Large Boondocking Camp Party in Ocotillo Wells!

Spring brings camping trips, and camping trips mean fun, food and friends!

It's no secret that we love dry camping and boondocking, but we love it even more when we get to share it with friends and fellow camping enthusiasts.

Our church group got together for an "off the beaten path" weekend full of off road adventures, exploring, campfire tales and pot luck (with lots and lots cookies...no seriously, there were a lot of cookies there)!

Near the main turn off, we saw an out of place billboard marking the location of where the 1991 movie "Bugsy" was filmed and we found ourselves on a very long and very rutted out road along the outskirts of Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. After twenty minutes of teeth chattering, we were nicely shaken (not stirred) and we arrived at our dusty destination.

Our home for the weekend consisted of a large circle of class A's, travel trailers, pop-ups, tents and fifth wheels. People of all ages crowded around this large circle and we had fun getting tours of everyone's "home".

By day, we were all explores, although we explored the vast desert in our own ways. Some chose to lounge around the camp, some went off on their quads and dirt bikes, while others (the totally trailer crew), chose to explore deep canyons, wind caves and ancient fossil beds!

By night, we huddled around an all consuming bonfire, swapped stories and ate a lot. There was a hefty line for the potluck which allowed me the opportunity to climb on top of our rig and get some overall shots of the happy campers.

Kids running and playing in dirt, teenagers huddled together having "important teen conversations", adults swapping RV stories and lots of laughter filled the night skies over Ocotillo Wells this weekend.

We met a lot of new people and we feel very blessed to have been a part of this adventure. Life is good, so share it!

Funny sign in the middle of the desert about the filming of the 1991 movie "Bugsy"

 Hubby and new friend, doing "Trailer Talk"

 A portion of our large circle of toys (Totally Trailer is the brightly glowing one with monster flag)

 Somebody got a new laser toy and we all had fun with it around the campfire...made for an awesome pic too! (p.s. those specks in the sky are actual stars..amazing night)

 Campfire Tales in Ocotillo Wells 

 There's always a line at the buffet!

Check out the view I have from up here of the sunsetting over Ocotillo Wells 

And of course, what is a camp site without a flag. In our case, it's a monster Welsh flag!

Hidden Kumeyaay Pictographs and Our New Apartment...shhh.....

This well -kept secret of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park is worth the trip and exploration to find it. There are no roads, no maps, no directions to this Kumeyaay dwelling site. Grab your 4x4, a hiking stick, some water and be sure to bring your best investigative skills to seek out this historical location. 

High above the valley floor, the rocks and boulders look like something out of the old Flintstones cartoons.  The hike takes you back to 1500 AD when the Kumayaay people roamed the land. We imagined walking barefoot along the sharp rocks and vegetation as well as the cruel thought of surviving the harsh weather conditions (extreme heat and cold). Although the site was not too far from where we parked, every rock outcropping looked like it was the rock shelter we were looking for. Exploring the area you can see how these rock outcroppings must have provided a tremendous amount of shade, protection and exceptional viewing over the entire valley for the Kumeyaay people.  

When we finally found the La Rumerosa style pictographs, we were in awe of the simple, yet intricate details and designs. Makes you wonder what they were thinking when they drew that picture and what they all meant. La Rumerosa style is characterized by polychrome rectangular and curvilinear designs using red, black, yellow and white. They used a lot of sunbursts, divided circles, bold lines and simple stick figures. The style is linked to the Kumeyaay Indians around 1500 AD and these pictographs can be seen in the Southern United States and Mexico. The images were well preserved and many people who have visited are doing their part to keep them protected, by never divulging the location. 

Not only were the pictographs themselves interesting, but we found the entire surrounding area fascinating. There were overhangs and hidden entries behind large boulders that must have been rooms and living quarters back in 1500 AD. Smoothed rocks perfectly shaped as chairs (they were actually quite comfortable and perfectly rounded for the gluteus maximus) and smooth long rocks that would have made a perfect bed. Little one and I spent the majority of the afternoon in our new “apartment”. We found it cozy, cool and protected and it took a lot of convincing to get us to leave! If there was a buffet nearby, I think we would have moved in!

Totally Trailer does not recommend accessing these primitive roads with an RV or trailer. There are many RV camp options in Anza Borrego Desert State Park (many are free) as well as RV parks and campgrounds in the surrounding area. Happy Camping and Hiking!

Little one found a bone and poses happily in front of the hidden pictographs

La Rumerosa style Kumeyaay Pictographs from 1500 AD- we like the long armed man!

Our favorite Where's Waldo photo of the area (can you spot hubby?)

It's hard to tell just how high up we were, but this seat was the perfect lookout

Steps up into another hidden opening

Morteros were everywhere 

She looks awfully happy for getting wedged between two giant boulders!

We did not try to fit through this one. However, look how perfectly this is sliced in half and how smooth the cut was made....truly remarkable acts of nature! 

Lounging in our humble abode!

Living off the grid with our solar panels and soaking up the abundant desert sunshine!

Home is where your heart is....our heart is here!

Hubby makes this spot feel nice and cozy with our own light show!

Who doesn't love playing in dirt and rocks?

The Totally Trailer Gang is not shy about posting entries on the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, but this expansive park never ceases to amaze us. Every time we visit, we uncover new treasures and find more adventures.

On this trip we explored more mud caves and found a very prominent earthquake fault line. The mountains look as if they were cut apart, folded like an accordion and then clumsily glued back together. Anza Borrego sits within a complex and intertwining zone of fault lines and active tectonic activity. According to scientists, the southern San Andreas Fault System has produced ongoing seismic activity for millions of years. This is the same system that caused two plates to diverge, therefore causing the Salton Sea (Trough) and the Gulf of California to open up. In the recent geological past, many basins in this area have been uplifted and manipulated. These shifts, lifts and erosion have formed breathtaking mountain ranges that look like intricate jigsaw puzzles with colorful bands and ribbons running through them.

This trip was all about dirt and rocks, since we admired and explored these mountains from the inside out!

Here’s a great quote that is fitting for this entry and for the Anza Borrego area: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious; It is the source of all true art and all science. -- Albert Einstein”

Our picturesque boondocking camp spot in Mountain Palm Springs primitive campground 

Check out these views of the valley...not too shabby!

The Cougar all nestled in to her spot

Looks like little one is enjoying the view too!

Incredible force from a fault line

The accordion ripples almost look man-made

A spooky entrance to one of the 22 mud caves in the area

Equipped with lanterns and flashlights we are off on another adventure deep within a cave

Little one is becoming one with nature and enjoying being inside the expansive mud cave system

Peeking out of the mud cave, there is nothing around for miles

Around every corner is a new surprise in the mud caves...like the streaming light!

A large cave system can suddenly make you feel so small

Arroyo Tapiado Mud Cave Exploration

I am not sure if the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are one of the best kept secrets of the park, because many people I run into have never even heard of this magnificent place!

Granted, you feel like a lost sheep wandering the vast desert to find them but they are "totally" worth it!!

The drive to find the mud caves, is almost as much fun as the mud caves themselves. The trek in makes you feel like you are a million miles away from everything. There are no city lights, no freeways, no stop lights and no one around for miles.We kept playing the "Indiana Jones" theme song in our heads while traversing the desolate dirt roads! Every twist and turn made us hold our breath wondering what was around the corner. The rock and mud formations along the way were a sight to see and left us wondering "what was back there"? At every corner we wanted to get out and hike and explore the area, but we kept onward to our mud cave destination.

There are no neon signs, no "Welcome to the Mud Caves" billboard and no physical way to see that these mud caves exist from the road. The only way you know where they are is if you follow another motorist in, someone is parked down near the area, or if you have been there before. This anonymity adds to the mystery and anticipation of exploring these natural wonders.

The name Arroyo Tapiado derives from the Spanish language meaning "walled wash" and the Arroyo Tapiado canyon is full of 22 known mud caves and 9 slot canyons! These mud caves are the most extensive mud cave systems in the world with some of the caves extending over 1000 feet! These are not claustrophobic caves either, some of these systems are cavernous with ceilings 80 feet tall and 325 feet wide.

They were formed by fluvial erosion caused by periods of heavy rain fall. When the heavy rain occurs it cuts channels into the mud hills which causes erosion and forms canyon with undercut walls. Some channels deepen and some cave in. The mud of the collapsed walls dry and adhere to other portions of the canyon thus forming bridges, archways and even natural "skylights" in the caves.

It's truly a natural wonder and you can spend days there and not see everything that Arroyo Tapiado has to offer.

Some notes of interest and words of caution:
* 4WD is recommended to traverse the dirt roads in.
* Make sure you bring water and snacks (you are a long way from civilization and it is dry and hot out there).
* The mud caves can be unstable, so use caution (it is also recommended not to walk on top of the caves for fear of cave ins). People have lost their lives in these areas, so use caution and common sense (this is not rock, this is unstable MUD)!
* Bring lights, i.e.: flashlights, lanterns. Once you are in the caves, there is no light and it becomes pitch black.
* Don't leave your trash please, let's keep it nice for many generations.

***On a side note, we recommend doing that while in the cave...gather everyone around and simultaneously shut off your lights. The blackness is astounding and the quiet is deafening!!***

Our taxi to the great unknown!

Even my parents came to explore the caves...it was a family affair! 

                                    Three Generations of Explorers!

The entrance to the cave is a back breaker, but looks like fun doesn't it?

Equipped with lanterns and Camelbak's we are ready for adventures

There is no greater skylight than God's skylight!

Taking a break and eating some lunch perched at the mouth of a cave

Papa and little one went off exploring on their own 

Wedged into a narrow slot and passageway

Oh No, look who the tour guide is?!

Hubby and I walked right up on this perfectly coiled and perfectly camouflaged rattler...that will give you a moment of pause!

Blair Valley & Anza Borrego Exploration

I don't know how many times we have been to the Anza Borrego area, but every time we go, we find new and exciting adventures! This time we ventured past the town of Borrego Springs to Blair Valley. We actually camped in Blair Valley (just a few feet from where the old stagecoach trail was). We lucked out on an amazing dry camp spot, nestled at the foothills of Blair Valley (exceptional views and full cell service...imagine that)! We took in the touristy sights and did the two hikes to the Kumeyaay indian Pictograph sight and to the Kumeyaay mortars. We also explored an area where De Anza camped back in 1775 (noted as the San Gregorio camp spot) as well as a night trek through the erie Military Wash, which was littered with remnants of old military training exercises and maneuvers. The Military Wash was being watched over, by one solitary guard (we were lucky enough to get close enough to the little guard to get a picture...amazing)! The views, the history, the caves eroded from wind and flash floods, made for a true desert adventure.

         Our serene camp spot in Blair Valley

         

  Blair Valley Off road adventure to get to our camp spot

   San Gregorio/Borrego Sink Wash area (aka De Anza Camp Site) Looks like we landed on the moon

Mud Caves in the Anza Borrego Desert

Exploring the cavernous mud caves

Is this petrified wood or weathered rocks?

Healthy ocotillo in the middle of a wash, all by himself

Weathered rock in the shape of a peach

Huge openings surrounding an area on the De Anza Expedition route

This was a stop on the De Anza Expedition, you can see why they sought shelter in this flat area

Looks like this rock has fins!

The littered ground in Military Wash

The "un-official" guardian of Military Wash

Kumeyaay trail filled with morteros and pictographs

Indian morteros scattered around the historic trail

Pictographs found on massive boulders 

Some pictographs are black and some were red

Historians say the red was used for coming of age ceremonies, mainly for young girls

Sunset over the desert at the trail start

A storm blew through and left us with an amazingly vibrant full rainbow!