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| A fellow traveler along the trail |
One of the most popular hikes here at KofA is the Palm Canyon hike - a 7-mile drive over an unpaved road, and then a steep and rocky, although very well trodden and marked, 1/2 mile foot trail. You begin at the base of a narrow canyon between peaks, and reach a small elevated spot with a sign that points upwards. And there they are! Palm Trees! Almost hiding (in shadows most of the time) high above you in a tiny slot. These trees (some of them 20' around) are not native to Arizona, and no one is quite sure exactly how they arrived here. The moister, shadier hidden canyon microclimate has nurtured them; not sure how old they are. Some think that they survived from a time when the climate was totally different, some think they came in by birds or animals. We were lucky enough to catch a few rays of sun on the grouping when we reached the slot!
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| The trailhead, beginning of the canyon |
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| This is a view from inside the canyon, looking back towards the trailhead |
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| The Palms are just above the middle of the photo, in the cleft between the two hugest peaks |
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| Here's a closer shot - they're at the top left |
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| Tucked away, hidden mostly by shadows, in a place they don't really belong... |
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