ERNIE COWAN Outdoors It was a wildlife encounter I can only describe as profound. I’ve photographed desert bighorn sheep many times over 50-plus years, but this adventure was one I will never forget. The summer heat was withering as I stepped from my vehicle in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Not only were temperatures well into the triple digits, but it was slightly after noon so there was no mercy from the pounding midday sun. I came with high hopes of finding bighorn sheep in one of the desert canyons that has perennial water. These isolated sources of water are a thin lifeline for the animals who live in this arid place. The air temperature alone was bad enough, but I could feel even more heat radiating off the light-colored desert sand as I followed the dusty trail. Movement caught my eye. A jackrabbit? They are not typically active in midday summer heat. I stopped on the trail and suddenly a massive desert bighorn ram pushed through a thicket of...