Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

Hell, Jeep chicks look good *every* year! ;-)

--
Jim

"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:EVBgb.1445$dn6.503@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net...
> Great photos! Anza now has a new moderist Post Office and didn't Jeep
chicks
> look good in 68!
>
>
> "L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:3F82956E.E65E4ECF@cox.net...
> > Some pictures of the Anza trail taken in '68, my Jip is center top
> > and bottom: http://www.----------.com/anza68run.jpg
> > God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> > mailto:--------------------
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

Hell, Jeep chicks look good *every* year! ;-)

--
Jim

"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:EVBgb.1445$dn6.503@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net...
> Great photos! Anza now has a new moderist Post Office and didn't Jeep
chicks
> look good in 68!
>
>
> "L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:3F82956E.E65E4ECF@cox.net...
> > Some pictures of the Anza trail taken in '68, my Jip is center top
> > and bottom: http://www.----------.com/anza68run.jpg
> > God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> > mailto:--------------------
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

Hell, Jeep chicks look good *every* year! ;-)

--
Jim

"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:EVBgb.1445$dn6.503@newsread4.news.pas.earthli nk.net...
> Great photos! Anza now has a new moderist Post Office and didn't Jeep
chicks
> look good in 68!
>
>
> "L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:3F82956E.E65E4ECF@cox.net...
> > Some pictures of the Anza trail taken in '68, my Jip is center top
> > and bottom: http://www.----------.com/anza68run.jpg
> > God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> > mailto:--------------------
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.

The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The route
throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally from
June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was closed
year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as the
Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon. Motor
vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of water,
and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to keep
vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away from
the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
envasive and dense.

Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing what
Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
information.

The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending quality
time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back to
civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think it
takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom of
the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
making the run through the canyon.

Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and not
spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From the
traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or similar),
and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to the
park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.





"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
open.
> It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best rides
> around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
on
> the trail.
>
> If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> --
> Regards,
>
> Mike Stevens
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.

The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The route
throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally from
June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was closed
year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as the
Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon. Motor
vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of water,
and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to keep
vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away from
the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
envasive and dense.

Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing what
Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
information.

The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending quality
time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back to
civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think it
takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom of
the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
making the run through the canyon.

Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and not
spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From the
traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or similar),
and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to the
park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.





"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
open.
> It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best rides
> around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
on
> the trail.
>
> If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> --
> Regards,
>
> Mike Stevens
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.

The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The route
throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally from
June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was closed
year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as the
Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon. Motor
vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of water,
and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to keep
vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away from
the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
envasive and dense.

Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing what
Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
information.

The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending quality
time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back to
civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think it
takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom of
the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
making the run through the canyon.

Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and not
spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From the
traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or similar),
and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to the
park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.





"Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
open.
> It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best rides
> around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
on
> the trail.
>
> If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> --
> Regards,
>
> Mike Stevens
>
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

The Middle Willows is still permanently closed to motor vehicles. The trail
I am talking about is only accessible from Anza. The gate I mention is the
entrance gate in Anza that is only open October thru spring.

While it would be nice to be able to make the round trip of Anza, Coyote
Canyon, Borrego Springs, Warner Springs, Aguanga and back to Anza there is
one big advantage in the Willows being closed: It makes the trail very quiet
and unspoiled because the Anza access from the north is not only the only
way in and out with a Jeep it is also difficult. I have been there mid week
and been the only person there in thousands of square acres.
"Jeff Strickland" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vo5vbuk51og46f@corp.supernews.com...
> My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
> floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.
>
> The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The
route
> throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
> habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally
from
> June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was
closed
> year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as
the
> Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
> source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
> vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon.
Motor
> vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
> pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
> Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of
water,
> and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to
keep
> vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away
from
> the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
> well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
> problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
> the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
> the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
> walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
> problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
> envasive and dense.
>
> Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
> time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing
what
> Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
> know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
> information.
>
> The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
> the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
> damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
> and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
> boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
> through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending
quality
> time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
> Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
> If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
> and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
> Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back
to
> civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
> but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think
it
> takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
> the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
> make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
> Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom
of
> the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
> making the run through the canyon.
>
> Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and
not
> spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
> is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From
the
> traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
> goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or
similar),
> and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to
the
> park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
> out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> > Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
> open.
> > It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best
rides
> > around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
> on
> > the trail.
> >
> > If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Mike Stevens
> >
> >
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

The Middle Willows is still permanently closed to motor vehicles. The trail
I am talking about is only accessible from Anza. The gate I mention is the
entrance gate in Anza that is only open October thru spring.

While it would be nice to be able to make the round trip of Anza, Coyote
Canyon, Borrego Springs, Warner Springs, Aguanga and back to Anza there is
one big advantage in the Willows being closed: It makes the trail very quiet
and unspoiled because the Anza access from the north is not only the only
way in and out with a Jeep it is also difficult. I have been there mid week
and been the only person there in thousands of square acres.
"Jeff Strickland" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vo5vbuk51og46f@corp.supernews.com...
> My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
> floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.
>
> The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The
route
> throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
> habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally
from
> June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was
closed
> year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as
the
> Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
> source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
> vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon.
Motor
> vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
> pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
> Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of
water,
> and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to
keep
> vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away
from
> the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
> well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
> problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
> the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
> the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
> walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
> problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
> envasive and dense.
>
> Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
> time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing
what
> Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
> know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
> information.
>
> The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
> the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
> damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
> and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
> boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
> through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending
quality
> time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
> Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
> If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
> and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
> Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back
to
> civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
> but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think
it
> takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
> the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
> make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
> Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom
of
> the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
> making the run through the canyon.
>
> Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and
not
> spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
> is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From
the
> traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
> goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or
similar),
> and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to
the
> park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
> out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> > Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
> open.
> > It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best
rides
> > around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
> on
> > the trail.
> >
> > If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Mike Stevens
> >
> >
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

The Middle Willows is still permanently closed to motor vehicles. The trail
I am talking about is only accessible from Anza. The gate I mention is the
entrance gate in Anza that is only open October thru spring.

While it would be nice to be able to make the round trip of Anza, Coyote
Canyon, Borrego Springs, Warner Springs, Aguanga and back to Anza there is
one big advantage in the Willows being closed: It makes the trail very quiet
and unspoiled because the Anza access from the north is not only the only
way in and out with a Jeep it is also difficult. I have been there mid week
and been the only person there in thousands of square acres.
"Jeff Strickland" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vo5vbuk51og46f@corp.supernews.com...
> My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
> floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.
>
> The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The
route
> throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
> habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally
from
> June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was
closed
> year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as
the
> Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
> source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
> vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon.
Motor
> vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
> pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
> Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of
water,
> and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to
keep
> vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away
from
> the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
> well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
> problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
> the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
> the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
> walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
> problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
> envasive and dense.
>
> Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
> time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing
what
> Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
> know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
> information.
>
> The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
> the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
> damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
> and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
> boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
> through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending
quality
> time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
> Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
> If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
> and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
> Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back
to
> civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
> but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think
it
> takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
> the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
> make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
> Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom
of
> the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
> making the run through the canyon.
>
> Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and
not
> spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
> is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From
the
> traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
> goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or
similar),
> and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to
the
> park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
> out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> > Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
> open.
> > It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best
rides
> > around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
> on
> > the trail.
> >
> > If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Mike Stevens
> >
> >
>

Re: Coyote Canyon from Anza to Desert Floor now Open
 

PS:

My recommending the trip from the north is not related to my own personal
habitat. The drive from Anza Borrego UP is tame and crowded. From Anza DOWN
it is a different world.

Last time I saw Jeff, and that was too long ago, he was on a "no beer" diet
so what is this with beerman@yahoo.com?


"Jeff Strickland" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vo5vbuk51og46f@corp.supernews.com...
> My humble suggestion is to start at the bottom of the canyon on the desert
> floor and make your way up the canyon to Anza.
>
> The Anza Borrego Desert State Park offers abundant desert camping. The
route
> throught Coyote Canyon has long been closed to protect the Big Horn Sheep
> habitat that the route passes through. The route was closed seasonally
from
> June through September for many years, but in about '97 or '98 it was
closed
> year around. The entire route was not closed, only the section known as
the
> Middle Willows was closed. The Middle Willows is virtually the only water
> source for the sheep herds for many miles. The closure only affected motor
> vehicles, bikes and hikers were still allowed to traverse the canyon.
Motor
> vehicles could go up from the bottom and down from the top, but could not
> pass through the Middle Willows. There are three willow along the canyon,
> Lower, Middle, and Upper. The middle has by far the largest amount of
water,
> and is the most remote of the three sites. The protection effort was to
keep
> vehicles out of the area so that the lambs would not be frightened away
from
> the only water source for miles around. The seasonal closures worked very
> well, but the tree huggers lobbied for and got a year around closure. A
> problem quickly developed, the vehicles kept the willows thinned out, and
> the lambs could get to the water, but the year around closure that blocked
> the vehicles quickly allowed the area to become so overgrown that people
> walking had extreme difficulty in getting through. The lambs have the same
> problem, they can not reach the water because the brush has become so
> envasive and dense.
>
> Mike Stevens seems to be saying that the trail is open now, but the last
> time I was there, there was a locked gate in January. I am not arguing
what
> Mike is reporting, but what he is saying is counter to what I have come to
> know about the area. Clearly, I could be the wrong party with outdated
> information.
>
> The trail was, in Bill's day, passable with 2WD. In the mid to late '90s,
> the trail above the Lower Willows was washed away by floods, and (I think)
> damaged by a land slide caused by an earthquake. The Park Service went in
> and created a Bypass (actual name of the section of trail) that is a
> boulder-strewn section of steep grade. It definitely takes 4WD to get
> through today, and some 4WDs will get stuck to the point of spending
quality
> time on the end of a winch cable, but I digress. I have not been past the
> Middle Willows, so I am not familiar with the section(s) above that point.
> If I was gonna run Coyote Canyon, I think I would tent camp in the desert,
> and make the run up the canyon and exit in Anza. Mike suggests starting in
> Anza, but he lives there, so his view is understandable. The commute back
to
> civilization from Anza is slightely easier than the commute from Borrego,
> but getting into Borrego to camp can be a long drive. Basically, I think
it
> takes about 6 hours to go through the canyon one way, with stops to smell
> the cacti along the way. If I am right, it would be a rather long day to
> make the trip twice, and it is about 80 miles on the highway from Anza to
> Borrego Springs, so parking the motorhome at either the top of the bottom
of
> the canyon will lead to an hour or so of driving to get back to it after
> making the run through the canyon.
>
> Visitors from the San Diego area can easily make the trip from home and
not
> spend th enight camping, but drinking beer and smoking cigars until 2:00AM
> is a large part of rock crawling. Make your way to Borrego Springs. From
the
> traffic circle in the middle of town, porceed out of town on the road that
> goes to the Salton Sea. go about a mile or two to Di Gigorigio (or
similar),
> and turn LEFT. Proceed to the end of the pavement where the entrance to
the
> park is. Follow the only route that is there, and you will eventually come
> out in Anza along Highway 341 between Highways 79 and 74.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Michael Stevens" <michaelhowardstevens@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:mR4gb.4052$Qy2.2076@newsread4.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > Been hibernating with house projects and visitors this summer but Coyote
> > Canyon from Anza (California) at 4000' down to the desert floor is now
> open.
> > It shuts in the summer for Pronghorn sheep breeding. One of the best
rides
> > around so I'll be back there soon and would be happy to meet many of you
> on
> > the trail.
> >
> > If you are in southern California I urge you check this out.
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Mike Stevens
> >
> >
>