MAS o Menos

This morning I set out early to tackle the 16.5 mile desert hike D-12 Trip 3 (Arroyo Tapiado / Arroyo Diablo Loop) in Afoot & Afield in San Diego. However due to some very poorly written directions by author Jerry Schad, I wondered around the desert looking for the famous mud caves for almost 2 hours. If you own this book, turn to page 341 and add the following notes.

Do not rely on the cocktail napkin map in this book. You will get lost. Draw the compass icon beside this hike. Clearly the author meant to include the compass icon. Find a decent map before heading out here. A GPS unit would have been nice. And just avoid this hike altogether if you have a little car. Those “4.5″ miles will be torture on your suspension.

The good news is that after I found my car I made a wrong turn and ended up at the mud caves. These things are amazing. Imagine slot canyons made of dried mud. Looked like something from Lord of Rings.

After taking some photos of the mud caves, I did the nearby hike Mine Peak (D-12 Trip 1). This one involved scrambling up a mountain covered with loose rocks. Unless you have strong ankles and excellent balance, turn around once you reach the mine.

Carrizo Badlands Hike

Tags: hiking