Missing Hiker Found Dead in the Arroyo Tapiado

A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine, and she casually mentioned that the body of Guillermo Pino was found "in some caves somewhere in the desert". At the time, I didn't know what she was talking about - I hadn't heard of Guillermo Pino, and her description of the area -"some caves" was incredibly vague. I had some theories, however, and after a few questions I realized we were talking about the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves, an area I am fairly familar with, and an area I talked about earlier this year (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/1/3/the-arroyo-tapiado-mud-caves.html), and an area I was most recently in a year ago. When I got back home, I searched the internet and found out that Guillermo Pino did indeed go missing in the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves, and that his body was indeed found there recently. (http://cavingnews.com/20120507-body-of-missing-hiker-found-in-crevice-arroyo-tapiado-mud-caves, http://ramona.patch.com/articles/guillermo-pino-body-in-anza-borrego-cave-successfully-removed-identification-pending, http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/05/guillermo_pino_missing_anza-bo.php).

Obviously, at a time like this, one first feels enormous sympathy for the deceased's family, and for the deceased himself - this is a tragedy for all of them, and a very sad day for the hiking community in general. The lesson to take from all of this, however, is to always recognize the risks attendent in outdoor activities, and to always be properly prepared for whatever adventure you are attempting. In this respect, its always a good idea to have someone with you, and if you don't have someone with you, have left a detailed plan of where you are going, when you will be back, and possibly to have some sort of portable beacon (GPS or otherwise, such as SPOT: http://www.findmespot.com/en/). The thing that stands out about Guillermo's death is my recollection of the Arroyo Tapiado last year. I remember my friend Jaime and I explored a number of caves; and that the caves closest to the "parking area" were somewhat busy with people (somewhat busy meaning that there was minimal foot traffic going in both directions). But as we delved deeper into the caves, into chambers and other areas off the beaten path, there were no other visitors. At that point, it could have been easy to get lost - and this was in conditions that were pretty much optimal (warm day, other cave visitors).

The end result of this is that sadly, as mentioned above, a young man is dead. The other end result is that traffic to this area - the Arroyo Tapiado - will increase. While thats a macabre thing to say, it is also true. This is an area that has become more popular over the last five years as more people have become interested in outdoors activities, and now that it is in the news, the sensational aspect will no doubt attract more visitors ("hey, this is the cave that someone DIED in"). Disrespectful as it may be, this is how the world works. With this in mind, hopefully future visitors remember to take the necessary precautions needed for visits, and remember to be careful. Because, while the world is beautiful, as Guillermo noted, it is also dangerous, and the lesson we can take from his death - and honor his life - is to always be prepared when adventuring.  

Cinder Cone Natural Area, Mojave National Preserve

Rock formations in the Cinder Cone Natural Area

I don’t know about you, but when I think “Volcano”, I don’t think desert. But, more often than not, there’s evidence of volcanism in the deserts of Southern California. From the Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley to Banshee Canyon in Hole-in-the-Wall , there’s remnants of ancient volcanoes and their eruptions. To me, one of the neat things about these ancient volcanoes is the different types of rocks they leave behind, and the different types of terrain that they have produced. The other great thing about these areas of volcanism is that they provide great opportunities for exploring.

The Cinder Cone Natural Area is one of these volcanic areas that is basically designed for exploring. Stretching for miles and miles, the area is located directly off Kelbaker Road in the Mojave National Preserve. The area has over twenty cinder cones, and large ancient lava flows. It is a place where you can wander around marveling at the various rocks, or, if you wish to off-road a little bit, an area where you can head out to discover lava tubes and discover what lies within them.

Directions: The Cinder Cone Natural area is located sixteen miles South of Baker. From the I-15, exit Kelbaker Road, and follow it for sixteen miles south south-east. At sixteen miles, you will notice a black basalt line to the East, delineating some of the lava flows present in the area. At this point, you can either pull off the road, and hike approximately one to two miles to the base of the lava flows, where you can explore from there, or you can take one of the many dirt pullouts and off-road on one of the trails to the base of the lava flows.

Rock formations in the Cinder Cone Natural Area

Do note that the area is full of soft sand, and I would recommend that you have either all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive should you attempt to off-road in this region. When I was there, I drove out on one of the off-road trails toward the base of the lava flow in a non-4WD/AWD vehicle, and quickly realized that I would be better off hiking than becoming potentially stuck and stranded. If you want to explore lava tubes, you’ll want to follow Kelbaker Road nineteen miles south from Baker, until you reach the Aiken Mine Road. Once you turn onto the Aiken Mine Road, it is approximately four miles to the East on an unpaved sandy off-road trail.

Tips: Travel in the Mojave National Preserve is not without risk as there are large expanses without basic services, including water and gasoline. Moreover, while the National Park Service maintains the roads to the best of their ability, they are a bit rougher than you would expect in certain places. As noted above, if you are planning on going off-roading, be sure to have a vehicle that can handle the challenges of the terrain. It is also important to note that there is limited to no cellular service within the Preserve, and in many areas, GPS units do not function well. Plan accordingly, and make sure to have the proper equipment, including maps and plenty of water when you head out to explore.

What NOT to do in Death Valley National Park

Awww man - did they really - yeah, they drove out there.

Back in the day, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I worked for the Wilderness Division of the National Park Service at a National Park for a season. Years later, I worked for the Department of Parks and Recreation for the State of California for a season as well. Before that, when the geologic features of the planet were forming, I was an Eagle Scout who was involved with numerous leave no trace programs. And now, as a somewhat grizzled outdoors veteran, I am a liberal-tree-hugging-pinko-commie-granola-eating-birkenstock-wearing-anti-american-stinky-pants (or so certain parties will tell you). I am all for wilderness preservation and protection. I don’t think this is a secret, but if you didn’t realize this, now you know. (It wasn’t a secret). Sometimes, when I am on vacation, or just out for a stroll, I have to weigh in my head whether I should say something to my fellow visitors about what they are doing to our natural resources. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s time, but sometimes it’s good to say things to preserve things for other people – after all, everyone needs to work to protect the land for future generations.

 Since they were so smarts, they are stuck - stuck good.

In my defense, let me say that being an eco-vigilante isn’t all bad: I pick up trash that I find on the trail and pack it out; I provide directions to people that are lost, or may become lost, I discuss trail conditions, provide water and food, provide educational insights (when I know what I’m talking about), and in certain situations, provide first aid. After all, you can’t just protect the environment, you have to protect the people in it as well. In any case, what I’ve been talking about the last couple days is the myriad of things available to do in Death Valley. And, you know what – there’s many more that I haven’t even touched upon. But, there’s plenty of things you should not do, and this is one of them. If this isn’t the most egregious thing that you shouldn’t do in the park, it’s up there. I took these pictures in 2010 as I was leaving the park off of Badwater Road. In case you haven’t been there, the road is lined with a plethora of signs along the hardpan that say, “No Offroading”. I saw this when I was I was driving along when I saw something out on the hardpan. It was one of those moments where I stared and said, “Nahhhh, it couldn’t be, no one’s that stupid”, before I blinked and realized that it was still there.

Since I’m a curious guy, I parked and walked out to the stuck vehicle. The perpetrators? Well, they were long gone, which is good for them, because this eco-vigilante would have definitely not held back had he found them. Their vehicle? Well, you can see what happened to it. It was stuck – and stuck good. I don’t know if the National Park Service ever found the culprits – but then again, since they were crack lawbreakers, and so smarts, they left the plates on their car before they fled. Thererfore, let me advise you of what not to do in Death Valley: if the sign says no off-roading, don’t do it. Just don’t. It’s hard on the environment; there’s plenty of other places you can off-road legally, and chances are, you’re going to end up looking like the dumbasses you are when you get stuck, caught, and have to abandon your vehicle. Final analysis: Death Valley – lots of things to do, but don’t do this, unless you’re a complete failure. 

 Only one thing that can really be said here: Death Valley Driving Fail

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!

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.