Carrizo Mountain & Indian Hill: December 13th-15th, 2013

BorregoWrangler

BorregoWrangler

Adventurist
Founding Member
A big thanks to Steve, Mitch, and Apryl for joining me!

Carrizo Mountain is a hidden gem in our local Southern California desert. The narrow shelf roads up the mountain are only open six months out of the year, from July 1st to December 31st. This provides big horn sheep uninterrupted access into this mountainous habitat. Realistically though, there are only three months out of the year were we humans can recreate on Carrizo Mountain during cooler weather, from October to December.

With an elevation of 2,408 feet, Carrizo Mountain is the highest point along the Coyote Mountains; a small, rocky range situated at the transition between the higher Peninsular ranges of San Diego County, and the lower Imperial Valley and Salton Basin. The mountains are located in far-southern California not too far from the Mexican border. The range and summit lies within Imperial County, abutting the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

PhotoGrid_1387071231342_zps92e6835a.jpg


Check out the link for more photos and the complete trip report: Carrizo Mountain & Indian Hill
 
We had a great time up there! Thanks for showing us the site!! Loved the road up!
 
Nice report John. Some friends went up there on Saturday. I couldn't make it due to family obligations. Next time. Its been about seven years since I have been up there.
 
Excellent trip report. Looks like fun and awesome views. I always love old roads and trails too. It intrigues me.
 
Excellent report man! Love seeing wind turbines in the landscape. Even though they might be "unsightly," those turbines are protecting so many of our trails and streams. Keep up the good work!
 
You should read up on those turbines, and discover the hugely negative impact they've had on the desert environment out here. The amount of destroyed desert tortoise habitat alone should be considered catastrophic, but the supposedly green energy gets a pass for all the loss of life. Don't stand under one either, you'll find yourself covered in industrial grease in short order. Wonder how that's affecting the landscape and water runoff during storms.

Unsightly isn't even the beginning of it.
 
Nice shots!

You know, I've often wondered about the wind power I see so much of when I drive out west. We see very little of it here on the East coast but when I drive across country from here, so often I'll see fields of wind turbines stretching to the horizon with few of them ever spinning.

Grog's simple mind say... blades spin, power generated, water boils on stove, air conditioner conditions air... Grog think simple... not so simple?
 
There's a quite a few of them in central Pennsylvania and scattered throughout the Monongahela region of West Virginia Tim. There's a big array just north of Thomas,WV which is north and of where we were this summer. Most are the result of local Congressman and Senators tacking on riders to various legislation. I have a few friends that work on installing and servicing the turbines and they all admit it a losing proposition as far as return on investment as the windmills are costly to maintain.
 
It makes sense to see more in the mountains and passes. I know Commonwealth politicians once debated some wind farms off shore but support eventually waned. Too bad about so many of these ventures failing after so much Federal (our) in vestment and subsidy; hopefully these experiences will shape a future of success.

Yes, uncharacteristically optimistic - I know.
 
I know there's a bit of controversy with them. The only effect they've had on me (that I know of) is ruining my desert view... and covering my Jeep in oil.
 
I had no idea about the problems... yet another thing we don't hear a lot about in the media. I've been under the impression that they were widely successful out west and although not massive producers of energy they did provide cheap power for smaller communities.
 
The only reason they enjoy any success in California is because the companies that build them see huge subsidies from the state, and the state has been very successful in keeping the subsidies coming.

They cost hundreds of thousands to build, about $30,000 annually to maintain, and when they fail, they sit forever. If they catch fire, they burn until they burn out, because how to you fight a fire up that high??
 
Mitch said:
You should read up on those turbines, and discover the hugely negative impact they've had on the desert environment out here. The amount of destroyed desert tortoise habitat alone should be considered catastrophic, but the supposedly green energy gets a pass for all the loss of life. Don't stand under one either, you'll find yourself covered in industrial grease in short order. Wonder how that's affecting the landscape and water runoff during storms.

Unsightly isn't even the beginning of it.
Click to expand...

Mitch,

You're absolutely correct. Its a huge double standard of the "environmentalists" on the left with their green energy B.S. agenda. Cant disrupt a weed or do anything to drill or pipe oil or natural gas or coal.... but lets completely trash countless acres of pristine desert and disrupt a plethora of plant and animal species for a minimal amount of wind energy which will take decades before its initial cost is recouped
Let alone the cost of maintaining it. And the environmental pricetag will never be repaid. Don't even get me started on the solar boondoggle! !!!
 
Mitch and Rat:

Wind and solar power represent crony capitalism and corruption at its best. In addition to the great points you both make, there is the issue that they both are killing birds by the thousands. Birds of prey are being whacked out out of the sky by 100 MPH turbine blades and the Ivanpah Solar plant, which is just now going operational, is frying any bird that flies by. They've found hundreds of dead birds already. The environmentalists and their government lackeys as well as the media don't care because they are devout members of the religion of "Global Warming-ism"

They get free reign to scrape tens of square miles of pristine desert and then turn around and close off access to more and more of our beloved desert because they believe that we are the real environmental criminals. There will come a day when only card carrying environmentalists and government officials will be able to step off the pavement and on to the land.

Cam
 
Nice write up. Who's Dobie?
I used to have a dobie, Shakka Nandee Zulu was her name. She was actually half black lab and that dog loved to swim, not like most dobies.
Best dog ever!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom