Kofa National Wildlife Refuge -- Palm Canyon Road

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Friday, March 24, 2017

We decided we would take a ride over to the Palm Canyon and then take a 4 wheel drive road Number 19, Queen Canyon Road, off of Palm Canyon Road. The sky was a beautiful blue and the temperature around 80 so it was a perfect day for a ride.
Palm Canyon Road is in pretty good shape, except for a couple of short washboard stretches, and we could easily get the Stinger B down it to a camp site out in the area. When we got close to the parking for the hike to see the palms we found a couple of spots that had some great views. (Filed away for the future.)

Palm Canyon Road. 
The colors are so vivid. 

In the parking area, where the path is to take the short half mile hike to see the Palms.

There are flowering pink Beaver-tails, scattered 
among the yellow, purple, and green colors of the desert. 
Adding to the rainbow of colors.

The parking area for the hike to view the palms.

Our black Jeep can be seen from up a small rise that is the start

of the path to see the palms.

(With my knee this is the point I turned around. Tom could see ahead what looked like loose rocks ahead going downhill into a wash and I was already worried about the walk back down. So Tom went ahead and I walked back down to the car. He did say when he got back that the hike would have been a challenge for my knee. Did not make me feel any better about missing it...:(...)

Views from the parking area: does not matter what direction they are all breathtaking.

More of the desert wildflowers.

I could see the green, yellow, 
ocotillo, and
Saguaro up the mountain.

The colors are beautiful.

Tom made the hike and you can sort of  see the palms in the 
picture on the left. The white dots in the middle.

As if it was not enough that I did not get to see the palms
on the way back he saw Bighorn Sheep.
Because of the distance they are hard to make out in the picture.
The red arrows point to where they are.

An orange flowering bush to add to the rainbow of 
colors in the desert.

The turn off for the 4 wheel drive road.

These pictures are of the "smooth" part of the road.

Every way we turned the desert plants and cactus are beautiful.

Views as we headed down a wash that at this point was the road.

Just before we reached this point, pictures above, we had a choice to continue in the wash or go up on the road. The wash looked like the better choice until we turned this corner. At this point the only way forward was up and out of the wash. Backing up was not a great option. So, as you can see in the picture above, Tom cleared some of the rocks out of the way and then I guided him around a couple of bigger ones to get us up and out of the wash. He turned onto the road and after some maneuvering was able to get us back going in the direction we had come. Sadly, we did not make it to the end of the road or the mine he wanted to see but looking at the road ahead, which I did not take a picture of, turning back was our best choice.

The road may be bad but the
rugged beauty of the
Kofa Mountains
never disappoints.

The wash as we head back out. Looking at these
pictures it does not look that bad. Riding on it, though,
was a different story.

Up this incline and we are out of the wash.

The views and the beauty of the desert never stop.

Little tiny plants that have made there way up
through the rocks.

Back at the Stinger B the sun sets on what at times was a
challenge but always a wonderful day.

"When you try to control everything,

you enjoy nothing.

Sometimes you just need to 

relax, breathe, let go and 

Live in the Moment."

~www. wisdomquotesandstories.com

Wishing you days filled with wonderful moments.

If you have the time to leave a comment we would love hearing from you.