2012 - Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

The Big Morongo Canyon changes quite a bit with the seasons.  The last time we visited was in January and there is an earlier blog on the 7th of January that shows a very dry and bleak landscape. If you find time look up this blog and compare the photos.

I love hiking at places that have warning signs.  They also had one for Rattlesnakes.  We never saw either.

One of the reason I like this hike is the name plates beside numerous plants.  When we hike out of the preserves it gives us an opportunity to test our knowledge.

Overview of the preserve from the Yucca Ridge Trail

Small mesquite shrub with a desert mistletoe growing on it.

Trail was dissected by a group of Bighorn Sheep, too bad we didn't get to see more than just their tracks.

Another view overlooking the canyon trail. It heads north down about 5 miles from where we are standing.

Although the canyon walls are very dry the bottom of the canyon has a marsh environment.

This is a Blue Bird that was on top of a mesquite shrub about 200 meters away.

The park is used by young and old so this hat was probably lost off a child's doll or maybe some poor field mouse lost it.
This is the Marsh Trail and you can see by the boardwalk that it is wheelchair accessible.