DWTH SDTCT Day 2: Borrego Springs

Monday, March 17th, 2025, 0630-1900
Outskirts of Borrego Springs to Culp Valley campground, mm42.5, elevation 3300′
12 miles.

The night was so calm and the sunrise so vibrant, I was entranced by the combination of stillness and brilliance. I loved the desert for these gifts, but soon I’d be climbing high into the first set of mountains forming the Pacific Crest. I wasn’t in a hurry for that just yet. I was only looking forward as far as a town stop for breakfast. The route took me straight through Borrego Springs and I had no idea what to expect. Would it be another rough and trashy desert town, like so many I’d already passed through?

I cruised west along the 5 mile highway walk. Since it was early in the morning and the sun was at my back, it was actually very pleasant. There was a wide shoulder and not much traffic. I even spotted some wildlife: 5 large Swainson’s hawks that flew from a fan palm. The town had an information board about them, noting that this was one of their main migratory routes and that they traveled in groups.

Just at the outskirts of town, I walked through a large roundabout with a charming park in the middle. It had all the amenities a hiker could want: bathrooms, outlets, water and picnic tables. Even the grass was ideal for camping. I didn’t plan to overnight in the town, as I had a hunch it might be expensive. But I would have gladly stealth camped in the park…and then probably been booted by the police (wait until you see where I did camp this night). Borrego Springs was quite a departure from the previous scruffy towns I’d visited on the DWTH. It was actually very nice! Clearly it had leaned into its “artsy” side, garnering both resident and tourist admiration and respect.

Of note, there were murals and sculptures all over. Even the electrical boxes were covered by motifs featuring desert plants and animals. The large metal sculptures were actually one of the main attractions. A local began making them years ago, first to entertain his kids. They were scattered all about and outside the town, with people driving from the coast just to go on self-guided tours. There were brochures in the visitor center which mapped all the locations. I wanted to take the tour but unfortunately many of the sculptures were more than a mile outside of town, a bit too far of a detour for me on foot.

But I did enjoy walking around the free desert botanic garden in the center of town, as well as the community gardens across the street. Both were really lovely and I learned a lot about all the local plants, especially the ocotillos. I couldn’t get over how pretty and quaint Borrego Springs was. Even the small grocery store was pretty sophisticated, though out of habit, I mostly replenished my food stores at the Dollar General. In following, it was the nicest DG I’ve ever been too. What a shocker to discover such a vibrant desert town, complete with what seemed like a sense of community. It was a nice change from the pretentious and fake facade of Palm Springs and the depressing and trashed ambiance of many of the rest of the desert towns.

The only detractor were the posh restaurant prices. I went to the only one open in the morning, which was a Mexican restaurant. A lunch and/or breakfast plate was over $18, but at least the portion was pretty large. In fact, I ate so much that I had to forgo lunch… even after I’d fully planned to get the shrimp tacos at another restaurant. I was so looking forward to them when I saw the menu…oh well, this just gave me an excuse to go back someday.

I chilled in town all morning, then I continued the route a few miles outside of town, towards the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor center. On the way, I crossed paths with a roadrunner, which is hands down one of my favorite birds. They are big, beautiful, and so charismatic. This one made his signature move, running across the road, then dove into the creosote fields (which I’m also happy to report were free of trash!). It hit me then, after walking across the 2 great deserts of the US, this was only my first sighting a roadrunner! Of course I’d seen them on other trips and hikes, but one would think I would have seen hundreds during an 800 mile desert traverse. Go figure.

As I neared the inevitable climb into the mountains, I decided to procrastinate some more by taking a detour to the visitor center. It was less then half a mile off route and I figured I’d already wasted most of the hiking day, why not be a tourist some more. I’d previously hiked through a portion of the Anza-Borrego Desert State park, as part of the PCT. Back then, I didn’t have the perspective or knowledge of this unique desert ecosystem…I didn’t even notice that I was hiking past ocotillos. Now that I’d hiked through large expanses of desert, including much of this vast state park, I had a much better understanding and appreciation for it. With knowledge comes a desire for even more, and so the visitor center was another welcomed break. I learned some about the history of the area and enjoyed sitting in the theater to watch a short film. I even met a guy who asked if I was hiking the PCT. Not quite yet, I told him, but soon. He’d section hiked as well, but of course had never heard of the SDTCT.

Just as I was about to leave, I overheard a ranger warning about the overnight wind advisory. It sounded pretty bad. I “blew” it off at first, but started to feel the first gusts as set off for a climb of about 2500′. There was a nice single-track trail leading from the Hellhole Canyon trailhead, where I saw my first SDTCT sign, but man did I underestimate such big, steep climb! I probably shouldn’t have left it for after 5 pm. I also should’ve paid better attention to the wind advisory.

By the time the trail leveled off somewhat in the Culp valley, I was starting to really stress about where I was going to find a sheltered place to camp. The wind gusts were horrific, nearly blowing me off my feet. I was familiar with these winds, having experienced a few days of them on the PCT, and later on my desert hikes. But the area was so exposed, devoid of anything but sugar bush, manzanita, and a few boulders, I doubted that I’d be able to pitch my tent. The 60 mph gusts would just rip out the stakes and/or tear it apart.

I took a hard look at my map, recalling that I’d seen a nearby campground when studying the route. I wasn’t interested in the campsites, but rather the other amenity that comes with a developed campground: a certain kind of structure. I left the trail to cross country less than half a mile, landing soundly in the middle of the campground. I spotted my target and was filled with great hope. It was a double privy, meaning that I could occupy one side while leaving the other side for it’s intended purpose. Furthermore, I only saw maybe 3 sites that were occupied by cars, meaning there wouldn’t be much demand overnight. The inside was surprisingly clean, perhaps one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen. What a great stroke of luck!

Still, I decided to give my tent pitch a try. That way, if someone discovered me camping in the privy, I could honestly say I had no other resort. I guess I could have also cowboy camped, but the clouds looked as though it might rain. I found the most protected spot I could fit my tent into, which was under a few large manzanita. Despite being about as well-blocked as the terrain could manage, my concerns were validated. The wind gusts ripped out my stakes withing minutes. The ground was also way too soft, given all the litter from the trees. I suppose I could have searched around for some rocks to anchor the stakes, but it was getting dark and the privy was too enticing.

From one of the calmest nights/mornings when I started this day, to the most gnarly evening of wind yet, it seemed it was my destiny to finally spend a night in a privy. I’d rested in their shade, cooked meals inside, and spent several hours around midnight riding out a thunderstorm in one (after bears chased me out of my campsite on the Foothills Trail). Yet I’d never been desperate/needy enough to spend a full night in a privy. It’s almost a thru-hiker’s right of passage to do so, so I guess it was just finally my time.

I couldn’t have asked for a better one, too. Not only was it mercifully clean and low on smells, it was also huge! I rolled out my ground tarp and tent, then set up my sleeping system on top. There was plenty of floor space to spread out and cook my dinner. I went so far as plugging the door cracks to block as much wind as possible. It was pretty chilly outside after the sun set.

Only one person tried to open the door before I went to sleep. The weather was so bad that they drove from their campsite to the privy…their headlamps warned me they were coming. Thankfully the door lock held, and they simply went to the privy next door. What a perfect night to score such a lucky break!