Ogliby Hills

El Centro Field Office, BLM

Click for map.

I thought I'd do something small before going on to something medium. I picked out a line during the drive up, but probably won't get to do it because I also picked out a couple geocaches to find. One is a multicache that I'm sort of hoping will just lead me along a route up. It seems like a sensible thing to do with a multicache to me, anyway. First, to grab a somewhat random parking spot. A 4WD vehicle can get closer, but there's not a lot of point.

The appetizer. There's a bit of flat stuff between here and Ogilby Hills, but it isn't as long as it looks.

Pasadena Mountain will be the main course later.

So I head over toward the hills aiming at the first geocache which is a traditional one on a little outcrop that isn't part of my quickly and roughly plotted route at all, but I knew that would happen. Hiking to it is rough, but not hard. It's a spot overlooking the road, so of course I use it to look off somewhere else.

Easy slopes to these hills. There even looks to be trail up it in many places.

Found four trackables in the ammo can at the end of my easter egg hunt. They seem to have a duck theme plus someone to eat them. Behind them are the Cargo Muchacho Mountains.

So then onward to the multicache. Frankly, these can be a mixed bag mostly because the written coordinates are often not well enough protected from sunlight or water to still be legible. This one is beautiful when I find it even though it was placed years ago, so it is onward to the next stage. It is in entirely the opposite direction of the high point.

The way I want to go, up the crumbly, flaky lava.

A new direction, up the light hills that seem to be covered in a single layer of dark marbles.

I claim the high point of the random hill as I go past. The next step is a little further down the other side rather than there and once found is the final. So that is it for geocaching for a bit and I can turn my attention to getting to the high point again.

Once out among the marbles, they aren't very round at all. They are very smooth.

There are numerous circles that have been cleared of rocks.

I mostly retrace my steps back down the hill covered in its broken up and rounded lava rocks, then just start up the other side. There seems to be something like a trail, so I follow it across the side of a steep hill, then lose it in a gully. Quite a few trails seem to come up the various other gullies as I pass. There are trails everywhere. And claims. There are claims everywhere too.

Climbing again. There are plenty of trails, but also plenty of lines to take as trails even if they aren't.

Looking back toward the marbles and Pilot Knob in the distance.

Quickly enough, I am at the top. There is even a register and evidence that surveyors have been there.

Up at the top of Ogilby Hills.

The rest of the hills to the east where I haven't been. These have a lot of the character of the high point.

Trying to take in all of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains at once.

Then it is back down again. This time, a little more directly. It is a little bit steep in places, but options are endless on where to go. I am back down a little later than expected. Geocaching always takes a little longer than expected.

Pasadena Mountain and Pasadena Peak (with Stud Mountain behind it) are coming attractions. For today, Pasadena Mountain on the right is next.

©2019 Valerie Norton
Written 21 February 2019