723 February 7, 2022 Palm Canyon Trail

Happy Birthday Lois!

This morning we did something different. We decided to hike the Palm Canyon Trail. We drove into the State Park and started on the main route. We were hoping to see bighorn sheep today and we were immediately rewarded with the sighting of a ram.

We watched him pick his way across the rocks and then quickly, he made his way all the way to the ridge. It was amazing to watch him move with such grace, agility, and surefootedness.

We hiked through a dry streambed and then along a burbling creek, crossing the water and then all the way to the palm oasis.

This area was inhabited by Cahuilla Indians for centuries and there is evidence of their presence, morteros and metates, holes in the rocks that were used to grind seeds.

The charred palms at the end are part of “First Grove.” These trees were burned in January of 2020 by a human caused fire. The tree skirts and palm fronds were damaged, leaving tall smoking sticks. Fortunately, the trees all survived. The area is closed to hikers to allow the habitat to recover. This is a special place and we tried to take our time and appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.

We hiked the Alternate Trail back to the Jeep. This portion of the trail was technically more difficult but not too hard. The Main Trail had a steady flow of other hikers…here we were able to enjoy the peace and stillness.

We spent a quiet afternoon.

This evening, we packed turkey taco salads with pinto beans and corn and went back to the state park for a picnic.