Big Rocks Wilderness and Pahroc Spring

Caliente Field Office BLM

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Camping at the edge of Big Rocks Wilderness by the "Welcome to Mecca!" sign, I decided that my goal for the day would be the Big Rocks Wilderness high point, which is also the North Pahroc Range high point. However, I did not want to walk up the road I had driven, nor did I want to risk driving it again with my inappropriate car, so I wouldn't be starting from the points west of the unnamed peak where the most successful attempts have originated. I would be traveling from the south, probably along a ridge. The one person who had traveled similarly from the north indicated that this was some of the most taxing terrain they'd been on. There is also a lower benchmark that would have been a more reasonable goal from my starting point, but no, it was not mine. I've been getting high points and here was another 4 miles off and I had all day to do it. I wanted another high point.

Sign to welcome folks to Mecca. It's not the expected toilet and picnic tables, but it is infrastructure.

The most important message of the sign is please don't climb on the artwork, which we feel so strongly about that there's a law against it. There's petroglyphs out here to spot. I grabbed my pack already set with the day's supplies and started to climb the nearby ridge.

Gaining a little altitude and one can spot the local corral out in the valley.

Starting off and there's practically a trail as the terrain is easy to travel.

There's some interesting and fun loose rocks around.

It quickly became clear that the ridges really aren't easy to travel. I'd been looking at a long ravine for travel anyway and so went to cross over to it.

The far cliffs from a little way up the ravine.

Moving around to the ravine, which has a few boulders to choke it.

Some of the big rocks that make travel a little complicated.

I kept to the south side of the ravine until it looked like there would be no more places to walk on the south side. The wash bottom didn't look too inviting either. However, the far side had a ledge that looked very nice. I found a spot that wasn't too complicated to cross and got myself into some welcome sunshine.

The bouldery mess of the wash as the south side of the ravine closes to walking travel.

Walking along the ledge worked quite well for a while. I did poke my way upward sometimes, but travel got harder where the boulders could cluster and cut off routes. Right near the edge was the best bet for a walkway. Presumably, the boulders roll off when they get too close leaving a little space.

Boulders and boulder source wall above the open ledge.

I was surprised at how impenetrable the rock wall above the ledge was to simple, casual climbing. However, when the wash came too close and there was a need to change levels, that first change wasn't so hard.

I did take the open routes to get up closer to the wall sometimes.

The next transition of levels was not so easy. The wash split and the entirety around it looked like wall. I crossed the wash again going toward what looked like a usable spot to climb, but found access to that climb was problematic. The boulder field is a maze with mostly dead ends.

More elevation gained and there's more view from under a pinon pine.

Boulders with a passage.

But the passages close up. Sometimes there's a crawl space.

So I turned back. I hadn't spotted any artwork among the boulders, except that art by the prolific and varied hand of nature. I did see the odd selection of chalked up hand holds on a few rocks.

A little more elevation and there's a lot more ranges to see over the top of the nearby hills.

I decided to turn back and cross over to a second ravine that stretches a long way into these big rocks. On the way down, I found myself more tolerant of the higher routes and generally finding a way without impassible obstacles when I took them.

It looks possible again once down in the wash. It helps sometimes to remember that the trees are taller than you are to give a little scale.

Not a squeeze at all on the way down.

An overhang one could live in, but the "bed" space is a bit tilted.

Looking up the loose boulders and wall. Surely there is a way there?

Another not-at-all-a-squeeze.

Starting to capture the daunting nature of travel.

Another view to make travel seem easily obtainable until one remembers these big rocks are BIG.

Another viewpoint on the basins and ranges.

Nature's artistic hand with lichen.

As I came around the edge to cross over to the next ravine, I was below a distinct layer of softer rocks in these monsters generally made of tuff. (Tuff is formed from volcanic ash fused together.)

Layers of rock including a lighter, softer one in the middle.

Up close and personal with the soft rock layer, which has its own layers.

Once more out of the ravines.

I had a small ravine to cross before getting to the one that was my aim. I gave it all a look and picked out a route and used it, passing by a few cliffs with minimal scrambling.

A chosen crossing, down next to a cliff beside me and up the other side to go between the rocks.

Looking upstream when down in the wash.

And downstream.

The crossing wasn't bad, but I did see encouragement to quickly descend into the large wash once I got there.

Into the next wash. It's all a jumble.

Passing another overhang as the terrain gets rough.

Unlike the first wash, this one presented an easy route to follow right in the bottom. Sometimes it is sandy, but usually even that annoyance was not had.

Arriving in a new wash, still not quite there but easy to see space to walk.

And so I wandered my way upward. Eventually I was finding better hiking up on the northern side just a little bit.

Lots of choices in this wash.

Another layer, another erosion pattern.

Monsters with great big teeth in the rocks!

As the time was getting late, I decided to head up a ridge for a little higher view and then found a nice spot to hang for a few minutes and a snack before turning around. The areas ahead were looking much more traversable than the first wash, but I also wasn't nearly as high up yet.

A look back over the wash as the sun gets low.

And what there is above at this point.

A bit higher to look out past the wash as the sun gets low.

A keyhole in the rocks. The wash is getting steeper and rougher behind.

I headed back down. I had one last goal for the end of the day in stopping by Pahroc Spring and see its water. Walking was fine for the portion I'd come up and a little bit further.

On the way down, flowing in the wash.

The water carves its way.

Unfortunately, I came upon a waterfall where there was definitely no way down for me. There's not much easy way around either. I headed off to mirror the way I'd got there, leaving the wash to the south.

A section of boulders marks some sudden and tall drops in the wash.

The rough bit of wash looks to get easier after about three drops, but the line of cliff goes a long way around.

Besides getting across the smaller wash along the top of another waterfall, the walk south was very easy and even had some minor trail to follow.

Crossing back through the lesser wash, which also has a drop way to the right.

There's a little of the same old hedgehog cactus.

Looking back along the line of cliffs.

Getting south far enough to find some silver cholla.

But the spring is a bit to the south of the wash, too, so I was able to come down to it pretty easily. At the ridge, there was just easy hill dropping down the cliff layer. I did have to loop back a little to see the actual spring.

There's a tub for water down there, but that's not where the spring is.

Pahroc Spring is up where the big, beautiful trees are growing.

Bits of water at Pahroc Spring with the last cottonwood leaves.

There is an old road to follow down, so I knew I was going to finish without trouble from things getting dark and hard to navigate. I could just follow roads back to the car.

The more popular camping area.

The moon rises over the first wash.

The light changes.

Another sunset as I get to camp.

So I didn't get anywhere near the high point. I quite enjoyed poking my way up the rocks anyway. The logs on Peakbagger were pretty good warning I likely wouldn't get there this way. I wouldn't mind trying different spots, but preferably with better access to other starts. Oh, and I still didn't spot any art even near the spring. It's supposed to be out there and not too uncommon.

*photo album*




©2023,2024 Valerie Norton
Written 23 Jan 2024