Meandering in the West
by Elaine Seavey
Excerpt:
The following excerpt is from Chapter IV, “Borrego Springs”. This story
starts in Blair Valley.
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.” MORTERO 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 didn’t 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 wouldn’t 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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