Saturday, 11 Mar 2017, 3pm.
As we drove downhill from
visiting Caliente Ridge at Carrizo Plain National Monument we observed that there were more unusually shaped rock outcroppings than just the Painted Rock area that was temporarily off limits to protect nesting falcons.
A few rock outcroppings at Carrizo Plain National Monument, California.
Of the three outcroppings in the picture above the rightmost was the largest and seemed most interesting. We passed nearby it on the drive uphill and stopped to look but moved on after a moment, seeing that it was separated from the road by two barbed wire fences. Tracks through the grass showed that plenty of people before us had gotten over or through the fences, but we didn't want to trespass.
On the way downhill we drove a fork in the road around to the opposite side of the rocks. From that side there was no fence. The only obstacle was a natural one: a natural ravine halfway out to the rocks.
These rock outcroppings stand beyond a ravine. Carrizo Plain National Monument, California.
I felt oddly reluctant to start the trail, figuring the ravine might be too difficult to cross, but Hawk egged me on. We could always go to the edge and turn back, she pointed out. And with that she was gone. So I grabbed my camera bag and set off after her.
The ravine turned out to be both more and less than what I expected. It was about 20' deep in places, with rock walls on both sides. It was the same kind of sandstone as on the outcroppings we were looking at in the distance.
The rocky ravine was not just an obstacle but a sight itself. Carrizo Plain National Monument, California.
We enjoyed the views from the top of the ravine while at the same time I scouted for a way across. I spotted a reasonable route down that would involve no more than a 5' drop of butt-sliding followed by just hands-and-feet scrambling on the way up. Hawk wasn't feeling up for it so she opted to stay perched atop a rock while I crossed to the far side.
Continued in
next entry.