Chuckwalla

Mountains

November 16-18, 2007
By Allan Schoenherr and
Alan Romspert
Nearly everyone arrived by Friday evening and staked out campsites in the scenic locale off Interstate 10 and Hayfield Road, a site marked by huge granitic boulders and a spectacular arch. Allan and Alan arrived about 4:00 p.m. after pre-running the route for the next day¹s activities. Soon we found out that Ron Ross was having trouble with 4-wheel drive on his vehicle, an absolute necessity for this trip. After much poking, prodding, and arm-waiving he decided to run into Indio first thing in the morning to see if he could get it repaired. As it turned out, probably because of positive thoughts from this hearty group, his test run the following morning proved that the problem had fixed itself. Good news. After dark, the stars were spectacular, and with the help of a giant pair of binoculars, brought along by Marilyn Martin¹s son Kevin, we were able to observe the Comet Holmes. A fine campfire finished off the evening. The surprise appearance of nocturnal mosquitoes caught those of us off guard who had decided to sleep out and enjoy the stars.
On Saturday, while we waited for some folks that arrived in the morning, Alan R. did a "show-and-tell" on the great variety of plants that were found in the area. This part of the desert had received a significant amount of rainfall this year so we were fortunate to find many species of plants "greened up" and/or in bloom. Of particular interest were all the species of annual (ephemeral) wildflowers that graced the landscape. After the plant show-and-tell session, Allan S. laid out a series of books that were relevant to the plants of the Colorado Desert. Included here were a couple of old Water Supply Papers from the 1920¹s which described the springs and wells that could be located along the route from the Salton Sea to Blythe.
Also of interest was the Guide to the Bradshaw Trail: Gold Road to La Paz by
Delmer Ross with maps by our very own Bob Martin. About 9:00 a.m. we
pulled out of the campsite, forming a car caravan 14 vehicles long. Before we reached the freeway we picked up two more cars and had time to stop and do some more botanizing, taking this time to view desert wash plants such as Blue Palo Verde, Smoke Tree, Desert Lavender, Paper Bag Bush, and Wait-A-Minute Bush (Catclaw Acacia). Mud-cased twigs in this area were evidence of subterranean termites who come up from underground after it rains and pack mud around the wood in order to eat it, leaving the empty mud casings behind.
By this time our entourage included the following adventurers: Allan and Ding Wicker, Marilyn Martin and son Kevin, Malcolm and Jean Roode, Leonard, Rebecca and Hannah Friedman, George and Anne Stoll, Sherry Schmidt and Jeanne Hartman, Ron Ross and Nancy MacClean, Dave McFarland and Vicki Hill, Jon and Syndi Carlson, Joan McGovern-White, Reda Anderson, Bob Younger, Debbie Miller, Ken Sears, plus the fearless leaders Alan Romspert and Allan Schoenherr with his wife Kenna.
We traveled eastward on Interstate 10 and left the freeway at the Corn Springs exit. We traveled 8 more miles on Chuckwalla Road, then turned south on Dupont Road toward the Chuckwalla Mountains. Of course Allan S., who was in the lead, overshot Dupont Road and was saved by our alert "Tail-end Charlie" Alan R. We stopped along the wilderness boundary and walked into a former scenic campsite that is now off limits, just inside the wilderness boundary. Allan S. lead a discussion on the implication of closing well-used areas in the name of "untrammeled" wilderness.
A bit farther up the hill we left the main road and traveled up a sandy wash and took a side trip to a well maintained guzzler. Here we noted that there was a concrete set of stairs that led down to an enclosure that contained a significant amount of water. Deer footprints were abundant in the area and Alan R. came up with an antler that had been shed by a 3-point buck. Allan S. pointed out that antlers, which are shed after mating each fall, are seldom found intact because rodents tend to chew them out of existence as a calcium source.
As we progressed southward we passed through scenic examples of Desert Wash Woodland (Microphyll Woodland) and along the upper bajada we traversed Desert Pavement, and rocky slopes marked by large stands of Teddy Bear Cholla, Barrel Cactus, and Ocotillos. We did some real 4-wheeling in a long region of wash marked by sections with deep sand and numerous boulders, finally arriving at the asymptote of this traverse, at a long steep grade we call "Ball-bearing Hill². It gets this name from numerous loose rocks that cause vehicles to slip and slide as they ascend the hill. Every vehicle but one made the climb in fine shape. This vehicle, a Honda CRV, whose owner shall remain nameless to protect the innocent, couldn¹t seem to get traction. Ken aSears came to the rescue, and with his "big guy" Toyota pickup, towed the Honda up the hill. Applause!! That¹s where we ate a late alunch. Shortly after, potential new members Jon and Syndi Carlson, who live in Yucca Valley, decided to leave us and head for home.
After lunch we went down to the Bradshaw Trail and then to the east where we turned northward on Augustine aPass Road. This part of the trip was more of a challenge which required folks on numerous occasions to climb out of their vehicles and inspect the road ahead in order to find the best route over boulders and down small dry waterfalls. Most people were pretty intent on finding a route that minimized pin-striping and bouncing over boulders.
Bob Younger in his big-guy Ford 350 had some minor body work done on his running board. And Joan McGovern-White developed a loud noise in her right rear wheel which fixed itself when she backed up for a short run. It probably was a stone caught in her brake. It appears that most folks concentrated on driving, but still were able to appreciate the interesting geology, marked by narrow canyons, colorful volcanic rocks, and a whole lot of schist. By the time everyone negotiated the challenging part of the route we were ready for cocktails. We circled the wagons in a broad scenic wash among Desert Ironwoods and Blue Palo Verdes. Out came the food and drinks for happy hour, and we had a fine potluck as darkness descended upon us.
Another cheery campfire followed.
On Sunday amorning we got packed up and left the campsite about 8:00 a.m., heading back toward Chuckwalla Road via Chuckwalla Springs Road and Graham Pass Road. Dave and Vicki stayed in camp as they were ultimately headed for Arizona. Some folks, namely the Martins, Roodes, Ken Sears, and Bob Younger, headed on back home when we reached Interstate 10. We exited the freeway at Eagle Mountain Road, our entourage reduced by this time to 10 vehicles. We headed toward the Eagle Mountains and then westward along the well-graded road that parallels the Colorado Aqueduct. Using braille and blind intuition we found the petroglyph site about a mile east of the Hayfield pump station. At this point we once again found a significant wildflower bloom, featuring Lupines and Evening Primroses. After walking up and down the wash, observing a Chuckwalla sunning itself on a ledge, and eyeballing the interesting petroglyphs, we listened to Anne Stoll explain the significance of the area. We stopped for an early lunch after which the group split up. Some folks went off to inspect interesting campsites, others went to Palm Springs for Margaritas, while the rest of us returned to the freeway at Red Cloud Road and headed home.
All in all, it was an excellent weekend. Flowers were blooming, and the weather was exquisite, with warm days and clear nights. It appears a good time was had by all, including the fine-spirited driver of the Honda.
Malcolm Roode has developed a website relevant to this trip. You can go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=58iWaGQaCnc.