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The jagged peaks of KOFA National Wildlife Refuge are visible from miles away. I turned off Route 95 on to Palm Canyon road. Palm Canyon road is maintained but has wash boards from frequent use. Slowly I drove up a gradual incline which in a few miles ended at the mouth of Palm Canyon. Along the road I saw many trailers parked in the desert. Camping is allowed for up to 14 days within 100 feet of the road.
Palm Canyon is the only place in Arizona that has NATIVE Palm trees. Non-native and planted Palm trees are seen almost everywhere in the low desert. A winding 1/2 mile trail leads to a split in the mountain. Off to the left and up a steep canyon you can see the tops of the Palm trees. A vigorous hike will bring you a better view. The Palms were threatened by fire a few years back but they survived and are doing well in 2017.
Palm Canyon trail in KOFA. |
Tucked into this canyon are the surviving Palm trees. |
KOFA was set aside as a preserve many years ago for Mountain sheep. They need space to migrate and the land was rugged and difficult to develop. Paved roads are getting closer to KOFA as local communities are growing. KOFA is boxed between two major east-west Interstate highways; I-10 to the north and I-8 to the south. On the west side Route 95 is a busy two lane north-south thoroughfare. Still KOFA remains a peaceful and quiet refuge for animals and humans. Several dirt roads, old mining roads, wind through the refuge. The land is open and easy to hike. Flowers bloom profusely after a wet winter or spring; usually in March. The nights are dark and a million stars twinkle overhead. Climb a mountain, wander through the desert or just relax outside your trailer with a warm camp fire. Tread lightly, be careful and try to leave the place in better shape for the next visitor. KOFA is a rare gem and it grows more valuable with each passing year.
Look closely and you will see full size Palm trees in the dark shade. |
A cinder cone dots the wide plain seen from Palm Canyon. |
As I headed towards Blythe, California and the General Patton Memorial Museum I was reminded of how lush and alive the desert is at KOFA. Across the line in California the winds were picking up and a dust storm was forming over a dry lake bed. The desert around was white with alkali dust and the hardy Creosote bushes were widely spaced; a sure sign of low yearly rainfall. The spaces between the Creosote bushes supported just a few ground hugging plants that sprouted from the recent rains. They would dry up and shrivel away in a month or so.
Dust from a dry lake bed is whipped and spread by strong winds. |
General George Patton Memorial museum near Joshua Tree Park. |
A desert camouflaged tank like those in WW II. |
A double rear axle cargo truck with 10 wheels. |
Inside the museum the story of General Patton is told via time period displays and short videos. Many of the artifacts were donated by WW II veterans or their surviving families. They told a personal story of hardship, tenacity and courage of the common man as well as an outstanding and controversial General. Vintage equipment including a WW II Jeep, many weapons, uniforms, and everyday items were displayed. Outside is a collection of military vehicles in various stages of disrepair. I found the museum fascinating and spent almost three hours reading every placard, studying the vehicles and gaining a deeper understanding of the personal sacrifices made by so many who served our country.
Vintage Army tank. |
An amphibious for water and land transport. |
Yucca trees in Joshua Tree National Park. |
Yucca flowers; creamy white on a stalk and about 6 feet tall. |
Sierra Nevada snow covered peaks from the Twentynine Palms Motel 6. |
Open desert north of Twentynine Palms headed towards Amboy. |
I slept the night in a Motel 6 in Twentynine Palms, California. Every camping site was taken in Joshua Tree National Park; something that I have heard is quite common. Joshua Tree park marks the boundary between the Sonoran desert to the south and the relatively cooler and dryer Mojave desert to the north. The views were remarkable; I could see the Sierra Nevada snow covered peaks 150 miles away. The Motel 6 room was comfortable but expensive; $65.00 plus all the taxes the California legislature could muster.
The next day I headed north through the Mojave desert to Amboy. Recent, within the last few thousand years, volcanic activity produced a crater, flows and cinder cones much like I saw on the Devil's Highway past the dry lake bed. I hiked to the top of the crater and inside which was covered in cinders. I wandered over basalt flows and revealed in the beauty of the desert. Flowers were blooming everywhere and this patch of dry desert was alive and thriving.
The Amboy crater was lined with cinders and hardened lava. |
"Fresh" lava flow and cinder cones like the Mexican Sierra Pinacate. |
Amboy crater trails with hikers for perspective. |
The edge of several lava flows at Amboy Crater. |
My journey continued north and east to Needles, California. I tent camped at a small RV park on the banks of the Colorado river. The air was warm and I watched people play on the river while I cooked dinner. Fast boats raced by from dam to dam. Pontoon boats lazily drifted down river. Some people fished from small motor boats. On the opposite shore, in Arizona, folks were having outdoor dinner parties and catching the last warm rays of sun. I too watched the sun set and put on a jacket as the evening cooled.
The next day I took Route 95 through the high and cold desert to Boulder City and on to Henderson to visit with Susan and Christopher. I stayed for a few days and then reluctantly left for home in Emigrant. The weather was cool and I encountered snow on the first high passes on Interstate 15 in southern Utah. With the weather worsening I stayed at the Fillmore, Utah KOA in one of their little cabins. The next day, well after night fell, I arrived home in Emigrant.
The desert journey was wonderful. It was relaxing and the change of pace and scenery served me well. Visiting Susan and Christopher is always enjoyable and I treasured the time we spent together. I was already thinking about next year's vacation when I went to sleep that night.
Camping on the Colorado River in Needles, California. |
I stayed in a snow covered cabin at the Fillmore, Utah KOA. |
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