Hiking Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
It was early morning on March 18, 2017 when David, Mariya and myself decided to hike on Anza Borego Desert, 94 miles north east from San Diego. It has been quite foggy morning for last couple of weeks as the day temperature rises on San Diego . With the rise in temperature in pacific, water evaporates and marine layer explodes across few miles west from pacific coast. It’ s quite an experience like back in Nepal during November to March where it’s foggy and chilly but feel of freshness in the air.
I had never hiked in a desert but was quite excited when David says that we are going to Anza Borego national park. I didn’t know where we were heading to hike until I jumped in his car. I was so desperate to hike, the other day, I said to David , I am ready - even without knowing where we were heading.
Driving through the misty and foggy san diego morning towards the Julian was fun. The morning was fresh and chilling, - a san diego chills on between 50-60 Fahrenheit . As we drive further north west, the sun looks beautiful and the beautiful day was in horizon. What a beautiful day as we pass the San Diego and head towards the Julian. As we reach the Julian, the fog was gone. The day look awesome, cattles were grazing and people were flocking towards Borego National Park. How could NPR be so wrong ?
Anza Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP) is a state park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, the Spanish word for bighorn sheep.[1] With 600,000 acres (240,000 ha) that includes one-fifth of San Diego County, ABDSP is the largest state park in California and, after New York's Adirondack Park, the second largest in the contiguous United States. The park occupies eastern San Diego County and reaches into Imperial and Riverside counties, enveloping two communities: Borrego Springs (home of the park headquarters) and Shelter Valley [source : wikipedia]
I was listening other day on NPR how difficult it was to park and how beautiful the desert looks after super bloom that happened in 2003 last time. After nearly two hours we reached the Anza-Borrego, one part of the road reminded of curvy road back in the mountains of Nepal.The altitude was decreasing as we enter the desert, I had ear pain.
I saw the lizards for the first time, didn’t saw any rattlesnake. Missed the butterfly. The flowers were everywhere popping out of the different cactus. We met all types of hikers from young to old , from states to international. People were really enjoying the day in the middle of the desert.
As we climb the mountain - not truly a hill-station though, we saw different types of flowers blooming across the desert.After reaching the peak, we realized that we were hiking on the different trail and we are not going to see the water fall. But believe me, it was beautiful and was still in the right part of the Geography. Never mind, it was beautiful and awesome, the only thing we were missing in the desert were birds.
The second spot was slot. We had to drive further down. I had never been to slot but was quite an experience to imagine about flooding in slot when it rains. As we walk in the slot, we saw the layered rocks and soils stacked up in multiple layers, often resemble as an art that have endless boundaries.It makes you feel to go back to the history when the rock started to settle. Oh ya! We really miss Geologist in our team who can explain the GEOG101 to us.
As we were driving back, It is always fun to stop-by in Julian and eat pie’s and ice-cream. I realized that it was almost a ten miles hike and I really enjoyed it. Really excited for the another one soon.
Interesting story...you can observe the super bloom from space Yaay!
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/See-Anza-Borrego-s-super-bloom-from-space-11050549.php#photo-12569603
Ref:
https://www.hikespeak.com/ca-desert/anza-borrego-desert-state-park/
