Salton Sea Mudpits

[fetboy8]

Hoping I'm sharing the link right but have found on u-tube info on more mudpots showing up as the salton sea level is dropping. Thinking about possibly heading back out there late April early May for a visit. Anybody got a 4wheel drive interested in checking this out

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=21 ... 15&vpsrc=1

[ndeep]

He has quite a few videos on the area too. http://youtu.be/nN1OXB8AgOE

The large field is amazing. It reminds me of treacherous boiling swamps you would see in old Hercules movies.

[fetboy8]

So am curious ndeep.... Are you from this area? Will be staying in Westmorland from the 23rd to 26th of April and always looking for a buddy to explore the area with.

[ndeep]

Hey fetboy. I'm located up other end of the valley. I did get a chance to drive down last week with some vistors. They had rented a GMC Terrain AWD but as we started out the road to the area, the tires begin slipping and sliding and the driver didn't want to chance wrecking a rental. I thought it looked OK but the path did have some deep ruts from larger 4 wheel drive vehicles. It'll probably just get drier as the season warms up but I would recommend a high clearance vehicle for now. If I get the chance, I want to drive down and park my SUV and take a mountain bike out to see the activity. I don't know if I'd get into any of the mud there, being fresh toxic lake bottom and all, but I do want to see it. oink

[ndeep]

ps: The seep field at Davis & W. Schrimf Road is now Posted No Trespassing. There are no fences but it is posted. The old ice house ruins however, remain open. I imagine the best find would be a large paint pot/fumerole in and about the bird ponds. (Which are all dry.) The area looks very different from last year. Very little water around. I wonder if it's being re-channeled for use by the geothermal plant?

[fetboy8]

Just an update.. Spent the last week of April in the area and you are right. The seep field area is definitely posted no trespassing although I did see a couple of young guys out looking around them with their vehicle parked on the side of the road. I did make it out to the above referenced spot a few times with a four wheel drive but never having to put it into 4 wheel drive. Loose sand was about it. Being the access issue in 3 times out there only saw another vehicle out there once. I found that most of the volcanoes if you dipped your arm into them were nicely warm but after reaching down about a foot or so became to hot. Did find one that I stuck my leg down into but about the time I reached crotch deep you could feel the heat getting tremendous. After meeting up with a friend from the SanDiego area when we went out there we did find a depression next to a volcano that we could sink to waist deep and the temp was comfortable. My guess is when you and your friends went out there was wet season and the ground was muddy. I could definitely see that as a problem as that type of ground would just stick to your tires and hole you up. But if you get the chance go out and check it out before it get's to hot... You can get a little clean up in one of the wet depressions there and heading back east stop and clean up in some freshwater along Schrimp Rd

[ndeep]

Thanks for the update. Especially about the heat. The temperature is hitting the 100's now so will have to try and catch a cool spell to go down. Interesting area. By the way, the area just east of 111 and Gillispie Road has collapsed into a bubbling pond of brown water. oink

[sirnetwork]

Thanks for the update. Especially about the heat. The temperature is hitting the 100's now so will have to try and catch a cool spell to go down. Interesting area. By the way, the area just east of 111 and Gillispie Road has collapsed into a bubbling pond of brown water. oink

I am trying to go to the area in late August (yes, I really do know how hot it will be). I know water levels will be low, but that also means that new areas might be exposed under the waterline. Where will be the best areas to check that time of year?

[sirnetwork]

Just to follow up: In August/September do you guys think that the mud will be deep/wet enough to submerge vertically?

[ndeep]

Hard to say sirnetwork. Every time I go down, it's different and to be honest with you, I haven't found a spot with just a mudpot. I always seem to find either deep hissing fumeroles filled with dead small animals from the gas or the boiling pots of cool muddy water. I haven't been out to the Mullet Island area yet myself. Go into Google Maps and satellite view the area. You can see the thermal features very clearly, usually as round spots. As for the time of year you going, take gallons of drinking water with you. It's amazing how fast you dehydrate in 110• heat. Another poster (qslover2000) up thread seems to know where a deep mudpot is. Perhaps he'll post or you can message him directly. Good luck. Wear a hat!

ps: Here's the very large mud boil I was talking about up thread. When I first discovered it on Google Maps, it was all mud with a small erupting center. As you can see, it's quite different now. By mid to late summer, who knows?

mudboil.jpg