. McCain Valley.....   ...............................

. Lark Canyon OHV

The McCain Valley Resource Conservation Area encompasses 38,692 acres of the In-Ko-Pah Mountains. Within that area is an OHV park called Lark Canyon (trail map), which has about 30 miles of mostly narrow and curvy trails. One particular section, with its beautiful flowing esses, made me think to myself, "This is the dirt equivalent of Palomar!" 

It's not a heavily frequented area and I think it's because most people would rather go to the closer Pine Valley (40 miles). McCain Valley is an additional 30 miles east and people driving that far would probably rather go all the way out to the expansive Ocotillo. Or, maybe it's because at the entrance to the OHV park is the McCain Valley Conservation Camp, a minimum security prison (I believe the PC term is "Honor Camp"). Those guys you see in the orange jumpsuits outside? Yes, they're there because the judge said so. Here's the latest escapee. What they neglect to tell you in the article is that he has a couple of tattoos, which in and of itself is not newsworthy, except for the fact that one is the word "Hate" tattooed on his neck. This suggests to me that he may be predisposed to applying his hands on other people in a non-Christian manner. People sometimes worry about little things like this. If that's what it takes to keep the OHV park traffic low, then bring us your shoplifters, drug dealers, drunk drivers, and spousal abusers.        

On this particular day (the day being when the above photos were taken), we returned to the scene of the crime. Which crime? The crime in which the earth maliciously rose up to jam Mr. Michigan's arm, dislocating his shoulder (see him grimace in pain on that fateful day). We hadn't been back to the dirt since the crash two months ago, but we chose an unusually warm winter day to return and were rewarded with a good time and, more importantly, no repeat trip to the emergency room.

Someone posted videos on YouTube of McCain Valley. This helmet cam video is one of the least digi-fukced in his collection.

And if you care, here's what I found on the Internets about the area: In 1852, George McCain homesteaded and began grazing livestock in the valley which now bears his name. His family continues to ranch here today. During the 1860s and '70s, additional settlers arrived in the McCain Valley region due, in part, to the discovery of gold near Cuyamaca and Julian. In spite of a temporary flurry of mining activity, ranching continued to be the dominant force in the economy of the region for nearly 100 years.

Photos from top left to bottom right:
  1. The truck is unloaded and the gear is being put on. Mr. Michigan silently pep talks himself into not crashing. "Remember the excruitiating pain. Remember the excruitiating pain. Remember the excruitiating pain." 
     
  2. The permanent outhouse. Can someone explain to me why some outhouses have a breeze that blows up from below? Looked pretty dark down there. Thankfully.

  3. Carrizo Overlook parking lot. Beautiful in its emptiness.  

  4. The Carrizo Overlook. On a clear day you can see the Salton Sea 60 miles away.

  5. Someone's campfire remnants in the hollow of boulders. Notice my ability to squat with kneepads, chest plate, and stiff boots. I am gifted.

  6. Many sections were whooped out, but these are fun as long as you get a rest break between them. 
     
  7. Trails everywhere. Kid in a candy store.
     
  8. Granite boulders in foreground, Kumeyaay wind turbines on the Campo Indian reservation in the background.   
     
  9. Madame Zina senses a crash...

  10. ...and so it must be. Now this might look flat, but it wasn't. I had to drag the bike around until the wheels pointed downhill and then I was barely able to lift it up. Some day my back will pay dearly but until then, let us keep living this most perfect of lives. 
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