This weekend turned out to be much more than even I expected! Good times! We enjoyed a variety of terrain and scenery, from sandy desert trails and boulder-strewn washes to pine-shaded, rocky mountain climbs. I may have also pushed the old YJ to its limits on a few obstacles. Anyway, I met up with BlueFJ (Craig) in Escondido on the way up to Anza. After grabbing a few breakfast burritos in town we were soon making our way down the trail into Coyote Canyon and on towards Bailey's Cabin to set up camp. I was planning to just stay in the cabin but didn't feel like killing the small family of mice that had made their home in an old coleman stove, so I just set up my tent real quick.
Before exploring the rest of the area in our rigs, we decided to park a little ways over by the closure fence and hike down through upper willows for a bit. We actually followed a vehicel's tire tracks all the way down. You could see where there was a break in that part of the fence. Well, not a fence, just a few wooden post and logs stuck in the ground a few feet apart. I don't know if it was just some hooligan going off the trail or if it was a park ranger, maybe patrolling the area. In any case, we followed what used to be the vehicle trail down a ways, before it was closed off around 1995 (I think). It didn't look all that different from the areas there that you are allowed to drive. The State Park Service could very easily reopen that secton of Coyote Canyon without causing any damage to any sensitive resource area.
Anyway, we then drove through Alder Canyon and then up into Horse Canyon to test our rigs and skill on some of the tough obstacles there. Craig and I both ended up needing to use the recovery strap. You know you're having fun when you get stuck every now and then! Towards the back of the canyon we ran into David (inVERt'D on myjeeprocks.com) who had been with me on my last run through here. He lives right there in Anza so we had plans to meet up again the next day and head on over to Santa Rosa Mountain and make our way up to Toro Peak via Sawmill Trail. We made it back to camp at sunset and we're soon enjoying conversation and drinks by the campfire.
The next day we broke camp and rolled into town where we aired and gased up. David soon joined us in his very capable red TJ Wrangler. From here on, it would be my first time through this next trail that snaked its way up the Santa Rosa Mountains. From hwy 371 we turned east on the 74 to the Sawmill trailhead, where we aired down. Now this trail has some very steep, rocky, off-camber climbs that I would consider one of the most difficult trails I've been on. In fact, that's where I blew out one of my rear shocks!
This route eventually came to an end at the easy Santa Rosa Mtn Trucktrail. From the top we had clear views of Palm Springs, the Salton Sea and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Being on the mountain reminded me of northern California and Big Bear. When summer rolls around again and it gets too hot for the deserts here, that's where I'll be headed! 
Pics to come soon!
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