Pushawalla Palms Ridge Loop Trail

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT

A week ago I went out and hiked a new trail (for me) on the ridge east of Pushawalla Canyon. I forgot my camera and something went wrong with the pictures on my phone so I decided to come back and get some pictures. I really like this trail and think it would be a nice one for anyone to enjoy if you want to walk off some of your holiday weight gain.

Since this is a Preserve area there are no motor vehicles allowed, you know, like bicycles and dogs.

To get to the trail, you have to walk through all the oases in the canyon.

At the last oasis, you can go either straight through this muddy section or take the trail to the left. Just for fun, I went straight.

Once you have gone through the last oasis, keep your eye on the right for this little opening in the canyon wall. It's not really a trail but it's how I got up.

It's across the canyon from this big gap in the west wall, the one with a rusted out old car.

When you top out at the gap, start heading east. You'll hit a trail, cross a little wash and start heading up hill. At least, hopefully you will.

The trail is pretty good but there are sections where erosion has caused significant damage. It's pretty rocky until you hit the top.

But once you hit the top the trail is smooth and beautiful. I initially thought this might be an Indian Trail but the trail meanders along the ridge top while an Indian trail would go from point A to point B.

It meanders along so you can take in the views of the canyons below and the mountains beyond. There are wonderful views all around.

I wonder if the rider of this bike got too caught up in the views and crashed his bike.

It certainly wouldn't have been because he couldn't see at night with this superb lighting.

Keep following the trail until you come to a split and go to the left. I went right and that fork just does a circle and comes back. Go left.

OK, you can go to the right if you want to take one more look at the view before you head down into the canyons again.

The canyon you drop into is rockier than any of the others so far. Be very careful while descending because most of those rocks are loose.

Once you've gone down the canyon, take a right into the next canyon and that will return you to Pushawalla Canyon. From there, it's a short walk back to your vehicle. That is if you have a 4X4 and can drive to the trailhead. If not, your walk will be longer. All in all this loop is just a touch over 3 miles and I highly recommend it. I saw only one set of footprints on the trail itself--mine from a week ago.

Pushawalla Canyon East Ridge Loop

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONE

Today I am both thrilled and frustrated.

I am thrilled because I went back to Pushawalla Palms--where I was just two days ago--and hiked on a trail that I never knew existed. It's a nice loop that heads up to the plateau to the east of Pushawalla Canyon and offers tremendous views of the canyon and the Coachella Valley and its surrounding mountains.

My frustration is due to the fact that I don't have any good photos of it. First, I couldn't find my camera so I took pictures on my iPhone. Then, something happened during the download and I lost the majority of the photos that I did take. I have no idea what.

I'm going to try to see if there's any way to recover any of the photos and post them later. If not, I'll just add a trip report and plan to go back in a week or so for some pictures.

Well, I haven't been able to retrieve my photos (except about nine from the end of the hike) so I'll tell you about it.

You start going up the wash to Pushawalla Palms. In the middle of the last oasis, go to the right up the embankment. Then, go toward the Northeast to the wall of the canyon. The trail becomes visible as you approach the wall. It switches back up the canyon wall and it becomes obvious to me that this is a manufactured trail and not an Indian Trail.

The trail tops out on the plateau and weaves around near the rim in order to give the hiker the best view. I originally thought the trail might head over to Macomber Palms but it doesn't. It loops around and comes down into a wash east of the main Pushawalla Canyon Wash.

There's an old motorcycle atop the plateau and it looks like it almost might even start. It's an off-road bike and it has an old flashlight strapped onto the handlebars. I guess whoever was riding it crashed at night.

I come out into a little side wash and then it's back to the Jeep. I'll figure out what happened to my pictures so I don't do it again but I'll be back before the end of the year so I'll get pictures then.

I wonder if it had something to do with this last picture that I photoshopped that made the rest of the pictures just disappear. I'll never know but at least I'll be able to go back.

Pushawalla Palms Indian Trails

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE

Pushawalla Palms is one of the many oases along the Indio Hills, on the San Andreas Fault. It can be reached by a trail from the 1000 Palms Visitors Center, a trail along a ridge that comes by Horseshoe Palms that I discovered about a month ago, or from the Pushawalla Canyon Wash. The latter is how I came today.

The land here is part of the State Park System and is managed by the Coachella Valley Preserve. It's closed to all but hikers and equestrians and, personally, I wish they'd keep equestrians out. I hate hiking through horse manure.

The canyon is full of palms and mesquite and so it was surely well used by the Indians. I'll be looking around for some evidence of their presence here.

There is ample water here and it runs in a very small stream for several hundred yards.

The problem with finding any Indian relics here is that being in a canyon nothing much is permanent. Numerous floods over the years would have pretty much swept anything away. What I will be looking for are trails on the hills surrounding the canyon.

Trails like this one here. This trail climbs out of the wash beyond the last oasis.

It heads up to a little plateau above the main canyon. This would have been a terrific area to camp. It's flat, offers a good view of the surrounding area is near food and water.

But the only thing I find is the remnants of what could have been an old campfire ring. Or not.

Over on the hillside, though, is a pretty well worn trail which I head over to. I don't have time to follow it in the direction that it goes but I'll follow it back.

It is pretty well worn although there are no footprints on it, not even those of an animal.

Heading back I spy yet another trail up on the hillside and wonder where that one goes. Although I've been to Pushawalla Palms many times I never ventured much beyond the oasis. Now I feel like I've discovered new worlds to explore, and I have.

Lazy Day at the Preserve

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE

I have just finished my eleventh month of hiking every day and I have to say it has been an incredible experience and one that has been a pleasure to participate in. Also, I'm tired and my feet hurt.

I have one month to go and I think I'll be able to tough it out until the end but if you have any suggestions on places I can hike within an hour of the Coachella Valley, let me know. I have been to some great places and I still have a few special spots planned for this next month but I'm open to suggestions. I don't want to have to keep doing the same hikes over and over again if I can help it.

There is one hike I never get tired of, though and that's the hike to the McCallum Pond in the Coachella Valley Nature Preserve. It's interesting, it's flat and it's pretty, perfect for a day when I'm tired and my feet hurt.

It always feels so nice to come here for some reason.

Last year they started to redo this walkway with new handrails but I guess they've just decided to leave it how it is. That's OK with me but it just seems a little odd.

The Pond is just the perfect distance for me today. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's not a Lazy-Boy but it'll do.

I'd like to go and stop at the Visitor's Center but that would mean walking a few hundred extra yards so I'll bypass that today. My feet will thank me. They are really looking forward to the shoes coming off and a little massage. And actually, the trail to the pond is so well traveled and sandy it's almost like a walk on the beach. I wonder if I could make it without shoes? Next time I think I'll try that.

HIdden Palms The Long Way

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT

I am starting to get sick.

The wife has been a seething pustule of infection for the past few days and she's been kind enough to share with me. Right now it's just the start of a head cold, sore throat, tired eyes, minor congestion but I'm sure it'll intensify. It's that time of year.

When determining where to hike this afternoon I could either go with a tried and true route or try to mix it up a bit and do something different. I decide on the latter.

Bad choice.

I went to the Coachella Valley Preserve and rather than doing a tried and true route I decide to try something different. The head cold must be affecting my thinking. I hike toward the cliff area and take a right and follow the wash down toward Ramon Road.

Not only am I walking in sand, I am also heading straight into the blinding light of the setting sun. It's OK, though. There's really not much to see.

I get to the end of the hillside and turn left. The signs for the trail take me across more soft sand along Ramon Road. I'm not near done, I only wish I were.

I round the next corner and am about two and a half miles into the hike and come upon the Covered Wagon Tour headquarters.

At this point, my head feels about like this guy's.

I leave the Ranch area and head over to Hidden Palms.

This is a great little oasis and one day I'd like to visit earlier in the day and stay a while, maybe bring a lunch.

Upon leaving the oasis I get on the regular trail and the going is SO much better. I will never again go the way I went today but you never know until you try.

Finishing up with just enough light I check and see that I've done over four miles instead of the usual two miles it takes to get to the Hidden Palms. I guess this just goes to show that more is not always better.

Wilhelm Palms to Willis Palms

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN

Today was another of my easier hikes because I'm resting up for some harder adventures next week. Just because it's easy, though, doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. This morning I went to a ceremony at my son's school because he made honor roll (way to go, Harrison!) and after that I headed over to the Coachella Valley Preserve. I want to do a loop trip there of about eight miles but there's one section of the loop that I've never done. That is what I did this morning.

Pulling into the parking lot I was surprised and delighted to see about thirty cars. During the summer month I was often here alone. It's nice people are enjoying this area but I can guarantee that no one will be doing the same hike I will be on.

There are Nature Hikes now on Friday mornings at 8:30. It's not really my kind of thing but if any of you are interested here's the schedule.

There's a college group getting a tour and a talk about the geology of the area. They're hearing about the San Andreas Fault as I walk by.

I study the map but it doesn't show the way I plan on going so I guess I've just wing it. It won't be the first time.

I head south from the oasis and walk out near the road. I move toward the hillside as soon as possible and find a trail. This doesn't look like a manufactured trail but is more like an Indian trail or a use trail.

I climb a small hill and find that the trail is well defined and easy to follow. It drops down into the wash that heads over to Willis Palms.

There's the palm oasis.

The Willis Palms is a large oasis that's readily visible from Ramon Road or the 1000 Palms Canyon Road. There's a shorter hike that gets here but the way I came today will be part of a larger trip later this month or sometime next month depending on when I get time.

I head back to the Wilhelm Grove and wish I had enough time to do the loop today because the weather is perfect for it. That's OK because the weather will be pretty much perfect for the next six months.