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Ghost Mountain LbNA #56532

Owner:wandaandpete
Plant date:Nov 6, 2010
Location:
City:Borrego Springs
County:San Diego
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: AntHilarie
Last found:Mar 31, 2021
Status:F
Last edited:Feb 22, 2021
418. GHOST MOUNTAIN

A visit to the "ghostly remains" of what was once the home of the Marshall South family on Ghost Mountain in the Colorado Desert southwest of Borrego Springs, CA.

This 2-mile or so round trip desert hike, 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" about 14 miles east of Julian, take S-2 south 6.3 miles, turn east on the marked dirt road with outhouse facilities at Blair Valley, and continue about 2.3 miles along that sandy road to a parking area with a stone monument at the beginning of the trail up Ghost Mountain. (We only drove part of the way in past Foot and Walker Pass with our little rental car, then walked an extra mile or so along the sandy wash to the accompaniment of wind, light rain and a lovely rainbow, so please take into account the weather, your type of vehicle and your driving "comfort zone" when dealing with the road conditions.)

After reading the trailhead monument for some background info, climb the trail up the small mountain and along the ridge top to the ruins of the Marshall South family home site. If you go southwest towards some rocks where we headed first, you just might find a geocache that contains much more info on some of the mysteries surrounding this family that lived here in the 1930's and 40's. To find our letterbox, however, find the sundial and walk about 18 steps north from it to the north side of an ocotillo. Then walk another 10 steps at 320 deg and do an "about face" to see a curious " ^ " pitted boulder in front of you. From that position, look down directly to your left under the overhang of a nearby boulder. Our box lies there under some small stones for you to mark your "ghostly visit"!