On Sunday we were signed up for a ranger led hike in Monarch Canyon, a metamorphic canyon located at the northern end of the Funeral Mountains. We met Ranger Rose at Hell's Gate and drove a short distance on the Beatty Cutoff Road to park our cars. There is no trail, so we aimed to the right of the pink hills at the mouth of Monarch Canyon and off we went among the creosotes and cholla cacti. We stopped periodically to look at interesting rocks, plants, or burrows and learn about the desert environment and history from Ranger Rose. We did not see any animals on the trip, but saw plenty of evidence: big horn sheep scat and tracks, some old bones, and many burrows (kangaroo rats, fox, and/or coyote). We also saw some mine remnants that had washed down from sites higher in the mountains.

When we entered the canyon we started to see neat mosaic rock and great examples of folded and twisted metamorphic rock (over a billion years old!). We walked through some narrow sections, had an easy scramble, and found ourselves in small rock amphitheater complete with a small waterfall. Nice surprise! We stopped here for lunch before making our way back through the canyon and across the desert to our cars. In total the hike was around 7-8 miles and it was a great day.