Mountains to Desert: Mtn/Desert Flowers, Peaks/Benchmarks, A Waterfall~13 M/3.5K
Details
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Enjoy any remaining mountain/desert flowers, bag some peaks/benchmarks, & discover a desert oasis with palms, trees, & Maidenhair Falls on our cross-country (no trails) hike from the mountains to the desert. Starting in the mountains near Ranchita, CA we'll hike up onto White benchmark (5,326'), then hike over to climb The Thimble (5,779'), followed by San Ysidro Peak (6,147') before dropping down towards Hellhole Flats looking out for any leftover "body parts" (hooves, horns, spines, and other assorted "parts & pieces") of both deer and bighorn sheep due to the mountain lion predation in this transitional area between the mountains and desert. We'll continue our rugged descent down into Hellhole Canyon to discover Maidenhair Falls among the palms & trees on our way to the desert floor where we'll end our hike at the Anza Borrego Desert State Park Visitor's Center (note: a car shuttle is involved). Hopefully some remaining mountain & desert flowers will still be out for us to enjoy along the way, and the usual great views: the nearby local mtns and out north to Toro & San Jacinto Peaks in the distance along with much of the nearby desert / desert peaks & Salton Sea below us. All pictures are of this hike:
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Details: this hike is approx. 13 cross-country (no trails) miles / 3,500' elevation gain as a pure estimate, but will hike harder due to the cross-country nature & minor bushwhacking or scrambling involved. Hiking time: approx. 8:15 AM - 7:00 PM. Optional dinner stop afterwards for those interested at the nearby Red Ocotillo restaurant in Borrego Springs.
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Bring: 3.5 - 4 quarts or liters of H2O with electrolytes minimum (note: if you drink a lot normally you may need a bit more) & we'll also bring a water filter to get a bit more towards the end of the hike around 4:30 PM near Maidenhair Falls, snacks to eat WHILE MOVING, lunch for the peaks, light layers (jacket or fleece or wind breaker, beanie, gloves, etc), hat / sunglasses / sunscreen, headlamp or light with fresh batteries (will very likely finish before dark, but good to have along just in case), any first aid you need (including "drugs"), poles & gaiters are helpful, plastic comb & pointy tweezers for getting any cactus out, etc. Pre-hydrate by drinking in the AM & on the drive out.
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My hiking style: we'll stay together as a group for both camaraderie & safety; we snack & drink WHILE MOVING except for short bathroom or picture breaks as necessary; I'll take 1/2 hr breaks at the peaks to eat "real food" / sign registers / enjoy the views; I prefer to hike at a bit faster then average pace if possible depending on what the group can do.
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Weather Links:
Start / Ranchita, CA: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.211978199422205&lon=-116.50039672851562
San Ysidro Peak (6,147'): http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.25663276201783&lon=-116.49670600891113
End / Desert Floor in Borrego Springs, CA: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.260508448729944&lon=-116.40289306640625
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Contact me ahead of time if you have Q's: 619-315-9731 or stevefausset@gmail.com
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My Meetup Rules:
- *WAIVER OF LIABILITY: This group, its organizer, assistant organizers, event organizers will not be held responsible for any injuries or accidents that may occur carpooling to and from hikes, or for any injuries or accidents before, during, and after group hikes. If you sign up and come on this hike outing you are acknowledging that you freely and voluntarily assume all risks of injuries and damages and agree to participate in the hike/outing.
- Please no +1s or guests - all attending must be group members. This is for both liability reasons & so that I can see the profiles of those coming before the hike to get a feel for the group. It's quick, free, easy so please just sign up.
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