Neal Johns - 12-9-2006 at 03:04 AM
Dec. 24
This morning, we hiked up the very rocky canyon bajada for a mile and a half before pooping out just at the actual mouth of the canyon. The palms are
usually a ways further up the canyon where there is permanent water and hey! give me a break, I'm 70 this month.
The next canyon we tried was Tajo. We found the two-track road OK and drove to the end where a Gringo tent was erected. Tire tracks were there but no
people. Left a www,DesertExplorers.org card on their table for a surprise. Just before we got to the end of the road there were a few Indian sleeping
circles that we all admired and photographed. We were in a hurry (and sore from the rock hopping hike up Las Palmas Azules) so we retreated down
canyon in our vehicles.
We continued south and went toward Canyon Guadalupe where we stopped briefly in the flat spot where the roads to the left and right camping areas
split. The two Daves had not seen Guadalupe before so while they checked it out, Marian wandered around finding many nearby bedrock slicks that had
been used for metates and two mortar holes. Surprisingly, the campground was not crowded.
Heading south again, we took the road toward Canyons Palomar and Isabel. Before we got there, we stopped and camped for the night in Canyon Alamar
(commonly known as One Palm because of the single palm at the mouth). We had previously gotten permission to go through the gate and camp there from
the vaquero who was tending the line shack (the original shack was gone – replaced with a slide-in camper on the ground). No one home this time.
The Sears cooked a great Mexican meal for all of us.