What Sheep? Rediscovering Palm Canyon at Anza Borrego State Park

Palm Canyon Oasis

Date: November 23, 2023

Place: Anza Borrego State Park, Borrego Springs, California

Coordinates: 33.270180, -116.419241

Length: 3.5 miles

Level: moderate

On the morning of Thanksgiving Day we headed to the trailhead of Palm Canyon. On the day before we hiked The Slot. This morning we opened the day with a short visit at the Anza Borrego State Park visitor center where we got some information, then drove to the park's main campground where we had stayed in Christmas of 2012 and parked at the day use area where the trailhead was. It was a lovely day - warm but not hot. The sky featured light feather clouds and the desert featured itself - naked and powerful. 

At Palm Canyon Trailhead

Last time we hiked at Palm Canyon, in December of 2012, we set out to look for bighorn sheep. We didn't find the sheep on that hike then, but we've seen them on other occasions since, so this time I weren't anxious to find them, I was ready to relax and enjoy what the desert had to offer.

Our hike as captured by my GPS

Ocotillo is one of the southwest desert unique inhabitants. Beautifully suited for the erratic desert precipitation pattern it spends most of its life bare, photosynthesizing minimally through its stems. When water is available it grows little leaves that are so small they don't really protrude through the thorns. From a distance the ocotillo would look bare still, but fully foliaged, it is much greener than it would otherwise appear. Its most striking transformation the ocotillo does when blooming - it then produces bright red blossoms, and the normally gray-green, well blending in the scenery plant becomes a brilliant advertisement for nectar and pollen goodies, seen far and wide by hummingbirds, sphinx moths, and other pollinators. 

At the end of November, which is when we were there, I expected the ocotillo to be on their most retracted, unfoliaged, semi-dormant stage.The previous summer however, brought some monsoon rains to the desert and many ocotillo responded with sprouting leaves, which they wore still at the time of our visit.

Ocotillo, Fouquieria splensens ssp. splendens

We headed into the trail. The desert mountains loomed ahead of us, serene and dry. Nothing in the scenery suggested that there was water hidden there, an oasis. The creek at the canyon mouth, was dry. 

Almost immediately we had to decide which path to take - the direct trail to the oasis, or the alternative path that followed the southwest side of the wider part of the canyon. We chose to take the alternative route and return by the main trail.

We weren't anxious to see bighorn sheep on this hike, but we did hope to see them, as well as other wildlife. Naturally, we were all very excited when a roadrunner presented itself right at the beginning of our hike.

Greater Roadrunner

I was also happy to see a bit of bloom here and there. It was nothing like the mega bloom I saw in Anza Borrego last January, but I loved seeing every brave little flower along the path.

Windmills, Allionia incarnata var. incarnata

The first part of the alternative trail was level and easy. Generally following the path of the wash it stretches on the higher part of the creek bed, cutting through the wide part of the wash before it encloses into a canyon. 

The young chika pointed out the ants for me to look at. We've seen some insects on this hike, and by far and wide the most numerous of them were the harvest ants.

Little by little the trail shifted upward and we were ascending the southern side slope. It wasn't a steep climb, and we walked at a good pace. I was bringing up the rear, pausing every now and then to check out plants of interesting rocks.

Desert Trumpet, Eriogonum inflatum

A mass of large, red boulders loomed ahead of us. The boulders seemed to be blocking the path but when we approached we saw that the trail ascended around and between the boulders. 

 

For small wildlife these boulders were the perfect home and hiding place. Little squirrels feel secure enough to pose openly atop of the boulder, assured that they could dart instantly under cover at the first sign of threat. 

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel

Birds too find shelter in these rocks, and one bird that was spotted by my family birders, the rock wren, has this habitat mirrors in its name.  

Rock Wren

At the top of the ascend I turned and looked back. The climb wasn't hard and up to the boulders it was hardly noticeable that we were gaining elevation, so it surprised me to see how high we were over the campground area where we started our hike. 

There were more wildflowers along the trail. Not many, but certainly many more than I expected to see at this time of year, especially high above the water source. It was interesting that each flowering shrub had only a single or very few flowers, like it was doing it without much enthusiasm. 

Desert Mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua

I looked up a side tributary wash. It was completely dry and there was no sign of any oasis up the short wash.  

Side Wash

The cacti weren't blooming and I didn't expected them to, not in November. They did look happy, well watered though. I expect this spring there is a major cacti bloom in Anza Borrego. 

Beavertail Cactus, Opuntia sp.

The trail descended mildly towards the creek below. The creek was higher now so we needn't have descended much. The trail was adorned by happy and healthy looking cacti all the way down. A happy and healthy looking sparrow was perched on one cholla cactus, posing for Pappa Quail and theh elder chika. 

Black-throated Sparrow

We reached the creek and the main trail. Logs marked  the trail's boundary, blocking the access to the water at that spot. The log was a perfect place for a fence lizard to sun itself. 

Western Fence Lizard

It was also the first spot on our hike where we saw the flow of the creek, the year-round running creek at Borrego Palm Canyon, that is the lifeline of Borrego Springs. 

From that place there was only one trail leading to the Palm Canyon oasis. At first it was wide, flat, and very comfortable. We picked up our pace, heading northwest towards the oasis.

Palm Canyon Trail

Near the water the cacti made way to other, less prickly plants, such as willow trees and the Emory's daisy, which I already knew well from previous visits at Anza Borrego and other California deserts. 

Emory Rock Daisy, Perityle emoryi

Down at the canyon where the creek had cut through the rock we could see the exposed layers deposited by the ancient sea that used to be here millions of years ago. At the place we saw, the layers were vertical. They sediments weren't deposited in that way of course. It was subsequent geological forces which created these mountains moved and twisted these rocks to their current formation.

We passed another, longer side tributary wash on our left. I looked into it but there too I saw no signs of any water and no oasis.

Side Wash

The Palm Canyon Oasis was visible ahead of us. There was no mistaking in the presence of water there - California fan palms need fresh water, and lots of it, in order to thrive. The size of the palm grove was evident of exactly that - lots of fresh water.

Nearing the oasis the trail became a bit more challenging. It crossed to the northeast side of the creek and from there it was a matter of going around and over large boulders and bushes.

We came down to and through the creek a couple of time on our way. It was lovely seeing the beautiful, healthy looking palms growing right from the water. The dry, old branches created a thick, protective blanket around the palm's trunk. This layer, which is always removed from palms in city landscaping, provides shelter to many wildlife species. The shelter, and also the palms' tiny and sweet date-like berries make the California fan palm a keystone species in the California desert ecology. If these palm disappear, so will the animals that depend on them.

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera

Palm Canyon Creek was still flowing late in November, fed by springs. The flow was very gentle, and noticeable only in places where the water moved through narrow rock straits and dropped down little rock ledges. In wider areas the creek formed calm pools with mirror-perfect reflections.

Reflection

The palms weren't the only trees in the oasis. All along the running part of the creek were arroyo willows, and up by the oasis I saw other water-loving trees such as the cottonwood poplar. 

Fremont Cottonwood, Populus fremontii

As expected, the vegetation got much thicker the closer we got to the oasis. Anna's hummingbirds flew around us, their wings creating the low pitch buzz after which these tiny birds were named. Occasionally these busy birds would sit and pose for the camera.

Anna's Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are suited for drinking nectar from wildflowers but they also hunt for bugs. This is good because this way they don't have to rely on the leaner menu of fall wildflowers.

Wirelettuce, Stephanomeria pauciflora

Once again the trail ascended, this time on the northeast side of the creek. We didn't climb much, just enough to circumvent a pile of large boulders. There were a couple of places where I had to use my hands to climb a ledge. Cushion-like brittle bushes grew in between the boulders. None of them were blooming, but they looked lovely nonetheless.

Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa var. farinosa

We reached the main palm grove and immediately I saw a big change since the last time we were there. In the winter of 2012 the oasis was a thicket of health palms, all with their thick skirts of dry branches. We could go down and sit by the water,and listen to the multitude of birds that hid in the palms. It was there that we had met another family and connected with them for the rest of that trip and after that too, since like us, they had traveled from the Bay Area. Now the palms stood charred and naked, stripped from their skirts by a fire that apparently was ignited by people. It was no longer permitted to go down to the water, and it was clear why.

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera

We could go a bit further through a narrow and low boulder tunnel, and there we sat down for a break and to observe the oasis from a safe (for the trees) distance above.

Information posts told the story of the native people who lived in this place and relied on pretty much any part of the fan palm for their living. They however, knew how to protect and manage their living area, for their existence depended on it.

Beetle

Where we sat down was a small space, and when other hikers came up and through the boulder tunnel we finished our break and started our way back down.

Desert Lavender, Condea emoryi

I looked up the canyon. There was no evidence of any other oasis, though later I found out that there was another, smaller one behind the curve of the canyon. There was no obvious trail leading upstream but it was clear that people have been going there, scrambling over the rocks and boulders. We weren't going to go there, at least not on this visit.

View up Palm Canyon northwest of the oasis

While we were at the oasis the clouds had gathered. Not thick clouds- we didn't anticipate any rain, but it was enough to darken the view down the canyon. 

Palm Canyon, view downstream

Once again we scrambled through the rocks and boulders until we reached down to the water. There, the palms were younger, and certainly healthy. I was glad that the habitat had still thriving areas for the wildlife.

Palm Canyon Creek

On our way back we took the direct trail straight down the canyon. The trail was wide and comfortable to walk.

Palm Canyon Trail

A good distance from the oasis I saw another tree that seemed to do well in Palm Canyon. It grew far away from the competitive area that was won by the cottonwood and the fan palms. I didn't identify the species of that tree, and there were only a few of them in that place.

We came upon a trail junction where another trail split off to the east into the desert wilderness. Right at the junction were a few wasps on the ground, eagerly tasting something from the rocks, perhaps some minerals? The wasps didn't show any interest in us but elder chika took the photo from a safe distance.

Down the canyon I spotted some chuparosa bushes. In season, these bushes bloom looks like a brilliant red coat on the plant, and hummingbirds hover around them. Now seeing just this one branch blooming pleased me greatly.

Chuparosa, Justicia californica

Here and there we could see the water flow as the trail neared the creek. Each time the flow looked thinner and thinner, until it reduced to small and stagnant water holes.

Closer to the canyon mouth the trail narrowed and curved around large rocks, rounded by eons of floods pushing and polishing them. Some of these rocks were really pretty.

We were back in the dry area of the canyon where the only greenery was of the creosote bushes and of the tiny leaves of the ocotillo that received a good drink last summer.

The hummingbirds were fine in the dry area as well. They had enough chuparosa flowers and insects to live on.

Anna's Hummingbird

The canyon opened up and for some distance the trail merged with the creek bed, which was completely dry here. The clouds were still gathered above but the sun was poking through a large blue patch in between them.

For the rest of the trail I watched Pappa Quail and the elder chika marching ahead, while I walked slowly with the younger chika, chatting and enjoying the beautiful surrounding.

At the trailhead there is a small, man made pond, which is a sanctuary for the rare and endangered desert pupfish. Pupfish are ancient survivors from the immemorial time in which the area was covered with water. Now they remain in the few ponds and water holes left in the desert, like islands remnant of another world.

I saw the fish, but I was unable to take any descent photo of them - they were well hidden within the rushes. I settled on photographing the many honey bees that came to drink from the pond.

Honey Bees

We didn't see any bighorn sheep on this hike but I loved it, regardless. Palm Canyon and The Slot (which we hiked the day before) were second time hikes for us. Our next hike later today would be to Pictograph Canyon, which would be a first time hike for us. I was excited.