“chill hike” makes for fast friends at Anza Borrego State Park

submitted by letty c. guerra
edited by sarina e. guerra

Politics, plane crashes, and slew of social media posts of every kind—aaahhh! It can all be too much to handle and makes a person just want to run away and scream! This past weekend, I knew I had to find a respite for my soul. A moment to reset my spirit. And luckily, I found this much needed disconnect from this recent raucous reality all within a 60 minute drive from my home in the Imperial Valley.

Last Spring, after attending a few performances at the Borrego Springs Community Theater, I was pleasantly surprised to find the coolest “vibe” for people my age. I witnessed middle-aged, gray-haired citizens truly having simple, wholesome fun. It was like seeing kids at play, yet these were seasoned, full grown adults! Some were retired locals, some were snowbirds who came to enjoy the temperate weather while they escaped from the cold place they call home, but all of us were just humans who came to engage in friendship, frolic, and fun. Another gem I came across in Borrego Springs was the Anza Borrego Foundation. They host events within Anza Borrego State Park such as nature walks, hikes, botany lectures, photography classes and even 2-wheel and 4-wheel adventures! Which I recently found out I love. After registering for a few of their events, I was looking forward to what they called a…

Hmm… it sounded within my range of ability. I can be chill. Why not? I dusted off my old hiking shoes, pulled my binoculars out of the closet and packed my long-forgotten backpack with snacks and water and hit the desert road to Borrego Springs! The group met up at the Anza Borrego Foundation store and caravaned over to the hiking trail. Was this a little out of my comfort zone? Yes. Was I a little unsure about whether I could keep up with the group on the hike? Yes. Did I think about cancelling at the last minute? Yes. But I pushed all of that aside and went anyway.

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We parked our cars and started walking on the sandy gravel of the desert floor. There was an ever-so-slight increase in elevation, and I noticed an ever-so-slight increase in my heart rate as well. Some of the hikers engaged in light conversation as we trekked along. Because the bottom of the canyon was where flash flood waters had previously run through, there were places where we had to “scramble” on the rocks to move up. This means that my hiking poles came in handy, and so did the occasional helping hand from an ever-so-kind fellow hiker named Bruce. The sunshine provided the perfect amount of good energy and warmth on our skin. Some of the more seasoned hikers showed us the juniper berry bushes and passed around a few of the berries so we could sniff their fragrance. What a delight for the senses! I could feel my soul slowly regenerating as the hike went on.

Along the trail, as I saw the various rock formations, I tried to recall lessons from my favorite class at Imperial Valley College, Geology. The rocks themselves tell us the history of how they came to be so long ago. Fascinating! Finally, we reached the half-way point. It was time to enjoy our snacks and rest a little. We searched for good rocks to sit on underneath the shade. I asked a fellow hiker if I could share her rock and began to introduce myself. Her name was Lorraine and she was from British Columbia. She talked about how just that morning, she had warned her husband not to turn on the television for fear that newscasts would affect his mood. Rebelliously, he did so anyway. And yes, he indeed got crabby! I was not alone. That was exactly why I sought out this hiking getaway in the first place. We chatted about the state of affairs in our respective corners of the world. Lorraine liked my hat and I liked her light-colored hiking clothes. She likes to walk around her house barefoot (like I do), so I shared with her my most-loved accessory and latest obsession: Bombas slipper socks. And just like that…

At this point, it was time to start making the trek back to base. One would think that going downhill would be easier than climbing upward, but I quickly found out that that law of physics did not apply to hiking. Going down the rocks proved to be more challenging and a little rough on rickety knees. Luckily, my hiking poles came in handy once again. My new friends also taught me a technique that they informally named “the butt slide”. It is exactly what you can imagine. “Get down on your butt and slide down the rocks until your feet touch the sand!” they said. And it worked! I was learning so much on this hike.

Shortly after, I looked around the bend and I could spot our cars tucked in amongst the cholla and ocotillos. Did the heavens open up and angels start to sing? Almost! We gathered for a quick moment to say our thank-yous, and agreed that we all had a great time on this “chill hike”.

There was one final sigh of relief, a cleansing exhale, and a round of applause for the genuine group effort. We parted ways. I climbed into my car, pulled off my backpack, and started the engine. As I followed the group out of the unassuming desert landscape, it was then that I realized that my soul was full, my attitude was transformed, and my body…? Well, it was all-out tired! I must say, though, it was a “good” kind of tired. Famished, I stopped to enjoy lunch at the little deli next to the Anza Borrego Foundation store before hitting the road back home. And with that, I ended the day with a full spirit…

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