Exploring Palm Canyon with Ginny and Eric

November 20, 2018

Hi Blog!

As we travel about, we do our best to keep in touch with our friends just in case we get close enough to pay them a visit. Our friends from Schenectady, Ginny and Eric, were camped just over the mountain from us near Julian, California. On Thursday, we drove over the pass to their campground. The first part of the drive was spectacular; however, we soon found ourselves in rain and fog. Because of the rainy weather, we ended up spending the day eating, drinking and talking. By Friday, the weather had cleared and Ginny and Eric came over the pass to our campground. We decided to take a hike!

The Palm Canyon Trail leaves right from our campground. No need to drive to a trailhead. Eric stops to admire the ancient palm trunks that were washed down the canyon.

Borrego Palm Canyon is a watery haven in an otherwise dry landscape. Yesterday's rain made the wash even washier! Ginny and Eric practiced using their trekking poles to cross the raging river!

Dave took a little time off the trail to examine the rocks. Most of the granitic rocks in Anza-Borrego formed beneath a continental volcanic arc along the western edge of North America.

As we continued our hike, we had to cross back across the stream. We took a minute to look back down from whence we came.

Eric decided to take a minute to look at the surrounding hills to see if he could spot the bighorn sheep. Ginny decided she would just take a minute and be good looking!

Before long we got our first glimpse of the palm oasis.

Fed by an underground spring, these California fan palms have survived for generations.

Kathy tried to take a closer look, but the stream was running high after all the recent rain. Some intrepid hikers waded across the stream in order to get up close and personal with the palms. We decided it was best to keep our boots dry.

We decided to take an alternate route on the way back down. This route s higher up the side of the mountain and afforded us great views of the valley below.

We made frequent stops so we could admire they clouds and cloud shadows as they passed over us.

We followed a trail originally created by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). As we happened upon one of their stone benches, we decided a rest stop was in order.  No room for you, Dave!

We finished our hike and returned to a crockpot full of turkey gumbo! 

Great hike with great friends followed by great beer and great food. It doesn't get any greater! Looking forward to meeting up with Ginny and Eric in Quartzsite. Until then, stay thirsty my friends!