Late winter or early Spring is the time to pack up the horse trailer and head for Anza Borrego Desert State Park. You just can't let the year go by without a visit to the desert. The Vern Whitaker Horse Camp is a little difficult to get to, but once you are there you'll ask yourself why it took so long to come back. Whether you come down From Julian or Ranchita to reach Borrego Springs you will descend a long windey road and with a horse trailer in tow, all you can do is sit back, take it easy and enjoy the view, the horses will do fine if you don't go too fast.From the glorieta in the middle of town (Christmas Circle) head due north on Borrego Springs Road to Henderson Canyon road to the right and on your left you will see the sign to Vern Whitaker Horse Camp. Keep following the dirt road which dead ends at the camp. No one but horse people are allowed to camp here. You may need a reservation for the weekend, but during the week you can have the place to yourself.The warm winter sun, a bouquet of desert wild flowers, wild horses and especially the Desert Bighorn Sheep are some pretty great reasons to be in Borrego, but for me it is the solitude of the rustic Bailey cabin in the upper willow area of Fig Tree Valley. For us would-be old time ranchers this is a great place to winter our herds. Cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and whatever else you've got, they've been here before you. Livestock can't get any fatter than they can on the feed that comes up after a little rain on the desert. The creek through the canyon never seems to quit running, even on a dry year. The old well, windmill and water tank would supplement the creek if it did go dry. Howard Bailey never built the cabin, he just left it to the state park when he died in1976 along with $30,000 cash and most of the land around the upper willows. He was the son of James Bailey, one of the first to discover gold in the Julian area. Howard and his wife Lola Clark, daughter of Frank Clark, ran cattle all through the Borrego valley and the eventual state park. No doubt it was his intention to see cattle continue on the land he gave them to protect. Unfortunately, the cattle lost out to the bighorns, who are now feed for the mountain lions. It's funny how the balance worked for the old time cattlemen who often spoke of having plenty of both to contend with.The cabin was actually built by the Larner brothers in 1940, it has a concrete floor with rock and mortar walls, it measures 10x14, only big enough to be used as a line camp while the cattle grazed the area. The Back Country Horsemen are largely responsible for its' restoration and maintenance. Private vehicle travel is no longer allowed in the area, making the 12 mile journey from the Horse Camp more worth the effort, if remote sereneness fits your bill This is one place you can really imagine what a pioneers life would have been like, alone in the outback of our desert backcountry.A visit to the cabin takes a little planning if you plan to stay a while, however an overnite excursion can be quite simple. Take what you need to sleep on or in, a little comida (food) for you, and something for your horse. The leg of an old pair of levis made into a bag will hold enough pellets for a nite and morning feeding. There is lots of grass in the area, but the state park management doesn't think it's fit for horse consumption. I bet ol' Bailey would laugh at that. Throw on your saddlebags and tie your old levis to the saddle horn and away you go. If you plan to stay longer, use a pack mule or horse and you can haul plenty for a few days feed and even some creature comforts. Keep it simple and you will have a great time. The corrals still function, and the Backcountry Horsemen have added a picket line to accommodate incompatible horses, so you can tie them away from each other.When leaving your rigs at the horse camp, the host will know of your intentions and can help you with the specifics of reaching the upper willows and the cabin. Be sure to have a map of the area, there are many curious places to visit along the way, and in the valley. This was the La Puerta or door to upper California when de Anza arrived with the first settlers in 1775, in fact there is a monument to the first white child born in California. This was the eve of Christmas and the party of 240 souls and nearly 1000 head of livestock stopped to give birth and rest with celebration in the rain of winter. They named it Santa Catarina on the exploratory expedition the year before in honor of the saint of that day.The Anza Borrego Desert State Park has a wonderful rich history along with a warm winter climate that will make you want to spend more time exploring it's treasures. Be sure to visit the park headquarters while in the area and buy a copy of Diana Lindsays new book " Anza Borrego A to Z", you can learn more than you will remember about this valuable asset we have in our back yard. 
