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Trekking in Anza Borrego

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Put a jaunt or three on your calendar for the next couple of months out to our nearby wonderful 650,000 acre Anza Borrego Desert State Park. This is prime time for camping, hiking, and poking around, so don't miss it. If you've not been there lately, stop in at the Park Visitors Center in Borrego Springs to see the latest films (new one about Marshall South of Ghost Mountain fame) and displays. And now the Forum quiz: What trail goes right through Culp Valley, just above Borrego Springs?

UPDATES

Speaking about that Desert State Park, Anza-Borrego Foundation, working with The Nature Conservancy, announced a new acqusition of 422 acres just west of Borrego Springs. This is prime habitat for endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. This valuable parcel will be incoporated into the state park.

Don't let Washington sell off National Forest Land to pay for one-year budget items. That's seriously being proposed in DC, with over 300,000 acres, many in California, possibly being put up for sale. Get those e-mails flowing to your DC lawmakers and local press.

Wow! Did you see what they're planning up in British Columbia? A huge National Park along the water.

Put on your long-range calendar the date of April 23. Earth Day in Balboa Park. Volunteers are welcome at www.earthdayweb.org.

County Parks has a new online reservation system for checking options and scheduling picnics, wedding, corporate retreats and more. Check these out at www.sdparks.org. (Still need to actually reserve at 858-565-3600.)

FOR A MEMORABLE DESERT JAUNT, TRY THE CALIFORNIA RIDING & HIKING TRAIL

Many people will be heading out toward the desert from now and into April. How many depends on whether or not we start getting some rain. No rain means few flowers, and many of the desert visitors head out to see the spring wildflowers.

Very few of those carbound folks heading on that long drive downhill from the small burg of Ranchita toward Borrego Springs are aware that paralleling that winding highway is one of the desert's most pleasant trails. A stroll along this trail brings some true rewards: (1) it's mostly downhill all the way (those are hard to find), (2) you'll enjoy the true desert experience of mixed terrain, fine views, and peace (totally unlike going down that busy highway over there), and (3) you might find lots of flowers along the way, well after the lower desert flowers have come and gone. You can keep hiking this trail for several weeks after the sun is too fierce down at the town area.

This is however a hike that needs some thinking about before heading down. Here's the overall scope. You can start way up there near Ranchita, hike for a couple hours and arrive at Culp Valley, enjoy that area with its spring and ample foliage, and keep right on heading downward, eventually ending up at the parking lot less than a mile from Borrego Springs. You can bite off just a bit, for example turning around at Culp and walking back up to the entry point. Or you can think car shuttle, leaving your pickup vehicle waiting for you at either Culp or the bottom. With careful planning you can have a rewarding day out there, mostly in solitude as you'll have little company except at Culp.

A bit about that planning. Necessities are a hat, water, good lug-soled boots, and recommended are a good hiking stick, desert flower guide, long-sleeved shirt, a map (though it is pretty straightforward), cell phone (if it will work), and a hiking companion or two. Make sure someone knows where you are (standard safety procedures for desert hiking).

Let's locate the top starting place. East from Ramona, at the Santa Ysabel corner (e.g. Dudley's Bakery), turn north on 79 and drive through some of our loveliest back country. A few miles past Lake Henshaw turn right on S-2 and then veer left on S-22 towards Borrego Springs. Drive through Ranchita, and see the large Anza Borrego Desert State Park sign. Note mileage here. About 0.6.mile further along (mileage marker 6.8), locate the small California R&H trail sign at the Jasper Trail Road (or 1.7 miles from the Ranchita store). If you're doing a car shuttle keep going down S-22 to Culp (on the left three miles from the State Park sign) or way on down to the last lot on the left side ( mileage marker 16.5, same as for Hellhole Canyon) just before town.

Back up at the top at that trail entry sign, you'll find parking for a few cars south off the highway by the Jasper Trail.

Now on foot, cross the highway onto the hiking trail (about 50 feet east) which heads off to the north and east. It winds through a varied landscape, roughly paralleling the highway (without all those curves) off to the south. That's where the noise is; you're missing all that over here. Your noise will be from the many bird chirps instead. With a good rainy season, this can be rich in wildflowers (beavertail, Lord's Candles, cholla), often on display weeks after they've faded down below. You may feel you're walking through a setting for old West movies. You'll have plenty of expansive views in all directions along this trail.

The final stretch is over a large ridge and then downhill to Culp Valley. If your plan is to return the same trail or to pick up a car shuttle here, walk a bit further to explore the extensive foliage and many birds in the Culp Pena Spring area. Back toward the highway is a respectable primitive camp (e.g. has toilets) nestled amongst the rocks. (Another option is to start your eastward hike from Culp.)

Taking the full-hike option, continue past the spring area, locate the marked sign for that same California R&H Trail and head eastward. This is a long stretch, with lots of boulders and open sections. Keep heading along the trail and finally the trail veers to the north and intersects the more traversed Hellhole Canyon trail. Should you continue straight ahead you would arrive at the Park Visitors' Center. Instead turn right and arrive at the Hellhole Canyon parking lot, where your return vehicle is waiting. If you still have some energy left, take the jaunt from the lot up into Little Surprise Canyon from the same parking lot. Facing away from the back of the restroom see Surprise straight ahead. This is roughly a one hour in and out easy and pleasant stroll.

From the trail start up by Ranchita, allow about 2 hours to Culp, depending on your dawdle time, or 5-6 hours for the full trek down. For some refreshment and culture, head into town and include a stop in at the Anza Borrego Natural History Association Nature Center & Store, on the left, just before Christmas Circle.

SO GET OUT AND ENJOY SAN DIEGO. And let me hear from you via the Forum hot button or new email address outdoorssd@aol.com.

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