Show Us Where You've Been..

Haggis

Adventurist
Senior Staff
Founding Member
Show us where you've been...

...and a little more about yourself by sharing your journeys through the scenery and secluded byways of your particular neck of the woods! From Maine to Cali, Florida to Washington and all parts in between in these here United States there are splendid places to explore, camp and tramp around. Hell there’s some damn fine places outside these borders that I yet to see and would like to learn about also. I’m sure most of you have a tale to tell so let’s hear it


This is American Adventurist after all and here we expect a little more of our members than just opining. Share a romp down a rock strewn road, a float down cascading waters, a hike in shadowed woods, a hunting trip with the boy, casting in deep waters in search of some fish or even putzing around some historic site. They don’t have to be epic expeditions but just fun adventures even if there just for a day. It’s all good here. Share your tales with us if for no other reason than to entertain your fellow members on a slow day. New tales or old, we’re interested in it all.

We have over a hundred members here now but the trip report section is looking a little sparse. So here’s a challenge to all the AAV members…post up a trip from the past and make plans for a new adventure in the next two weeks. With the membership numbers we have now I expect to see trip reports in number at least 1/3 of the membership within the next couple of weeks.

This challenge is especially important as it applies to the administrators and mods here as setting the tone for the direction of the site is our responsibility. We lead by example here on AAV. American Adventurist implies Adventure...let’s get some!
 
Leaving for 4 days in Death Valley Thursday morning, bound to have some fodder for you when we get back! This trip will be more about the camping/relaxing so there should be plenty of time for pictures!
 
Show us where you've been... post up a trip from the past...

Sounds good. Here are some past trips of mine.


Carrizo Badlands Run, Anza Borrego - March 2008

Well it was a beautiful, fun filled day in the desert of Anza Borrego. A little windy and dusty at times, but great day to be out wheelin'. We arrived at the trailhead of Oriflamme Canyon in Banner a little before 9AM. After airing down and making sure everything was good to go, we were off! Coming down the rocky switchbacks towards the desert valley below we spotted 1Leg, 1 Leg Lance, Gear, and R2FJ break camp and head out. Wait for us guys! They soon raised me on the CB and in a moment we were all gathered and ready to travel down Hwy S2 towards the Carrizo Badlands.

She might have been a little nervous coming down the Oriflamme Canyon switchbacks.
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Be prepared to get muddy and wet in Carrizo Creek.
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An isolated frontier outpost:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/22491...d_archaeological_investigations_june_2007.pdf

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Lunch near the old Stage Station site.
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You'll come out of here with lost of new pin-stripping.
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Arroyo Seco Del Diablo Canyon
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From Arroyo Seco Del Diablo you take Diablo Dropoff down to Fish Creek.
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Finishing up in Fish Creek/Split Mountain.
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Correl Canyon OHV Area - March 2008

Well I was hoping to get out to ABDSP this weekend but had to keep any trips somewhat close to home. Eric had suggested a run out to Corral Canyon OHV Area and that sounded pretty good. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Bobcat Meadows campground was nearby and would make a good place to stay for the weekend and explore the entire area. We ran Sidewinder first, then make our way to the top of Bronco Peak. After coming down the same way we called it a day.

The Corral Canyon OHV Area is located near the town of Pine Valley. Within this area, the Corral Canyon and Bobcat Meadows campgrounds jointly give OHV enthusiasts access to over 51 miles of system OHV trails. These trails which run across the Cleveland National Forest Lands, offer you a heady mix of scenic beauty and test of skills.

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Oh, and within the first 30 seconds of starting the trail we both got stuck. That's gotta be a new record!
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Lake Morena in the background as we make our way up Bronco Peak.
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We spotted this guy on our way out.
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That explains the wired sounds we heard earlier.
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Colorado River & Glamis Dunes Getaway - March 2008

Well, we decided to get out and do some camping and fishing this past weekend at Lake Ferguson on the lower Colorado River, just south of the Picacho State Recreation Area. We also spent some time on the sand dunes of Glamis, meeting up with some family who were camped out there over the weekend.

Our cabin/fishing club.
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Boat docks and launch ramp.
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Lots of fish have been caught here over the years.
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Testing the waters...
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On the side of the road that's not Designated Wilderness, there's a number of sandy washes and canyons to explore.
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One of many points along the lake shore that makes for good primitive camping.
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Enjoying the fireplace.
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Marsh mellows on the stove...
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The bass were biting!
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Swim away to fight another day.
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Hiking with the girls.
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On the way home we stopped by Glamis to visit family and play around for a bit.
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Weeee!
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In the Fall of 2011, I was able to meet up with some friends from Panamint Valley.com. I initially met up with an online 4x4 friend with a fun old Willys! We went in a day early and camped west of Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills. My fun Willy's friend who had a massive amount of knowledge on this entire area, bought me dinner that night for meeting up with him! We chatted about old west area history as we watched the sun go down over Mt. Whitney! How Fun! It was an epic night! The next morning we headed for our group trip up to the Salt Tram and Cerro Gordo. We met at the actual location of the former home of a fine man named Mike Patterson, who was the caretaker of Cerro Gordo for years. I took pics of his home.


http://www.explorehistoricalif.com/cerro_main.html


I later explored Hunter Mountain and it's cabin. And other areas around Panamint Valley. Later on the way home I went for another night in the Alabama Hills for more good scenic views and pics. Then I took the short cut to the Kern River, over the mountain. Gathered some wood for a fire along the river. Then took the shortcut home, south over the mountain above Lake Isabella. What an epic fun trip!

Here is a link to the pics. Click slideshow......then Full Screen for best viewing.

http://scenicwonderrunner.shutterfly.com/5043


.....carry on!


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Death Valley Trip 2013

A few pics from our recent trip.

Top of Mengel Pass
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Near Barker Ranch
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Goler Wash
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Ballarat
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Bat Rock Road
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Saline Valley Hot Springs
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Lippincott road
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I'm so glad you posted this, Dave...

To others: Look! I've been there, as seen in Dave's pictures!
 
That's a bit of history there, that's the trip where we spoke of this site in hushed tones around a campfire. I came home after that trip and bought this domain name and the rest is history ;)
 
Let's keep this thread going with past trip reports!


San Diego River/Cedar Creek Falls - February 2008

My wife and I were able to get out and explore some areas much closer to home over the weekend. It had been a while since I had been to cedar creek falls and I've been wanting to show her the area. Its a 2 hour hike or so for most folks, however I knew of an old jeep trail in the area that could take us right to it. You can only access this trail when accompanied by a tribal member since its part of the Barona Indian Reservation.

View of the route just southeast of Ramona, and north of El Capitan Reservoir.
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Overlook of the route ahead and San Diego River drainage into El Capitan.
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View of Mildred Falls in the distance. This can be seen closer at the Eagle Peak Road trail head.
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One of several crossings of the San Diego river.
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An old dam just upstream.
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Cedar Creek Falls.
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Crossing back over the San Diego River.
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Anza-Borrego Rainy Day Run (Black Canyon & Lower Coyote Canyon) - January 2008

Well, we got up around 11AM after getting home from LA a little after 4AM the night before and decided it would make for a fun adventure to head out into the desert in the rain. I called my sister to let her know where'd we be if anything happened since they have a 4X4 Chevy Silverado. They were up for joining us. On the way out just passed Ramona, we turned up Magnolia Ave and up Black Mountain Road, along Santa Ysabel Creek.

Looking across from Black Mountain Road to Santa Ysabel Truck Trail.
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In Black Canyon, water amply illustrates its mindless yet artistic ability to sculpt stone. Every once in a great while, a gush of sediment-laden storm runoff tears through the canyon bottom, carving and polishing the bedrock slabs, drilling potholes ever deeper, toppling trees, and pushing rounded boulders downstream.
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Near the junction of Black Canyon Road and Santa Ysabel Truck Trail is an old campground that closed over 30 years ago. I remember seeing an old overgrown road heading out somewhere in this area. One of these days I'll have to check it out.
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In a normal spring season the stream of water in Black Canyon is often fairly placid: it happily splashes over small waterfalls, pauses in pools, slides along inclined slabs, and finds hidden passages beneath immense boulders.
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Black Mountain Road.
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Not finding any snow towards the top, we headed on down to Anza Borrego. Coming down the grade I noticed another jeep in front of me that was swerving a bit and moving just a little too fast. Next thing I see, it crashes into a sign, nearly plummets down the cliff side, spins out across the road and smashes into the hillside!
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It didn't seem like the gal was even wearing her seatbelt. If she had gone off the edge, that would've been it. The two dogs inside were ok but she was bloodied up a bit. Some other folks drove up in a car who turned out to be her neighbors. They called the tow truck and helped the girl and her dogs. We continued down to Coyote Canyon.
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Its a rare sight to see so much water flowing through Coyote Canyon Creek.
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Yes, I know I had a headlight out...
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We ended up turning around just before the third water crossing. With all the rain I didn't want to risk getting their truck stuck. On the way home we stopped in Julian for dinner. It was a great day spent with family out in the back country.
 
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Mud & Wind Caves - January 2008

I recently took some friends on out to Anza Borrego who have never been there before to explore the mud and wind caves. The Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves are one of the most fascinating points of interest in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Arroyo Tapiado, translated from Spanish, means “walled wash.” The Mud Caves are found along the walls of this wash canyon. One of the most extensive mud cave systems in the world, they contain approximately 22 known caves and 9 slot canyons.

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From Canyon Sin Nombre and Vallecito Wash Trail we make our way to Arroyo Tapiado Canyon.
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Now where are those caves again?
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The caves are not always obvious. You may need to do a little searching and exploring to find hidden entrances and caves that are off the beaten track. Entrance into the dark underworld...
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The Mud Caves are formed by fluvial erosion caused during periods of heavy rainfall. When this infrequent rainfall occurs, it cuts channels into the mud hills that are commonly found in the Pseudokarst topography of this arid region. The channels cause erosion and form canyons with unstable and undercut walls. As the channels deepen, the walls cave in. Because of the cohesive consistency of the mud in this particular area and its ability to swell to several times its original dry volume, it adheres to itself and to the canyon walls, creating natural bridges and, sometimes caves, as it dries.
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Safety Tips:
Always use caution when exploring caves. You will need to carry several light sources, and water, and it is recommended that you wear a hardhat or helmet. Never enter the caves if it is raining, has rained recently or if rain is expected. Take a caving partner with you when you explore the caves or let someone know exactly where you are going to be and when you will return. Use the buddy system! Do not walk on top of the caves, along the ridges or in areas where the ground may cave in. These hills are made of mud and can be very unstable.
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After exploring a few caves we descended Diablo Dropoff to Fish Creek.
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This was a 2WD truck...
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...that needed a tug to get through these rocks.
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Lunch in Fish Creek, then a hike up to the wind caves.
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The sandstone wind caves and arches are created from erosion caused by wind. You can explore the caves by hiking approximately 1 mile from the Wind Cave Trailhead (2 miles round trip). Trail head is located in Fish Creek Wash just past Split Mountain.
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All to soon the day came to a close and we eventually made our way home. Another good day spend in the back country.
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Jacumba/In-Ko-Pah Mountains - December 2007

Well, I cruised on out to Jacumba today with a group to run several trails in the area but only ended up finishing one since trail repairs took up so much time. All the rigs had issues on this one:

Wrangler: cracked windshield
Liberty: snapped a-arm
Land Cruiser: crunched exhaust
4Runner: flat tire

North of Interstate 8, Table Mountain offers views of the In-Ko-Pah Mountains and Jacumba Mountain. Table Mountain provides numerous opportunities for recreation. The Table Mountain area has been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and private lands border public lands on Table Mountain, please respect all posted signs.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking...

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BorregoFest Event - October 2007

http://www.oausa.net/

We spent the weekend in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park at Palm Canyon campground and explored various trails in the area, including Coyote Canyon, the Borrego Bandlands, historic Truckhaven Trail, Calicite Mine, Fish Creek/Split Mountain, Sandstone Canyon, and Canyon Sin Nombre. Can't wait to head beak!

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Fonts Point Overlook
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Coyote Canyon Trail
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Third Crossing - Coyote Canyon Trail
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Fish Creek/Split Mountain
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Sandstone Canyon
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Sidewinder & Bronco Peak Trails @ Corral Canyon OHV Area, Cleveland National Forest - September 2007

I suddenly awoke up to my ringing phone at 6AM this morning. Some of my friends were heading out early to ride around the Corral Canyon OHV Area and hopefully beat the heat. Got up there around 7AM and found the weather much cooler. It did start heating up around 11AM, though. Along with my Jeep, there was a Datsun pickup, a Dodge pickup, a few bikes, and a... baja bug? Since it had recently rained out there, dust was kept to a minimum. Yet another fun day spent in the back country!

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Upper Coyote Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - May 2007

Coyote Canyon is a wide, deep canyon along the San Jacinto Fault, one the major branches of the San Andreas Fault. It seperates the Santa Rosa Mountains to the north from the San Ysidro Mountains to the south. Juan Bautista de Anza opened up the first European route through this area in 1774. Coyote Canyon trail decends Anza Ridge along a shelf road known as the Turkey Grade, a rough road cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. This used to be the major difficulty encountered along the trail. Towards the bottom, the ruts were large enough to easily leave a Jeep on it's side if care was not taken. Unfortunately the trail has been graded enough to allow passenger cars through. At least the difficulty of Horse Canyon made for some fun rocky terrain.

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Lunch in Adler Canyon. Also a good spot to camp.
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Lined up and ready to take on Horse Canyon!
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Bailey's Cabin
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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - March 2007

This one one of my first trips in my 1989 Jeep Wrangler. My brother-in-law and I just decided to get lost in the desert...

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And now we move forward in time...


Mountain Springs Stagecoach Trail, Anza Borrego - August 2008

Steve and I met up in Santee at 7:30 then headed out on Interstate 8 towards the high desert town of Jacumba. It turned out to be a beautiful day and the weather was cool. After hitting the dirt and turning under the freeway towards Table Mountain, I made a few wrong turns until we figured out were we wanted to go. The trail heading down the grade turned out to be a bit rockier than I hand anticipated but wasn't anything we couldn't handle. After descending the loose, off-camber trail, we found a spring that I'm sure was used as the local watering hole. It was full as crayfish as well! Then just before we began to start up the grade, Steve spotted a large bighorn sheep walking down the trail toward us! Looks like he was heading to the spring. After taking a few pics we were on our way. We also ran into a few Jeeps making their way down. Soon we were back at the trail head and airing up. It was a great way to spend the morning. There are a number of other trails in the area that I'll have to check out.

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Crossing Lake Champlain by ferry:
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Graveyard Fields, off the BRP
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Lunch ride with the Crew
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Christmas ride on the Ch'hala
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Rode from north Georgia to Florida City for breakfast
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Highland Games (haggis-powered)
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Slaying The Dragon
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Oklahoma
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Little Talladega
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