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Shelter choice for SoCal desert in winter?


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Viewing 24 posts - 26 through 49 (of 49 total)
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  • #3801662
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    1:08 , I believe is Hell-for-sure canyon. See the previous post with link to Hiking Jim’s blog. A good days hike out of Mission Creek. There’s a hot dry section with some exposure. Cats claw to wade through. Lots of river rock to get around and over. I remember being up on the ridge to the east of it and then coming down. I think we found that easier. I did see 1 bear. There’s mountain lion. I’ve only seen sign. Otherwise a pretty easy walk. We’d usually go a little past HFS and set base camp by Middlefork. Claw our way up the west side of northfork a little ways to a lush area with a few more falls. A very nice spot, if you’re up to the walk.

    #3801717
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Bruce I completely agree with you. I value the shelter feedback, but also like where the hijackers are taking us :)

    #3801808
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    I’m glad you don’t mind. I believe you did ask for suggestions in a previous post.

    I have a Google Earth puzzle. It’s in the monument. See if you see it.

    #3801877
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    ;-)

    I know where it is. Only problem is that both trailheads are near areas of high crime nowadays. Not to mention the packs of feral dogs near the northern trailhead. So one needs to park further away and hike in; adding a day or two.

    #3801880
    jscott
    BPL Member

    @book

    Locale: Northern California

    It’s the “face” of someone whistling or blowing a smoke ring…near the bottom on the right…?

    #3801885
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Need another hint.

    #3801894
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Zoom in and be observant

    #3801906
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    Yeah Nick. It’s been kind of a secret. It’s in the wilderness now, so it’s better protected. There’s an official trail close by as well, but it’s still a little difficult to get to. I usually got dropped off or hiked in from Morongo Valley. I believe we started at the tower.

    Hint: look at the shadows. Notice the different geographical features and colors. What looks like a bush, may be something else.

    Collin Fletcher was there.

    #3801917
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Alright, good hints.

    Terran I DM’ed you some guesses.

    #3801918
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    Good guess Chris. The picture is inverted for a better view. Focus on the bush in the middle, the shadow, and what appears to be a shorter bush next to it on the right. GoogleEarth is blurry. You can see it from the hills, but not from the ground and you have to be eating lunch.

    https://popupbackpacker.com/backpacking/trip-reports/a-nostalgic-hike-with-chuckawalla-bill/

    #3801920
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    OK thanks for humoring me. I have a few more guesses.

    I won’t visit Nick’s post… yet.

    #3801922
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Your hint was almost too good. I sent you another guess. Now I have to go do work :)

    I wonder if you could do this with any random Google Earth image. The resolution is just enough for your mind to want to see things everywhere.

    #3801926
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    that’s like these shelters the CCC built around Mt Hood

    That’s the McNeil Ridge shelter.  I’ve camped in it before.  During a blizzard.

    #3801951
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Your hint was almost too good. I sent you another guess. Now I have to go do work :)

    Zoom in and look at the gridlines — they show the longitude and latitude coordinates.

    #3801960
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    Don’t hit that stick…

     

     

    #3801962
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Indeed – I looked up those coordinates first thing! My imagination sent me on a few wild tangents, quite far off track. For example, have you seen the green letter “H”? Or the moose ears? haha

    Terran tipped me off as to what is there. Very cool.

    Nick, I will read your post.

    #3801964
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    I’ll have to look.

    Have you seen this elephant?

     

    #3801994
    jscott
    BPL Member

    @book

    Locale: Northern California

    The images are too blurry for me to spend any time on this. They do make a good Rorschach test however.

    Why are you posting pornography on this site?

    #3801998
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    The elephant is actually near Prescott. I think it was painted in the 50’s. Every once in awhile somebody touches it up.

    #3802073
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    Regarding Chuckwalla Bill’s. All the Park in JT told me was there was a gold rush in the park from the 1880’s and 1930’s and they’ve closed off more than 300 abandoned mines….and it was obvious that they don’t know. Very little anyway.
    If the cabin was already there when Chuckwalla Bill moved in during the early 30’s,  I would surmise that cabin was built to support the mine with rock from the mine used to build the cabin. I doubt Bill dug it, though it would perhaps make a nice shelter while refurbishing a cabin. (See how I said “shelter”. )  It was built with precision. Perhaps with machinery from the 20’s. While they didn’t find a lot of gold, they found a lot of investors . It was a handy place and it had water . It was a showpiece. After the market crashed, Chuckwalla Bill had found a much nicer cave and perhaps planted a bush to protect the entrance? Why does Fletcher not mention it? Did he not know?  Or did he mention it in passing? The story continues.
    That’s why I like hiking. It’s the history. The desert has a very rich history. This area is in the wilderness now and I don’t think it can be closed off. It can be vandalized, but luckily most of those folks don’t make it very far out.

     

     

    #3803392
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Quick follow-up… Due to unexpected events before the trip, we opted for a route with the lowest mental effort and the highest bail-out potential. This turned out to be a two-night out-and-back on the Boy Scout trail, with side trips and mellow exploring. A simple intro to the landscape.

    I brought the 5 x 9 tarp and a water-resistant bivy. The first night called for wind but it calmed after dusk, remaining still and clear all night. I did not use the tarp or bivy. Low of 25ºF, lots of frost on the bag. Second night was also calm, but it did rain for a few hours. I pitched the tarp half under a rock and used the bivy as well. Warmer with a low around 40. Pleasant.

    Will return to explore more cross-country next time. I appreciate the hints and tips mentioned in this thread. Beautiful terrain.

    #3803441
    Terran Terran
    BPL Member

    @terran

    It can get chilly. Rain can be nice. It usually dries quick and compacts the sand. Smells good with the creosote. Springtime is really nice.
    Your first few trips, you’re just as well off staying close to the road. You can see quite a bit and you don’t have to go too far out for solitude.  Sounds like a good trip.

    I’m glad you enjoyed it.

    #3803505
    Chris K
    BPL Member

    @cmkannen-2-2

    Terran – Yes, agreed. Thank you!

    That’s the first time I’ve smelled creosote. At first I thought it was wildfire smoke, but knew it was different. I couldn’t place it.

    #3803832
    Josh B
    BPL Member

    @jbalisteri

    Locale: Western New York

    I just got back from a week in Joshua Tree. I was there during the Pineapple Express situation, and the wind, rain, and snow were very challenging. I planned to backpack but ended up car camping most of the time and sleeping in my Nemo Dagger 2P (I brought my TT Dipole 2 for backpacking but never used it).  The winds were 20-25 mph sustained all week. We had gusts of 50 plus multiple times as well as rain and snow. It was a challenging week. I got sanblasted in my tent several times, and one morning, I woke up with everything in the tent covered in dust. If I did it again, I’d have taken a tent with a solid inner for dust and wind protection. Your weather might be much better. Without these conditions, dipole 2 would have been fine.

    Final morning wakeup

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