194103-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

pastime of bidding farewell to the old year. We tuned in snatches
of it on the radio.
But the arrival of another year means nothing to a desert
that counts its age in thousands of centuries—and so we just
went along with the desert and were sound asleep long before
1941 arrived.
Many roads lead across the floor of Borrego valley to the
parking place at the mouth of Palm canyon. But the place has
a landmark that is visible for miles — and is an accurate
guide for those in doubt as to which road to take.
On the San Ysidro skyline directly above the canyon entrance,
is the silhouette of "the old woman of the mountains." She
lies on her back, her rugged profile and full bosom toward the
skies. Sometimes the figure is called "the old man of the mountains."
Since there seems to be a disagreement as to the sex, the
Crickmers have compromised by referring to their rock-featured
neighbor as "old-rain-in-the-face." You can take your choice,
but anyway the canyon entrance is directly beneath the crown
of the head—to the south.
The morning sun was just coming over the distant Chocolate
range as I parked my car on the Borrego canyon bajada that
New Year morning. It was a 30-minute hike up the trail to the
waterfall. There are 118 palms in that first group, counting only
those trees more than six feet in height. Many young palms
are growing along the stream, and under the protection of the
California state park commission they probably will increase
rapidly.
Directly above the falls the floor of canyon is choked with
huge boulders. The route is easily passable, however. Along the
first half mile above the waterfall I passed only two grown
palms. Then I came to the most colorful section of the entire
canyon. It properly could be called Rainbow gorge. The canyon
walls close in and the stream tumbles over a rocky cataract of
vari-colored schist rock. The strata occur in a hundred shades,
ranging from creamy white through ochre and orange to dark
brown, with layers of green and black. The artist and the
kodachrome fan will want to spend the rest of the day right
here. There are many palms along this sector of the canyon,
some of them appearing to have their roots in solid rock. I
counted 215 trees in this bright-hued sector.
The upper canyon twists and turns, and it is never possible
to see more than a quarter of a mile ahead. The palms are very
clannish. They occur in groups with gaps of several hundred
yards between each oasis. I counted six well-defined groupings.
Four miles from the entrance, the canyon divides, the main
stream of water coming down the right fork.
At the fork, the elevation is perhaps 2500 feet, and juniper
trees and the other shrubs of the upper Sonoran zone are growing
here. The palm trees had become less plentiful and 1
counted only one Washingtonia in the right fork of the canyon.
After following it for some distance I climbed the ridge on
the left and dropped down into the left fork where 18 more trees
were added to my count.
Thanks to the interest and funds supplied by a little group
of public-minded men and women in the city of San Diego
many years ago, approximately 200,000 acres of land in the
Borrego desert area have been set aside as a state park—and
Borrego Palm canyon is assured for all future time against both
wanton destruction and private exploitation.
John W. Calvert, ranger in the service of the California
park commission, is on duty as custodian during the winter
months. The park headquarters is at the entrance to Borrego
Palm canyon. Excellent camp grounds have been provided
for the public at the end of the road, with ovens and ramadas
constructed by CCC boys with native rock.
There are many other palm canyons in Borrego state park,
but the palms in the gorge marked by the sleeping figure of
"old-rain-in-the-face" are more accessible than any of the
others.
Borrego desert has become famous for its wildflowers in
seasons when the rain god has been generous with his moisture.
This year the winter rains have been heavier than usual^
and there is promise that March and April will bring the most
colorful display of ocotillo, verbenas, evening primrose, desert
lily and scores of other species, in many years.
Yes, I counted all the palms—there are 778 of them. And
now that they have been counted, you can make your longplanned
trip to this delightful canyon and enjoy its fragrance
and beauty unperturbed by any worry as to whether or not they
have been properly mapped and recorded in my private scrapbook.
MARCH, 1941 21