley & Ghost Mountain. We had seen a short 15 minute movie while here last year about the Marshal South family living atop Ghost Mountain back in the 40's. We knew that a full length 76 minute documentary called, The Ghost Mountain Experiment had also been completed but hadn't seen it. By co-incidence, the producer of that documentary movie, John McDonald had come across our website awhile back & noticed my interest in the Marshal South story. He noted that in my blog a few days ago I mentioned about coming out to Ghost Mountain one day this week. We received an email from John saying he was going to be in the area to-day (Thursday) & would we like to meet him out at Ghost Mountain. You betcha!!

It's about a 40 minute drive from Borrego Springs, through the Yaqui Pass & across the Blair Valley to the foot of Ghost Mountain. Ghost Mountain isn't really what you think of as a big mountain with a peak on it. The South family referred to it as the hill & the Indian legends referred to it as a mountain. Regardless, it's a mile from the parking lot to the ruins & a lot of that is going up on a very steep angle. Certainly a good rock scramble.

LOOKING AT THE LONG RUGGED PATH AHEAD

It was an absolutely beautiful morning as we turned off the highway into the desert & bumped along the long & winding dusty road leading to the foot of the mountain. To my relief, nobody was there. Just us, the birds, the desert, & the mountain. Kelly brought a comfy lounge chair along as well as her book because there was no way she could hike on her sore ankle. There was enough shade there from some shrubbery to put the chair under. I slipped on my photo vest, hung the cameras & binoculars on myself & started up the rugged trail for my second visit to Ghost Mountain & the ruins of Yaquitepec, the Marshal South home. Doesn't take long for the hill to get you puffing as you scramble upwards along the narrow rock strewn path. I was so happy to be once again returning to a place that I had found very special just over a year ago. With each step the view out over the Blair Valley just gets better & better. The trail has many switchbacks before reaching a level plateau. From this plateau you can see for miles to the southeast towards the Butterfield Ranch & Vallecito Stage Station & countless miles beyond that to another distant mountain range probably a hundred miles or more away. It was down this valley that the old Butterfield Stage used to run. The walk across the plateau brings you to what looks like an impossible steep boulder climb to another high ridge but the path weaves it's way though the rocks gently taking you ever higher. Some of the rocks look like large stepping stones as you scramble over the them, but the footing is solid & you just keep going. The scenery all around you is too beautiful to even think about not going any further. it's a rare beauty & one that you most often won't see anywhere else. Large smooth boulders, green Agaves, cactus, a fine sandy path, & huge blue mountains on the horizons. And soon........you are at the top, & the ruins of Yaquitepec slowly come into view. PART OF THE KITCHEN WALL

It's the old wooden framework that I saw first as I once again approached the home of the Marshal South family. The silence was broken only by the occasional bird as I stood there in the kitchen area of a story that has touched my heart ever since I first went there. Put my cameras down & just slowly let all the memories come into my mind from the book I was reading exactly one year ago at this time. I think it was the way Marshal South described the Christmas's they had on the mountain that touched me the most. He wrote in such a way as to paint pictures in one's mind & it was those pictures I was seeing as I stood there amidst the ruins to-day. SOMEDAY THE ONLY THING LEFT HERE WILL BE THE MEMORIES

I sat on a large rock that I knew the family must have sat on many times watching the sun rise over the long sweeping valley below. I walked among the rocks where I knew the family had lived & played. And I felt the sadness too. It's a very special place.............................

I heard some voices after awhile & noticed an elderly couple making their way up the path so I knew it was time for me to go. It was time for someone else to feel the happiness & the loneliness of Yaquitepec & I didn't want to spoil their special time. Glanced at my watch & realized I had been there with my memories for over an hour. Before starting down I walked over to the edge & noticed far below in the parking lot that John McDonald & his wife Lydia had arrived so I had to crack on some speed. Twenty minutes later I was shaking hands with the man who produced the documentary & the lady who wrote it. What a privilege that was for me. Another RV couple was there as well & we all had ourselves a good chin wag about the whole Ghost Mountain Experiment. Kelly was busy snapping pictures, sore ankle & all. John autographed a copy of the DVD for us & then we all took a tour of his Teardrop Camping Trailer. Check the photo album:)) Some more stories, some more questions, some more laughs, then it was time to go. It was a nice way to end the day for us & we met some charming people along the way. We all said our good-byes as John & Lydia headed off in their Honda Pilot with the Teardrop camping trailer in tow. The other couple headed for their RV in preparation for climbing Ghost Mountain.....and Kelly & I wended our way back through the Blair Valley, over the twisting Yaqui Pass, & through Borrego Springs to our temporary little home in the desert.

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCER JOHN MCDONALD & WIFE LYDIA WHO WROTE IT

As soon as we finished supper we sat down & watched John McDonald's production of, The Ghost Mountain Experiment. Having just walked through the ruins of Yaquitepec only hours before, the documentary came alive for me in a very special way. There on the screen was old movie footage of the Marshal South family as they were, over 60 years ago. And there was Rider South, now an older man, walking through the ruins of Yaquitepec for one last time. John interviewed Rider several times at his home in Silver City NM a few years ago & the documentary has Rider talking of his memories of those days growing up so long ago atop Ghost Mountain. This is a very well done documentary & both Kelly & I really enjoyed the whole movie. It will be the first DVD I play on our 42" screen when we get back to Canada too. TALKING ABOUT, THE GHOST MOUNTAIN EXPERIMENT

It is a beautiful night in the desert. It's unusually warm & the nearly full moon is flooding the desert floor with sparkling moonbeams. I can see other rigs scattered about with campfires going. What a peaceful way to end the day. This is such a beautiful country.......................................................

And late this afternoon I had my first encounter with a large Tarantula spider!!

THIS CHARMING LITTLE FELLOW WAS ABOUT 3 FEET FROM KELLY'S FOOT WHEN i SPOTTED HIM

I didn't spend a lot of time editing to-day's photos because it's nearly midnight right now & I'm about ready to fall off my chair. A lot of the Ghost Mountain pics won't mean much to a lot of people but for anyone who's been there, they will understand so I've just included them all. And I hope the other couple we met at the foot of Ghost Mountain can see the pics as well. And John & Lydia, thanks for taking the time out of your camping holiday to meet us this morning at Ghost Mountain. Really, really, appreciated that...............................................Take care guys:))

THE GHOST MOUNTAIN EXPERIMENT
John McDonald Productions Inc.
(626) 799-0500
http://www.ghostmountainmovie.com/

FINDING THE REAL MARSHAL SOUTH http://www.desertusa.com/mag05/jan/south.html

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MOUNTAIN PALM CANYON HIKE.....& AN INJURY!!

STANDING IN AWE OF THE PALMS

First order of business this morning was to get ourselves an egg pocket & photograph it, so by 9 a.m. we were on the road headed for Calicos. Egg pockets go fast so we were lucky they still had some left. A few free cookie samples first & then we purchased our egg pocket. Set it on the table, took a few photos, & then we ate it. Took some great photos of Kelly wolfing her half down but she wouldn't let me put them in the photo album. Grabbed a couple of coffees to go (plus some more cookie samples) & headed off out of town for place about an hour or so away called, Mountain Palm Canyon Campground. Not too far from San Diego. AND, THIS IS AN EGG POCKET:))

We had been told there is a whole herd of elephant trees in one of the canyon's there & the guide book we had said they were there too, so that's what we were looking for........but, we never did find them. I think they must have rumbled away when they heard us coming.

It was a beautiful mornings drive from Borrego Springs to Mountain Palms & once again we were just bowled over by the majestic mountains all around us, the winding roads twisting through the desert, the big blue sky & the many hues & colors in the air, the rocks, & the mountains themselves. This is such a beautiful land & if I thought it was hard to go home last year, I'm really going to have a hard time of it this year. We talk a lot about staying in the American Southwest but we know it's just not probable for us. Not impossible, just not probable!!

We reached Anza-Borrego's Mountain Palm Canyon campground shortly after 11 & already the mornings sun was heating up. From the parking lot we saw palm trees up 2 of the 3 canyons so headed off up the one to our right. The trail led up a wide sandy wash but soon narrowed into a rock strewn path that we had a hard time finding in a few spots. The rocks soon turned into boulders & we had some good rock scrambling ahead of us. Took us about 15 minutes to reach the small grove of palms & we could hear voices nearby. A couple of older fellow hikers were perched on a rock under the palms taking a break. They were very helpful in answering our questions about the area & the older fellow actually lives in Borrego Springs. They had some good guide books with them & that was helpful. Another group of hikers with dogs came by on their way up so we decided to follow them. They were younger folks & were soon out of site as they quickly clambered over the large topsy turvey boulders. We persevered though & soon reached a second stand of palm trees & large bowl like plateau. These towering fan palms are truly awe inspiring. We were just trying to figure out a secondary route back down the canyon when the dog hikers returned from over a ridge. They had been looking for a standing water source they knew was in the area but never did find it. We asked about the elephant trees but nobody knew where they were.

In the company of the dog hikers we all headed back down the jumble of rocks to the first palm trees which we learned was called Mary's Grove. Stopped for a short rest here & the hikers watered their dogs. As is quite often the case we all asked where each other was from & wouldn't you know it, one of the fellow's Mother lives in Spencerport, NY. That's where Kelly grew up & her Mom & Dad still live there. Small world once again. It was a short rocky drop to the parking lot about a quarter mile away as we said good-bye to the dog walkers & headed up another canyon.

SOME FELLOW HIKERS WATERING THEIR DOGS

The second canyon walk also had a grove of palm trees plus some running water trickling down a sandy wash. We reached those palms in about 10 minutes, but still nothing looking like a grove of elephant trees. Took a break here & ate our peanut butter sandwiches in the shade of the majestic palms. We headed back down the sandy wet wash to the parking lot & were heading to the car when Kelly spotted a third path leading up a rocky slope. So, off we went again climbing steeply up a dusty path that someone had spent a lot of time lining with stones. We climbed for about 15 minutes until we reached a plateau of sorts. We were really hoping to see some elephant trees somewhere up here but the path just wandered aimlessly through the rocks & off across the desert plateau. A decision was made to turn back once again because by this time we were beginning to get a little pooped under the heat of the relentless sun. Back down the narrow rocky path & headed once more for the car. We were nearly at the car walking across a flat stretch of sand when unbeknownst to me at the time, Kelly felt an unusual twinge in her right ankle. She didn't think much of it at the time so didn't say anything. EGG POCKET

From the Mountain Palm Canyon campground we drove south to the Carrizo badlands overlook. Had debated about going all the way to Ocotillo but decided it was time to head for home. Once again we marveled at the beauty surrounding us. Just over the mountains about 40 short miles west of us lay the city of San Diego, but here in the peaceful desert we were basically the only people on the road. Might have seen half a dozen vehicles in about 3 hours. That would never happen back home anywhere that close to a major city!! THE DESERT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE

Waved to Ghost Mountain as we went by again but we'll be heading back there in the morning. Took a slightly different route on our return to Borrego Springs this time. Instead of heading through Yaqui Pass we decided to come across the backside of the San Ysidro mountains & take the hair raising plunge down Montezuma's Grade which would land us right in Borrego Springs. It's an 8 to 9% grade for 11 miles all the way to the bottom. About half way down we came up behind a large Class C motorhome towing a fairly large trailer. it was about this time that we began smelling hot brake linings. Took me by surprise because I was staying off the brakes as much as possible & using the gears to keep my downward spiral in check. Thought occurred to me I might have a brake pad sticking but everything felt normal. The smell kept getting stronger. The Class C ahead slowed & moved to the right a bit & I was able to get around him on the left. Strangely enough, the hot brakes smell dissipated almost immediately. Only then did I realize it wasn't our brakes after all. It was the Class C & trailer's brakes we were smelling. The next thought that occurred to me was, if he loses his brakes he's going to come barreling down the mountain right behind us. After a few tight turns I never saw him again. He may still be on the side of that mountain somewhere white knuckled to his steering wheel forever. WE ATE OUR PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES IN THE SHADE OF THE PALMS

We were home by 3 & so far, all was well. Butch, Kapeesh, Doug, JoAnn, & Fillmore dropped by for a chat around 4. Talked about the day's hikes etc. Kelly went in & out of the motorhome a couple times to fetch a book & some maps & it was during one of these trips that her ankle let go but she hid the pain until everyone had headed back to their rigs. For Kelly to acknowledge or admit any kind of injury is a very rare thing. By the time I came into the motorhome her face was knotted in pain. She can't put any weight on her foot or turn it. Her toes felt numb & the pain was radiating up to her knee. I suggested we head for the medical clinic but she wouldn't have any part of that. And I thought I was the only stubborn one of the Bayfield Bunch. She iced her ankle & wrapped it but the pain didn't back off. Only thing that brought her some relief was a couple of aspirins later on. Right now she is using an old baseball bat as a cane to hobble around with & still cannot put any weight on the foot. We'll see what the morning brings. She's pretty darn stubborn you know....................................................

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LAZY DAY FOLLOWED BY A CAMPFIRE CIRCLE

GOT THE START OF A GOOD MORNING GOING HERE

Had only read a couple pages of my new book when I knew I was going to like it. The thoughts & feelings of author Lawrence Hogue were right in line with my own. When I read the line, "the place has a hold on me that is hard to describe" I knew this was going to be a good read.

I first saw mountains back in the very early 70's while driving west from Ontario Canada across the northern States heading for British Columbia. It wasn't until 1992 that I saw mountains again on a trip that took me through the Dakotas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, & Montana. I think it was on that trip that the hook was in. Saw my first prickly pear cactus growing along the roadside near the Colorado/Utah State line. Followed the Colorado River into Moab. The Arches, Castle Valley, Zion & Bryce Canyons, Monument Valley in Arizona, the deserts, the canyons, & the list goes on. I was definitely hooked on the American Southwest.

OK, SO WHO'S GONNA TELL THE TALLEST TALE HERE TO-DAY

In 1994 Kelly & I flew to Las Vegas on a 4 day junket & as soon as we got off the plane & before we even had checked into our Hotel room, we rented a car & drove out into the desert for hours & hours. I still remember heading east out of the city & pulling over to the side of the road, getting out & scrambling up on top of a big pile of rocks. Little did I know that was to be the forerunner of many hikes & rock scrambles to come years later. Two days later we drove all the way over to California's Death Valley for the day taking in as many of the sights we could in the short period of time we had. It was 10 years before we got back to the Southwest again & since that time we have been coming as often as we can. Once the lure of the mountains & deserts gets in your blood, that's it......your hooked!! Like author Lawrence Hogue says, "the place has a hold on me that is hard to describe." THE CAMPFIRE CIRCLE

Ok, ok................. what the heck is an egg pocket!!!! It never dawned on me in last night's blog to describe what an egg pocket was & people have been letting me know that to-day. So, to-morrow morning before we head out for some new hikes in the Bow Willow area we will stop at Calicos, get ourselves another egg pocket & photograph it before we eat it:)) I'll post the picture in to-morrow night's blog complete with a yummy description. Thanks guys, great excuse to get another egg pocket I'd say:))

To-day was a total relaxation day. Spent most of it outside with my feet up reading my book. Kelly slipped into town this morning because it was half price day at The Frugal Coyote thrift store. The Frugal Kelly brought me home a superb "many pockets" photography vest that she paid $3.75 for. Now them's my kinda prices!!Many of the RV's that were here a week ago for the Christmas holidays have pulled up stakes & left. Only 5 of us now in this immediate area so Butch invited everyone over to his rig at 4 this afternoon for a campfire. We knew everyone except the couple parked closest to us. Like I said before, independent boondockers are a quiet bunch who keep to themselves & don't always do a lot of socializing. And so it was that we met Bob & Suzanna who are fulltimers from the State of Washington. Doug & JoAnn, Ken & Vicky made up the other 2 rigs. Nice campfire but once the sun dipped behind the mountains & the temperatures plummeted, everyone made a bee line for the warmth of their RV's.

Didn't take many pictures to-day & the ones I did I'll put in the blog, so no photo album to-night.............. HEY BUTCH, ARE YA GLAD YOU INVITED EVERYBODY OVER NOW

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A HIKE INTO HELL HOLE CANYON

There is never a shortage of things to do in Borrego Springs & surrounding area. To-day we decided to do a hike right on the southwest edge of town into a place called, Hell Hole Canyon. Figured we'd do the short hike but then decided to do the moderate one & see how far we could go. My legs are telling me to-night that we went tooooooo far!!

From the parking area it is a steady & gradual climb with each footstep a few inches higher than the one before. Within minutes we noticed the plant life changing around us & things becoming fresher looking. The nearby hillsides took on a slightly greener tone & we began seeing plants like, Beaver Tail cactus, Barrelhead cactus & Agaves plants. The Ocotillo were much larger & greener than on the desert floor behind us. Many kinds of shrubs with tiny buds ready to bloom in the spring. Some slightly flowering shrubs here & there with burgundy colored flowers. And a type of green ground cover in places. As we climbed higher the scenery just got better. Far ahead in the distant narrows of the canyon walls we could see more color so knew there were some kind of trees up there. We really didn't have a destination & what so often happens in the these kinds of hikes it that the canyon just keeps drawing you further & further in. The rocks became boulders & the shrubs became trees. And things just kept getting more interesting. And you just keep going & going & going. My kinda day:)) REST STOP ALONG THE TRAIL

Saw movement ahead on the trail & a minute later another couple coming down greeted us with a hearty hello, so we stopped for a chat. Said it was really pretty a little further up with some maple type trees & palm trees as well. Somewhere in the conversation the word, Canada came up. We said we were from near Goderich Ontario & with surprise, the fellow said his sister lived in a little town near there called Bayfield. We told him that was actually where we were from. Surprises all around. Small world huh!! So, Jennifer Smith from Bayfield Ontario Canada, if you ever happen to read this someday.....we met your brother on the Hell Hole Canyon trail in Borrego Springs in southern California to-day:)) Didn't get his name but he talked of being in British Columbia & I did get a distant picture of him as they were approaching us on the trail. You can find that pic in to-day's web album photos.....http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ The higher we climbed, the rougher the trail became & we were soon scrambling over some fair sized boulders. A dry & deep gulley wash ran down through the area & we found ourselves criss crossing it as the path wended it's way upwards. Ahead we could see palm trees so set that as our goal. Of course they were farther than they looked which is so often the case in these desert & mountain landscapes. We kept plugging away & finally reached 3 palm trees & a grove of colorful trees that looked a bit like our maple trees back in Ontario, but different. They were in their autumn colors of yellows, golds, & greens. There was a larger grove of palms further up the canyon about half a mile but the terrain looked very rugged & we decided we had gone far enough. Actually, beyond that grove of palms the map says there is a waterfall.Had ourselves a short rest near the palm trees & Kelly made Al stand still for a few posed photos. Pointed our toes down the hill & started for home. Sure was a lot easier going down than going up, & a lot faster too. We continued our descent out of the canyon & finally reached our car about an hour after leaving the area of palm trees. Felt sooooooooooooooo great once again to flop into the comfortable soft seats of the car. We could sure feel the hike in our legs & feet. First stop was going to be a coffee for sure. Al was well past his 2 o'clock fix!!

Another nice thing about Borrego Springs is it's little hidden gems here & there & to-day after our hike we found another one of them & it was called, Calicos. Located in the mall on Palm Canyon Drive, Calicos is a little coffee shop that does all it's own baking & makes home made pizza's to die for. We saw some scrumptious looking things called egg pockets so decided to take a chance & split one. "WOW & DOUBLE WOW!!" Tasted grrrrrreat & we decided right there & then on the spot that we are going to stay in Borrego Springs forever & make egg pockets the sole purpose of our remaining lives. Coffee was great too & so were all the free cookie samples we could stuff down. Our next trip to Calicos will be for a pizza & I suspect we'll eat till we explode!! Would I recommend Calicos?? You betcha:))

The couple we had met on the trail earlier had suggested a good book on the area so on our way home we stopped at the Nature Center & picked up, All The Wild & Lonely Places...Journeys in a Desert Landscape by Lawrence Hogue. Last winter I read Marshal South & the Chronicles of Ghost Mountain so this winter it will be about the remote & harsh landscape of the Anza-Borrego desert. Looking forward to quiet times with a good book again. THE AWESOME SCENERY NEVER ENDS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

Back to the rig around 3 with sore feet & all. Fillmore came over to see Max, Checkers, & the Motormouse & even brought his Mom & Dad with him. JoAnn is really enjoying her stay here & has already signed up for one of the area tours of the Blair Valley area. Oh yes, & couple X has turned out to be Ken & Vicki from the Oklahoma/Arkansas area somewhere. I met Vicki this morning while she was out walking & was happy to hear she has taken a liking to the Borrego Springs area as well. Vicki & JoAnn were on the go this morning visiting the Anza-Borrego visitor center & the Nature Center downtown. I have a feeling they may also be visiting Calicos soon & loading up on egg pockets.............................................:)) CALICOS..... GREAT COFFEE & EGG POCKETS

And thanks to my Number 1 Son in Kitchener Ontario for spotting an error in last night's blog. The DVD we watched was, The Bucket List & not the Bucket Brigade. You can catch my Son Sean's band & website here..............http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Weak-Need/6503594559 You go guy:))

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ANOTHER BIG WAVE FROM THE SKY

A BIG WAVE FROM THE SKY THIS MORNING

One fine morning in the Arizona desert while boondocked a few miles south of Quartzite Arizona in January of 08 I heard the sound of a very low & very small engine aircraft approaching. One glance told me it was an ultra-lite glider machine flying along at about 300 feet. Grabbed my camera in one hand & started waving to that man in his daring flying machine with the other. Later that day I wrote a little blurb in my blog about that wave. I've decided to copy that here again, because this morning.......the very same thing happened again as I heard the sound of a very low & very small engine aircraft approaching.

From January of 2008....."THURSDAY JANUARY 10/08Do you remember the days years ago when the sound of an airplane overhead would bring you running out of the house to stare skyward. I do. As a young boy in a small southwestern town in Ontario, Canada I was always fascinated with airplanes & would wave at them as they flew overhead. They never waved back of course but I never gave up waving & to-day after all these years, a strange aircraft flew low overhead, I waved............AND THE AVIATOR WAVED BACK!! It was a young boy's dream come true at last. The aircraft was an ultra-lite suspended underneath a large canopy & the aviator sat in an open cart affair with wheels & an engine on the back. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy Not exactly a bigger winged airplane but it was a wave from the sky nonetheless. I had been sitting outside reading when I heard the whine of a high pitched engine coming & as I got up to look, the aircraft came in low from the northwest & made a slow banking left turn. (must have seen our Canadian flag) He was low enough & close enough for me to see he was looking down at me. I instinctively let go with a big wave, & was thrilled to see the aviator let go with a big wave back............. Yes Toto, a little boy's dreams can come true:)) Turns out that to-day's aviator was actually another RV'er boondocked out here in the desert about a mile from us because as I watched this fellow flying around he finally descended to earth & landed close to his Class A rig. With the binoculars I could see he had a trailer hooked to the back of his unit so I assume that's where he carried his ultra-lite & large canopied shute. It's one great thing to travel & take your house with you, but to bring your airplane as well is really something else. Bravo to the RV aviator in the sky....& thanks for the big wave my friend. That was the highlight of our day as we totally lazed around the rig doing nothing more strenuous than moving from one lawn chair to another. Nice to sit in the presence of the large majestic mountains around us & savor our time here. Doug, JoAnn & Fillmore had emailed us a few days ago from Mitry Lake over in Arizona saying after reading our blog the past 4 days they were thinking of coming over to do some boondocking at Borrego Springs. They had met another couple with like interests so plans were made to rendezvous with them on the highway here near our campsite east of Borrego Springs. Cell pone rang about 1 p.m. & it was JoAnn saying they were just turning onto S22 at Salton City. I drove the short quarter mile up to the road & about 20 minutes later spotted the 2 inbound fifth wheels coming down the road. There are hard to see turn offs onto the desert floor from the highway & you really have to know where they are so wanted to be sure they knew where to follow me in. Wasn't long & they wheeled into their set-up spots not far from us.

If I was younger, not a fumbling male over 60, & more on the ball, I could now tell you the names of Doug & JoAnn's friends in the other fifth wheel, but alas, I can't. Kelly would know but she's already gone to bed so as I write this blog to-night......I'm beat. I will just have to wait for D & J to send me over a nice email to-morrow & slip me some names.

In the meantime, D & J & couple X settled into their boondocking spots. Kelly & I slipped over later with a bunch of literature & activities in the area that Kelly had picked up in Borrego Springs earlier in the day. I then took Couple X, D & J for a tour into town showing them such fine points as where to dump garbage, the Laundromat, where to do dump tanks & pick up water. Jilberto's was on the driving tour as was, The Springs at Borrego, the Nature Center, the Fudge Factory, the grocery store, Anza-Borrego's State Park Visitor Center, the Library, the Post Office, the Hardware Store, a fruit stand, etc. etc. etc. I remember when we first came here a year ago we didn't know where anything was either & it was our good neighbor Butch who toured us around town showing us all the same fine points. It was nice for me to be able to do the same for some other folks.

We're still working on our DVD movies from the Library & to-night we watched, Flags of our Fathers directed by Clint Eastwood. Last night's movie was, The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman. To-morrow night's movie will be an instructional DVD for Al on the ABC's of remembering people's names..........:))

ANOTHER FINE BORREGO SUNSET

No photos for the album to-night.

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THE JULIAN CEMETERY....FINAL RESTING PLACE OF MARSHAL SOUTH

RAINBOW ON THE WAY TO JULIAN

It was nearly a year ago to the day that we first climbed the rugged path of Ghost Mountain leading to the old ruins & homestead of a man & his family who endured many hardships years ago to live a life free of society & all it's trappings. For some unknown reason I was very moved by the experience of walking through the ruins of what the family had called their home.......Yaquitepec. I took many pictures that day, http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/49JAN3MARSHALSOUTHGHOSTMOUNTAIN & several days later we bought the book, Marshal South & the Chronicles of Ghost Mountain. I read that book cover to cover & it was the first book I had read in nearly 30 years. The blog I wrote about that day can be found here...http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/mar/papr/mtsouth.htmlOn Scroll down to January 4th & look for, Marshal South & Ghost Mountain.
On this trip back to the Anza-Borrego area I wanted to see where this man was buried & to-day we drove to Julian in search of Marshal South's final resting place.

The morning's weather was a mixture of sun & cloud. Rays of sunlight poked through into the Borrego Valley but large dark & ominous clouds were sitting on some of the mountain tops to the west & southwest, just the direction we were headed. Borrego Springs sits on the desert floor in the Borrego Valley at the foot of the San Ysidro mountains & the drive to Julian ascends to over 4000 feet high up in the Volcan Mountain Range to the southwest. It's a very winding & twisting road & as we headed upwards through the little settlement of Banner, the clouds came down to meet us. The sun was lost somewhere behind us & as we came around one of the tight curves with the windshield wipers fighting off the persistent rain. A rainbow suddenly appeared in the valley to our right. I was able to get pulled over on the shoulder & take a few photos before the rainbow faded into the mist.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/THEJULIANCEMETERYFINALRESTINGPLACEOFMARSHALLSOUTH By the time we reached the little town of Julian it was very cold & we saw some remnants of the previous night's snowfall. This was our third visit to Julian & as the previous 2 times, we had trouble finding a parking place anywhere. This is a very touristy place & always crowded with people browsing in the many shops. Found a place one block off mainstreet & headed out on foot in the cold rain for downtown. Stopped into the Town Hall for a map of the town & to ask some questions. I wanted to see the fresco paintings Marshal South had done in one of the buildings which is now a Real Estate office. Luckily the office was open & I was able to take a few photos inside. Kelly had some browsing she wanted to do so we split up & I headed for the town's cemetery. Thanks to some excellent directions I found on the internet I was able to find Marshal South's plot with no trouble. As I stood there in the dreary rain looking at this man's grave I couldn't help but think of all his wonderfully descriptive writings about his life & times with his family up on Ghost Mountain in the Blair Valley, so many years ago.Marshal South authored a total of 102 articles & poems for Desert Magazine from 1939 to 1948. Eighty of these articles were about life on Ghost Mountain.
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/mar/papr/mtsouth.html

Thought we might grab a bite to eat & a coffee in Julian but after checking out the prices in a few places.....we got out of town!! Headed back down the twisting mountain road out of the cold depressing & dreary rain into the bright sunshine of the desert floor below & made a right turn onto S2 & the Blair Valley. We were in search of the Vallecito Stage Station which had been on the Butterfield Stagecoach route back in the late 1800's. That road took us right by Ghost Mountain where I hope to return one day next week for a last hike up the rocky twisting path to Yaquitepec. We finally reached our destination after traveling through a beautiful area of towering mountains & sweeping valley floors. So hard to imagine how the settlers & pioneers traveled these harsh lands in old buckboards, carts, & stagecoaches. They must have been a very hardy breed of people back then. Something we could all take a lesson from I'm sure.GHOST MOUNTAIN

We finally made it back to our rig just east of Borrego Springs shortly after 2 this afternoon. It had been a great 5 hour day trip & one I will always remember. We are just so fortunate to be here.....................................................

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PALO VERDE WASH......JEEP TOUR

WE ARRIVE AT THE FIRST OF TWO OVERLOOKS

Another fine morning in the heart of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The town of Borrego Springs is not part of the park but is totally surrounded by it & the park's headquarters & visitor information center are located here...... http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638

We picked Butch up at 8:30 & made the short 5 minute drive to Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs. Wasn't long before a few jeeps showed up & our leader for the tour, Deborah Sperberg stepped out of the gray lead jeep. She had been our jeep tour leader last year when we did the Grapevine Canyon run.......http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/444WHEELINGINGRAPEVINECANYON
The roads through the desert can be very rough & treacherous & it's always advisable to only travel them with high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles. Jeeps are the popular choice in the southwest & this area around Borrego Springs has no shortage of them. We were paired up with a pleasant couple driving a Jeep Wrangler. Jack & Henrietta live right here in Borrego Springs so were familiar with the ways of the desert roads. Not a lot of extra room in the back of a Wrangler but we managed to get ourselves packed in alright.

THIS IS A RUGGED LAND

Four jeeps made up the convoy as we headed for Palo Verde Wash east of Borrego Springs. We turned south off the highway into the desert following a rough trail of sorts. Lots of bumps, twists, & turns. It soon became apparent why 4 wheel drive vehicles are a must. Luckily we had bars to hang onto in the back seat as Jack navigated the ruts, road washouts, & large rocks. Despite the small space, the seats were actually quite comfortable. It was the getting in & out of the jeep that presented us the most problems. The old joints & bones just aren't as flexible as they used to be:((

Deborah halted her jeep finally & we all disembarked the vehicles for a hike up a long & twisting wash between large banks of rock & clay. We reached a ridge & there before us lay the Borrego Badlands stretching for miles & miles. Distant mountains brought things into perspective as we gazed in wonderment at the impassable & totally rugged terrain stretched out before & below us. Just impossible to imagine how all this was ever formed millions of years ago. Dinosaur remains have been found in these badlands. Deborah said, "this is a great view but wait till we get to the next overlook, it's even better!!"

THE BORREGO BADLANDS

Back down the wash to the jeeps & off we went to the next overlook. Road seemed a little rougher but after 15 minutes we bumped to a stop & made the short walk to the edge of a ridge overlooking the Badlands once again. This time we were up higher & could see even further than we did before. Truly awe inspiring to look out over lands that have virtually remained unchanged for thousands of years. Butch pointed out that at the far side of the Badlands straight out from us lay the Slot Canyon he had taken us through a year before....http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/41DEC23BORREGOSLOTCANYONHIKE
This is truly an amazing land we live in & we are soooooo fortunate to even be here & be a part of it.

ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

The road from this last overlook was the roughest part of the journey & took us a good 20 minutes or more to navigate our way back to the highway. Deborah has been leading these volunteer, & free jeep tours since back in the 90's & truly loves the driving challenges it presents, & enjoys the many people she meets along the way. She handles her jeep with much experience & great gusto:))

We were back in the Springs by noon & bid farewell with many thanks to Jack & Henrietta, our cordial driver & narrator for the morning. Like ourselves, they are RV people so we had lots in common & lots to talk about.

JACK, HENRIETTA, KELLY & AL

Butch, sensing our robust appetites said, "lets head over to Jilbertos & I'll treat you guys to lunch." Well, no twisting of arms here so off we went. They had their Mexican whatever it was & I had my good old standard hamburger. I am not an adventurous eater at all so I stick with the stuff I know. And besides, why put something in my mouth that's going to set my whole head on fire!!!! JILBERTOS

We were back to the rig about 1:15 & the rest of the afternoon was spent just like all the other afternoons since we've been here. Catching up on computer stuff, siesta, soaking up some rays outside, playing sticks with the doggy guys, etc. After supper it was movie time. We picked up 5 DVD's at the Library a few days ago so each night now we watch a movie before I start the blog. Last night was a movie about singer Bobby Darin's life starring Kevin Spacey. To-night was a movie about Queen Elizabeth staring Helen Merrin. Both good movies.

Not sure where we are off to in the morning but for sure it will be somewhere interesting again. Anza-Borrego State Park has events going on almost daily. I know that to-morrow at noon people can gather at the small airport here & meet a Ranger who is also a pilot & will be giving a talk & showing the airplane the Rangers use in their duties. There are also more jeep tours going, canyon hikes, & talks & seminars at the Park's visitor center. And, most of this stuff is free:)) So, if your out there somewhere sitting around totally bored, come on over to Borrego Springs, put your happy face on, get your butt in gear, & enjoy yourself................................

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A JURASSIC KIND OF DAY

NEIGHBOR BUTCH & HIS DOG KAPEESH DROP BY THIS MORNING

If some fellow partying RVers out here in the desert hadn't leaned on their big diesel air horns at midnight last night I probably wouldn't be as tired as I am right now. The same jeep club is here again this year & they have about 20 or 30 big rigs all parked in a circle. Last year they were a lot quieter but this year they were whooping it up pretty good for New Years. I had been asleep for a couple of hours before the horn blowing blew me out of bed!!!! Oh well, I always figure it's just pay back for me because of all the lives that I disrupted many years ago in my drinking & partying days too. Better them with the hangovers than me. It was a comforting thought this morning to know this was my 29th sober New Years morn:))))

Figured I'd tear apart the firepit & re-build it first thing this morning while it was still cool. Some folks just don't know diddly about making a firepit & the one that was here sure must have been made by some kinda diddly alright. Plus, it was full of broken glass so I dug a hole & buried the glass & old ashes. Makes me soooooooooo mad to always find broken glass wherever we go. Why is there such an obsession with humanoids to smash their beer bottles all over the place all the time!!!! Ok, better not get myself started on that.........

A HERD OF TORTOISES

Packed up some peanut butter sandwiches & headed out in search of some local hiking trails later this morning but didn't find the one we were looking for, but in the process of looking we came across a herd of tortoises. Big 3 foot high tortoises off to the side of the road. I've heard tortoises were slow but these guys weren't moving at all. And then we saw the dinosaurs....and they weren't moving either. Had we entered the Jurassic age?? ( The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the "Age of Reptiles".) A MOTHER DINOSAUR CARRYING HER BABY

Butch had told us earlier about these sculptures that are located randomly around the outskirts of Borrego Springs along the roadsides. A local land owner with a lot of properties around the area recently commissioned Mexican artist & sculptor, Ricardo Breceda to create, "Sky Art" of vertebrates which inhabited the Anza-Borrego region during the Pliocene-Pleistocene & Miocene eras. We spent about an hour driving around & stopping to look at all these marvelous sculptures stretched out for 3 or 4 miles in natural desert settings. They are all made of metal & spot welded to-gether & each one must have taken an enormous amount of time & effort. Some of the works are still in the process of being installed. One had just been anchored in a fresh cement pad & another large bird sculpture was just in the process of being assembled on the spot. Lots of photos for the web album. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ SABRE TOOTH TIGERS

In the process of driving around looking at the sculptures I took some pictures from the car of some swanky-do houses in the neighborhood. My photos don't do them justice but some of the homes & architecture here in Borrego Springs is just beautiful. No high rise stuff & very few places have a second story. Everything is low profile ranch style with some of the greatest desert landscaping I've ever seen. Palm trees, orange trees, & all kinds of flowers & cacti in the yards. Just love it!! What a beautiful little town this is. FEEDING TIME IN THE JURASSIC AGE

We were back to the rig by 2 & spent the rest of the day lazing around again enjoying the warm sunshine. To-morrow morning we'll be up early because we have to be in town to catch a free jeep tour. It's another great thing the town does. The local nature club people put free tours to-gether for anyone interested & local people provide the transportation with their jeeps & 4 wheel drive vehicles. Last year we went on a jeep tour with the same group up through a place nearby called Grapevine Canyon. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/444WHEELINGINGRAPEVINECANYON When we were in Borrego to-day Kelly went into the Nature Center & signed us up for a tour to-morrow to some canyons east of here. We also put Butch's name down because we knew he would want to go as well. We will probably be doing some more tours next week because the nature club have a lot of things on the go. Like I said, this is a great little town with lots of stuff going on & lots of things to do for everybody. The coyotes are really kicking up a fuss outside to-night & are the closest we've ever heard them. Checkers really gets to growling when she hears them but they don't bother Max or The Motormouse. It sure gives the West it's authenticity when you hear the coyotes howling at night. What a great place this is & don't forget to check out our links at the end of yesterday's blog about our time spent here last year at this same time........................ OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

NICE MORNING IN BORREGO SPRINGS-NICE NIGHT IN THE DESERT

The mornings just keep getting better & better. Can't even get myself cranked up enough to complain about the cold anymore. Now it's the heat......but I'm not complaining:)) So nice to step out of the rig in full view of the massive Santa Rosa Mountains to our northeast. The high peaks of the San Ysidro mountains to our west lead the way to San Diego & the Vallecito range to our south point the way to Mexico. Yes, it is a beautiful morning here in the Borrego Valley & we are two truly fortunate people. We have discovered many favorite places in our short travels these past few years & for me, Borrego Springs is one of them. It's a quaint & quiet laid back little town with no hustle or bustle. One main street, no traffic lights, & a lush green perfectly round island of grass & palm trees that leads you right into town. And they call that large round island, Christmas Circle. This morning after our desert doggy walk, we headed into town to have a look around the small farmer's type market they had set up there. Kelly immediately spotted a table full of doggy beds so that's where she headed to do some browsing. I spent my time snapping a few pics here & there...http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ And yes, she did end up with a big bargoon on 2 beds. THE CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Headed up the street & popped into the Borrego Desert Nature Center store for some free literature on area events. Stopped at our favorite little coffee shop, the Fudge Factory, split a home made muffin & sat outside in the warming sun sipping our coffee & watching the tall palm trees flitting in the gentle breeze wafting it's way down from Coyote Canyon & the San Ysidro mountains. HANGIN AT THE FUDGE FACTORY

Our next stop was about half a mile or so north at the Anza Borrego State Park Visitor's Center. This facility is a delight to see & I believe it has won an award for it's unique design & desert gardens. I took a bunch of pictures here last year when it seemed to be a little greener. Those pics are in one of the links I plan on enclosing below..... The Borrego Springs Library has moved into new modern & spacious facilities since last year & we stopped to pick up some free DVD's while we're here. The only channel we can get on our television back at the rig is Mexican so it's no good to us. Picked up some grapefruits & oranges on our way back to the rig too. Acres & acres of lush orchards here with fruit stands by the road. Nobody there & it's an honor system. This town is truly a beautiful oasis set in the rugged desert & mountain country of the Anza Borrego State Park. THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE TRYING OUT CHECKERS BIG NEW COMFY BED

I have decided to include the photo web album links (at the end of this blog) from our stay here last year because I don't want to repeat a lot of the same photos this year that I took last year & last year we had some very rainy & moody days that made for some great mountain pictures. If you have the time, check out the photo links & if your interested in the blog for those days just go to the right hand blog column & scroll down to our Blog Archives & click on December 07 & January of 08. Scroll to our Borrego Springs days between the dates of December 21rst to January 8th, 2008.

We were back at the rig by 2 & spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around soaking up the warmth of the sun & taking in the surrounding mountain vistas. As the sun set over the San Ysidro mountains we watched The Moon & Venus coming into view & as the few high scattered clouds disappeared, we saw the planets Jupiter & Mercury beside each other just before they slipped behind the mountain range. Colorful Christmas lights appeared on two rigs parked off to our west & I was able to get a few photos. Also a few pics of the Moon & Venus. A nice way to end the day & a nice way to end the year............................... So long, 2008:))

NEIGHBOR'S RIGS DECKED OUT IN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS FOR NEW YEARS EVE

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

BORREGO SPRINGS.....2007

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/40DEC2122HIKINGPALMCANYONATBORREGOSPRINGSCALIFORNIA

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/41DEC23BORREGOSLOTCANYONHIKE

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/42HELPINGOUTSOMEFELLOWCANADIANS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/43ASCENICDRIVETOJULIAN

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/444WHEELINGINGRAPEVINECANYON

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/45DEC30THEBORREGOBADLANDS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/46BORREGOSPRINGSANOLDWW2AIRGUNNERYRANGE

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/47THERITZYSIDEOFBORREGO

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/48JAN2THECULPVALLEYHIKE

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/49JAN3MARSHALSOUTHGHOSTMOUNTAIN

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/50JAN4OURMYSTICMOODYMOUNTAINS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/51JAN5RELAXINGRAINBOWS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/52JAN7OURLASTDAYATBORREGOSPRINGS