The Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves

Entrance to one of the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves

Nothing says “exploring” like spelunking, unless you’re deathly afraid of the dark, bats, confined spaces, or were ever trapped in a cave/enslaved by Morlocks. If any of those things bother you, then caving/spelunking is not for you, and I don’t recommend it at all. Frankly, there’s no shame in not liking caving/spelunking, because in the dark, your mind and imagination can and will play all sorts of tricks as to what you perceive. I remember one time I was deep in a cave; then my light went out. In the sudden dark, I swore that I could hear footsteps paddling softly to my location. In my haste to get fresh batteries into my headlamp, I almost dropped them all over the ground, which would have been a disaster. Of course, once the new batteries were in the headlamp, there was nothing at all to be seen or heard, but to this day, I’d still swear that something was out there.

 Yep, no lie - these caves are made of dried eroded mud!

Fortunately, the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves in Anza-Borrego State Park are not the fear-inducing type, as they are visited frequently by locals and travelers alike. You are more likely to be a few steps back from your fellow spelunkers than you are to discover something startling in these caves, which makes it a good location to practice your spelunking skills, should you be a novice. The caves are over five million years old, and are formed by erosion. Over the years, when it has rained, the water has cut into the hills, forming the various caves and channels that you can explore. The Arroyo Tapiado (meaning: mud-wall wash) Caves are some of the best preserved and most accessible caves in the world, so if you live in Southern California, this is yet another amazing feature that is accessible in a day’s drive or less.

Directions: From county road S-2 turn out at the signed Palm Spring turnoff. You will want to head down the road (note, this is a dirt road, and you will be off-roading. I’d recommend that if you are going to attempt this that you be in some sort of 4WD or AWD vehicle, although I have seen people make it out there in standard sedans – however, the road gets very soft and sandy, so if you get stuck in your non-4WD car, don’t say I didn’t warn you!) and bypass the spur road to Palm Spring (unless you want to check out the monument), and continue down Vallecito Wash. You can then park at the intersection of the road into Arroyo Tapiado, about four and one half (4.5) miles from S-2 and explore the area on foot.

Tips: Well, these are caves. And there’s a lot of them. You should have a flashlight, and if you’re smart, some sort of helmet. The helmet will protect your head from two things: falling mud, and falling bat poo. Not all caves have bats, but all bats have caves, so there’s a good chance you’ll run into some. Remember that they’re more scared of you then you are of them; and remember that they’re on the celling, so if you do startle them, there’s a high likelihood that they will poo on you, which is not pleasant. Did I mention that these caves are in the desert? They are! You’ll also want lots of water, since you’re in the desert, and since you’re exploring, you’ll probably want some sort of safety net – a buddy, or a rope or string to find your way out should you get lost.

 Dry "waterfall" in the Arroyo Tapiado Cave System

I like to take a whole day to explore the area -  there’s all sorts of neat canyons in addition to the caves, so there’s plenty of things to see and do. I’ve been told that there’s purportedly ancient fossils in the caves/cave area, but either I’m blind, or these fossils have been picked clean from the caves I’ve been in (FYI, you’re not supposed to remove them, should you find them). One last thing to be aware of: Southern California is a seismically active area, and earthquakes do occur on a regular basis. Additionally, these caves are made of mud, which is not the most stable of building materials even without earthquakes. While your odds of being trapped in a cave in are probably fairly low, you should be aware that the possibility does exist, so do take what precautions you can. Other than that, have a great time, and enjoy exploring!

See you in the underworld!

More Information: http://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/Mud_Caves.html, http://sandiegotrailtramps.com/pages/2011Hikes/11_2_20ArroyoTapiadoMudCaves.html, http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050515/news_lz1x15caves.html, http://www.in-the-desert.com/mudcaves.html, http://www.anzaborrego.net/travel/AnzaBorrego/photoalbums/webalbumlarge.aspx?frmUser=anzaborrego&frmAlbum=5692356627748998993

The Blue Sun Cave

The Blue Sun Cave - a little difficult to see when walking around.

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”. (Yes, I’m paraphrasing, as I don’t have my copy in front of me). That phrase, however, sticks out in my mind, because it piqued my curiosity. Mislabeled on certain maps? It made one wonder why, or how, that could happen. Here in the twenty-first century, there were things that weren’t labeled properly, or out in the wild that could not be found easily? It was an actual challenge, an actual, dare I say it, adventure.

 Petroglyphs in the Blue Sun Cave

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that pretty much anything with me – or with anyone can be an adventure, but this fit the description better than going to the grocery store. Heading off into the unknown with scant information to find something that existed from ancient times? I was sold; it was like searching for the Ark of the Covenant. The first thing I did was head online. Surprisingly, this was one of the few areas where the internet failed me: there was next to no information out there on the site. What information I could was sketchy, and per many bloggers, not helpful. I even asked an archeologist friend of mine about the site, and how to get to it. The result of this query was even more unhelpful, a flat: “Hmm, sounds interesting, but I’ve never heard of it.”

 Petroglyphs in the Blue Sun Cave

Finally, I did what I should have done initially. I stocked up on water, put on my boots, grabbed a quad of the region, and headed out to start searching. The first time I was out there, I found Indian Hill right away – but found nothing else. This of course made me assume that I was in the wrong spot (Darn you, Staff of Ra). The second time, I shifted my search slightly South – and definitely found nothing. Then, the unexpected happened. A friend of mine heard what I was doing, and said, “Oh, yeah, that spot. I know where it is” and gave me good directions. When I went back the third time, there it was. Now, I know what you’re thinking: can anything be that amazing, that special if it’s merely painted on rock? I say yes. It was amazing to me for a number of reasons: first, the amount of work I put in to find it left me with a sense of accomplishment. Second, and more importantly, it’s a site that’s remarkably well preserved, and it’s mind-boggling to think about the work that went into the site, and how people journeyed to and from it some five hundred years ago – or more in the past. Third, and, I say this unabashedly – the rule of cool. Petroglyphs are just cool. It’s art from another era, from our common human past. That alone makes it special.

Petroglyphs in the Blue Sun Cave Directions: Well, I’ve got some bad news here. When I started searching, I was annoyed that there were no directions to the site. And, I was going to possibly provide directions to help others, because that’s what I do at times (after all, you’re reading my blog to learn about finding/experiencing things, right?). But then, two things happened: first, I made a promise to people who helped me out about not revealing the exact location; and second, once I found it, I realized that there shouldn’t be directions to it anyways. One of the reasons that it’s so well preserved is that well, not many people know about it. More importantly, it is a sacred site to the descendants of those original artists. Last, one of the things I believe is that everyone should have their own adventures. I always have viewed this site as more of a series of suggestions than an absolute “must-do” guide. So, if you really want to see this site, I suggest you take what I’ve provided here – and the links that follow it, and have your own adventure, and explore. I guarantee that when and if you do find the site, you’ll appreciate it just as much as I did, rather than me drawing you a concrete map.

All that I’ll tell you is this: the cave with the petroglyphs is called the “Blue Sun Cave”, and it is around Indian Hill, in the Anza Borrego Desert. Don’t be fooled by a larger charred cave; this is not where the petroglyphs are. It’s roughly 15 miles West of Ocotillo in the Desert. You can walk there; you can drive there; or you can do both. If you find a guardrail, you’re close to Indian Hill. As for the rest, I’m sure you can piece it together from what I’ve told you here, should you be willing to do the work.

Tips: It’s the desert. Take plenty of water, no matter what season it is. If you’re four wheeling, the terrain isn’t that bad, but give people an idea of where you are so you don’t end up stranded. Also, do note that the area is popular for immigrants crossing from Mexico into the United States. You will find water drops or other caches; be careful with any strangers you happen to see. This area has seen increased Border Patrol surveillance and patrols from 2010 through 2011, but as it is the wild, you can’t count on them to bail you out should there be trouble. Most importantly: be respectful. Don’t vandalize the site. You wouldn’t vandalize a church; or a fine work of art, and if you would, you’re an ass. Don’t trash the site; don’t do anything to ruin this for future generations. If you do – well, I’ll find you, because I find things and people, and I’ll see that you get sorted in some way. Other than that, enjoy it. :)

See you in the wild!

More Information: http://socalpeaks.com/2010/11/indian-hill-carrizo-palms/, http://www.petroglyphs.us/photographs_pictographs_anza_borrego_IH.htm, http://www.kumeyaay.info/indian_rock_art.html, http://www.jesseellisphotography.com/p622054191/h692ACD#h692acd, http://www.amazon.com/Afoot-Afield-San-Diego-County/dp/0899972292

Desert Oddities near the Blue Sun Cave, Anza Borrego Desert

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.