Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 3 - ABDSP

Here is Part 3 of my trip report.

Part 1 and 2 can be read here: Part 1 Part 2

Anza Borrego is rich with stories of people trying to navigate it's Badlands and also of people trying to make it a place to call home. One of these stories is of Olin Bailey. He built his cabin in 1906 and it had many structural features that were not found in homes built of the same era. I had a hard time finding much history about the cabin, the newly built interpretive signs seem to have quite a bit though.




The actual cabin had a protective roof structure built over it in 2007 to preserve what remains. You can read more about this effort here Bailey Cabin protective structure, Borrego – 2007


Looking at the east facing side of the cabin


The front door(?)


Continuing my explorations this day in 105 degree heat proved too much for my trusty two-wheeled companion. I ended up with 2 flat tires and a broken rear sprocket that left me stranded 3 miles from the S2 highway. I was prepared of course, I always set out with at least 2 gallons of water and food.


She was shining with pride at 9pm under an almost full moon the night before


Some really cool things grow out in the desert, like this Coyote Melon


I found some more wreckage debris from the F8-J about an hour's hike away from the engine I found in trip report 1



Some interesting milling sites and rock shelters



Also some really big pottery sherds in the area


On my way home I decided to stop and check out the alien spaceships nearby


One of the aliens offered to take me for a ride...that was interesting...


The whole alien family had to watch the gringo go by


They wanted to take me thru the Worm Hole but I declined..I was late for supper

Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 2 - ABDSP

Here is Part 2 of my trip, for Part 1 look here

After a long day of kicking cactus and pulling rocks out of my boots I had a few ice cold beers and ate some late lunch. 5pm was still early in the day for summer so I hoofed it up to the Marshal South Home location. I was sorta half out of it and was taking pictures with the lens hood on and twisted sideways so forgive the black corners.

For more information about the Marshal South Home check out this documentary website:

Marshal South Documentary Website

Buy the book, it is a very interesting story, I guarantee it!

Brief History of the Marshal South Home (click to enlarge)


Looking at the rear of the home ruins from inside the house. The front of the house actually faces east, not west


View of the house ruins. The bed frame is against the rear of the home


This is the front door


View of the cement pond and house ruins


Old sun dial, I have seen older photos that show an actual rectangular piece and not just a bolt so this may just be leftovers


Some cool rock shelters



Part 3 coming soon...

Earthquake / Vallecito Valley - Part 1 - ABDSP

You never know what you will find when you start hiking cross country out thru the desert. I spent a couple of weekends exploring Earthquake and Vallecito Valley. From the very north end of Blair Valley to Potrero Canyon there are many interesting desert features to discover if you spend the time exploring. Temperatures ranged from 105 during the day to mid 50's at night.

Mylar balloon count for this trip - 5

Animals seen - (1) Bobcat, (1) Coyote and many Raptors, Lizards and Mice.

After arriving in the early evening to Blair Valley, I decided to do a quick hike up to the top of Ghost Mountain.

Interesting rock carvings



Cool old Pepsi can I found


One of my favorite milling stations at Morteros Village


Geologically interesting boulder for sure


View of Little Blair Valley and the Morteros Village area from Ghost Mountain


Ghost Mountain Register


Night time stars near Morteros Village



First stop in the morning is what Earthquake Valley was named for, Shake 'n Quake



The Shake BM Register was in good shape, it did not have too many entries. Only a few small pages from the original 2002 date of the first page. Apparently not very many people come here.


Hiking cross country thru the cactus and sun baked volcanic rocks reveals some more interesting finds. There is some debris left from an old F-8J Crusader crash that happened in the late 1960's.

Here is part of an engine


Here is what looks like a wing section


Close up of the wing flap hinge, it was pretty massive


More scattered debris and some landing gear in the distance


Close up of the landing gear


An old shovel and a couple of faded water bottles in the shadows of a nearby Juniper show someone was trying to unearth the massive airplane wreckage debris


Moving along across the bajada I spotted some pottery and a few milling sites


Can you see the pottery sherds in the centuries old sun baked volcanic rocks?


Here is an old Indian Agave Roasting Pit area


uhhh..old Indian Phalic symbol..??


And it's counterpart..


Pictographs enhanced with DStretch


This is what I call the three "P's"...Pencil,Pottery & Poo. Don't mess with Mountain Lions


Well that is Part 1 for now, I will post Part 2 in the next few days, thanks for reading!