#87 / 2009 Tour 4 Winter: Anza Borrego State Park, CA

 ANZA BORREGO STATE PARK, CA

# 87

I never realized how many free places there are to camp in this country. We camp on a lot of BLM land out here. I guess it is more plentiful than back east. We are headed to Anza Barrego  Desert State Park on S-3. As we approach the town of Barrego Springs from the eastern edges of California's largest park where the campsites offer little respite from the sun and wind. Mostly the RVers on this side are taking advantage of the off-road ATV privileges. It's hilly and sandy with few trees.

The town of Barrego Springs hosts numerous plush RV parks, has a small airport, a health food store, and even a French restaurant, far too upscale for our needs. We take advantage of the Visitors Center and the desert museum and head for the campsites near Yacqui Well.

Here on the western side where the water table is closer to the surface we have trees and bushes. There are mountains of rocks looming all around. The goal is to find the actual Yacqui Well.

This area was once poulated by the Kumeyaay people. For thousands of years the desert floor and mountain slopes sustained their population and they created a rich culture for themselves. At Yacqui Well there is evidence that the Kumeyaay set up seasonal camps.

The one and a half mile trail ended at the hidden spring - a major disappointment for Beatlick Joe who had imagined something on a larger and more lush scale. Down the rocky path through the saltbush shrub and creosote bush we found a small depression in the ground. Down through a thick sprout of verdent grass you could barely discern the water underneath - sort of looking down Alice's rabbit hole.

It was hard to imagine this place as a major source of water for many people or animals.  We assume it shrank. The thirsty imported tamarisk trees and nearby salt cedars have been blamed for lowering the water table. The tamarisk trees were imported in the 1930s from the Middle East and planted by San Diego County prison inmates who lived in the cabins of the present campground site. Each tamarisk tree absorbs 200 gallons of water a day and the salt cedar is called an evil plant with an insatiable thirst.