DESERT  RAMBLERS

Carry 8 pints of water and beware of mountain lion.

Pacific Coast Highway runs from San Francisco in the north to San Diego on the California/Mexico border.

After 1 hours' drive from south Los Angeles, we took a sharp left turn, away from the Ocean, into San Diego County and the open cattle ranges of the Santa Ysabel Valley. This is horse country which is all cowboys and corrals. It was nearing lunch time  and we decided to stop  at a  ranchstyle Country Restaurant.  Bison Burgers were the Chef's Special  -  Soup of the Day seemed a safer option. However, it turned out to be Buffalo Broth with chunks of meat which looked like steak but tasted sweeter and more tender.

Highway 78 climbs steadily into the Cuyamaca Mountains and arrives in the tiny gold-rush town of Julian at 5.000ft. Gold was discovered in 1870 and an estimated four to five million dollars worth was extracted from local mines. When the gold ran out apple trees were planted. Now Julian is famous for its apple pies and hot apple cider. Its mild climate makes it popular with tourists who come to explore the dense green forest of pine, oak and manzanita. There are many charming Bed & Breakfast Inns providing delightful accommodation and super breakfasts. We stayed at The Apple Loft which was a white clapboard house high up on the side of a mountain amongst the trees. We were shown round the back to the Garden room, on the ground floor. When I saw the brass apple doorknocker I might have guessed what was in store. But nothing could have prepared me for the variety of  apple motives inside. The wallpaper, towels and sheets were printed or embroidered with brightly coloured apples. There were apple shaped rugs on the floor and the tiles, the bath and even the loo were stencilled with rosy apples.

A sumptious breakfast on the outside deck consisted of  a variety egg dishes plus apple pancakes, baked apples and applebread. By the time we had finished breakfast it was raining again. Cuyamaca is Indian for Land of the Water and these mountains live up to their name. As we had come to California to escape from a cold wet Spring in Scotland, and were desperate for sunshine we descended along the winding canyon road to the desert floor.

After half an hour you arrive at the Anza Borrego Desert State Park (pic) where the sun is shining and the heat is rising palpably from the barren desert landscape. The name is derived from Juan Bautista de Anza, who in 1774 led a group of Spanish soldiers and settlers from Mexico to North California, and from Borrego which is the name of the Bighorn Sheep which live among the deep canyons and steep crags of the Peninsular Range of mountains. They can occasionally be spotted standing high up on boulders peering down at the strange two-legged animals far below. They feed on desert plants including cactus and can go without water for 3 to 4 days even in midsummer.

Like all the US State Parks, Anza Borrego Desert Park has excellent campgrounds. Each site is located well away from its neighbours and has a picnic table, fireplace and water tap.    Solar showers and toilets are nearby. These campsites need to be reserved well in advance - especially in the Spring (February/March) when dozens of different varieties of wild flowers bloom over night. After a rain shower carpets of colour appear in the sandy washes but as the heat of the sun  increases they soon disappear. The flower seeds lie dormant all year then germinate and flower when the rains come  and water flows into the dry creeks and spreads out in washes on the desert floor. The wildflower season is very popular with visitors you can leave a stamped addressed postcard to be mailed to you 2 weeks prior to the expected peak bloom or you can telephone the Wildflower Hotline to see if it is time to head out to the desert. Anza Borrego is one of the few Parks in California which permits open camping which means you can camp anywhere but are requested to follow a few recommendations: Keep one car length from a dirt track to avoid damage to plant life;  away from waterholes as wildlife depend on these; and confining fires to metal containers. This is camping where you can get away from all forms of civilization in a natural rural environment. Which is the exact opposite of the crowded campsites in GB. The open camping policy works because visitors care for the land and keep it clean and pristine. The advantage is that reservations are un-necessary and you can experience the magic of night time alone in the desert with the millions of stars which burst into the  vast black velvet universe to greet you.

I like the names of many of the large cactus  which also produce flowers in Spring: the Prickly Pear, Teddybear Cholla,  Mohave Yucca and the extremely intelligent, Desert Agave. Its very tall (often as much as 10ft high ) single flower stalk bends over, at the exact time when the seeds are ripe, and drops them  near to the ground so that they do not get blown onto unsuitable terrain,  and yet are sufficiently far from the mother plant in order not to compete for moisture.

Of all the shrubs which have adapted to the desert landscape perhaps the Ocotillo is the most miraculous. It produces bright green leaves within hours of a rain shower because there is a pocket of growing material at the junction of each spine and the branch. This responds to rain without having to wait for moisture to travel up the branches from the roots. The shrub looks completely dead for the rest of the year then suddenly bright green leaves, and the one vivid red flower on the end of each branch, seem like a miracle after a spring shower.

In Borrego Springs there are discreet signs to the Visitor Centre but there is no building to be seen and you cannot believe that it exists. Following the arrows along a paved path from the car park  all you can see is the desert landscape, terminating in high mountain ranges on the horizon. Then you round a bend and the path slopes down until you see the glass entrance to the 7,000 square ft. Information Centre has been built entirely underground. Thus it does not intrude on the desert landscape and conserves energy needed for cooling. Inside there are exhibits of desert mammals  - some lucky ones, like bats, deer and the mountain lion have the capability to migrate out of the hot desert during the summer but the vast majority have to adapt to the harsh climate – for they must remain through draught, windstorm, intense heat and even snow. It is these adaptations which make desert mammals such a fascinating subject.   Of the 28 different rodents native to the area the Desert Kangaroo Rat is restricted to sandy dunes and hummocks where it can burrow and remain underground, where it is cooler, during the daytime heat. They rarely have access to water but can manufacture it from seeds and vegetation. They come out at  night time and using their 8 inch tails become bipedal. hopping several feet with strong kicks of the hindlegs. - Hence the name.

The carnivores of the desert include coyotes, foxes, badgers and skunks but one of the most exciting is the Mountain Lion. These magnificant cats travel many miles during the night hunting for deer, Bighorn sheep and rabbits. They can occasionally be glimpsed in the deep canyons of Anza Borrego. If you encounter a mountain lion you are advised not to run away – this may stimulate the lion's instinct to chase. Stand and face the animal and make eye contact – do all you can to appear larger –  raising and slowly waving  your arms. Speak firmly in aloud voice  -  lovely lion;  what a beautiful lion you are! If attacked fight back with stones, sticks, jackets or even bare hands. The mountain lion usually kills with a powerful bite to the base of the skull, breaking the neck. So remain standing and face the attacking animal  -   don't lose your head!

Mountain lions, also known as Cougar, Puma or Panther,  are most abundant where deer are plentiful. They are a tawny colour with black tipped ears and tails. Adult males may be more than 8ft long from nose to tail and weigh between 130 and 150 lbs. We did glimpse a mountain lion one day when we were trying to find the California Riding and Hiking Trail. We were high up on a ridge above Hellhole Canyon. Guy suddenly froze and said  'we are being watched'.  The hair stood up on the back of my neck. We were crossing an area with large boulders and caves – perfect for a lion's den. Silently we decided to retreat and at that moment a musky animal smell, with overtones of lime juice, pervaded the air.

Many people think of the desert as a barren inhospitable place, strewn with boulders and carpeted with sand, where the sun blazes and the wind blows. Parts of Anza Borrego fit that definition but there are oases, filled with lush vegetation and shade, with cool soft breezes.

Palm Canyon is one of these and after the rainy season, when there is water in the creek, birds sing and small mammals scurry into  the thickets and lizards warm themselves on the rocks. These Californian Fan palms are native to Anza Borrego. (most of the Palm trees in California have been planted and grown by man. It is the largest Palm in N. America and needs a constant supply of water which it finds in desert oases. The skirt of large dead lfronds completely obscures the trunk and they look like a group of fat ladies standing gossiping.  Unlike many desert plants, Fan palms have no tap root, but send out a dense fibrous mat of rootlets which prevent competing species of plants intruding into their growing space. The Indians lived in these cool damp canyons. Rocks which have been hollowed out for grinding seeds and nuts can still be found together with occasional rock art. They ate the fruit of the palm and used the frond fibres to make baskets, sandals and shelters.

As we headed back to civilisation across the vast desert plain, surrounded by immense mountain ranges,  we agreed with the Prophets that one can find renewed energy in the solitude of the desert. The vastness, intense silence and crystalline night skies provide a unique experience. It is good to know that this, together with the remarkable plants and animals,  creates an environment which is being preserved for the enjoyment of people today and for future generations.