David K
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EXOTIC DESERT CANYONS (Part 4, to El Cajon Canyon & home)
Part 4, Sunday Afternoon April 11, 2004
Coming out of Agua Caliente Canyon, we spotted a faint track, which was the old road north. It starts at the newer road from the abandoned village and
ranch house at 30-39.60?, 115-09.61 (elev. 1,566?), 2.8 miles out from the end of the canyon road. We took the old road, it was fast and sandy for the
3.8 miles to the junction with the new road at 30-42.51?, 115-08.52 (elev. 1,318?). The abandoned Plan Nacional Agrario is 2.7 miles south, and the
abandoned Rancho Linda Vista is 0.6 mile north at 30-43.00?, 115-08.75? (elev. 1,331?). 5.1 miles further north is the major intersection where the
fast east Valle Chico road (from San Felipe) turns right (east) and the road to Rancho Algodon turns left (west). This waypoint was given in the first
part (30-47.03?, 115-09.95?). We turn left to visit El Cajon Canyon? a major chasm in the sierra?s east face.
Rancho Algodon?s driveway (left) was 1.3 miles west of the intersection on the old (west) Valle Chico road. We set our trip odometer to zero and now
are heading north at the foot of the mighty Sierra San Pedro Martir. 2.0 miles north of Algodon?s driveway is a fork in the road. To the right is
Morelia, we stay left. 1.0 miles further we come to a closed gate and cattle guard. 4.3 miles north of Algodon is a road left, we suspect goes to El
Borroso Canyon. This one will have to wait until next time, we have an appointment with El Cajon!
6.1 miles north of Algodon is the access road to El Cajon at 30-51.32?, 115-13.38? (elev. 1,808?). We turn west and in 0.6 mile in is a closed
?Prohibido? gate with a ranch just inside. We park the truck and walk north, down into the big arroyo where a opening in the fence for cattle and
people can pass. Soon jide spots a large boulder filled with petroglyphs high on the canyon?s north cliff and he climbs up for a closer investigation.
A bit further and water is flowing. Soon we see a new huge steel water reservoir that looks too good to not jump in? But, without a ladder we may not
get in (or out)!
We continue up stream to the first water falls, a quarter mile from the fence opening. Jide and I agree that inside this canyon does not resemble Baja
in any way, except for the cardon cacti on the slopes. Less than a mile from the hot San Felipe desert, is a cool mountain stream, willow trees,
grass, just like in the coastal mountains. We want to see more of this exotic (for eastern Baja) canyon. About a half mile further is a low concrete
dam creating a shallow pond at 30-51.07?, 115-14.62? (elev. 2,043?).
Our legs have had just about enough hiking this weekend, we elect to not explore any further (this time).
Upon returning to my truck, a man walks to the gate from the ranch house, inside. He calls to us, speaking English? He tells us his name is Bob. We
introduce ourselves (David and Gerald), and Bob then asks me if I am ?David K?! He then tells us he is ?Burro Bob? from the Baja Nomad forums. Instant
amigos? he invites us into the compound, and shows us his beautiful photographs from area canyons. This was certainly a surprise to find an American
living on a remote ranch, then to find that we ?know? each other, from the Internet! We part with an exchange of handshakes and Viva Baja stickers, it
will be a long trip home this evening.
Reset trip odometer at the back at the valley road to zero. Head north, crossing Arroyo El Cajon and at mile 0.8 is a fork, we stay left. Mile 4.2 a
road joins in from the right (east). Mile 7.3 is a closed gate (sure is great to have a passenger for gate duty!). At mile 8.0 is a road left (west)
we suspect goes to Teledo Canyon, GPS: 30-57.76?, 115-13.18? (elev. 1,645?). At mile 10.2 is an open gate with a road along its south side heading
towards the mountain range. Mile 11.9 brings us to another closed gate by a ranch and an abandoned vineyard project. Mile 12.9 from El Cajon?s access
road is a big farm project with a large Quonset building. There is a fork in the road, and we go right and this road bends around the fence heading
east. At mile 13.4 we turn left (north) and at mile 14.8 we join the Diablo Dry Lake to San Felipe road where we were two days previous, on our way
south (31-02.84?, 115-13.01). Soon we are back on the dry lake racing north? we keep staring toward Picacho del Diablo hoping to see Desert Rat, our
amigo who is climbing Baja?s highest peak. Back at Highway 3, and we turn towards Ensenada. Traffic returning from Easter in San Felipe is heavy as we
near Ensenada because of the four way stop signs. We get to the border about 9:20pm and are across in 40 minutes.
Another fantastic trip and further proves that Baja California is truly a magic place. Jide was a terrific travel companion and we are looking forward
to future Baja explorations to come! Photos soon?
Here?s a map I just whipped up of the area covered by this article
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jide
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Thanks David for these great reports
The canyons south of the San pedro Martir(Berrendo, el Parral..) DO look very different from the ones closer to the taller peaks(el Cajon)
The moment you step in El Cajon, it feels a lot more like an alpine valley than a palm desert oasis, I wish there was trout there.
It was also interesting seeing these water scorpions crawling upstream towards the water.
Can't wait to see the pictures...
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burro bob
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Hey David K ahd Jibe
Nice to meet you guys out there in the canyon.
I have checked a little more about the route up Cajon to the mission. At the "pato de gallo" the middle fork goes to the mission. Extevan says that it
is possible to move cattle or horses over the top via the southernmost fork but it adds several miles to the hike to mission.
I have attached a couple of photos of the pinturas you almost made it to. I like to think of them as exercises in geometric finger painting.
burro bob
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burro bob
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Can't figure out how to attach two images. Here is the other wall.
burro bob
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academicanarchist
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Spectacular Photos
The geometric designs look very similar to the petroglyhs of the Chumash in the Santa Barbara Channel region and into the interior. A better way of
understanding them is that, at least in the CHumash case, they were created very often during what was called a vision quest. The Chumash and other
groups in Califonria used datura, also known as jimson weed, which has hallucinogenic powers, during coming of age ceremonies, and for shaman to
connect with the spirit world. Datura was also used in southern Arizona/northern Sonora, but I haven't seen references to its use by shaman in Baja
California. Datura, if taken in too large of a dose, can also kill. One of the Jesuit chroniclers for the missions in southern Arizona noted an
incident where two natives took too much datura, and died. I was able to go back to the burial register of the mission, and I found the entries for
the two who died from datura. The fact that they were taking datura meant that some of the natives living in the missions continued to practice
pre-hispanic rites and rituals.
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academicanarchist
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Question for Burro Bob
In your first post you make reference to the mission. Is that San Pedro Martir? Approximately how far are the petros in your photo from San Pedro
Martir, and at what elevation?
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pappy
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yeah, we figured cajon would be tjhe best route to mission SPM from the east side.(those of us on the SPM hike)
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Steve in Oro Valley
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Hi all:
Yes, if you sleep in an arroyo where jimson weed (toloache) is in bloom you will have have strange dreams...
Thanks for a great report to all, and especially the fotos and the map (David)....
My daughter , a couple of weeks ago, was on her college easter break with a group from Northern Arizona University, and was looking for a hot spring
on the way down to Gonzaga Bay. I think she found the one at Puertecitos. She would have much preferred the one at Agua Caliente, I think from the
description in these reports.
I have been collecting hand drawn maps for a while and I need to make use of them ... SOON.
Steve in Oro Valley
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Barry A.
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Mission San Pedro Martir via El Cajon canyon
Pappy--see my post under David's EXOTIC CANYONS #3 post concerning trails up both El Cajon and Agua Caliente to the mission site. The main problems
with both these approaches to the Mission site is the altitude gain. Major hike!!!! Also, El Cajon gets really rough. I have never made either hike,
so am just passing on experiences from Bud Bernhard, of Coronado, in the '50's, and '60's.
Barry
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burro bob
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Yes I am refering to the Mission Sierra San Pedro Martir.
The pinturas are much closer to the mouth of the canyon, so at a relatively low elevation, and a long way from the mission.
I have also heard of other people that regularly went over the top via Agua Caliente. I'm sure a much easier hike, if not so direct as canyon Cajon.
I have found parts of the old trail out of Cajon in the middle, or mule, fork of the canyon. The parts that I have found are very rough and would
easily stop anyone trying to move with a horse or burro.
burro bob
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