Three weeks in the Sonoran desert

[MojaveGeek]

LOL, great post, Dazed! Thanks for the clips, too!

I'll have to take a look at your TR on No Name more closely. I like the idea of avoiding the long long slog from Salt Creek - some parts of that are rather tedious under foot. I might go back to Little Bridge Canyon. I haven't been there in at least 20 years, and when I did it with my daughter, we encountered 3 sheep pretty close to 190 on the way back. There's obviously a herd (flock?) of sheep, or at least a decent population, around Tucki, as I've seen a lot in the area. A few years ago we tried for Twin Spring, above Mosaic, which is obviously where they hang out (lots of evidence in a video I've seen) but I took a fall/slide while crossing between canyons so maybe unlikely to do that again.

That was actually a nasty fall. Going up a narrow ridge, the rock gave, and I found myself sliding on my belly, feet first, down toward a small cliff, and everything I grabbed broke off. Eventually I stopped sliding and fortunately had a companion who managed to give me enough of my hand that I could get out without sliding the rest of the way.

What do you estimate the mileage from 190 to the mouth of No Name to be?

[DeathValleyDazed]

That was actually a nasty fall.  Going up a narrow ridge, the rock gave, and I found myself sliding on my belly, feet first, down toward a small cliff, and everything I grabbed broke off.  Eventually I stopped sliding and fortunately had a companion who managed to give me enough of my hand that I could get out without sliding the rest of the way.
Geez, Geek, that's super scary! So far I've never been out control above a drop off like that and hopefully never will. 

What do you estimate the mileage from 190 to the mouth of No Name to be?
I'm no good a estimating distances so here's a comparison from 190 and from Salt Creek. BTW I discovered that No Name Canyon actually has two mouths, one draining towards Salt Creek and the other towards 190 but they converge up stream a quarter to half a mile into the only drainage. I put the comparison to the single upstream mouth. 

Little Bridge is worth a re-visit. I took an unconventional return route from the end saddle back down the northeast ridge line.

Here's the canyon mouth distance comparison for you.
http://www.salamandersociety.com/deathva...tances.png

[MojaveGeek]

Thanks for the comparison - good piece of work. Also looks like from 190 you do loss cutting across fans, and more going up fans. That's better. BTW, that old road you crossed is rather interesting. Last year we took a few hours and walked it - the road is self-evident most of the time, and you can find it quickly in washes where you lose it, but I'd taken a bunch of waypoints from sat images anyway. It leads to what was apparently an old trading post site new MacClean Spring. There's pieces of at least one old bridge across some of Salt Creek, but then you have to find your way and avoid the deep mud which is a mess if you step in it, as I did.

I do hope when I get out there it is cool enough to do some low valley hikes. Was not so last trip, so I have a bunch of low ones stored up on the to do list.

I hope you don't have a slide like I did either. It was rather frightening to be out of control heading toward real danger. And hiking poles are useless in that situation (or on snow) once your center of gravity is below where you planted the poles and you are moving.

Thanks for the info!

[DeathValleyDazed]

BTW, that old road you crossed is rather interesting.  Last year we took a few hours and walked it - the road is self-evident most of the time, and you can find it quickly in washes where you lose it. It leads to what was apparently an old trading post site near MacClean Spring.  There's pieces of at least one old bridge across some of Salt Creek, but then you have to find your way and avoid the deep mud which is a mess if you step in it, as I did.

I believe if you check out minute 1:20 for a great shot of the road in good condition and at 5:10 for the old pile of boards that may have been the bridge you discuss? Low level hikes are indeed heaps of fun.

[MojaveGeek]

I like the idea of coming down that ridge that forms the east side of Little Bridge.  From the topo maps, it doesn't look very bad.  How is it in practice, both getting that far up the canyon, and taking that route down?  I would  not like to get 1/2 way down and find some rock that is dicey to descend.

The bridge we found, when we followed the road down the west side of the Salt Creek drainage, was much more substantial, and clearly shows the road passing over it.  A bit past that, though, the road disappeared, must have been washed out some time ago.