Mortero Palms to Goat Canyon Trail, CA :: Directions

[Jim]

The currently unwritten hike description for this hike, is more than just the hike to the palms. However, the hike has no directions. Anyone have some good directions to reach the palms, from I-8?

I doubt I'll do the full hike to the trestle, but I would like to go to the palms, and will probably do a write-up afterwards.

[joebartels]

edit: nevermind, see CHUMS post below... something like http://binged.it/1iOXUuS

here are directions to Goat Head TH, the palms look to be in the beginning of the hike
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=3246

edit: the photos in the map trump the directions
just right click over the map and click the word "Directions" and they should pop up

here is the directions map without photos so the directions show
http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=3247

here are the directions in case you are on a cell phone and can't access the map

from El Cajon

1. Head east on I-8 E 70.9 mi
2. Take the Imperial Hwy exit toward Ocotilio 0.2 mi
3. Turn left onto County Rte S2/N Imperial Hwy 8.6 mi
4. Turn left onto Mortero Canyon Rd 4.0 mi
5. Slight left onto Dos Cabeza Rd 259 ft
6. Turn right toward Jojobacnyn 0.2 mi
7. Turn left onto Jojobacnyn 440 ft
8. Turn right to stay on Jojobacnyn 2.4 mi

here is the HAZ Mobile version for mapped direction
http://hikearizona.com/map_m.php?ID=4&D ... &ZTN=13598

[chumley]

Hey Jim-

Neither of the maps Joe linked to should be followed. They take you well out of the way to get there (and might not get you there at all).

Exit I-8 at the Imperial Highway/Ocotillo.

On the map, the road you want is Dos Cabezas (I believe it is just over 3 miles from where the IH 90-degree turns to the west north of I-8), but I don't recall a road sign. This area has turned into a wind farm, and there are a ton of new roads (which is why the existing directions and google maps make no sense), all of which are extremely well-graded and nicely maintained. Stick to following the nicest roads in the general direction you want to go until you get though the wind farm. (Take a minute to stop under a turbine if nobody is around ... it's an impressive experience).

I believe the map shows that the road parallels the railroad for a bit, but I seem to remember that it crosses it twice as the tracks make a horseshoe. But it might go around the horseshoe too. You'll figure it out when you get there, it's pretty straightforward, and the roads you should be on are good while the ones you shouldn't be on are not good. Go with your instinct here.

Eventually you will cross the tracks for real and continue toward the west/southwest toward Dos Cabezas spring, which is generally where you will start hiking into the canyon into Mortero Palms. There are some trail sign kiosks along the way which if you take the time to look at will answer all your questions.

I hiked up Mortero to the palms but got discouraged and decided not to cross the mountains there, instead driving back down the road toward Indian Hill and hiking up the railroad to the trestle. The palms are cool. The trestle is cooler.
mortero: http://hikearizona.com/photoset=24620
trestle (with cool video:) http://hikearizona.com/photoset=24623

It's a really neat area to explore.

Here's the official map from the state park which helps: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/ABDSPmap.pdf

but not as much as the topo maps in the kiosks since you can look around you and identify what you are looking at from on site.

[azbackpackr]

I have at my elbow the most recent edition of Jerry Schad's Afoot and Afield in San Diego County, 2007. Unfortunately, Jerry passed away, and so far no newer edition has come out. (But I'll accept an advance to write one! ;) ) Anyway, there is no mention of wind farm, so it is post 2007. There is a specific point made for when you start up the trail, however, (not sure someone else already made this point in the links given. So shoot me.) Anyway, the book says you start at Mortero Palms trailhead, and then

"Take care to hike up the main Mortero Palms canyon to the west, not the tributary canyon to the south, which may seem like the main canyon. A path going west follows the south bank for a while, avoiding the vegetation-choked streambed. Soon you begin climbing over granitic boulders. Look for a half dozen morteros, namesakes of the palm grove, in the center of the drainage 100 yards below the beginning of the palms."

Then hiking up-canyon: "Traverse left or right...At the 2440-foot contour, it's easier to leave the canyon bottom temporarily and go up on the slope to the north through stands of teddybear cholla. Drop back in at about 2750 feet, but leave the canyon again at the 2840-foot contour. Proceed west and southwest across a small saddle and continue west over a divide into the Goat Canyon drainage. Descend to a...juniper-dotted bowl at 3200 feet...a descent down Goat Canyon...trestle. At about 2700 feet there's an excellent, if not close-up, view of the bridge."

So, my take on this is, you go up and over to that juniper-dotted bowl, and then down Goat Canyon until you get a view of the trestle.

[Jim]

Thanks for the directions to the palms. Should be something to see, even if I only get lost in a windmill farm. Perhaps, I can tilt at them?

[chumley]

I've superimposed the Ocotillo Wind Farm map on the topo/satellite.

Blue dots are turbines.
Yellow/Brown lines are well-graded, two-lane dirt roads
Red line is the route you should take (in places, by memory, so it may be approximate)
Green dots are railroad crossings
Purple dots are State Park Information kiosks.

The wind farm is on BLM land, and while the power company can restrict access to the turbines themselves, I believe that the roads are open for travel. (I had no problem driving through, and there were plenty of workers and security etc. all over the place.)

[RedRoxx44]

When you get to the TH should have no trouble to the Palms, you usually glimpse them on the drive up. Plus probably a major trail there now, it wasn't any deal to get to them the last time I was there a few years back. And there is a significant path now to at least the top of the canyon down to the trestle, I would encourage you to at least go to the overview, it is impressive of the Carrizo Gorge and trestle.

[Jim]

Well, I never got there. The power company has a lot of that ideal route in blocked off, there is a 2-track around some of it, I crossed the railroad using the dirt road north of tower 31, and because I bottomed the severely limited Outback out, on the track while crossing, and then nearly removed my front bumper and broke many of the cheap plastic clips used to secure the bump to the under flashing, or visa versa, while coming off the tracks at the crossing, I was too cautious to cross the tracks where I needed to do so in the western part of section 36, and turned back. I really should have crossed the second time. I was afraid of doing something to my car (more so) and being in a bad situation, only to stop, eat diner for an hour by tower 43, and then start up to leave and got a flat on a rock or something that tore the tire let all the air out in less than a minute. I changed the flat, limped out and a bit up the road to dirt turn off to sleep away from the turbines, and then spent drove to El Centro for a new tire today. I probably should have just crossed the 3rd set of tracks and gone out there, I knew I was close, I was just afraid of bottoming out the car, again, and then again and again.

Currently, the directions would be good, but you really can't use them with the road gated in various places. You need very high clearance and 4x4 to get over the tracks, and get out to the palms. Too bad. If there was another I knew about, I would visit them. As it was, it was beautiful, but I think they are best to visit when hot and you appreciate the oasis affect.

[joebartels]

40 miles north, palms at Indianhead if you are ever in the area http://hikearizona.com/decoder=13002

[Jim]

I know we don't have all the palm oasises in the haz dex, but it might worth making a map for the palm oasis we do have, from AZ's palm canyon, to the ones in California, and into Mexico, if anyone adventurous enough to go to them, do so. Sort of like the CO 14ers map.

[chumley]

@Jim_H
That sucks. You'd think that the state park has some kind of arrangement with BLM and the power company to allow public access through an easement of some kind.

Tracks are a pain to cross if it's not built up around them. Even with pretty good clearance. There are railroad ties built up for easier crossing at the Dos Cabezas site, but the other three crossings were school-zone-smooth when I was there. But that's probably where they have closed the road now?

Sorry to hear about the "experience" your car got. And if they are anything like Toyota clips you'll learn that the term "cheap plastic clips" does not refer to the price to replace them.

[joebartels]

@Jim_H good idea!

I started a mapped area here http://hikearizona.com/map.php?X=2643
click on the spinning [+] [-] feedback icon at the bottom to add hikes ( yeah I know... there isn't a better way right now )

If you are interested in creating a new Mapped Area contact the webmaster with a comma separated list of description IDs. That is the ZTN= figure listed in the URL of description pages. Maps under 200 routes are best.

[Jim]

@chumley
I was able to cross the tracks at a level crossing once before I had to detour on to the 2-track because a gate blocked the road. People had drive around the gate, and given that I drove right up to some towers, I have no idea why some have gates and others do not. Anyway. I then recrossed the tracks and that was when I had trouble. I then paralleled the tracks going around some tower access roads which were theoretically off limits due to being behind gates. I would have crossed the 3rd and last time, and been out near the palms, but I turned back. It was stupid.

Going back to the highway, I used a level crossing which was behind the gate, and was able to avoid crossing the tracks where I had before. I then drove around the gate that forced me to detour, and used the original level crossing. The wind farm is nice and all, but really complicated access, which is a shame. Given that some can be drive up to, and some are behind gates, it makes little sense. No one cared that I was out there, or that I stopped to cook for an hour.

[Jim]

BTW, from looking at the park map, it appears coming in from S2 on Mortero Wash, is the best route.

[Grasshopper]

it appears coming in from S2 on Mortero Wash, is the best route.

Forgive me if in your thread someone has confirmed that Mortero Wash is now restricted for vehicle access back to and over the tracks to gain access to the Mortero Palms area and Indian Hill hike area, but this route via Mortero Wash off S2.. http://hikearizona.com/photo=238378 has always been the primary route in.

[Jim]

I'm going to go cry.

[chumley]

@Grasshopper
I wish you had chimed in earlier! I found the Dos Cabezas road on my trip and it was easy access. When I went to the Dos Cabezas mine site RRXing, I was unable to find the Mortero Wash road heading out to the highway, and actually got turned around a couple of times by roads that dead-ended or hit obstacles that are impassable. I suspect if coming from the highway it would have been easier. But after my hike, I crossed the tracks at Dos Cabezas mine site and was unable to find the route out again, so I headed back out the way I came.

This might be one of those spots where a posted "driving directions" GPS track would be helpful!

[Grasshopper]

@chumley I thought you guys had this one under control with all the posts and you having been back there kind-of recently. GPS Driving Routes are always helpful and one of the reasons I'm trying to post more of them. I've only been back to the Mortero Palms area once. I use to access the Goat Canyon T from access via the Indian Hill hiketo the RR tracks

[RedRoxx44]

My favorite palm grove(s) site is off about mile 47.1 on S2 ( directions courtesy of Afoot and Afield in San Diego by the late Jerry Schad). It's a short good dirt road to a primitive camp area. From there you can access the small pygmy grove, the big Mountain Palm springs grove,( which I refer to as the Southwest Grove in some of my pics); sometimes in the past someone started a fire and burned all the skirts, but lots of palms with the little spring there, then take an old Indian trail up and over to fully skirted Surprise Grove, the hike up the little canyon to the Palm Bowl grove. You'll see some elephant trees along the way too.
http://hikearizona.com/photoset=9737&start=15

This area some pics on page 2-3 of photoset. I have never seen another hiker on this route and I've done it maybe a half dozen times as it's short and sweet.

[RedRoxx44]

@Grasshopper
AKA mortero wash, my memory is borderline, but as I recall one rough section right before the descent into the wash, a short very sandy section, then a little rough on the climb out and perhaps one rocky area after the tracks--- still think you need HC if not 4wd for this one too.