The Ram's Head hike was actually an extension of our day at Salt Pond Bay. We began our hike down on the rocky beach of Salt Pond Bay and made our way into the hills. One of the main purposes of our hike here was to experience the plant adaptations to the xeric (desert) environment which is present on Ram's Head. Plants which live in a desert environment have evolved changes which allows them to thrive in the hot dry surroundings.	Ascending Ram's Head
Cactus thrive in the desert environment on Ram's Head	Desert plants tend to lose their leaves or turn them into spines, reduce surface area, create very waxy leaves to prevent water loss, grow pubescence (very small hairs) which help retain water, and their stomates are in pits to further reduce water loss. The really interesting thing about these strategies is that plants which have no relation to one another have developed the exact same strategies to adapt to this environment. It is an excellent example of convergent evolution.
The other interesting part of Ram's Head is the part it played in the St. Johns slave revolt. After the slaves had revolted the French were paid to eliminate the rebel slaves from the island. Ram's Head was the last stand for the rebel slaves who were being hunted. Rather than allowing themselves to be captured, the slaves threw themselves from the cliff at the top of Ram's Head.	The cliff at Ram's Head
Group photo at the top	The hike itself was really nice. The sun went behind the clouds for most of it so it was relatively cool and we got some wonderful views of Salt Pond Bay and Drunk Bay. The trail follows the shoreline and as you cross the neck of the Ram's Head there is a sharp drop-off into Drunk Bay. Ram's Head is a fascinating place. It has an interesting ecology, history, and it is a great hike.