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ORIFLAMME CANYON

THE WINDING ROAD

This was also the route of the San Antonio-San Diego Mail, or "The Jackass Mail," as it was called because they used mules to carry the mail. As the mail route is was first used by Joseph Swycaffer and Sam Warnock, who in 1854 established a bi-weekly mail service between San Diego and Yuma, AZ. In 1857 the mail route was given to James Birch to carry the mail on the Southern Emigrant Trail between San Antonio, TX. and San Diego, CA., an estimated 1476 miles in 30 days' travel time, on a bimontjly basis. The regular contract was later awarded to John Butterfield to set up exact stations and routes, except that instead of going to San Diego it continued on to Los Angeles and then to San Francisco. Now on into the Canyon:

The route entering Vallecito Wash, is very sandy and may be very soft for the next few miles.......We were up the canyon in Apr. 2000 and the road now goes through the creek bed and is very rocky and slow going.

2.1 Miles.....The jucnction of Rodriguez Canyon and Oriflamme Canyon.....

RODRIGUEZ CANYON:

0.0....Junction. Bear northwest (right) up-canyon

0.3....The rutted trail to the North (right) leads 1.5 miles to an old mining prospect and cabin ruins on the southeast side of Granite Mountain........Thee road enters a narrow canyon and climbs onto a broad flat to...

2.5....The Guy Urquhart turkey ranch. Ruins of the ranch buildings east of the road may be explored.

3.8....Summit

5.0....The road intersects the Pacific Crest Trail (signed). The trail turns north (right) and follows the old Ranchita Mine road past the ruins of a large five-stamp mill.

5.8....Junction of Chariot Canyon and Rodriguez Canyon roads. South (left) leads to Chariot Canyon, North (right) to Highway 78 and the Banner Store.

ORIFLAMME CANYON

0.0....Bear west (left).

0.8....The site of the state-operated Camp Carlton is among the alders and sycamores along the stream. Crews based here in the 1930's hacked out the Mason Valley Truck Trail with little more than rudimentary hand tools. The route now pitches sharply upward along this trail as it clings to the mountainside. Continueing on up the grade and pass the Pacific Crest Trail and the California Riding and Hiking Trail you will exit the park.

Abt.6.2....Exit the park and you enter the Chariot Canyon gold digging area of the 1870's, this was part of the Julian-Banner gold rush. Gold was first discovered in the San Diego hills on Colman Creek in the late 1869, and with the discovery of the Washington Mine, which was staked out on George Washington's birthday in 1870, a full-scale rush to the Julian area was on. The town of Julian was laid out, and prospectors began searching the hills and canyons all around the the town. In the Fall of 1870 George V. King was searching for gold down the hill from Julian along the Banner Grade and up Chariot Canyon. He passed the Ready Relief and Redmon diggings, and climbed upward out of the densley wooded canyon to the mountainside covered with scrub oak and manzanita, where he noticed a large white quartz boulder. There he discovered one of the richest veins in the Banner area, and named it the Golden Chariot Mine. About $2 million worth of bullion was eventually taken from the mine. Other mines in Chariot Canyon included the Cold Beef, Chariot, Lucky Strike, Golden Sugar, and Golden Ella. Today abandoned shacks, stamp mills and empty tunnels remain along much of the length of this once booming canyon. In recent years some of the mines have reopened and are private property and most visitors are NOT welcome.

9.1.....Junction with Rodriguez Canyon road. Continue on down the canyon to Highway 78 and the Banner Store.

These two routes that I have layed out can be very demanding on vehicles and passangers. This area can be washed out after any storm. Enjoy !!!!