52 Hike Challenge 2016 Adventure Series
"You need special shoes for hiking- and a bit of a
special soul as well."
A north-south trending fault zone is responsible for the
series of ridges and canyons at Anza-Borrgo's southern end. Carrizo Gorge, the
most dramatic of these, divides the Jacumba Mountains to the east from the
In-Ko-Pah Mountains to the west. These mini-mountain ranges are links in the
Peninsular Ranges from the Laguna Mountains in the northwest to the Sierra
Juarez of Baja California. Carrizo Gorge is best known for the railroad that
threads along its eastern wall: the San Diego & Arizona Eastern. Built in
1907-1919, the railroad carried freight, and for a time passengers, between San
Diego and Imperial Valley. At its heart it is a remote and rugged wilderness
area.
A trek down the length of Carrizo Gorge is long, rugged, and
memorable. It is one to be taken cautiously, with the right equipment and
clothing. Essential are long pants to protect you from the sharp thorns of
mesquite, catclaw, and the needle-like tips of a particularly wicked type of
bunch grass. Thick growths of tamarisk, cactus gardens, and slippery rocks will
all conspire to hinder your progress. Feral cattle used to keep paths through
the vegetation clear, but they were airlifted out of the canyon in the late
1980's.
Fortunately, the California Conservation Corps has been
involved in a project to eradicate the invasive tamarisk from the Carrizo Creek
watershed. Past forays into the gorge from the north end have been relativity
easy due to the removal efforts. However, I was curious to see how passable the
southern section was. So after dropping off a vehicle at the north end of the
gorge, we made our way into Carrizo Gorge from the southern end, near the small
high desert community of Jacumba. We only made it in about 2 miles before all
forward progress was halted due to the tamarisk. A detour along the railroad
tracks was necessary if we were to make camp before nightfall. The next day we
made the descent back down into the gorge and eventually to where we had parked
the other vehicle. There is still much more to be explored in this area. I'll
be back for sure.
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