California – Page 3 – Paint Your Landscape

Desolate, Dramatic Anza Borrego Desert State Park, CA

April 3, 2015LuAnn

I find the desert intoxicating in the spring, like experiencing a fine wine for the first time. If you have ever done a wine tasting away from the crowds, your entire focus is on the depth of colors, the aroma of flowers, leaves, herbs and spices, the tastes you experience as you roll that first sip around your tongue. A good wine seems to dance in your mouth. I believe the desert in spring in many ways is synonymous to this. There is a harmonious balance amidst the complexity of all the desert sights and smells. It speaks to us on a cellular level, engaging all of our senses. On a cool, clear morning, standing at a trailhead not often traversed, looking out over the vastness of an open desert or a winding canyon, the colors and textures dance before your eyes and if you take a deep breath, the sweet smell of sage, acacia, and palo verde beckon you to move deeper into the wilderness. Hover near a creosote bush and you will remember why you love the smell of rain in the desert.

Recently we returned to Anza Borrego Desert State Park to spend five days with the Jojoba Hills hiking club. You could spend five weeks here and not experience everything this park has to offer. Covering 600,000 acres, with 500 miles of dirt roads and 110 miles of hiking trails (many only available with high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles), this park draws you back time and again. It even has a Sky Trail, which has been described in the Pilots Getaway magazine, and 50 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail meander in and out of the park.

We had been here a few weeks back when the desert was just beginning to awaken from its winter slumber and although the wildflowers were lovely, they were not yet at their peak. This visit they were beyond their peak in many areas we visited, thanks to the hot desert winds and this big fella.

Soon to be a lovely moth. Photo credit Doris Potter at www.dbase.com — Soon to be a lovely moth. Photo credit Doris Potter at http://www.dbase.com

Like an army on the move, he and tens of thousands of his best buddies have chomped through entire fields of wildflowers these past few weeks, leaving barren desert in their wake. These colorful but rather creepy (at least to me) caterpillars are the white-lined sphinx moth, aka hummingbird moth, who lay their eggs on the leaves of young plants. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow underground, where they pupate and emerge as moths and the cycle continues.

While the desert wildflowers were vanishing the cacti decided to step up and create beautiful splashes of color across the landscape. Here are just a few of the lovelies that we found while hiking:

Each day was filled with hiking and gatherings at the end of the day to share our adventures with the rest of the group. Some of the hikes that we tackled during our stay were:

Borrego Palm Canyon Trail

Nancy heading into the mud cave, flashlight at the ready.

Mud Caves at Arroyo Tapiado

Big Mud Cave, now a slot canyon after part of the roof collapsed.

Big Mud Cave (now a slot canyon) at Arroyo Tapiado

Glorietta Canyon

Frank getting cozy with a barrel cactus while the teddy bear cholla close in.

Cactus Loop Nature Trail

The Slot at West Butte was enjoyed by the rest of the group while I headed back to Jojoba Hills to attend an art journaling workshop. Someone (who will remain nameless) was responsible for photos but forgot the camera. Hmmm, wonder who that could be? 😉

Anza Borrego is a hiker’s paradise and a photographer’s dream. The topography can change at a moment’s notice, from soaring mountains, to barren desert, claustrophobic slot canyons, rippling badlands, to fields of wildflowers and brilliant blooming cacti. For those who love the desert there can be few better. I can think of no other place an hour away from our winter base to better spend time with our Jojoba friends.

Wildflowers, Desert Vistas, & New Friends ~ Anza Borrego Desert State Park, CA

March 2, 2015LuAnn

The desert is waking from her deep winter slumber, the time of year when Mother Nature playfully splashes every color in her palette across the barren landscape. Winter is not quite ready to relinquish her hold, as cold winds and rain still find their way down the mountains, scuttling across the desert floor of Anza Borrego State Park. But spring is gaining ground and the colors, textures and smells of the desert are wonderful!

We would find it shameful if we did not experience Anza’s wildflowers, given we are just an hour away from California’s largest state park. Actually they are just now beginning to burst open from their underground rest, so the next few weeks should prove to be quite spectacular.

Just a few of the wildflowers making their colorful debut:

We had only a few days to spend so we wasted no time in setting up camp near Coyote Mountain, at Clark’s Dry Lake, one of the more popular boondocking spots in Anza Borrego. We ventured down Rockhouse Road until we found a spot away from everyone else, with nothing to break the silence except the howling wind and coyotes late at night. Once settled we headed over to the trailhead for our first hike.

Hellhole Canyon

Anza Borrego is known as one of the hottest and driest deserts in the U.S., so it might be surprising to learn that there is a place where palm trees, sycamores, and cottonwoods flourish. And if you are persistent, don’t mind a bit of boulder-hopping and bushwhacking, and listen intently, you might stumble upon the tiny cascading waterfall known as Maidenhair Falls, for the lush ferns and moss lining the canyon wall. Welcome to Hellhole Canyon, a 5-mile trail out-and-back that keeps you on your toes as you try to determine which way the trail went, as it has a tendency to disappear within the vegetation-choked canyon floor.

Beyond the tantalizing images of the desert awash with color, we were looking forward to our visit with the birders Raven and Chickadee, better known as Eric and Laurel. One of the perks of following other RV bloggers is finding out who is circling in the area. These two little birdies were not only circling but they had landed and we feel grateful to have spent two fun-filled days with them and their Ashland friends. And, of course, another hike was on the agenda, this time an afternoon trek into Palm Canyon in search of the bighorn sheep.

Palm Canyon

Palm Canyon was once the most beautiful and lushest of the 25 palm canyons within Anza Borrego but a freak summer thunderstorm in 2004 brought a 20-foot wall of water rushing down the canyon, carrying with it hundreds of uprooted fan palm trees. These displaced palms, carried along by a massive mudflow, hit the state park campground, causing considerable damage and what some have dubbed a “thousand-year flash flood”. This 3-mile out-and-back trail is still quite lovely, despite what she has endured. We did not find the elusive bighorn sheep on our hike but when we returned to camp the Ashland crowd who stayed behind had seen them on the ridge above the campground…bummer for the hikers!

Although our time at Anza Borrego was short, our days and nights were packed with interesting conversation, lovely hikes, great food and drink, and entertainment. It seems this Ashland bunch are very talented. We can’t thank them enough for including us in their intimate group. We had a blast and look forward to meeting up with them again later this summer. 🙂

Not Your Ordinary “Chip” ~ Mt. Woodson, Poway, CA

February 26, 2015LuAnn

Recently our hiking club decided to tackle the Mt. Woodson trail, a hike that I suggested they add to their list. This is a hike I had hoped to do with a blogger friend, but divergent schedules and car troubles resulted in a missed opportunity. Soon after said friend boarded a plane and jet-set off to faraway lands. I am dedicating this short post to that zany guy who is the talented author of The Sophomore Slump blog. Rommel, I carried you along in spirit up the trail. 🙂

Mt. Woodson has two approaches to the summit, the western approach a 5.5 mile loop with a 1500 foot elevation gain and the eastern approach, somewhat more aggressive at 6.8 miles and 2300 feet up the mountain. Our hiking group chose the western approach but I must admit the eastern approach, which has its beginnings at Lake Poway, seems it might have the more diverse views along the way. However, either approach has huge boulders strewn across the mountainside, making for an interesting hike.

And both approaches are steep climbing, but if you keep your focus on the reason you chose this hike, the journey becomes less arduous (mind over matter, yes?). And the reason most choose this hike is to get their photo taken on the cantilevered flake of rock near the top known as Potato Chip Rock. Many a hiker has stood in a long line to have their picture taken on the Chip, some testing fate with handstands, jumps, and yoga poses near the edge. For me the bigger challenge was climbing the boulder to get to Potato Chip Rock.

If you decide you gotta have that photo of yourself doing stunts on a rock seemingly suspended in mid-air, plan a visit during the week, unless standing in line for an hour is your thing. Your reward once down the mountain should be lunch at The Yellow Deli imho. 😉

Nature’s History Lesson ~ Anza Borrego Desert State Park, CA

January 25, 2015LuAnn

After an afternoon visit recently with friends Pam and John of Oh, The Places They Go, we decided hiking was in order, as they planned to spend time in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, just an hour away from where we are staying.

Anza Borrego is the largest desert park in America and California’s largest state park, a whopping 600,000+ acres. It takes its name from the 18th-century Spanish explorer Juan Batista de Anza and borrego, Spanish word for bighorn sheep, of which there are between 250-300 in the park. More than 500 miles of roads snake through the park, and 110 miles of hiking trails assure nature lovers ample opportunity to get their desert fix.

A harsh yet beautiful landscape

John and Terry ready for the day.

One of my favorite desert plants, the ocotillo, whether colorfully adorned or in winter dress.

Pam and John decided on three combined short hikes in Blair Valley, familiar trails for them. Our day was to be one of interesting finds, a day to revisit history. The first leg of our hike was up Ghost Mountain to see the remains of Yaquitepec, the primitive, mountaintop home of poet, author, and artist Marshal South and family. For 17 years, Marshal, wife Tanya, and their three children lived a life of simplicity and isolation on the top of Ghost Mountain, a difficult life for even the hardiest of souls. The rusted reflections of their time here are evidenced by the still-standing doorframe, dilapidated bed frame, and rain storage barrels. For me, the 360º panorama from the mesa top was the best part of the hike.

Up we go!

Last remnants of the Marshal South estate

Inquisitive guys checking out the water collection system

From here we headed over to a trail where pictographs could be found, then into Smuggler’s Canyon, where a dry waterfall marks the end of the trail, with a spectacular view that slopes down to the valley below. When walking back out, Pam spotted a sun halo, an atmospheric phenomenon introduced to us a few years ago by Nina of Wheeling It.

The student teaches the teacher as Terry draws on his past tour guide knowledge in Sedona.

Sloping view from atop the dry waterfall at Smuggler’s Canyon

Pam and John at Smuggler’s Canyon

Morteros etched into granite boulders dot the landscape.

Sun halo

The last of our hiking for the day took us out to a canyon trail where a number of granite boulders contained morteros, grinding holes created by Native Americans as they ground their daily meals from the bounty nature provided them.

If we had ended our day here, it would have been a wonderful day reveling in nature, exploring with friends, but Pam and John wanted us to experience Font’s Point, gazing out over the Carrizo Badlands, hopeful of ending the day with a breathtaking desert sunset. We were not disappointed.

Party time at Font’s Point

Skyline bursting with color

Three amigos waiting for the big show at Font’s Point. Looks like they are modeling for a hiking magazine. 🙂

For a bit more history of the area, check out John’s post here. A former history teacher can say it much better than me. 😉

Little Gem in the Desert ~ Jojoba Hills RV Resort

January 18, 2015LuAnn

Lovely clouds blanket the mountains and cast interesting shadows on the desert floor.

We have been in our winter home at Jojoba Hills RV Resort near Temecula, CA for almost three months now and are enjoying it immensely. I must confess to being a bit skeptical about the thought of spending so much time being stationary, at least the wheels on our home. But this new lifestyle, a wonderful blending of community and travel, suits us just fine. We have found an active group of caring, supportive folks that we bonded with immediately. I am pleased to call Jojoba Hills our winter home and wanted to take a moment to share a little history of this beautiful resort.

Twenty-five years ago a small group from a local chapter of an Escapee’s RV Club had a vision, one that many might consider reckless or foolhardy. Thank goodness for grandiose dreamers, those with a pioneering spirit, for this is what it took, along with a huge dose of tenacity, hard work, and synergy, to breathe life into Jojoba Hills RV Resort. What was once barren desert is now a sparkling little gem overlooking Palomar Mountain and the Aguanga Valley.

This small band of visionaries, men and women with a median age of 67, began the arduous task of clearing 145 acres of rattlesnake-infested hills and canyons. Although many tradesmen were represented, I learned that volunteers were transformed into whatever was needed – “salesmen became electricians or plumbers and hair dressers became welders”. Women who had never wielded a hammer stood alongside the men building the sheds and setting the forms for concrete patios. The “Rockettes”, most if not all women, painstakingly placed 25,000 feet of rocks into drains and culverts, securing the drainage system, all the while considering the aesthetics of the resort.

Over 292,500 volunteer hours moved 1.2 million cubic yards of dirt, 2700 tons of rock, built 5 miles of road, dug 35 miles of trenches, poured 119,000 square feet of concrete, etc., etc. Except for a handful of professionals who were paid a fee, the remaining crew did this back-breaking work for nothing more than coffee and their daily ration of homemade cookies…an immense labor of love.

My sense of reluctance at finding enough to interest me and occupy my time has been transformed into wonderment at all this resort has to offer. There are pickleball and tennis courts, a lap pool, hot tubs, saunas, a well-equipped fitness room, yoga class, photography club, art classes, sewing room, hiking club, book club, pottery classes, woodworking shop, and, be still my heart, a writers’ group. The list of amenities is extensive, not to mention the countless opportunities to volunteer, which is highly encouraged, as this resort is maintained by the generous volunteering spirit of its members.

One of six lovely ponds grace the property.

Many of the founding residents are now beginning to move on to the next phase in their lives, but those who remain have the most delightful stories to share. I have found the most heartwarming sense of community here at Jojoba Hills, and have lived nowhere else where the support of neighbors is so pervasive. You cannot walk or drive by anyone without receiving a warm smile and a wave – the Jojoba way.

Temecula is only 17 miles away and has a great farmers’ market and lots of opportunity for retail therapy, if that is your thing. Jojoba Hills is surrounded by wine country and within an easy drive of San Diego, Anza Borrego, Palm Springs, and Joshua Tree National Park. There are countless other adventures to be had across California. Death Valley is on our calendar for this winter, as is the Central Coast.

If you find yourself wandering around in the deserts of So. Cal, you might want to check out Jojoba Hills. They’re an awfully friendly bunch here. 🙂