Sandstone Canyon closed - Help!! Anza Borrego

[Tankota]

This past weekend (10-25-08) I did some camping in the Fish Creek area of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. This is a beautiful wash/slot canyon with many opportunities for camping. Hiking, climbing and wheeling. I know many of you, especially So-Cal have at one time or another wheeled in Fish creek or one of its tributaries.
On this trip we wanted to do some climbing and hiking in some of the off shoots of Sandstone Canyon, a tributary of the main Fish Creek wash. This long narrow canyon has always been very enticing to wheelers due to its beauty and technical nature.
Anyway, I drove several miles of wash to get to the canyon mouth only to find that it had just been closed. We could tell that the stakes had only been installed that morning or the day before because there were fresh tire tracks on both sides of the signs and stakes. We ended up hiking the canyon anyway, but didn’t get as far as we would have liked because the canyon is a bit longer that a comfortable day hike. I have driven much farther back several times before, and it is a really enjoyable trail.

Ok, so what I’m wondering. Does anybody know if there is anything that can be done to reverse these kinds of things? I really want to go to the head ranger station and ask them why this canyon was closed to vehicles. Its not like there was any vegetation in there (or was ever any). Maybe because it is in a State Park, they have the sovereign right to close areas at will for no reason.
I was thinking that maybe CORVA might be some help. They might be wrapped up in bigger issues though.
How bout if we as a group bombard the ranger station with requests for a reopening and no more trail closers.
This is one reason why I get so absolutely pissed when I see 4wheelers not treading lightly, acting foolishly or not respecting the land. They are a big reason stuff gets closed.

Here are a couple pics just so you can see what it really is.

These are the worst signs ever. :(
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v342/225/124/68604201/n68604201_31701367_9516.jpg
:loser:
http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v342/225/124/68604201/n68604201_31701366_9262.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31701366&id=68604201

Just a couple from last time I was back in Sandstone Canyon.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh85/dieselzee/TDS%202008/IMG_0100.jpg?t=1225422035

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh85/dieselzee/TDS%202008/IMG_0092.jpg?t=1225422112

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh85/dieselzee/TDS%202008/IMG_0073.jpg?t=1225422229

[Marc P]

I heard about this too.....Steve (thatsalexus) led a group last weekend and discovered the same horrific sight. I dont know what can be done, or why they did it.....but it sucks!

[slosurfer]

That sucks! Yeah, you need to contact the ranger station and find out the who/what/why, so you can figure out what to do about it.

[Marc P]

DON'T CLOSE OUR SANDSTONE CANYON....PLEASE


I guess it is closed right past this part...just when it gets interesting :(
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b251/MarcP1971/marcinsandstoneP1010388.jpg

[Tankota]

Actually I think its closed before that Mark. The sign is in right before the canyon closes in.

[Scuba]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b251/MarcP1971/marcinsandstoneP1010388.jpg


Ever since i saw a picture exactly like this on YT a while back, I've always wanted to go to this spot, sucks to hear this sort of thing.
and it sucks that im actually heading out to Ocotillo tonight and cant go ride that trail :(

[Tankota]

Ok here's a small update from today.

I called the main ranger station (760-767-5311) and talked to "Ranger Bob". He was very friendly but did not really have any clear info to give me.
He told me that the most likely cause of the new signs and stakes was that the dead end canyon eventually ended up in state wilderness area. He also said that it was most likely a re-closure and not a new closure. He figured that the canyon was supposed to be closed anyway, but the stakes had just been removed and never reinstalled. In his words, "the problem with these kind of canyons is that people in lifted 4x4's, usually with locking axles, tend to push the route farther and farther into the canyon just for a driving challenge".
I asked him if there had been any sort of EIR (Environmental Impact Report) done. He had no idea either way.

The best info I got from him was to call later in the week and talk to the supervising ranger, Paul Reisman. He said Reisman would be able to give us exact info as to why the canyon was closed, and if it was a new closure or a re-closure.
Another thing to watch out for is the brand new ranger they just hired to be assigned to the Fish Creek area. Bob told me the new ranger is a greenhorn and only started this week. New rangers are the worst for enforcing every little code in the rule book.

I think if it is a new closure we have more chance of possibly reversing it than it it was a re-closure.

One question I had for the rest of you. Have you been wheeling in the last few years? Does anyone know if it was ever closed off before? Also was there a closed sign a couple miles into the canyon where the wilderness boundary was?

[Marc P]

Thanks for making that call Zach. I first wheeled Sandstone in 2001 when I bought my runner.....it was open and far back as I wanted to go with no signs of any kind.

[slosurfer]

If it is due to the fact that the trail dead ends at a wilderness area, then you may be able to get them to move it to the actual wilderness boundary. You may even be able to adopt the trail and help set up a barrier where the actual wilderness area starts.

Our local club does this on a couple of the local trails. One dead ends at a wilderness boundary (the trail actually still goes on for miles) and we are constantly fixing the barrier and reinforcing it so that the trail doesn't get closed.

It will be interesting what you find out from the head dude. Like you said, if it is a reclosure, then it will be hard to fight. We are going through this right now on one of our trails.

[wifesaysimadumbass]

someone on just runs just ran up there and said there were no signs anywhere so i dont know if maybe they rethought their closure

[Tankota]

I'm not sure Mikey, I had this thread running on the Outdoor Adventure USA board and Pirate4x4. On both of those people mentioned it being open again. Here is an email from Supervising ranger Paul Reisman, to a member of just runs.


The official park position. I have to commend Mr. Reisman for his
prompt response. Thank you.

Michael,

Thank you for asking about Sandstone Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park. As you seem to have been there, you can appreciate the
awesome beauty of this area. The canyon is not closed. Over the
years the park has been open, the end of the driven portion of the
canyon has often changed according to environmental conditions.
Signs were put in to limit how far vehicles may travel but the canyon
is still open for driving through some of the most beautiful steep
wall sandstone canyons around. Toward the upper end of the canyon,
signs were placed to limit vehicles. As flooding has further eroded
the sand at the floor of the canyon, people with vehicles have driven
further up on the sides of the walls. I am sure, if you have been
there, you have seen the black color of rubber on the sandstone
walls. The state park has a responsibility to preserve the pristine
nature of the lands under its control the best we can and the black
rubber tire marks do not belong there and are unsightly.

Paul Reisman
Supervising State Park Ranger
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
200 Palm Canyon Drive
Borrego Springs, CA 92004

[Tankota]

The Pirate4x4 Thread - http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8941381

Outdoor Adventure USA - http://forums.oausa.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=820&st=0&sk=t&sd=a