Anza Borrego Desert

We were looking forward to some sun and warmth after our Mammoth adventure and Anza Borrego hasn’t disappointed. Sunny skies with temps in the low 8os, wildflower filled canyon hikes, Big Horn Sheep, Coyotes, Spade Toed Toads (singing as I write), beautiful sunsets and a lame comet thrown in for star gazing good measure. We’ve even seen crazy sculptures, a hippie bus and a rattlesnake belt, so this desert trip is pretty much complete.

Today we took the girls for a hike up Palm Canyon. Just us and 60 fifth graders from Indio. We quickly bailed off the trail and into the wash where we boulder hopped up the canyon, scaring up lizards, snakes and toads. Mina is an amazing frog catcher. She practices in the backyard and her skills are sharp. Her advice to me was ‘you’ve got to be lightning quick.’ Fifteen minutes after we got in the creek she had a frog in each hand and two muddy boots. Minnie had a toad shortly thereafter and muddy boots much sooner.

Several points along the hike the canyon looked impassable, but a scramble up a waterfall here and a passage in a boulder pile there got us up to the next pool each time. How kids can rock scramble with a frog in each hand, plus at least one stick and rock, in muddy boots, is beyond me.

Two miles from our car we shared a bag of TJ’s trail mix before we headed back down canyon. On the way back down we found three Geocaches. Earth Caches, actually. An Earth Cache is a mini geology lesson disguised as a Geocache. The first was a lesson about Xenoliths, the next about Desert Varnish, and the last was about Bajadas and water tables. Cool Stuff.

I just finished geo-referencing my pics and logging my caches, so it must be Miller time. Actually we’re sipping on Mammoth Brewing Co.’s Epic IPA (strong grapefruit with hints of mango; without a doubt the best IPA available), listening to the locals singing their den songs, and roasting marshmallows over a warm fire under a starry sky. Yup, heaven. 10pm and time for bed; the sun comes up hot and early.
Enjoy!
-g