Leaders: Tom Keffer and Lee Christie, ABDNHA Volunteers

We will visit not one, not two, not three, but five different palm groves, some of them with up to a hundred trees! 4.5-mile RT, 550’ vertical, mostly soft sand, but there are some moderate sections with a bit of bouldering. Be prepared to pay a $10 parking fee. Travel time is 1 1⁄4 hours each way. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring lunch/snacks, water. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve. Limit: 10.

Leader: Rachel Rench, ABDNHA Volunteer

Meet at the ABDNHA parking lot at 8 a.m. to arrange our car shuttle. We'll drive up to mile 11.2 on Hwy S22 and leave a set of cars at the Big Spring parking area. We'll take the rest of the cars down to Hellhole Canyon and start our hike up to Culp Valley Camp. There will be a $10 parking fee for any vehicle parked at Hellhole Canyon if participants don't have a State Park pass. From here, we hike up the California Riding & Hiking Trail to the Culp Valley Campground Trail, over a small pass, and descend into Dry Canyon, where we'll pick up a faint social trail. The group will follow Rachel up a hill out of Dry Canyon and eventually pick up a trail that will take us back to the parking area on S22. This hike is approximately 6 miles with 2500 ft of elevation gain, and some steep sections to navigate. Long pants, long sleeves, and hiking poles are strongly recommended. Max. 12 people. Call to reserve.

Leaders: Carmelita Logerwell and Terri Straub
Hike: 5.0 miles, 1000' gain. A very rocky and interesting canyon. Plenty of rocks and dry waterfalls to go up, over, and around. Many synclines and anticlines, hence the canyon's name. High clearance vehicles recommended. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring snacks/lunch, water, good hiking shoes, and a good attitude. (Hike statistics subject to change based on group, weather, or other factors.)

Leader: Pam Blake, ABDNHA Volunteer

Come practice nature journaling in the field with Pam Blake. Meet in the ABDNHA parking lot at 9 a.m. and set out from there. You’ll need your own supplies and some familiarity with this practice, as this session offers a chance for further nature journaling with a group but without instruction. No charge; call the Nature Center to reserve. This activity is repeated on the third Tuesday of each month.

Leaders: Tom Keffer and Lee Christie, ABDNHA Volunteers

Some of the best birding in our area. We will walk out to Rock Hill, 2 miles RT, with no elevation gain. We are likely to see Snow Goose (sometimes in the thousands), Shoveler, Pintail, Teal, Dowitcher, and Burrowing Owl. Travel time is 1 ¼ hours each way. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring lunch/snacks, binoculars, and water. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve. Limit: 10.

Leader: Paul Petersen, ABDNHA Volunteer. Relaxed social ride of 20-30 miles, mostly flat, at a 10-12 mph pace. Routes vary weekly, and fun rides to highlight the roads less traveled. Return times vary depending on the chosen route. FREE, every Friday. No registration required. Meet in the parking lot opposite the County Public Library.

Special Earth Sciences Weekend

Speaker: Suzanne Walther, Ph.D., University of San Diego

It has been said that the two most common ways to die in the desert are from thirst and from drowning. Flash floods are the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and many parts of the world, and cause billions of dollars in damage. Dr. Suzanne Walther is a fluvial geomorphologist. She studies rivers, streams, floods, sediment movement, and how the natural flow of water shapes the landscape, interacts with ecosystems, and significantly impacts human development. The focus tonight is on flash floods in semi-arid areas, such as Borrego Springs, where they can occur, the conditions that lead to their formation, the powerful forces they unleash, their effects on water supply and drought, and what can be done to mitigate their destructive impact on human development. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. You can register online at abdnha.org or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

Special Earth Science Series

Leader: John Peterson, Hydrologist and Geologist

Approximately 12,000 years ago, the Colorado River altered its course, forming a massive prehistoric lake known as Lake Cahuilla, which is now the Salton Sea.   The lake served as a vital resource for the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, and Cocopah peoples. Over the centuries, the lake filled and dried up many times. It last filled between 1731 and 1733. Hydrologist John Peterson will lead a half-day field trip to the Salton Sea, where participants can explore the ancient lake's remnants, including visible "bathtub rings" and fishing traps. Meet at ABDNHA. General Public: $18, Members: $12, Volunteers: $10. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

Special Earth Science Series

Speaker: Geologist Don Barrie

Please join Mesa College geology professor and ABDNHA board member, Don Barrie, for this lecture on San Diego County’s Peninsular Ranges, with emphasis on the Laguna Mountains west of Borrego Springs. Don’s lecture will focus on how plate tectonic processes have created the complex collage of igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed both regionally, throughout southeastern California, and locally, in the Lagunas. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. A related field trip is scheduled for Sun., Jan. 25.