I came dangerously close to having a blog post-free month for the first time since I started in 2008, but was saved by this short hike exploring an inhospitable corner of the Anza Borrego badlands. Heather took the initiative to plan us a weekend getaway to Julian with the primary goals of chilling and drinking cider in the scraggly SoCal forest, but we did venture down to the heat of Anza Borrego for a half day's adventure. After stocking up at the small town store we drove out to the badlands northeast of Font's Point, an area I was intrigued by due to its many mud karst features visible on satellite imagery. Wanting to get a feel for the cave potential in this area, Heather and I set out on a 1.5 mile loop sampling some of the terrain. We started off across some bizarre mudrock slickrock cut into a dramatic anticline. With considerable effort we found a way into the steep and narrow slot of the wash. The going was hyper-sinuous, causing much awkward scooting around the corners, greatly slowing our progress. After a few small tributaries joined the slot finally relented for open wash and much easier travel. I checked out a few mud karst features but overall the karst forming layers seemed to be too thin and the catchments too small to develop readily traversable cave systems. At least my curiosity was scratched and I did not feel the need to make a specific trip to explore this area further.
We worked our way down the wash and then back up a junction. Glistening selenite panes, shell fossils, and armored mudballs added to the interest in this otherwise empty and desolate place. An area I tagged as potentially having arches in blurry satellite imagery ended up only being more sinuous turns. As the wash opened up we clambered out and beelined back towards the car to end the hike.
With time to spare we drove to the much less visited Vista del Malpais. While nice and we enjoyed the solitude, it was certainly a less impressive vantage than the more popular Font's Point.
We navigated the connecting road over to Font's Point and enjoyed the view here as well. It wasn't the clearest day but there was still plenty to see and it is always an inspiring view with many intricacies.
When we regained the highway Heather and I both had the same idea, and with a little searching she found us a pool pass to the nearly empty Borrego Springs Resort. With a shady cabana, pleasant pool, and ice machine, it was money well spent for a couple hours. After, we drove back up the hill to our quaint room at the Apple Tree Inn and walked the thin shoulders of the highway 5 minutes to sample a flight of ciders at Calico Cidery, then 5 minutes the other way to Julian Cidery for a second flight. Takeaway pizza from across the street led to a chill dinner. All in all a nice mellow weekend away with just a pinch of dusty adventure. Thanks to Heather for planning the getaway.
