On Thursday before leaving Anza-Borrego I decided to hike
the Palm Canyon Trail. The trailhead was about .7 of a mile from our RV. The
hike itself is 3 miles round trip. Most of my hiking has been in the mountains
of Colorado and Montana. So, I was not sure what to expect from a desert hike.
Besides the sign warning of snakes and mountain lions there was a sign warning
that the trail was hot and dry and to be sure and carry plenty of water. Not to
worry, I had my camelback. Besides water I also had some snacks, cell phone and
my emergency kit.
Regardless, of how far I hike I always carry a small stuff
sack filled with my emergency supplies. My kit includes, nylon cord, compass,
Swiss Army knife, lighter and waterproof matches, mirror, small first aid kit,
whistle, emergency blanket, and a candle.
This seems to be a
popular hike. I found the varied terrain to one of the best things about this
hike and palm oasis at the end was well worth the trek.
The first part of the hike was a dry, hot, and barren trail over coarse sand. About a quarter of the way in, you approach a cliff side – a wall of boulders. This was the first shift in terrain.
About half way into
the hike the landscape changes again. This time the scenery turned green. In
fact, I crossed a small creek on a palm-trunk footbridge. Finding flowing water
in the desert was a surprise to me.
The last section of
the trail was the most challenging requiring some scrambling over rocks and
crossing the creek a couple of times. By this time I could see the palm oasis
in the distance.
At the end, I entered
the Palm Oasis made up of a stand of California Fan Palms. There was even a
small waterfall – all very cool (both figuratively an literally). I sat, had a
snack and then headed back. Instead of taking the same trail back I found a
sign for the “alternate” trail. This is probably a bit longer and climbs up and
over that wall/boulder field I encountered on the way in.
If you are looking
for a short moderate hike – this will fit the bill.
