We greeted the New Year by camping in the desert, hiking a familiar trail and discovering some incredible new ones.
As the sun came up, one of the few trees in the campground filled with a flock of White-winged Doves. These doves are unlike the commonly seen Mourning Doves which are seen throughout the country. Their range is just over the border of Mexico in the southwest. Whenever I see wildlife in the desert, I am continually astounded at their ability to survive in such arid conditions.
With temperatures in the 70's, the weather was perfect for hiking. The Palm Canyon Oasis Trail is the easiest trail to hike especially if you have only a short time here. Plus, you have a great chance of seeing Bighorn sheep near the precious water that flows here. We weren't so lucky this time.
4WD Jeeps are ubiquitous in the desert for good reason. You could easily get stuck on some of these sandy roads. Fortunately, we didn't!
Fish Creek Wash is an adventure to drive on. A million years ago, the "road" was a stream flowing through this canyon. Boulders and trees along the wash are a reminder that along with occasional earthquakes, strong flash floods change the landscape through here.
We missed the trail head to Wind Caves and ended up on this path to Elephant Knees. Quite desolate! This definitely would not be a place to visit in the summer heat.
Surprisingly, a few flowers are able to break through the cracks of the parched earth.
A new discovery for us was the Slot, a trail formed from erosion through the 50 feet sandstone walls in this canyon. The passageway narrows and becomes barely passable. I had to take my backpack off to squeeze through parts of it. If you are claustrophobic or if it's rainy season, skip this one. Otherwise, it is an unforgettable, unique place to experience.
Back at the campsite, the tree that was filled with White-winged Doves in the morning was replaced with this American Kestrel as the sun was going down. As the sun disappeared, the temperatures dropped to the 30's. Huge difference! Hats, sweaters, and mittens came out of the bag to get through the chilly night. Despite the cold, we had amazing star filled skies without competition from other night lights.
