I had been out to the pictographs a few years earlier with my twins, so I was familiar with this hike. I drove along the dirt road to the trailhead. It was nicer to do this road in my Subaru rather than my Saturn. I parked at the trailhead and set off. The first half mile gains about 300 feet of elevation, so you get a bit of workout. Once you crest the rise, the trail begins sloping gently down. About .8 miles in, I came to the large boulder with several pictographs on it. These were made by the Kumeyaay, one of two main Native American groups that made their homes in Anza-Borrego and the surrounding regions.

I decided since I did not have to worry about my twins this time, I would continue to the Smuggler Canyon overlook. From here I was rewarded with a fantastic view of the Vallecito Valley. I retraced my route and was back at the car, ready to call it a day. One more hike to do and this challenge was complete!

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Having finished the Mission Trails 5 Peak Challenge, I discovered that the Anza-Borrego Foundation was conducting their own hiking challenge in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. Just like the MTRP Challenge, it is a series of 5 unique hikes, each requiring a selfie at a particular spot along each hike. So off to Anza-Borrego I go (oh, if I only knew what truly lay ahead for me…)

For the first hike of this challenge, I opted to go do The Slot at Borrego Mountain. I convinced Mark Better to tag along for this adventure. We found the turnoff from the highway and on to the dirt road. The car seemed a bit loose in the dirt. As we pulled into the trailhead, I discovered why, a flat rear tire. I had a spare and being such a popular trail, I was not worried about being stranded. Since it was early, why not go do the easy 1.5 or so miles through the Slot. We can deal with the tire when we get back.

With Borrego Mountain West Butte rising off to the east, we started along the trail, rising up from the parking area. Soon, the trail dips down into the canyon. Quickly we found ourselves working our way through the narrow canyon. Passing under the fallen rock, we enjoyed twisting and turning along the route. After about 3/4 mile, the canyon opened up, we hiked a bit before turning around and retracing our route.

Once back at the car, we addressed the issue of the flat tire. With a bit of digging and proper leverage, we were able to take care of changing the tire. We headed into Borrego Springs for lunch, and then the second of the planned hikes, the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail.

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After grabbing a burrito in Borrego Springs, we headed to the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail. We paid our $ 10-day use fee and pulled into the parking lot for the trail. Mark had never visited the Palm grove at the end of the trail, so I knew this was going to be another treat. 

This is one of the most popular hikes in all of Anza-Borrego, so it follows a well-worn and marked trail. You can grab a pamphlet that will describe the various markers along the way. Since it was January, water was still flowing from out of the canyon, quite a treat to have to cross a running stream in the desert.

After about 1.5 miles, we reached the grove. Mark did have to be back in town, so we did not spend too long exploring. After the fire in 2020, it was nice to have seen them in their full glory. On the way back from the grove, we opted to take the alternate trail back, in part for fewer hikers and to see more of the park. Once back at the trailhead we headed home. Two of the five were completed!

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