Murderous Mesquite Canyon...

 At the beginning of the nineteenth century, prospectors followed an Indian foot-trail into the deep canyon here, in search of gold.  Although a few of these hardy souls found gold, none got rich, and many headed deeper into the El Paso Mountain Range in search of their fortunes.  

By the mid 1800's, the trail was being used by mule trains, hauling gold out, and bringing supplies in.

A large group  of Mesquite trees once grew at the entrance to the canyon (near present-day Red Rock-Randsburg Rd.), Mesquite Canyon, and a stream ran through the canyon as well.  Today, there is nary a tree nor a drop of water in sight.  

At least, that's how it was during my visit here about three weeks ago.

I'd been camping with friends in Red Rock Canyon since Friday - and I was on my way home this sunny Sunday morning.

The previous day, my friends and I had gone separate ways- they to the El Paso Mountains, and me to the Trona Pinnacles, before meeting back at the campsite on Saturday night.

But, I couldn't go home without at least a perfunctory stop in the El Paso Mountains.  

I became intrigued with the El Paso Mountains and its rich history of being populated by outlaws, prospectors and Native Americans.

Indeed, during the 1800's, it was very common for prospectors to be relieved of their gold at gunpoint, in Mesquite Canyon.

Generally, in those days, what happened in the desert, stayed in the desert.  But, a couple of incidents did reach the ears of the outside world.

The body of a murdered mining company owner was found at the area known as Mesquite Springs- which is right at the entrance to the canyon, off Red Rock-Randsburg Road.  The year was 1864, and the man had had a shipment of gold with him.  

A short time later, two miners were chased off their claims at the top of Mesquite Canyon.  Forty tons of gold were stolen.

Well into the late twentieth century, travel through this area was still dangerous, with "off-the-grid" types chasing visitors away at gunpoint from time to time.

Now, though, Mesquite Canyon is the domain of off-roaders and explorers like me.  

I can't remember the last time I entered the El Paso's through Mesquite Canyon, but, since I was alone, I was going to consider this to be a scouting trip, and not drive too far into the canyon.

I would use my drone to reconnoiter, and then return at a later date with some companions.

After a mile or so, I pulled off into a clearing.

Leaning against my Subaru Forester's rear bumper, I wondered what the old-time prospectors would think about the horseless vehicles zipping up and down the canyon road.  

This video is just an "overview" of the area: 

                   An old mine in the canyon wall: 

Close-up view of the entrance to the mine:

Mesquite Canyon Road seems to disappear into the El Paso Mountains:

Looking toward Red Rock Randsburg Road, the area known as Mesquite Springs can be seen near the road:

Best Viewed From A Distance: The Trona Pinnacles...

 It was a Friday afternoon at about 3 PM, during the middle of a cold, dry winter in southern California.  My Subaru Forester was packed with my camping gear, camera equipment, and my DJI Air 3 drone when I hit the 15 Freeway north bound.  My destination was the Ricardo Campground in Red Rock Canyon State Park.  Some friends and I would be camping there for two nights.  

Although I hit the usual Friday afternoon traffic on the 15 Freeway, I arrived in camp at 5:40 PM.  After clearing space in my vehicle's cargo area, I inflated my air mattress and made my "bed".  

I joined my friends for dinner around the campfire, and we made our plans for the next day.  Their plan was to explore the El Paso Mountains.  Having spent many years exploring the El Paso's, I planned to go my own way, and pay a visit to the Trona Pinnacles.

After a relatively comfortable sleep, despite the temperatures in the high 30's overnight, at the Forester Inn, I awoke at 6 AM.  My buddy Joe was already brewing coffee in a percolator that he'd brought along.  A short time later, the others arose, and we consumed a breakfast of pancakes (sans syrup - no one thought to bring any) and ham patties, we all made our preparations to depart for the day.

I left the campsite at around 9:30 AM, looking forward to my visit to the Pinnacles.  In my 35-plus years of exploring the Mojave Desert, I'd only been to the Pinnacles once, many years ago.

The route to the Pinnacles from Red Rock Canyon takes one through the large oasis that is the city of Ridgecrest.  Continuing past Ridgecrest, along Highway 178, I approached the outskirts of Trona. It was mandatory that I stop to look at those desert icons that are known as the "Fish Head Rocks."

                                                   The Fish Head Rocks.

Also referred to as the "Whale Head Rocks" the exact origin of this rock art is not clear, but it is generally thought to have been created during the 1930's.  Over the years, the mouths have been re-painted by Boy Scouts and various desert preservation group.  By the way, the Fish Head Rocks are located in an area that is known as Poison Canyon.

With a population of just under 2000 people Trona sits on the edge of Searles Lake - which, of course, is a dry lake in Searles Valley.  The main industry in the town is soda ash processing (soda ash is a main ingredient in cleaning products).  But, a tour of Trona was not on my agenda.

The entrance to the Pinnacles area- officially known as the "Trona Pinnacles National Landmark" as proclaimed by the sign, is a graded dirt road off Highway 178 that takes you another 5 miles to the Pinnacles themselves.  

Your author at the entrance.  The rock formations in the distance are the Pinnacles.

So, what, exactly, ARE the Trona Pinnacles?  They are tufa (essentially limestone) which formed underwater (when the dry lake wasn't, you know, dry)  when ground water that was full of calcium combined with the alkaline-rich lake water to form these calcium-carbonite spires.  The pinnacles formed at different times - they're not all the same age- between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago.  Like many of the ghost towns in the desert, they are slowly crumbling, and will eventually vanish.

A loose network of trails winds around and through the Pinnacles.  The trails that form a perimeter around the Pinnacles are just dirt roads, and offer numerous places to stop and take photos.  On the other hand, the trails that wind their way through the formations are best traversed with a high ground-clearance vehicle, preferably with all-wheel or four wheel drive.

Un-gated railroad crossing along the road to the Pinnacles. 

Notice how the tracks protrude from the dirt.  Higher than normal ground clearance helps, here.

The following images were taken while stopped at various points along the "perimeter" trail:

And from the "interior" trails:

Notice the rocky debris around the "crumbling" formation.

The "base" of a Pinnacle.

Short clip taken along the the interior trail. You can see why 

higher ground clearance and AWD or 4WD is helpful here.

Drone's-eye view of the Pinnacles.

                                               I shot this from outside the Landmark, as drone flight within 

                                              is illegal.  This was my last stop of the day.

After stopping to shoot some quick drone footage, I headed back toward the campsite.  It was getting close to dinner time, and my canned corned-beef hash was waiting for me.

Well, the hash is still waiting, because I was tasked with picking up extra firewood in Ridgecrest.  The thought of trying to cook in the dark, in the cold weather held little appeal, so I had dinner at Denny's.

The next morning, I snuck into the El Paso's on the way home, but that is another story...

Drone flight in the Calico Mountains...

 

It's over 100 Degrees, And I'm Going Out To The Desert?!

 It was a Saturday evening during a heat wave here in Southern California.  I'd been meaning to take a drive to the Calico Mountains in order to check out the colors at sunset.  A check of the weather in the area indicated that the forecasted "low" would 90 degrees by early evening.

So, after filling my 2 gallon water jug, brewing coffee for my thermos, and checking that all necessary batteries (drone, camera, amateur radio and GMRS handhelds) were charged, I headed out.

Heading north on the 15 Freeway from the Inland Empire on a Saturday at 5 PM, there was light traffic- despite this being Labor Day weekend.  I guess that most people were already hunkered over the Vegas gaming tables.

After exiting the 15 Freeway at Calico Rd. I turned left, and after roughly two miles, I turned right on to the Doran Scenic Drive.  

So, did I mention that it was still 103 degrees at 7:37 PM?  

But, it really didn't FEEL like 103 degrees.  I wasn't uncomfortable at all, as I stood outside my Subaru flying the drone.

There were other people here too, driving their sand vehicles.  I even heard gunshots(for those who don't know, this area is popular with recreational shooters.)

As the sun went down, I was struck by the beauty of these mountains.  The rich brownish and reddish hues on the hills all present a natural watercolor "painting."  No matter how many times I come here, I am awestruck.

     Drone image by the author.  All rights reserved. This image was taken shortly after I arrived. 7:17       PM.

Drone video, filmed by the author.

Another aerial "tour", filmed by the author during the evening visit.

                                  I continued a little further into the hills.

    ...and I shot the image below, of the Calico "ghost town" using the drone, before beginning the trip home:  

Checking Out The "Secret" Cajon Pass...

 The other morning I took a drive up to an area near Lytle Creek, that is known as "Sheep Canyon."  

Admittedly, my explorations of the Lytle Creek area, which is practically in my back yard, have been limited.  For some reason, this area is rarely on my radar.

But, on this day, I decided to check out an area closer to home.

Finding the trailhead is very easy- you just take Sierra Ave. in Fontana to Lytle Creek Road.  I continued a few miles on Lytle Creek Road.  A short distance past the Applewhite Campground, I turned right on to trail 2N56.

The photo above was taken at the beginning of the trail.  The trail climbs up into the mountains, and consists of a well-maintained gravelly-dirt road.  I had no trouble negotiating this trail in my stock Subaru Forester.  There were a couple of places where the gravel was loose, and the Forester's all-wheel-drive came in handy.  I'm not sure that I would drive this trail in a 2WD vehicle, especially one with low ground clearance.

I drove about two miles before reaching the summit.  There is plenty of room to park and enjoy the view.  The trail continues down into another canyon, but, being alone,  I didn't want to risk it.

Below, are two views from the summit:

Notice how green everything is, even during the summer!  I can't wait to see what it looks like after heavy rains!

I used my DJI Air 3 for an aerial "tour" of the area.

Aerial Tour of the Mormon Rocks...

 

Journey Into The Calico Mountains...

At the beginning of this month (June, 2024), here in Southern California, we seemed to be going through that "transitional  phase" between winter and summer.  Many people call this time "spring."  So, I wanted to spend a full day in the desert, before the summer heat limits my forays and exploration to the early mornings, or late afternoons.

So, here on this morning at the beginning of June, I set out to spend some time at the area in the Calico Mountains near Odessa Canyon. I say "near", because to proceed all the way into the canyon would involve negotiating a trail that would eat my Subaru Forester alive.

It was around 10 AM when I exited the 15 Freeway at Calico Rd.  Another 5 minutes took me to Mule Canyon Road.  About a mile up Mule Canyon Road, I turned left on to trail CM7600, which runs along the the base of the Calico Mountains.

The author's Subaru Forester on the trail.

A rather bumpy trail, with patches of deep sand, CM 7600 seems to connect with a confusing array of other trails, a few of which lead straight into the hills.  

About a quarter of a mile along CM7600, I decided to take one of these trails as far as I could comfortably go.

 

Above:  One of the trails leading into the hills.  I probably could have gone a little further, but it didn't look like there would be a spot for me to turn around, if necessary.   So, I decided to let my drone do some exploring for me.

A little aerial "tour" of the hills near my first stop.

I then drove a little further, and turned on to the "Doran Scenic Drive."  

Roger and Loris Mitchell, in their book ), Southern California SUV Trails Volume I, The Western Mojave Desert (one of an excellent series of books written by this couple), state that no one should enter Odessa Canyon if they are still making payments on their vehicle.

Entrance into Odessa Canyon is made via the Doran Scenic Drive.   The Mitchells state that this is one of the most difficult trails in the state, and that the circuit through the canyon cannot be driven with most four-wheel drive vehicles.  I assume that this means any vehicle that is not extensively modified.

Obviously, I wouldn't be testing the Mitchells' assertion with my Subaru.

Believe it, or not, the Doran Scenic Drive was once a paved road for tourists, during the 1930's.

I drove roughly a half a mile, and I decided to stop while the tail was "just" sandy and rocky.

  Above:  This is where I stopped.  As can be seen, the trail continues on, but I wanted to quit while I was ahead.

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The video above, taken with the drone, shows how rough the trail eventually becomes.  I'm glad I didn't push my luck!

Above:  While I was walking around I discovered these natural tunnels.  I was tempted to drive my Forester through them, but I don't think AAA will pick up a vehicle that is wedged into a tiny tunnel.  So, I walked through behind my drone.

Above:  This video shows the Doran Scenic Drive's level of difficulty - which wasn't much - for my stock 2020 Subaru Forester- for the first mile or so, anyway.

During my visit,  I encountered only one other vehicle - which was apparently be used to follow a drone being flown by one of the vehicle's occupants.  

Despite my being fairly close to Calico Road, and to the tourists on the other side of the hills at the Calico ghost town, the only sound was the breeze whispering among the rocks.