The Desert Trail, days 2 & 3

No entry yesterday as I was far too exhausted to write.

The upper 3 miles of Carrizo Gorge are absolutely choked with tamarisk, cat claw, mesquite and other thorny brush. The thing about this thorny bottom brush is that it happily overgrows itself, weaving layers of woody branches into a net that is well-suited for snaring hikers. It is just about impenetrable. The natural thing is to climb up on benches above the creek bottom where they exist, or to sidehill it when necessary.

But benches end and side hills turn to cliffs as the canyon turns this way and that. The only option then is to cross over through the tangle.

I expected it to be hard – I have bushwhacked through canyon bottoms before- but I was completely unprepared for how hard this was. If I were a better photojournalist I would insert footage here of me completely engulfed in brush, beating my way through by brute force.

A relatively easy section of the gorge

After 4 hours of maximum effort, I had not progressed 2 miles. I literally had to kick my way through the brush, breaking down branches just to take a single step. And then break another three or four branches to take a second step. A couple hundred steps like that and pretty soon you are feeling a bit tired.

Taking a break from whacking the bushes.

The tamarisks were stubborn, but the cats claw and mesquite were out for blood and it wasn’t long before the sleeves of my shirt were stained and bloody.

The cholla gardens made for relatively easy walking

No desert hike would be complete without a rattlesnake. I almost stepped right on this guy.

Breaking out into some easier country – just rockhopping here

The old railway trestles high above. The easiest route would be to follow the tracks and then cut down, but the RR patrols the tracks and cites hikers for trespassing.

I got through the worst of it by 2, but still had another 12 miles to go to meet up with my brother at Bow Willow campground. The first 6 miles were normal canyoneering, mostly rock hopping with only the occasional thicket, the last 6 were on a jeep road. It was the happiest I’ve ever been to see a jeep road.

I stumbled into the campground about 8, glad to drink some sweet water. The canyon had water, but it was salty and sulfury. Not only did it not quench my thirst, but gave me terrible bloating and gas. I’m guessing it was full of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt).

Water was followed by a cold beer of course, and some conversation although I was far too tired to keep up my end of it.

Dave remarked that he was looking to sell his truck. Was he unhappy with it I asked?

“No; but it’s not a car that Karen would like, and I need to start getting my affairs in order. I may have only three more years. “

“I thought you said this disease had no effect on life expectancy “

“The doctors thought it was indolent. The mast cells have continued to proliferate, the therapy isn’t working. Unless I get in to the clinical trial I told you about and unless that therapy works , three years is all I’ve got. “

Oh Dave, my little brother, I had no idea.

That made the pain of thrashing through a desert canyon seem pretty trivial. I had wondered why he had been unusually eager to meet up; now I knew.

We slept soundly in the back of his pickup. When I got up the next morning, everything hurt. It hurt to sit up, it hurt to get dressed, it hurt to brush my teeth. Apparently my muscles were unused to hours of fighting through thick brush.

There was only one thing that didn’t hurt: walking. So after breakfast I loaded my pack with 11L of water, hugged my brother and promised to see him in 3 days at the Arroyo Salado campground 55 miles north.

Although loaded down with 24 pounds of water, my little 21 ounce pack held up reasonably well. I won’t say it was comfortable, but it didn’t break and didn’t inflict any additional abuse on my body.

The trail today was all smooth sandy jeep road, an ideal surface for carrying an overloaded pack.

Heading toward the Borrego Badlands through the Carrizo Passage via a nice flat sandy jeep road

The sun was out but a cool Pacific wind kept the temperature pleasant although the same wind became unruly in the afternoon and is still blowing sand in my face despite having pitched my tarp as a lean-to windbreak. Wind and the desert are inevitable companions.

The highlight of the walk – beside wide-ranging desert views – was the Arroyo Seco del Diablo, a narrow canyon winding through mudstone badlands. Beside the wind-scoured rock walls, there were a number of tributary side canyons to add interest and a bit of mystery.

Pacific winds blowing clouds over the Peninsular Range

The Arroyo Seco del Diablo route through the badlands

Wind-scoured sculptures

Staring out at the desert from a lunchtime slot; the desert stares back.

This Sidewinder trail disappeared into a bush

The Fish Canyon country from Middle Mesa

Dinner tonight was another new recipe, Navy beans with ham, carrots and peas. Not as spectacular as posole, but a very solid entry. Also full of fiber, which I’m hoping will restore my gut to its former equilibrium after a day of drinking Epson salt water yesterday.