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Foot and Walker LbNA #30410

Owner:wandaandpete
Plant date:Mar 25, 2007
Location:
City:Borrego Springs
County:San Diego
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: AntHilarie
Last found:Mar 31, 2021
Status:FFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Feb 26, 2021
183. FOOT AND WALKER

A short "leg stretcher" to an historic monument where passengers once had to get out of the Butterfield Stage to help push the stagecoach over the pass.

Found on 8 March 2009
This quarter mile round trip desert walk, about 50 miles north of the Mexican border, is best done in the cooler months (Nov - Apr), taking all necessary desert travel precautions. To reach the starting point from route 78 at "Scissors Crossing", drive south on S-2 6.3 miles, turn east on the dirt road at Blair Valley, and drive about half a mile along that dirt road to the area that leads to a pass crossing over a portion of the Southern Emigrant Trail that was once rather difficult for wheeled vehicles, hence the interesting name. Take the sandy horse and foot trail (CHRT) northwest to pick up a small trail with built-in stone steps on your right heading up to the Butterfield Overland Mail Route Monument (CA registered landmark #647). From the monument continue on the rock-lined path west and south up to the height of land with a circular viewpoint. From the Mormon Tea bush growing on a rock in the middle of the circular end-loop at the top of the viewpoint take about 8 steps back down the path heading north. Note the half and half rock lining the left side of the trail and from there go 5-6 steps west and look south under a rock overhang between two Mormon Tea bushes to find the white microbox covered by a couple of small chunks of white feldspar. After you get back to your car, you may wish to continue driving down the dirt road another couple of miles to explore the area once homesteaded by Marshall South and his family on Ghost Mountain, visit the nearby pictographs, etc.