January 2012 – theCanyoneers

Mine Canyon

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Visit a large Kumeyaay village site with grinding areas and hundreds of agave-roasting pits. Then continue after a short drive, by foot, into the North Pinyon Mountains via Mine Wash.

Click elevation profile for larger image

Rating: Easy
Distance: 5 miles
Elev Min/Max 2416 ft/3044 ft
Elev Gain/Loss: +750 ft/-750 ft

A major archeological site, a treasure trove of fascinating plants and animals, and beautiful scenery ranging from wide-open desert views to narrow winding mountain canyons all await anyone who takes a drive and hike up Mine Wash and Canyon.

Pinyon Wash to Harper Flat

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Search for Native American grinding holes while admiring spectacular desert scenery from an alluvial fan.

*Click elevation profile for larger image*

Rating: Easy
Distance: 3 miles
Elev Min/Max: 2236 ft/2626 ft
Elev Gain/Loss: +650 ft/-650 ft

This hike takes you up Pinyon Wash, lined with wildflowers in the spring, and into Harper Flat, an extensive area of Native American use.

Hellhole Canyon

Open Space Preserve

A bubbling creek, shade, history, and changing ecology beckon

Rating: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 4.9 miles
Elev Min/Max: 1694 ft/2105 ft
Elev Gain/Loss: +1406 ft/-1404 ft

Hellhole Canyon Open Space Preserve east of Valley Center is a valuable resource for wildlife, hikers, and equestrians with running water, a scenic canyon, and spring wildflowers. It is a place to learn about the early history of water transport while observing ecological changes during fire recovery.

Ghost Mountain

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Visit poet/author/artist Marshal South’s adobe ruins on a desert mountaintop

Rating: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 2 miles
Elev Min/Max: 2769/3215 ft
Elev Gain/Loss: +643/-643 ft

A rugged one-mile trail up the Ghost Mountain ridge leads to Yaquitepec (elev. 3215 feet), the ruins of an adobe home built by poet/author/artist Marshal South and his wife Tanya on top of waterless Ghost Mountain.