Victory, everyone!

One of the great challenges as the end of the year approaches is to pick a concluding Historical Landmark. I try to make each hundredth Landmark a bit of a challenge (Monument Peak, Yosemite Valley, etc), so when it came down to picking a 600th Landmark, I wanted to find one that really took the cake. After Island Hopping across San Francisco, I had three spaces to fill, so the decision came down to the Bennett-Arcane Long Camp in Death Valley, the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster in San Diego, or the Giant Desert Figures in Blythe.

Then, as I scanned my maps, I realized I still had unfinished business in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park! In fact, there were exactly three Landmarks still to be seen after my last trip here in March: Palm Spring (#639), Butterfield Overland Mail Route (#647), and San Gregorio (#673)! So, I called up my pal, Felipe, and we set forth into the desert!

We started with Palm Spring, whose high, sandy washes, if you’ll remember, thwarted the Mini Cooper called The Age of Aquarius! Armed only with a Google Maps printout and our eyes, Felipe and I set off on foot on the 1.6-mile journey. There were two big plant patches along the hills in the distance, and zeroing in on the second patch to the right, we found the plaque! This site was a major stopping point for the Butterfield Overland Stage Route, the Mormon Battalion, and the Forty-Niners, among other groups, because it was an important water source in the desert! As we admired the fine condition of the plaque, there came a whooshing sound from above. It was Terry the Flying Squirrel!

Terry had been scoping out the California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera), which, unlike the palm trees lining Sunset Boulevard, are actually native to the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts! Their seeds and berries were an important food source for the Cahuilla tribe and are still popular among orioles, coyotes, and the passing flying squirrel! Unfortunately for Terry, the berries were not in season, so after exchanging pleasantries, he took off once more!

We were already behind because poor Felipe stepped on a cholla and got thorns lodged in his foot, but our determination was not to be underestimated! In fact, at the next stop, in search of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, he ran all the way up over a hill to find the elusive plaque, while I was pretty sure it was closer to the parking area. By the time he came back, we realized the directions had told us to go half a mile down the road, while we had only gone a fraction of that! Once we got to the right distance, the plaque was embarrassingly easy to find! Anyway, this was one of many portions of the mail route, though part of the original road is still accessible here!

The final challenge of this adventure was San Gregorio, one of the sites along the Anza Expedition route, where the thirsty explorers dug 5-6 feet down into the sand to find water in this aqua-scented wash! To get there, we had to walk 3 miles by triangulating our coordinates with distant trees and following dirt bike paths and river beds that we hoped would lead us to the right place. All the while, the near-Solstice sun was sinking below the horizon! I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it. Neither was Felipe! But then, up ahead, we saw the plaque on the hill and charged forth with triumphant whoops, the kind that the folks in the Anza Expedition must have made once they found the water here!

The journey wasn’t over yet, though. We still had to navigate the sands back to the car before the sun set! So on we went, retracing our steps as the sky grew dimmer. Off in the distance, a coyote howled. Then, there came another howl from a different direction! It was dinner time, and I’ll bet they would have loved to share a roasted beaver! It’s not easy keeping up with someone who’s about 20 times bigger than you are, but I did my best, despite the sand. That’s when I suddenly felt myself pulled off the ground from behind, the strap from my hat digging into my throat! A coyote had me! I was done for!

The coyote shook me ferociously, breaking the strap on my hat and sending me sailing through the air! As I caught my bearings, they realized that they only had a hat and came back for me. Just as I prepared for the final showdown, Felipe stepped up and brandished a stake he had pulled from the nearby landfill fence! The coyotes snarled and cursed, but they were not in the mood for such difficult food and took off with my hat as a trophy!

I was pretty shaken on the way back to the car, but I sure was lucky to have had Felipe around! After all, a hat can be replaced! So, under a blood-red sunset, we returned to the safety of the car and celebrated our narrow escape and success at reaching Landmark 600! I’m looking forward to spending Solstice with Woodchuck next week. This beaver needs a break!

See you next year!