Oasis de Santa Maria Mar 28-29

I was looking forward to this one and it easily exceeded my expectations. While initially planning this Baja road trip I carefully scanned Google Earth for places of interest and came across this remarkable oasis. Further internet searching pulled up a few accounts, mostly of people visiting it as a day trip from the end of the Santa Maria mission road ("one of the roughest in Baja") and a couple doing it as an overnight trip down the canyon. The photos of the oasis looked stunning, the canyon below also very scenic- it looked to be a true Baja natural gem. Given our route, time constraints, and that I had no intention of rock crawling, I instead came up with the plan of an overnight out-and-back trip from the canyon mouth on the east. This would require a 4 mile drive off the pavement and then a 5 mile hike up a sandy wash that would gradually turn to bedrock scrambling. Accounts I could find were not very detailed and I did not know much else about the spot. Was it likely we would run into other groups? How easy would the road be? How slow would the rock scrambling section be?

Leaving Guadalupe Canyon we drove back north through the Laguna Salada, east around Mexicali, then south along the Gulf of California. San Felipe seemed like a laid back resort town. I was surprised by the number of developments (and dreams of developments) on the coastal dunes south of town. The further south we went the more commonly we saw large Baja saguaros. Leaving San Felipe environs the road rapidly deteriorated to surprising levels. A major storm at the start of the year had took out nearly all of the highway, forcing us to slowly jostle along a rough grade adjacent while road crews worked to rebuild countless bridges and culverts. We debated stopping at Puertocitos to check out the hot springs but we were a little behind on driving and I was perfectly happy to continue driving open road rather than interact with people. South of Puertocitos was one of the most incredulous stretches of road I have ever driven: a brand new modern highway with yesterday fresh pavement but extensive rockfall on the road and more than half of the bridges with big gaping holes in them requiring long elaborate detours. You'd be cruising along the highway at speed only to notice a few large rocks deliberately blocking a bridge. Dirt tire tracks would be the only indication of the detour, which would take you down, around and then back up onto the road at the other side of a collapsed bridge. This stretch of road took forever to go 60 miles but was certainly entertaining. The new hints of construction suggested no improvement over the engineering that failed in the previous rain event. 

Eventually we made it to our nondescript turnoff and slowly clanked across sandy alluvium darting around mature ocotillos. The road got sandy towards the end but we were able to make it to my best case scenario parking spot. There were no other cars around and only moderate recent use of the road evident. Although we had done some pre-packing at Guadalupe the night before, I made final choices in the shade of the one tree around. I shouldered my pack and delighted at the light weight despite ample water and luxuries like a hammock. We locked the car and hiked up the resistant (sandy) wash. 

I followed my nose along a faint trail probably jointed created by cattle and hikers which tended to traverse older alluvial surfaces rather than the modern wash. These surfaces had spectacular cacti forests- some of the most mature ocotillos I've seen, senita old man cacti, and cardon saguaros. The further up the canyon we went the more prevalent the patches of afternoon shade, which were much appreciated. After only two miles we began seeing palm trees and the first patch of following spring water filtering into the sandy wash. I had not expected to see water for another mile or two so this was a welcome sight. Though we were in a hurry to get to our destination before daylight ended, a quick touch to the water revealed wonderful temperatures should we stop anywhere along the way. The water was a beautiful green that formed a great contrast against the creamy granitic rocks.

The canyon narrowed, twisted and turned, and the walls increased in height. The mixture of sand and boulders allowed for pretty easy routefinding around the water to keep feet dry. The pools became deeper, the vegetation lusher. We made good progress. I thought the hike would just be a slog to get to a cool destination but was pleasantly surprised at the changing desert scenery.

The last 1000ft before our destination bedrock increased in the channel and the terrain slowed us down some. We scrambled across a fresh bouldery rockfall, bypassed a few deep pools, traversed a few nice bedrock benches, and contended with a couple upclimbs (including one pack pass). I knew we were close on the final stretch when we encountered great dipping slabs of jointed bedrock as I had seen in a few photos. Because of the dense vegetation, approaching the oasis pool came rather abruptly. It truly was a breath taking spot.

I dropped my pack and worked to make the most of the last light of the day. Scouting a spot for the tent, kitchen, and hammock. Snapping photos from a few vantages. Checking out the native succulents growing through cracks in the rock. Wading across the pool to climb up the oasis' waterfall to view it from above. 

Tent pitched and dehydrated meal eaten I settled in for a relaxing evening of hammock, stars, and amphibian chorus. We even had a ringtail cat climbing along rocks overhead, watching us with curiosity. The frogs were evenly spaced a few feet along the entire shore of the pool, croaking away. We had a lazy morning as I wanted to ensure to see the oasis with direct light. I went for a brief swim and also went for a long barefoot traverse above the pool. This was my first upclose look at some of the decidely alien boojum trees, an upside down carrot of a tree related to an ocotillo. I wish I could have stayed longer (and in hindsight given we would be blown out of our kayaking plans probably should have) but wanted to get the hike done with maximum shade and minimum heat.

The hike back was straightforward now that we had the best route down. It took us a little under 2.5 hours get to back. Thankfully we found the car as we left it. We drove on south for more Baja driving adventures.

Guadalupe Canyon Mar 26-28

It's a big world but some places are worth repeat visits. Guadalupe Canyon is a wonderful place for its beauty and relaxation. Though a private campground it is well laid out so each campsite feels apart from the others. Their strict "no music" rule is a good one too. After stocking up on provisions at the Mexicali WalMart, we drove across the Laguna Salada flats and then turned towards the steep western escarpment. We drove through a weird movie set in progress, onward up the rocky road into the canyon. We got situated in our campsite El Sol easily enough which had a castle-like palapa and commanding views of the palm oasis and Cerro Rasco upcanyon. A neat stairway led just below to the private hot pool sheltered against some young palms. I fiddled with the plumbing to be sure it would be suitably warm by the evening. 

After setting up camp and snacking we decided to hike up to see some of the waterfalls. We took an indirect way through the camp along the creek before joining the trail across the high terraces. The wildflowers were excellent and I probably saw over twenty varieties. We passed one couple and their dog and saw no others. The going was a little rougher than I remembered. With care I was able to keep my feet dry. The trickiest part is probably just below the third waterfall. I had been up above the third fall the last time and knew that this was an obvious place to hang out on the rocks before returning. We braved a quick swim in the cold pothole of the second waterfall before heading back to warm water! On the way back I found some nice pictographs beneath a large boulder. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the comforts of our camp. Overnight the winds became near violent but the temperatures were pretty comfortable. 

        First waterfall

        Second waterfalls

        Third waterfall (Pool of the Virgin)

Obnoxious dove calls started the morning. Our second day there I opted for a rare relaxing camp day rather than a rough and tough ascent of Cerro Rasco. Despite over 30 campsites with private hot pools and it being spring break, the camp was near empty which was nice. I lounged in the hot pool and hammock and walked around camp checking out all the empty campsites for future favorites. In the afternoon we walked to the first waterfall for a quick swim. The another nice evening in camp. I can't remember I time I took it so easy...it was nice if unsettling!

We got an early start on the third day aiming to make some considerable miles to hopefully get to an out of the way oasis. A missing rubber bushing caused considerable noise on the car as metal bounced against metal. Despite two attempts for a repairing fix I could not get it to stay and so we limped on.

Palm Canyon Mar 25

Finding some free time before I needed to be in Mexico I was looking for something to do between Riverside and Mexicali. Between the warm day, the "superbloom" craze, and the fact that it was a weekday, it seemed like a good opportunity to go to the canyons on the land of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which I had not been to since a kid. We started off with the one mile loop trail at Andreas Canyon. The alluvial fan provided great views of the San Jacinto Mountains and were completely floored with at least a dozen varieties of wildflowers. The shaded creek beneath the palm groves with mylonitic cliffs towering overhead was a delight, especially considering the lack of people. The creek temperature was a little cold but pleasant enough to wade through.

We then drove on to Palm Canyon, first taking the short stroll to the West Fork Falls before walking up Palm Canyon itself. The falls were nice but what was really impressive was the mud coating on boulders 30+ feet above the canyon floor indicating the extent of a relatively recent flash flood. Palm Canyon was not that crowded at this point in the day but unfortunately we did not have all that much time to hike before the canyon closed at 5p. We hiked through the dense initial palm grove, past the warm spring and across the creek to where the trail deviates down the dry trough of the east fork. Here we chose to boulder hop and wade our way up the wet gorge instead. Canyon tree frogs were everywhere, the water temperature was comfortable. We only had time to go about 1500 ft up the gorge before needing to turn back but it was far enough to see some nice waterfalls and sculpted rocks.

We arrived at the parking lot 5 minutes to 5p, late enough to have the ranger complain but left before several other groups. After Palm Canyon and a dinner in Palm Springs we improvised a plan to camp closer to the Calexico border crossing. I had been curious to check out the Pumpkin Patch, a multi-acre field in the center of the Ocotillo Wells state vehicle recreation area where concretions to two feet across weather out of old Colorado River silts in proliferation. We camped nearby and walked among the concretions in the early light. They were nicely spaced to play an easy game of "the floor is lava." I've seen bigger and more interestingly shaped and textured concretions but the density was unlike I had witnessed.We drove on through the border crossing, stocked up at Calexico's Walmart, and then drove on through the Laguna Salada to Guadalupe Canyon.

Sespe Creek Mar 9-10

Sespe Creek (seems like it should be called a river for SoCal standards) has been on my SoCal packrafting hit list this season but led to two separate false starts. The full 33 mi Class V wilderness run from Piedra Blanca to Fillmore is supposed to include some of the most scenic wilderness whitewater in southern California but is quite a serious 2.5 day undertaking. While I had been interested in this run, I recognized that finding someone to go with me with overlapping "in" flows would be difficult. Something more straightforward, without a shuttle, and of a lower intensity so I could do alone was what I had in mind. I envisioned a 14.5 mi Class III float from Piedra Blanca to Hot Springs Canyon, an overnight at Sespe Hot Springs, and then a return along the Sespe River Trail. Problem was that the 13.5 mi hike back would involve 9 river crossings, which depending on flow might require inflating my boat to cross and make for a long day. In the end I decided a more relaxed out-and-back would be a 9.5 mi paddle to Willett Hot Springs, overnight at the hot springs, and a 9 mi hike on the Sespe River Trail (only 3.5 river crossings). With our notable Winter rains this year there were many time frames with runnable flows. Mid-January I had a free weekend and decided to go for it, driving all the way to the outskirts of Ojai to find out Highway 33 was freshly closed...I was hosed and drove home in defeat. A second opportunity presented itself at the start of February when I would be in Santa Barbara. Highway closed again! It was starting to look like rainfall generated runnable flows and rainfall generated road damage were inseparable events. Finally mid-March the roads were open and the gauges were showing a slow decay. While on the river the recently recalibrated Fillmore gauge read 950 cfs decaying to 850 cfs, and the Wheeler gauge was 130 to 110 cfs. It was on!

The highway through Wheeler gorge was looking pretty war-torn from the winter storms but thankfully we were able to access Piedra Blanca without any trouble. We geared up in the parking lot and slowly carried our boats to the creek. Despite being on the higher side of apparently recommended flows, the first views looking slow, low, and rocky. Almost immediately (quarter-mile?) we encountered a great mess of willows forcing us to do a lengthy portage. This was followed by more willows distributed throughout the channel which were very unpleasant and hard to avoid in some cases. This proved to be a miserable first whitewater experience for my paddling partner who was attracted to the willows like magnets, sometimes needing a helping hand. Gradually the quality of the creek channel improved and willow-avoiding skills were built but is was still slow going and not all together enjoyable. At least the water was not too cold and the scenery was good. Dabs of snow on the Topa Topas was a nice touch.

I did my best to read-and-run the rapids but the willows required several portages. In one rapid willows led to a swim and the boat to be stuck in a log sieve. This took considerable effort for me to manage and free and was pretty demoralizing to forward progress. Once free we pulled over, had a snack and some water and weighed our options. It was getting late, we had 2 miles to go still, and and the current rate of progress we'd be pushing daylight. I looked at the aerial imagery in great detail, memorizing the few places to scout and potentially run both boats. We proceeded more cautiously, realizing that an extra scout or portage could end up being quicker than a flip.

The closer we got to Willett, the better the scenery with great cliffs of tilted rocks around each turn. I ferried both boats through the last two long willow slaloms and happily we made it to the upstream-most cabin with some natural light to spare. Surprisingly, we ran into a solo backpacker who greeted us and commented that we must have done it right. I never did find out what direction he came from. We found a nice downed tree and turned it into a drying rack of our wet gear. We took only our camping gear and hiked the quarter-mile uphill to the small camp spot a hundred feet away from the Willett hot spring tub. We quickly set up camp and readied the dehy dinners, good and hungry from the day's efforts. We opted to eat dinner in the tub which was an ideal temperature and a comfortable depth. We relaxed of the excitement of the day in the soothing waters. I slept well.

        View from the top of the Willetts Hot Spring trail

I knew we would benefit from an early start but sleeping in a little was too easy to do. It was 9:15a by the time we finally had breakfast, broke down camp, packed away the gear down the hill, had a look around all the old ranch buildings and finally started hiking. Notably I realized I forgot my excellent Hyperlite backpack about an hour from home and so stopped in at a WalMart to purchase a $20 70L duffel bag with shoulder straps. Problem solved but I now got to enjoy just how godawfully uncomfortable it was- it'd be a long 10 miles. We did a half creek crossing (knees, sans shoes) near Willett then had about 4 miles to hike to our first boat crossing. Though the trail dipped in an out of drainages and our packs were unconfortable, we made good time. We passed a group of deer eating breakfast not giving us much mind. I was impressed at the abundance of water even in the smallest creeks. With care we were able to maintain dry feet.

        Old ranch buildings at Willett

With four miles down we reached our first boat crossing. I tried to be as efficient as possible and hoped we could get across by shuttling one boat with the throw rope. Despite me wading into my waist the rope still ended up being a couple feet short due to a miscommunication so I had to let go and inflate the second boat. After two laps I had the packs across, and started repacking. This first crossing took about 35 minutes by the time we were packed up again on the south side- it could have been quicker but also probably could have been slower. The next one mile stretch of the trail was slower as we traversed along an enormous landslide that encompassed this full length. Now a  total of five miles down we had our second boat crossing this time across a deep still pool. We made quicker time of this crossing and were able to shuttle one boat. Though we still had four more miles to reach the car and were on the wrong side of the creek, we now only had one more crossing and I had hopes we could do it without a boat. 

The trail was now even easier to walk though our packs became increasingly uncomfortable. Trout Creek took some care to cross with dry feet. At Piedra Blanca Creek we finally gave up and crossed with wet shoes. The last Sespe crossing before the trailhead was deep and swift but braided enough (four channels) that we could cross it on foot. Altogether the 10mi hike took about 5.75 hrs, not horrible considering the crossings. The next weekend a packraft crew was planning a full run of the Sespe. Somewhat guiltily I talked them out of it based on my experience with the willows and the fact that the creek would be even lower. Someday I hope to be able to check out the Class V lower gorge; the couple photos I've seen were stunning.