Aborted Dominguez Mt. Loop

[Drifter]

In April 2007 I put out  invitations to seven (7) pals to go with me on my annual first week in Nov. walk. Followed up by many emails with maps, routes, menu plans, drink orders and the such.  This year it was the Dom. Mt. loop which starts at the ET  campsite , follows the ET. trail until just north of the Tusk, then cross country to Backbone ridge valley, up the Dom. Mt. pass and down to Dom. spring.  Then Fisk canyon ,around the north side of Dom. Mt. and back cross country to the ET trail and the jeep.  The last pal to back out was the night before I left.  Left solo on Friday night and made the Marathon Motel and RV camp at 10:02pm.  Evita was still there and I got my room key.  A $3.50 taco the next am. at their cafe and I was off to see Eric at PJ for my zone camping permit.  Paid $3.60 a gallon and toped off the jeep and headed for the Black Gap.  Had one problem at the bad spot just past the Glenn Spring campsite and then strolled to ET1.  Left ET campsite at 11:00am, 82 degrees which translated to 95 under my 52lb pack.  (gallon and half)  I was cussing Al Gore the whole way.  Got back to under ET at the mouth of the canyon by 1:00pm, met a frog eating Mojave rattler that was asleep next to the pool at the mouth of the canyon and started up the drainage.  When I got to the hanging rock pouroff I was stymied   I could get up it without my pack but not with it.  When solo I usually take rope just for this contingency but forgot it because the plan had always been to have company this time.  The map of this area is wrong. It shows a dropin after this pouroff but it doesn't exist. Believe me,  6 hours that day and and several the next showed that the only way around is cross county and drop in right at ET spring #3.  After messing around for two days in very hot weather I remembered the cool adult beverages I had left in the Jeep and the Sirens started their song.  I will return in Jan. with , hopefully, cooler weather.  Tons of photos,I just don't know how to post them. Also, springs were running like trout streams.  Also, can I email one of you snake experts the photo of the frog eating snake to confirm it was a Mojave. Thanks, be safe on the solo reach.

[RichardM]

Why not post the rattlesnake picture here so us non-experts can take a guess, too?

[Drifter]

I would if I could figure out how to post it.

[okiehiker]

http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/big-bend-photographs/how-to-post-pics-on-big-bend-chat-t309.0.html

here you go...

[TheWildWestGuy]

Hey drifter sorry to hear your friends backed out but that's somewhat typical I would say.  I think we have all experienced it and that is a major reason I frequently go solo as well.
It sounds like you left the trail and went X-country up the drainage below ET until you got to the slide with a tinaja at the bottom and a narrow rock fissure at the top.  This slide is about 15' long, steep, narrow, and there is no way to avoid the pool of water at the end.  Is that where you got stopped?   You can come down this slide but I think it's pretty much a one-way trip... TWWG

[Drifter]

Hey Wildwest, The pouroff in question is  the one with the hanging boulder over the slot with the pool at the bottom. Your description is right on.  I could get up it without my pack but on my third attempt with the pack I fell.  That spot with a broken ankle or leg or knee would be ok for about 4 days but the heliocopter would have a hard time seeing my strobe light, which is why I went for the cross country route. Oh, well I will be back on my birthday (Jan. 6) with rope.  Also, the Black Gap has gotten worse in the area of the Bad Lands.  That section is going to simply slip off the side of that hill one day. 

[Robert]

Drifter, where exactly are you talking about?

It sounds to me like you are describing the section just below the last spring (closest to ET). The trail exits the wash on north/east side and does not get back into the wash as it heads back to the trail head. We missed the exit the first time coming from the north (even with a line of rocks stretched across the wash). We did get to a very narrow section of canyon and did not attempt to descend with packs. When we back tracked to see if we missed something we found the exit marker.

[xseption]

Is "ET" Ernst Tinaja? Where is Dominguez Mountain located?

thanks!

~ edd

[jeffblaylock]

In this context, ET is Elephant Tusk. Dominguez Mountain is southwest of Elephant Tusk, west of Backbone Ridge.

[xseption]

In this context, ET is Elephant Tusk. Dominguez Mountain is southwest of Elephant Tusk, west of Backbone Ridge.

Aah! Thanks! I appreciate the info.

~ edd