Indio Hills Twisted Landscape

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY

The Indio Hills are an area in the Northeast section of the Coachella Valley and while they don't offer a lot to the hiker there are opportunities for discovery and adventure. Anyone who's ever been to the Indio Hills will tell you they are mainly a wasteland, used for illegal dumping, target shooting and partying. However, the Hills have a very interesting geology due to the fact that they lie on the San Andreas Fault.

Nik is checking out the odd shapes of the Indio Hills.

I climb up a canyon but it's just a dead end and we decide to go to a different area to see what we can find.

We find a lot of little arches and other formations in the sandstone conglomerate.

This is a cool looking formation but it doesn't look like good hiking terrain.

I don't think we can get too far up this thing, either.

So we stick to the wash and go to see what we can find.

Unbelievably, we find a trail.

This is a very well formed trail and from its location and the way it traverses the hill I think it's probably an Indian trail rather than a game trail. There are many other Indian trails in these hills so it wouldn't surprise me. I'd love to follow it as far as possible but that'll have to come another day. Nikolas isn't as excited about new trails as I am.

There are so many little nooks and crannies in these Hills that despite the negative effects of human impact it is a great place to visit and explore.

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.

Hidden Palms Oasis Loop

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO

The Hidden Palms Oasis is one of many oases along the San Andreas Fault on the northern end of the Coachella Valley. It can be reached via a well marked trail from 1000 Palm Canyon Road. That's not the way I chose to get there, however. I went on an old Indian Trail that I discovered earlier this year. I then came back the main trail making for a nice little loop hike.

From the obvious parking area on 1000 Palms Canyon Road, follow the trail until you get to the base of the hill. Then, instead of going up the trail, go left and follow the wash along the hillside.

Continue past a marked trail until you see two trails heading diagonally up the hill on the left. Take the higher of the two trails. The terrain here is loose and rocky so be careful.

When you get to the top you may have to look around a bit for the trail but it's there.

A good thing to look for are rock piles like this one. There are several rock monuments along this trail. Last time here I counted over forty.

From the trail you can look over and see Horseshoe Palms. That will not be my destination today but you can make a larger loop and include this oasis time permitting.

Hidden Palms is tucked into this little canyon with the Coachella Valley in the background.

The oasis is very large and healthy.

And apparently I'm not the only one who feels it's a nice place to visit this afternoon.

The wind is blowing as it often does over in 1000 Palms. It makes for very pleasant hiking and after all those 100+ degree days I suffered through this summer I am enjoying it.

The coyote is probably here looking for dinner. I saw a Jack Rabbit on the trail over but he was too fast for me to get a picture and I'd imagine too fast for the coyote as well. He may just have to settle for some of the Palm fruit that is in abundance.

The trail back is much more traveled than the trail I took to get here. The trail I used to reach the oasis didn't have any footprints on it while this one is like I-10.

Except for the steps, of course.

Birthday Boy

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE

Today is my son Nikolas' birthday. He is eleven years old. What an exciting time in life. At eleven years old you can still be anything in life, a movie star, a doctor, an astronaut, the President. You may even grow up to be a bellman. If you're lucky, that is. None of those other jobs allow you to hike every day. OK, maybe a movie star could but only some old has been, who's not really working much anymore, like Robert Redford. Of course, Nikolas wants to be a marine biologist so I guess if he wants to swim every day he could do that. When you're eleven anything is possible.

I had so many great plans on where to go today but since we had a big party for Nikolas planned I had to stay close to home and do the wife's bidding. That only gave me a little time for hiking so I went on my monthly sojourn to the Coachella Valley Nature Preserve.

There's this really cool palm totem pole.

And today I noticed, for the first time, that the poles on the cabin are all carved. I have no idea how I missed it before. I guess I just bombed right past it without even looking. Attention to detail is not one of my better traits; I'm more into the big picture.

I wanted to go in and ask if the carving were original but the Center was closed. Next time.

I want to see if the work is finished at the McCallum Grove. September 30 was their target date. This walkway isn't finished yet and this project started earlier. At least the original guardrails are in place to keep you from tromping through the vegetation--as if you would.

The work at the pond is done and it looks good. I don't spot any crawfish in the water and most of the reeds have been cleared out.

They still won't let you go swimming, though.

This is one place where the palms are incredibly healthy and expanding.

With all this water, it is easy to see why.

This is where the water actually bubbles out of the ground. This is the first time I have ever noticed this, as well. I guess you don't have to be eleven to see a world full of possibilities and new experiences. You just have to slow down and look through the eyes of a child.

Crazy Ridge, Indio Hills

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY

The Indio Hills are along the San Andreas Fault and contain several palm oases, sandy washes and rocky ridges. Today I choose to explore one of the rocky ridges and regretted it almost from the moment I left my Jeep. The ridge was rocky, steep, hard and loose, really ugly.

Thankfully, the beauty of the setting sun helped make up for the unsure footing of the ridge I, for some reason, decided to climb.

Doesn't this look like great hiking terrain?

Part way up I look down and see this rock pile that someone made up here. Why? I have no idea.

Higher up I am able to see this water tank that is hidden from view unless you climb up here. I hope the water drawn from this well doesn't adversely affect the nearby palm oases.

Oddly enough I find the remnants of a faint trail along the ridge. What kind of lunatic would hike up here? Besides me, of course.

I get to the top and there's not much to see. Gee, I'm glad I made the effort.

I, at least, am able to look out upon what is probably the last large expanse of undeveloped desert in the Coachella Valley.

With the sun now behind Mount San Jacinto I need to get down. There is no way I want to go down this thing at night. It's like walking on ball bearings.

Part way down I come upon this little shrine. I totally missed it on the way up even though I passed within six feet of it. I was too busy concentrating on not falling. I don't know what this could be a shrine to, probably insanity.

Coming down this ridge to check out the rock pile I think about scooching down the hill but a voice in my head says, "Men do not scooch. You are not a worm ridden poodle on a carpet". I don't know if that was the voice of reason, testosterone or utter folly talking but I listened to it. Thankfully, I didn't fall and bruise my butt.

I get to this pile of rocks and find out that it's not manmade like I thought it was. It's a natural occurrence, the product of uplifting and erosion, very weird. The landscape around these hills is very strange and potentially dangerous but I made it back in one piece. I doubt I'll be back. Whaddaya think I am? Crazy?