Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza Borrego--I loved the way these words rolled off my tongue-- Desert State Park is about 90 miles from where we are in the Coachella Valley.  We wanted to hike, but it was almost too late in the morning, it was so hot. Our destination within the park was an oasis in Palm Canyon.

Because of some brief rain, the desert was in bloom!

Prickly Pear

Lupine

Desert Sand Verbena

Ocotillo in bloom

We scrambled over and between rocks, thinking about rattlesnakes. The park ranger, however, said not to worry about them at all, despite the warnings on TV. I think there were too many people coming and going on the trail.

Two hours later, we reached really big boulders, like this one, to navigate around. 

We had reached the oasis. There really was a stream, one we had to cross carefully on rocks. 

At the end, large California Fan palms huddled together, their skirts forming a kind of sanctuary. 

On the way down we noticed how the way there really was uphill. Much easier, going down, and we had the privilege of seeing a group of Mountain Sheep, staring placidly. Most people stopped for a while, but we had seen these animals many times on the highway back home in Canada.

It was only when we got home again, and I read the brochure, that I realized "borrego" means mountain sheep in Spanish!