Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

Blue Sun Cave

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El Vallecito Rock Art

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El Vallecito Rock Art

The Southwest is dotted with two things: interesting geologic features, and interesting man-made features. Like the geologic features, the man-made features range from the recent past, to the ancient past. In my opinion, while there is nothing like a ghost town, or other more modern man-made site, the truly mysterious sites are the ones that are from the ancient past. While there are many sites in the United States that are accessible to visit, there are also sites that are just across the border in Mexico that are equally fascinating as well. 

Dos Cabezas Station

Dos Cabezas Station

One of the many strange things to be found out in the Anza-Borrego Desert are the ruins of the Dos Cabezas Railroad Station. The station was part of the El Centro to San Diego railroad line, which was completed in 1919. Construction on this section of line was first deemed "impossible", but the line was completed and used through most of the twentieth century. The Dos Cabezas station provided a watering stop for the steam engines; and a place for explorers and miners to access the rail line.

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The Blue Sun Cave

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The Blue Sun Cave

I can’t remember the first time I heard about the Blue Sun Cave. Maybe it was at a party, when I was discussing modern petroglyphs (graffiti) in the desert, compared to old, actual petroglyphs. Perhaps I stumbled across a mention of it online while searching for details on another trip. Or, maybe I read about it in my old, battered copy of Afoot and Afield in San Diego, by Jerry Schad. Even though I’m not sure how, where, or why I first heard about it, I do remember what Schad had to say about it, “rock art located on Indian Hill, which was purposely mislabeled on certain maps”.

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Desert Oddities near the Blue Sun Cave, Anza Borrego Desert

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As I'll discuss in detail tomorrow, sometimes it's not about the location, or how you get there, but the adventures you have trying to get there. I spent the better part of a month trying to find the Blue Sun Cave, and while at times I was frustrated, I had some great adventures trying to find it, and certainly saw some strange things. As I noted here: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2010/5/14/the-general-wastelands-are-not-lightly-traveledstories-and-t.html, any desert is not lightly traveled. But until I tell you about the Cave, check out what I did find over that month I spent looking (Including that sign that is featured in the link above!). 

"Abandoned" Cargo Train, Dos Cabezas SidingPart of the remaining structure of the Dos Cabezas rail stationBouldering around the Dos Cabezas Region

 And of course, lots of cacti - don't touch or pick up!Directions: Guess I should throw these up here should you want to try and find these things, right? You'll want to head nine to eleven miles West of Ocotillo, and you'll either need 4WD, AWD, a good mountain bike, or shoe leather. Pretty much all this is off the Dos Cabezas siding, or near there.