From Chapter 4, Borrego Springs
BLAIR VALLEY
Blair Valley is at an elevation of 2,500 feet, and much cooler than in the valley at Borrego Springs. In the morning it was only 38 degrees! By 10:00 AM it had warmed up, so we set off on a bike ride. We rode south from our campsite through this pretty valley, following the rocky hill to our left.
In a short distance we came to a sign pointing out Foot and Walker Pass. This trail was part of the route carved out by the Mormon Battalion, and later used by the Butterfield Overland Stages. When reaching this point, passengers had to get out and walk, and sometimes even help in pushing the stage over this pass if they were carrying a heavy load, thus it earned its name.
As we walked on this old trail to the top of the pass, we could still see ruts worn into the rocks from the passing of the heavy stage coaches. It seemed unbelievable that those cumbersome vehicles could ever have come over this steep rocky trail! At the summit we could look down on Little Blair Valley on the other side. It was interesting, from that height, to see narrow little paths winding across the desert floor, made by foxes, coyotes and other small desert animals.
Back on our bikes, we continued on the main sandy road. Gradually it began going uphill, and it was pretty rough going. We passed a trail leading to Ghost Mountain, the site of an old homestead. Deciding it would be too far and too steep on our bikes, we continued on to the Mortero Trail.
MORTEROS TRAIL
Parking our bikes, we hiked a one-half mile trail to an area filled with large boulders. This had been a seasonal camp of the early Kumeyaay Indians who came here to gather and process plant foods, the main ones being agaves, mesquite and pine seeds.
The surface of the larger flat rocks contained multiple grinding holes. Some were deep, others more shallow. The deeper round depressions are known as mortars, or morteros. The more shallow ones are called basins, or matates, and smooth shiny surfaced areas, which had also been used as work surfaces, are referred to as slicks.
Some of the circular depressions were very small and shallow, often placed in a row or grouping. We found these small depressions on vertical surfaces as well as on horizontal surfaces of rock. These are called cupules, and are believed to have some kind of ritual significance.
We spent quite a bit of time wandering around this area, and it seemed like at every turn we would come across yet another flat rock with some kind of depressions on it. Under a cave-like overhang of rock, everything was blackened, indicating the site of an ancient fire pit. These fire pits were used for roasting agaves. It was a fascinating place, and what a wonderful playground it must have been for the Indian children!
PICTOGRAPH TRAIL
At the morteros trailhead, a road to the right leads to the pictograph trailhead. This road was steep! In fact, at one point, Rodger wanted to turn back. I was tired too, but really wanted to see the pictographs! So, reluctantly, he said, Well, I guess if you can make it, so can I!
The road didnt get any easier. Finally it became just too steep, and the sand too deep to ride our bikes, so we got off and pushed them up to the trailhead. Parking our bikes under a tree, we continued on foot to hike a one-mile well worn sandy trail, winding uphill through rocks and cacti, then down the other side into a valley filled with boulders scattered in all directions. Reaching this boulder field, right along side of the trail was one very large overhanging rock. Below this overhang, where the surface had been protected from the elements, we discovered the pictographs.
This early Indian rock art was painted by early Kumeyaay Indians. The designs were reddish orange in color, creating a chain of diamond shapes and other geometric patterns. Some of the nearby rocks also contained mortars.
Our ride back to the trailer was interesting! We coasted all the way down that steep hill, using caution so we wouldnt take a spill in that soft sand! Back in the valley, we could pedal the rest of the way back to camp. We had ridden our bikes about eleven miles, and hiked about three miles. It had been a lovely sunny 65 degree day.
THE SOUTHERN EMIGRANT TRAIL
We were a little stiff from our bike ride, so the following day we went on a drive with the truck, heading south on S22. The section of S22 from Scissors Crossing, is part of the Southern Emigrant Trail. Early Spanish explorers and prospectors had used this route. In November, 1846, Kit Carson led the US Army of the West from New Mexico to California along this trail.
VALLECITO STAGE STATION
Once a major stop on the Southern Emigrant Trail, this adobe building was built in 1852 and restored in 1934. It was built on a small rise overlooking a marsh. Among the high grasses of the marsh, pools of water could be found, offering fresh water so necessary to early travelers along this route. This vallecito (little valley) is surrounded by rugged mountains.
There was a cemetery near the old stage station. Here, there were three graves. Two had large markers. These are the graves of John Hart and James Mason, both former residents at the station. The third grave is an unmarked mound of rocks. This is the grave of the Lady in White.
A woman came in on the stage one day, from somewhere in the east, enroute to Sacramento. She was ill when she arrived. Her condition worsened and she died. When her trunk was opened, a white dress, believed to be her wedding dress, was found. She was dressed in the white gown and buried in this cemetery. According to legend, her spirit still wanders about the station grounds!
The station grounds are now a county park with a campground. A green spot in the desert with several trees, surrounded by mountains, makes it a pretty spot.
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