Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon

Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon 12/04

Ominous clouds on the drive out.	Turn here to start the journey.	Mary and Kaiel	Negotiating the '4-Wheel Drive' only obstacle View Movie (5MB)	Beer and sandwich break.
Dos Cabezas.	How did he get up there ?	Kaiel climbs the tower.	First time we have seen so much grass out here	Hey, who gave that 11 yr. old an axe?
Camp fires are a necessity once the sun sets	Looking towards El Centro and the Salton Sea	Desert sunrises are unsurpassed in their brilliance	Sunrise again.	Sunrise with camera flash
Don't turn here.	This is the right marker	Kaiel gets ready to start the 3 hour hike	The trail was easy to find in the beginning	Bob climbs to get a better vantage point. (we lost the trail)
Kaiel takes a breather after 30 minutes of climbing	Bob and Kaiel.	Notice wash way down below? That is where we parked.	Interesting cliff.	Still climbing.
Once you reach the top a sea of cholla appears.	Trail is barely discernible. (it's to the right)	These trail markers were crucial in finding our way.	Where's the trail ?	Beginning of Goat Canyon.
Mary and Kai contemplate best approach	Down into Goat Canyon	Look closely, we were being watched	Just when I pointed the camera he turned and looked
Sure-footed Mary	Kaiel makes his way down	First glimpse of the trestle is spectacular.	Kaiel in front of Goat Canyon Trestle	Another angle View Movie (9MB)
We made it ! Actually the last 300 yards was pretty treacherous	Pretty overwhelming when you stand below it.	The reason for the trestle. The original tunnel.	Trestle Closeup	Tunnel closeup
Heading back to the LandCruiser	Mary takes the slide approach	Cactus with attitude next to kid with attitude	Multi-colored moss	Kaiel liked this tree
Early season flowers on a barrel cactus	Kaiel resting at Mortero Palms	Water chute at Mortero Palms	Kaiel checks out the morteros