2012-12-15&16: Carrizo Mountain/Yuha Desert
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:47 pm
Carrizo Mountain & Yuha Desert Overnight Exploration Trip
Since the upper reaches of Painted Gorge and Carrizo Mountain are closed from January 1st to the last day of May due to the seasonal bighorn sheep closure, I’m planning on camping near the summit over the weekend of the 15th and 16th of December. Along with exploring other old mining roads around the mountain, I would also like to poke around for fossilized wood near the Plaster City area and explore the historical sites and fossilized oyster beds of the Yuha Desert. This area is located just outside the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on BLM land. I’m looking forward to spending some time in one of my favorite areas of the Southern California desert and relaxing around the campfire with my family.
Depending on who's going I'll figure out where and when to meet up and leave. Right now I'm thinking about heading out early Saturday moring, setting up camp on the mountain, then exploring the area.
Here's a trip report from my last outing there: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2437
Date: Sat. December 15th, 2012
Meeting location: Carls Jr 1263 Tavern Rd, Alpine, CA 91901
Meeting Time: 8:00AM
2M Simplex: 147.510
CB Channel: 19
Coordinates for the campsite: 32.818531,-116.002321
To get there: Take I-8 east to the Ocotillo exit north. Turn east on Even Hewes Highway (S80) and continue about 4.2 miles to Painted Gorge Road, on the left.
Signed up:
BorregoWrangler
THATSALEXUS?
dlichterman
Painted Gorge provides some of the most wonderful geology to be seen in Southern California. Desert USA has the following to say about Painted Gorge, "The Painted Gorge, located on the eastern side of the Coyote Mountains, consists of sedimentary, metamorphic and ingenious rocks. Heat and movement over time has created fantastic shapes and colors. Oranges, reds, purples, and mauves mixed with browns and blacks create a palette of color as the sun illuminates and plays shadows upon this geologic wonder called the Painted Gorge." The begining of the trail passes through Plaster City OHV Area into a wide open area. The graded road soon becomes a trail as it nears the sandy wash of Painted Gorge and quickly enters the canyon. Embedded rocks litter the wash, which eventually turns into a very narrow, rocky, loose shelf road as it nears the summit of Carrizo Mountain. There are great views of the Yuha Desert and Salton Sea along this trail.
The Yuha Desert of extreme Southern California is rich in both human and natural history. The area contains several unique attractions; the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, geoglyphs created by Native Americans, an area of rare crucifixion thorns, oyster shell beds, and the Yuha Well. The Yuha Desert is an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and is a limited use area. Please observe all posted signs. Routes traverse a variety of terrain, from flat desert pavement to sandy washes, to mud hills and other badlands type features.
Petrified wood is available for collection on a free use basis in limited quantities as long as the collection is for personal, non-commercial purposes. According to Federal regulations, free use collection weights are limited to 25 pounds plus one piece per day, not to exceed 250 pounds in one calendar year, and no specimen greater than 250 pounds may be collected without a special permit.
Since the upper reaches of Painted Gorge and Carrizo Mountain are closed from January 1st to the last day of May due to the seasonal bighorn sheep closure, I’m planning on camping near the summit over the weekend of the 15th and 16th of December. Along with exploring other old mining roads around the mountain, I would also like to poke around for fossilized wood near the Plaster City area and explore the historical sites and fossilized oyster beds of the Yuha Desert. This area is located just outside the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on BLM land. I’m looking forward to spending some time in one of my favorite areas of the Southern California desert and relaxing around the campfire with my family.
Depending on who's going I'll figure out where and when to meet up and leave. Right now I'm thinking about heading out early Saturday moring, setting up camp on the mountain, then exploring the area.
Here's a trip report from my last outing there: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2437
Date: Sat. December 15th, 2012
Meeting location: Carls Jr 1263 Tavern Rd, Alpine, CA 91901
Meeting Time: 8:00AM
2M Simplex: 147.510
CB Channel: 19
Coordinates for the campsite: 32.818531,-116.002321
To get there: Take I-8 east to the Ocotillo exit north. Turn east on Even Hewes Highway (S80) and continue about 4.2 miles to Painted Gorge Road, on the left.
Signed up:
BorregoWrangler
THATSALEXUS?
dlichterman
Painted Gorge provides some of the most wonderful geology to be seen in Southern California. Desert USA has the following to say about Painted Gorge, "The Painted Gorge, located on the eastern side of the Coyote Mountains, consists of sedimentary, metamorphic and ingenious rocks. Heat and movement over time has created fantastic shapes and colors. Oranges, reds, purples, and mauves mixed with browns and blacks create a palette of color as the sun illuminates and plays shadows upon this geologic wonder called the Painted Gorge." The begining of the trail passes through Plaster City OHV Area into a wide open area. The graded road soon becomes a trail as it nears the sandy wash of Painted Gorge and quickly enters the canyon. Embedded rocks litter the wash, which eventually turns into a very narrow, rocky, loose shelf road as it nears the summit of Carrizo Mountain. There are great views of the Yuha Desert and Salton Sea along this trail.
The Yuha Desert of extreme Southern California is rich in both human and natural history. The area contains several unique attractions; the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, geoglyphs created by Native Americans, an area of rare crucifixion thorns, oyster shell beds, and the Yuha Well. The Yuha Desert is an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and is a limited use area. Please observe all posted signs. Routes traverse a variety of terrain, from flat desert pavement to sandy washes, to mud hills and other badlands type features.
Petrified wood is available for collection on a free use basis in limited quantities as long as the collection is for personal, non-commercial purposes. According to Federal regulations, free use collection weights are limited to 25 pounds plus one piece per day, not to exceed 250 pounds in one calendar year, and no specimen greater than 250 pounds may be collected without a special permit.
