Anza Borrego – Pinyon Wash

We needed a slower-paced camping trip with a focus on food and hanging out. A couple of nights in Pinyon Wash in Anza-Borrego State Park sounded good.

Jack, Dorie, Srisuda, and I meet in Julian in the afternoon and headed out to Pinyon wash which we drove all the way to the end. There was nobody there, so we got the nice campsite for ourselves. We set up and settled in with some chips/salsa and beers. It was warm, but not hot and Jack and Dorie had brought the EZup along for shade. As soon as the sun dropped behind the mountains temperatures dropped a bit and we opted for light, long-sleeve layers. Dinner was chicken with a zucchini sauce and creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and a salad. Afterward, we hung out with some beers and fine tequila around our fire pit with a nice fire going.

Breakfast the next morning was our classic camp breakfast: hash browns, kielbasa, and eggs cooked to individual preference. Once fueled we headed out for a hike to Harper’s Flat with the goal to check out a couple of dams and a little hut that James and Amby Harper build in the 1920s at the western end of the flat in the canyons below Pinyon mountain. We did find the site, explored it, and took a little snack break there before heading back. It was getting really warm and Srisuda had problems with her new boots, so we decided against more exploring. Back at camp we read, took naps, ate snacks, and just hung out. Very relaxing. Dinner was carnitas tacos with rice, another great meal. Then we had campfire number 2.

Sourdough pancakes

On the last day, we had sourdough pancakes with eggs (cooked to order 🙂 and bacon. Then it was time to break down camp. Jack and Dorie drove home while I wanted to do a quick hike up Yaqui Peak. Srisuda thought that was nuts since temperatures were getting into the 90’s. I ended up being rewarded for my craziness by running into a herd of bighorn sheep and a while later a ram, ewe, and a lamb. I also paid a bit of a price with a 1/2 inch thorn that I had to extract from my shin after the hike and a big, fat thorn from a little barrel cactus that I managed to let me poke into my little toe. The latter required attention on the trail. Pulling of the shoe (should have worn boots) was quite painful since the thorn was stuck deep in the toe and also securely attached to the shoe. I freed my foot, but the thorn stayed in the shoe. It turned out to be a very strong one about 1.5 inches long. To stop the bleeding I taped up my foot. Fortunately, I was able to walk normally with minor discomfort and got back to the truck in good time.

Great desert weekend, but it’s starting to get a bit warm out there.

(Click on any image to enlarge/start slide show).

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