Oriflamme Canyon Anza Borrego 1-9-'08

[Scenic WonderRunner]

A day trip through Oriflamme Canyon ....Anza~Borrego State Park, CA. .....searching for some history.


Woke up today and my daughter called. She is visiting from college in Hawaii for winter break. It was one of those.....hey Dad, Let's GO......kinda days!

So off we went!

I've been wanting to see Oriflamme Canyon just after a rain. And it's in close proximity to make it back in time for some Julian Apple Pie! Yes!

Hit the trail at Banner. Stopped at the mine. It had a partial cave in at the entrance from the heavy rains we just had.

Continued out to the Oriflamme Canyon cliff side trail.......because "we cruise for views" ! Little did I know that I was the designated trail maintenance Manager today! I think I moved over 1,500 lbs. of huge rocks off the trail.

We got down to the pic nic/camping area next to the usually dry creek. Water was Flowing! Sweet! It was so clean, it's perfectly usable with a filter or other method.. We started walking around exploring and taking pics. Morteros all over the place. Two of the deepest ones I have ever seen.......almost 8" deep.

We head up the hillside and I begin to see rock terraces. Then we come upon huge stone steps. Extremely wide. Much too wide for just a simple one family cabin. The levelled area above the steps was approx. 200+ feet wide and 100
feet deep. Is it possible that this is a long lost Overland Mail Route Stage Stop location? I'm guessing the very next stop right after Vallecito (approx. 20 miles away, which was their limit)......complete with seasonal running water!

http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/oct/stories/stagecoach.html

Oriflamme was known as the short cut to Julian in the old days.

More info......

Overland Mail Route History......... <~they mention Oriflamme on page 5


http://www.robinhewitt.com/write/folk/stagecoach.html


Anyway.......fun to dream.

Great day with my daughter......she loved it!

The Julian Pie was Awesome too!

Oriflamme Canyon Pics...........


Complete with seasonal stream...... see Mortero filled with water on huge front boulder.

Interesting Mortero......

The front steps...........

 

[TheRoadie]

Very nice! I was planning to do that on the way out Sat morning. Thanks for the rock work. hehe.

 

[HMR]

Sounds like a great day SWR!

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Cool Pics!

That is one of my favorite trails on my bike!

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Bump for a very cool San Diego County Trail.

We all have to do this trail at least once!

It's a piece of American Southwest History!


.....:sombrero::costumed-smiley-007:ylsmoke:



.

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

This is called "The Robert E. Lee Natural Bridge". Love this place!!

 

[teotwaki]

Glad this thread was reawakened! I really enjoyed the document at the link
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/22491...tory_copyrighted_by_state_parks_june_2006.pdf

and this description of how a traveler should prepare:

... should provide himself with a Sharp's rifle, (not carbine,) with accoutrements and one hundred cartridges, a navy sized Colts revolver and two pounds of balls, a belt and holster, knife and sheath; a pair of thick boots and woolen pants; half a dozen pairs thick cotton socks; three under (sic) shirts, there (sic) brown linen do (sic); three woolen over shirts, a wide awake hat, a cheap sack coat, a soldiers over (sic) coat, one pair of blankets in summer and two in winter; a piece of India rubber cloth for blankets; a pair of gauntlets; a small bag with needles, thread & c., in an oil silk bag; two pair of thick drawers, and three or four towels. Such money as he takes should be in silver or small gold. A person thus fitted out has no extra baggage (which indeed, cannot be taken), and can travel comfortably at any season of the year (San Diego Herald 11-21-1857).

A "wide awake" hat

their Overlanding Experience

We stopped a few hours last night for rest. We started about two hours before day this morning and traveled until the sun was about an hour high, when we stopped to prepare our first meal. We have our provisions with us and we do our own cooking. We have good wholesome fare; and although we cook it in a primitive way it is very good, especially to appetites sharpened by travel and exercise. We all sit in the ground in a circle and eat our provender out of pewter plates.


GREAT reading! Thanks for sharing!

 

[1leg]

This is called "The Robert E. Lee Natural Bridge". Love this place!!

How did that name come about?

 

[BorregoWrangler]

That's a great place to camp. I enjoy making the loop up Rodriguez Canyon and back down Oriflamme Canyon.

This is one of the rough spots in Rodriguez.

 

[PhyrraM]

Small world. I was just on Oriflame last Saturday after a Cub Scout camping trip to Agua Caliente. Another member had a trail guide that I was reading on down-time. When I saw the Oriflame sign on the way out, I couldn't resist.:drool:

Great trail. After the rains we have had, everything was blooming. It was beautiful out. And our new (to us) Montero handled the trail wonderfully, with only one slightly washed out spot that required the rear locker (guess it still works!:victory Could have prolly made it without it, but if ya got it.....

It's a great drive and this time of year, after late rains, it is almost hypnotic.

 

[Jakeleverett]

Does anyone know if shooting is legal in this area? I've only had a firearm with me for protection so haven't paid any attention to signs, but I'd like my wife to try our new gun.

 

[teotwaki]

Does anyone know if shooting is legal in this area? I've only had a firearm with me for protection so haven't paid any attention to signs, but I'd like my wife to try our new gun.

I think definitely not in any Caliornia State Park. You'd need to find a safe area in BLM land