Article written by: Cindy Bokma

The heat of a thousand suns beat down on us. We were exhausted, so dehydrated that our lips were parched, our skin was burned, our bodies moved through the desert like we were walking in slow motion. But let me go back to the beginning.

My friend and I love to make day trips around southern California, and for years I had admired photos of the gorgeous scenery from the Anza Borrego Desert. In my fertile imagination, the mountains were covered with trees providing hikers with shade, wildflowers bloomed for acres, lazy bighorn sheep roamed among flora and fauna.

I was out of my mind with excitement when we made plans to drive out to Anza Borrego for the day. Finally! My camera was charged, I was ready to go!

First stop was the lovely and well appointed Visitors Center. I recommend stopping here first. You can learn a lot, for example, there are signs of humans in this area that date back to 6,000 years ago! It was here where one of my friends saw the spirit of an Indian woman, I loved hearing the story and wanted to experience something awesome like that too. This little dwelling offers lots of information inside and outside, a trail allows you to experience the desert landscape. I saw a baby hummingbird in a tree, a few butterflies, hummingbirds, and lizards along with other small creatures.

At the Visitors Center, the temperature was in the 80’s, very pleasant. I was glad that I dressed for comfort in yoga pants, a tank top, and a light denim shirt. On my feet I wore sneakers. I learned my lesson long ago always to wear appropriate footwear on an excursion. I sprained my ankle in Aruba because I wore flip flops and the rest of our trip was ruined thanks to my swollen ankle. So sneakers from then on!

“The Visitor Center has some very informative exhibits, plus the award-winning 15-minute film, A Year in the Desert.

Desert Garden – A desert garden just outside the Visitor Center building provides a quick look at some of the vegetation typical of the 600,000-acre park, with the species identified. The desert garden includes a pupfish pond. Pupfish evolved from conditions during the Ice Age to today’s precarious existence of fish in the desert. These pupfishes can thrive in freshwater or water nearly as salty as the ocean, and they can survive temperatures from near freezing to as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets too warm or too cold or nearly dries up, these fish burrow in the mud at the bottom of the pool. There’s another pupfish pond near the Palm Canyon Trailhead in Borrego Palm Canyon Campground.”

We inquired about hiking trails and the kind volunteer gave us a map and showed us an “easy walk” that was “not too strenuous.” It was a short drive to get to there where we would launch our adventure. Neither of us brought water bottles (first mistake), wore hats (second mistake), had thought to pack snacks, (another oversight) or brought along extra sunscreen.

There was no one around when we began our trek, which was nice. It was the two of us girls, out there in the big desert, full of energy and excitement. Rock formations, dry shrubs and plants, and lizards everywhere we looked. The ground was sandy and rocky with a clear path. I didn’t mind stepping over medium sized rocks or trying to balance on a narrow slice of land.

Happily, we trotted along for about ten, twenty minutes. I snapped photos of cacti and branches, of interesting rocks, of puffy clouds in the clear blue sky. As we continued deeper into the trail, the path was less clear and the sun, now overhead, seemed to lash us with its rays. Panting, I paused in the meager shade of a huge rock. “Let me just…take this all in,” I gasped, pretending my stop was merely to look around.

We were silent for a few minutes, the only sound came from my labored breathing.

I contribute my lack of ability to sprint through the trail due to my rumbling stomach and dry throat. Not to mention, the heat was growing more severe with every step. Removing my denim shirt, I tried not to focus on my thirst as we continued.

We moved through huge formations and realized how very alone we were out here in the desert. I was nervous about snakes, coyotes, or mountain lions. I wanted to see the bighorn sheep that populated the area, but there were none grazing that day.

Continuing our trek, we ran into a young couple in cargo shorts, Panama hats, and little backpacks that held water. I eyed those backpacks with interest and swallowed hard. “How was the view? Worth the walk?” I asked. “Oh yes! It’s beautiful!” They replied. “Keep going!”

We were on the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail which culminated in what we heard was a spectacular oasis of Palm Trees.

We kept walking and walking, over some precarious steps and rocks, through the vast open desert, both of us beginning to drag our feet.

We had the following conversation: “I’m really thirsty.” “It is so hot.” “This isn’t what I thought it would be.” “Let’s rest for a few minutes.” “This is way harder than I anticipated.” “There’s no shade.”

Months prior, we hiked in Idyllwild where the terrain was hilly but well shaded. We did a 2-3 mile walk and felt invigorated and energized by the beauty of the area, the clean, fresh air, and the exercise. Here the land rose in a gradual incline, the steps were rocky, and there was not much shade. As we continued our trek, my body seemed to be melting. Since I was thirsty, I began to feel irritable. If its one thing I cannot stand, it’s being hot. Here I was sweating, the sun beating down on my head, burning my skin.

I was miserable.

When I thought I couldn’t go on, my friend announced, “I feel like I’m going to throw up!” She doubled over and grabbed her stomach.

We found a little bit of shade for her to rest under while I walked on for a few minutes. The palm oasis was visible from where I stood, but if I couldn’t make it there with my friend, what was the point? I circled back and waited for her to feel better, and we decided to head back to the car. If you had told me we had been gone for six hours and walked ten miles, I would say that feels right. In reality, we had gone less than three miles.

On the way back, we took a turn and ended up going the wrong way. No cell phone service, no other people around, I had visions of the two of us huddled together under the delicate shade of a shrub as wild animals circled.

Luckily, things didn’t get that extreme. We navigated our way, the trail has little markers on it, and we followed them. Walking back was much easier, probably because I knew a bottle of water waited for me in the car. Once we collapsed in the cool air conditioning of the car and gulped our water, we began to feel revived. We laughed about our adventure. Looking back, it was a fun experience and one I won’t forget.

I wish the timing of the trip had been better. There was a massive wildflower explosion last year thanks to a large rainfall but this season has been dry. You can go here for information on the wildflowers: Wild Flowers Borrego-Springs

Here’s what I wish I knew when I started out and would offer as tips for when you would go:

5StarTips🌟:

🌟 Sunscreen

🌟 Lots of water

🌟 Light snacks

🌟 Check the weather before you go! I wasn’t specific enough in my search and didn’t realize the temperature for this particular area would reach the 90’s, close to 100 degrees.

🌟 Wear a hat that will provide shade. Wear shorts, a lightweight top, good hiking shoes or sneakers.

There is an incline, not a straight, flat trail so be mentally prepared for a bit of a challenge with stepping stones and rocks if you aren’t used to hiking. Bring band-aids for possible blisters.

Oh, Did I mention the water?

Final Thoughts:

Always try to maintain a positive attitude, no matter what happens. Life is a great adventure that can’t always be planned. I learned how beautiful Anza-Borrego is and would have been throughly enjoyed had I been prepared. I look forward to returning, weather permitting, lots of water, snacks, sunscreen, etc., and enjoying the beauty of Anza-Borrego!

Other Always5Star articles by Cindy Bokma:

Always5Star Are You A First Time Cruiser and/or Gluten Intolerant – Start Here For Great Travel Tips!

Always5Star Guide To Planning Day Excursions On A New England Cruise

Always5Star Guide to A Day In Los Angeles, California – Top Tips of What To See and Do

Always5Star Guide To The Los Angeles Arboretum

A Peaceful Escape When Visiting Los Angeles – The Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens

5StarTip🌟: A Secret Garden in Southern California – Myrtle Creek Nursery in Fallbrook, California

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