14 miles |1300'
Devils Canyon runs from Mountain Springs, off Interstate 8,
to Ocotillo just East of the San Diego/Imperial County line. It was a
transportation route for freight and wagons heading west. The trail was opened
in the 1860's as a toll road. With the construction of Old US 80 in 1910 and
then I-8 in the 1960's, the old route was forgotten.
In 1976 a massive tropical storm washed out the canyon
bottom, as well at the area's surrounding infrastructure. It was the most
powerful tropical cylone ever to hit San Diego and Imperial Counties. With
winds up to 90 miles an hour, Hurricane Kathleen dropped a foot of water on Mt.
Laguna and sent a wall of water 10 feet high through the town of Ocotillo in
neighboring Imperial Valley, destroying most of the town.
The powerful storm killed 13 people in California and
Mexico. It also washed out sections of Interstate 8, and destroyed a bridge at
Meyer Creek, leaving a gully in its place some 35 to 40 feet deep.
Devils Canyon was "rediscovered" in the early
2000's by local off-highway enthusiast and the route was made passable again by
4WD vehicles for a time before it was unfortunately closed down by the BLM.
After a finding of "no signifigant impact", access to the canyon was
again allowed but only via a special use permit.
I think our hiking buddy, Robb said it best- "Mouths
parched. Skin beaten, scratched, and sunburnt. Muscles aching and shoes full of
coarse desert sand. They hike, not because they want to, but because they have
to. Exploration is in their blood. It's what they do. It's who they are."
1 comment:
Can you tell me where this bridge is located? I am assuming that the concrete road leading to it is old hwy 80.
Thanks!
Jessica
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