It's Alive!

DAY SEVENTY THREE

Today I went and hiked on a local trail that I have never done, the Eisenhower Loop at The Living Desert. I don't know why I've never hiked this trail but it's probably because every time I've gone to the Living Desert no one else wanted to. Today I went with my youngest son, Nikolas, and I didn't give him a choice.

After paying admission to the Living Desert--I bought a Family Membership, which for $75 gives your family admission for a full year and two guest passes and is a great deal--you walk through the park following the signs to the hiking area.

They are very cautious, warning you of the possible extreme weather. Today, however, the weather was wonderful, a nice 80º.

The trails are wide and well maintained. Even grandma and her walker could handle this part.

You will find numerous shade structures and seating areas along the trail. This trail is definitely certainly created with Zoo goers in mind rather than real hikers. Not that hikers won't enjoy it, of course, but it's hardly a wilderness experience.

There are good directions and maps to be found along the way. Not that you could lost the trail anyway. It's HUGE.

And there are little interpretive signs to tell you about what you're seeing.

Now the real hiking begins. You get to a place where the trail enters this canyon and requires a lot of boulder hopping, which I love. My only problem is Nik really wants to go back and look at the animals, the incredible train set they have here and get a Dr. Pepper. But I have a year pass now! I can come back whenever I want and finish the trail on my own! I'll have to do it before it hits the 120º the big sign warns about. I hate the heat.

Hiking back you get a great view of the local mountains and desert terrain. The view in itself is worth the price of admission.

Palm Desert Wildflowers

Get out there and enjoy them while you can. It won't be long until they're gone. (Click on any image to see it full resolution!)

Beavertail Cactus

Opuntia basilaris

Little Gold Poppy

Eschscholzia minutiflora

Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata

Desert Chicory

Rafinesquia neomexicana

Notch leaf Phacelia

Phacelia crenulata

Brittlebush, Incienso

Encelia farinosa

More beavertail

This one is going to be GOOD real soon. Get out there!

Not on a trail of the Ancients

DAY SIXTY FOUR

Trying to find Native American trails and sites is often a matter of guesswork. You look at the lay of the land, the area resources, migration patterns and try to figure out where something interesting might be. Sometimes you are successful and sometimes you are not. Today was not but you never know unless you go and look.

I pulled off at this little turnout just past Vista Point on Hwy 74

Here's another place I don't think I'll have a problem not coming to in the summer.

I figured I'd hike up to the base of Black Hill and see if there is anything interesting to find in any of the rocks at its base.

I found these pot sherds but not the type I'm looking for.

The only other thing I find is a really nice view of the Coachella Valley.

As I look around I begin to realize why there is not any Native American evidence here. There's not anything that would've interested an Indian here. There's no water, no food and no shelter.

I get to where I can look down into Carrizo Canyon but I don't have time to explore any further. Besides, there are better access points than this one.

On my way back I look up to the hillside and see this area that might be a rock shelter of some sort. Could I possibly find something of interest? Nah. But, maybe......

What's New, Pussycat?

Day Sixty Three

Cat Canyon is one of many canyons in the Santa Rosa Mountains above Palm Desert. It starts by the Cahuilla Hills and extends way up past Haystack Mountain. The canyon is filled with palm oases and big boulders. I hadn't been back there in years and I was curious to see if there was any water up there.

I drove up quite a ways in my Jeep and ran into a fence with a bunch of No Trespassing signs on it. It's a good thing I always carry a Sharpie with me.

This is the beginning of the canyon and the boulders are starting already.

I also hit some palms pretty close to the canyon mouth. This is an indictor that water is always present because palms cannot exist without it.

I get to have some fun scrambling up rocks like these.

I get to this dry fall with a very large chockstone. The pool below is dry but there are signs of recent water here. I would have to do some real climbing to get around this and since my hand is going to take a couple of weeks to heal, I decide to turn around here.

On my way out of the canyon I spot this trail. I think it's the southern section of the Hopalong Cassidy Trail and since I've never hiked it, decide to check it out.

Here's where the trail leaves the canyon.

The trail very rapidly gains elevation and you get great views in no time. This is looking south to the Schey Trail.

In less than fifteen minutes after leaving the canyon I am up quite high and have a nice overview of the Cahuilla Hills and Palm Desert.

Heading back down the trail you can see how many switchbacks there are. The trail is rocky and doesn't see a lot of use. I kinda wish some of the crowds that regularly hike Bump and Grind would hike here and help tamp down this trail a bit but then again I like being away from the crowds.

Once my hand gets better and I can find a partner I'm hoping to do Cat Canyon to its upper terminus. I figure I'd better do it now because who knows when they'll close it down like they did with Dead Indian Canyon and Carrizo Canyon. Of course, as long as I have a Sharpie handy it might not matter.

(Note: I'm kidding about the Sharpie. Someone else wrote that, not me).

Slow and Easy

Day Sixty Two

My hand feels 100% better today and the swelling has diminished considerably. By next week, I'll be ready for a little more off trail scrambling but for now I'm sticking to the established trails. It's not really very exciting but it's good exercise and I get to see a few more people. Of course, that's not always a good thing.

I went back over to the Palm Desert Hiking Park and decided on the Hopalong Cassidy/Herb Jefferies Loop. You can pick up a FREE map of all the Palm Desert Trails at the Palm Desert Visitors Center on Painter's Path or just read this one at the trailhead.

I hike up the Gabby Hayes Trail like I have a couple of times already this year and hang a right at the first trail junction for the first time.

I am hoping there are plenty of flowers in bloom but am disappointed. There are far more flowers in both Palm Springs and La Quinta although the creosote is in full bloom.

And the brittlebush is finally coming to life.

I wonder if this is by the same stone circle makers as those in Palm Springs.

One thing the hiking park at the Cahuilla Hills Park lacks is a restroom. It's a big oversight. This trail into a canyon about halfway up the trail is to the only private spot on the trail. It's quickly obvious that many hikers use this as a potty break. I duck in there to pee only to be followed by another hiker thinking I'm on the main trail. Can't a man get a little privacy?

As you get higher on the hill, you get a nice view of Eisenhower and the mountains around it.

I head down the Herb Jefferies Trail and enjoy the view from it. My one previous adventure on this trail was taken at night. It's nice to see what the trail looks like.

If I have time tomorrow, I'll talk about how it's been to hike for two months every day. I also have a few pointers for those who might be considering undertaking such an endeavor.

Tourist Town

Day Fifty Eight

There are certain hiking related injuries that are common to people who hike a lot: sprained ankles, sore knees, cuts and scratches and chafing. This morning I was suffering from chafing--oddly enough from my work uniform and not from hiking--so I decided to go on an easy hike, a tourist trail.

I've done most of the trails out here. Most of the hard ones, that is. What I've neglected over the years have been those easy trails of a couple of miles or less. I'm now learning what I've missed.

Today I went on the Randall Henderson Trail. This trail starts at the Santa Rosa San Jacinto National Monument Visitor's Center in south Palm Desert.

The Visitor's Center is right across Highway 74 from the Art Smith Trailhead

The trail starts by this highly reflective plaque with a wonderful quote from Randall Henderson, founder of Desert Magazine.

Dogs are not permitted on this trail, which is kind of ironic considering that the trail was constructed with dogs in mind. However, the Bighorn Institute, which is adjacent to the trail property, objected and so you now have to leave Fido at home.

The trail splits after a short while but it doesn't really matter which way you go because it is a loop.

The Chuparosa was everywhere along the trail in addition to about ten other flowers in various phases of blooming.

I saw these Desert Poppies.

Some Desert Chicory

Several cacti just budding and getting ready to blossom like this Hedgehog.

And this Beavertail.

Just before getting back to the Visitor's Center I spotted this lone cactus in bloom. It is the first cactus I have seen flowering so far this year although it is obvious there will be many, many more.

There is much to be said for this little mile and a half trail right off of Highway 74. Being that it's a tourist trail, I had the opportunity to hike with some tourists, a terrific couple from Minnesota and their friend, originally from Minnesota, who's from Palos Verdes. We talked about the plants, the weather, the desert and our appreciation for nature. They told me that they'd gone to Joshua Tree and the 1000 Palms Oasis.

It made me think of friends of mine who, growing up here their entire lives, have never been to those places. It never ceases to amaze me that people will travel thousands of miles to visit places that we take for granted. I realized that we'd all do well to be tourists in our own backyards a little more often. It might help us realize how lucky we are to be living in what Randall Henderson called, "The Real Desert".