Topic: Desert Shenanegens

[FrankB]

Frank I added you as Trail Leader for 11/18 Apple Pie Run, hope that's ok?

Thanks.  I'll set up a separate Excursion thread for this soon.

[FrankB]

I'm good with the part about doing an interesting side hike.  It's the "clothing optional" that's throwing me.

No worries Craig.  We've been going to Ghost Mountain for years, and in all that time no one I know of has ever decided to exercise that option.  Personally I think it would be crazy, what with all the cactus and other scratchy stuff around.

When you see where this place is, and realize that Marshal South had to walk up that last mile to the house carrying whatever they had gone into Julian to get, you realize just how weird it must have been.  It's pretty steep in places.  Just getting to Julian in those days must have been quite the adventure too; I wonder when they paved CA-78?

[beedee]

Overlanding is why I stopped taking clients on Saturdays

My wife does hair and that is her busiest day. I could cruise solo and bring our daughter along, but sometimes its a challenge since she is only 2.

[Ghost65]

Just getting to Julian in those days must have been quite the adventure too; I wonder when they paved CA-78?

Looks like some time after 1925...cool local mountain history at this link:

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/nov/20/roam-old-banner-road-julian/#

[Jayrat]

Looks like some time after 1925...cool local mountain history at this link:

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/nov/20/roam-old-banner-road-julian/#

Thanks John , love me some history lessons

[JFanaselle]

Overlanding is why I stopped taking clients on Saturdays

I'd say your priorities are in line

[FrankB]

Thanks John , love me some history lessons

Speaking of history lessons, the desert, the San Diego Reader, and cool things to check out:

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2012/aug/11/travel-integratron-ca-high-desert/

Next time you are up near Joshua Tree be sure to check out the Integratron.

[fourxfunk]

^also in the area, the Giant Rock.  Has a very interesting history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Rock


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[FrankB]

^also in the area, the Giant Rock.  Has a very interesting history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Rock


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Giant Rock is cool.  It's the rock on the right, and you really can't tell just how big it is in this picture.



That wikipedia article is probably a bit thin. It mentions that "Critzer perished in a self-detonated dynamite explosion while being investigated . . .".  I've seen several other accounts which mention the rest of the story, which appears to be that some locals didn't like him for some reason (he was German, it was WWII, and he had radio equipment and lived in a hollowed out room under the rock) so they got the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (keep in mind this is in Riverside County) to come out there. The sheriffs tossed in a tear gas grenade to try to get him out, and it apparently detonated the dynamite he kept under the kitchen table.

The Integratron website may still have a lot of the stories, including a lot about the setup that Van Tassel had out there at Giant Rock for many years.

[Celt]

Checking the weather reports and by mid week it's supposed to be mid-80's in Borrego down to a very comfortable 58f by night. If this holds I'll set up a Sat/Sun or Sat/Sun/Mon trip real soon.