The Split Mountain Gorge of Fish Creek Wash has some world-famous geology and makes for a scenic and interesting four-wheel drive up a varied desert landscape. We stopped to have a look at some of the world's best exposures of alluvial fan deposits (photo below) and the base of an enormous landslide that overrode turbidite deposits and then pondered the thought-provoking landslide collision outcrop (second photo below). Here the great landslide slammed into the bedded sandstones and shales, chaotically folding and deforming the rocks like a freight train running into an immense pile of rugs.We drove on through the deeply-incised gorge to where the canyon reverts to a open wash through badlands for several miles. Eventually we reached the spectacular Sandstone Canyon where several slot canyons feed into a sandy-floored canyon not much more than the width of a Jeep in places. I drove the Jeep as far as the major rockfall blocking further car traffic, and then we explored a bit on foot. Apologies for all the Jeep hero shots- it's been a while since I have been able to go four-wheel driving.
Sexy rocks; sexy jeep; moderately attractive girl
On the way back out we stopped to have lunch in a sandstone alcove with far-reaching views of badlands framed by the wind-carved sandstone with a confused ocotillo blooming in the foreground. By this time many of the four wheel enthusiasts had arrived and so off we headed towards the Salton Sea.
Badlands
Not far from the southern shores of the Salton Sea is another geological oddity. In a muddy, salt-encrusted field on the side of the road is a cluster of about a dozen small mounds of mud reaching six feet in height. Here rising geothermal gases and heat combine with a shallow groundwater level to create whimsically gurgling and spurting mud volcanoes. The mud volcanoes are remarkable as exact scale replicas of larger volcanic features like cinder cones, lava fountains, ropy pahoehoe flows, craters, calderas, rifts and bubbling lakes. It's amazing how something so simple can be so enthralling.
We caught a real stunner of a sunset over the Salton Sea before driving along the US-Mexican border to Ocotillo and turning into the Carrizo Badlands for the night.
Salton Sea mud volcanoes
Sunset at the Salton Sea
After a leisurely morning we set out down the narrow gorge of the Canyon Sin Nombre, stopping where curiosity necessitated us to check out the intriguing slots and side canyons. Some of these slots were surprisingly long, sinuous and dark with chockstones and dry falls to navigate. The bottom of the canyon opened out into a wide and vast wash which we followed up to another dusty canyon known as Arroyo Tapiado. This canyon cuts through dipping siltstones and sandstones with just the right conditions for some of the world's most extensive mud cave systems to form. Several dozen different cave systems exist; countless arches and collapses are testament to former caves. Several of the caves we explored were tight with several branches. Some of the caves reach rather spacious dimensions for mud caves: 4m wide and 7m tall. The longest cave was about 1000 feet long. Sara led the way as we felt our way through the confines of a body-width cave in total darkness. We had a great time exploring and easily lost track of time. A memorable drive through snow and rain up the dark and twisty back roads of San Diego County found us back in civilization.
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