Carrizo Canyon, Palm Desert

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE

This week I have gone to Dead Indian Canyon and Magnesia Spring Canyon, both of which are only open for three months of the year, from October-December. Today I went to another canyon with limited access, Carrizo Canyon.

You pick up the canyon by heading south from the Art Smith Trailhead. Nine months out of the year this gate is locked but it's unlocked for now.

If there were any doubt which way to go this sign is here to help the directionally challenged.

The canyon is wide and sandy at the bottom but will quickly narrow and get rocky.

As you enter the canyon the sides quickly become steep. I looked to see if there might be an Indian Trail leaving the canyon but there's no way anything leaves here. It's too loose and steep. I still think there might be a trail leaving somewhere near here and heading south but it'll take a little more detective work to find it.

When you get to into the canyon there's this BBQ in the middle of nowhere. It's crazy and I cannot figure out why it's here. Of course, in the "old days" people used to be able to drive here so maybe this was Party Central back then.

This is a good place to possibly spot a Bighorn but I don't have any luck doing so today.

There is one lone palm in the entire canyon. You know there's water here although none is on the surface. There are numerous barrel cacti in the canyon that have been eaten, a sure sign that Bighorn are present. Maybe I'll try the canyon some morning to see if my luck is better.

At a split in canyon, there are these directions. Too bad they're wrong. Dead Indian Creek is in a completely different canyon and Carrizo is misspelled.

When you turn right into CARRIZO Canyon, you come to a dry waterfall rather quickly. In the spring, this fall often flows and is covered with ferns; it's very beautiful. The fall is easy to climb over to continue up the canyon but daylight is going goodnight and I want to get home to root on my Angels.

Short but sweet says it all.