Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN

The wife had the day off so I'd have time to run up to Idyllwild and take a hike in the cool mountain air. So I planned to get up early, drive up to Idyllwild, get my permit, do my hike and drive home in time to get a shower and go to work. It all worked out perfectly except for the part about getting up early. Oh, and I didn't quite make the shower, either. Good thing there's a sink in the locker room at work.

I drove to the trailhead and started hiking at around 10 a.m. It was later than I'd hoped but it was still much cooler than the weather at home.

I have my permit and I'm well prepared. I brought some Gatorade.

My goal is the lookout on top of Tahquitz Peak. It's four miles and 2200 feet elevation gain.

Here's a closer view that I took on the way down.

The clouds are building up over the mountain but I don't think we'll get any rain from them. I just hope we don't get any lightning. These hills are dry and we don't need a fire.

Lily Rock (Tahquitz Rock to climbers) is visible from the trail. I've climbed this several times but won't have time today.

I get to the trail junction that leads up to the Lookout tower. In addition to this trail it is possible to go up the Devil's Slide trail. Devil's Slide is longer but not as steep.

God Bless America! I'm almost at the top!

There it is with some people hanging out enjoying the cool mountain air.

The view from here is incredible. If Mount San Jacinto offers the best view in Southern California, Tahquitz Peak is number two. Here's the view looking down the Desert Divide.

The digs here aren't bad, either. There's a volunteer who stays here and looks out for fires. Most of the time, though, he probably just greets hikers.

There's a nice open kitchen.

Also, TWO stoves. One is for cooking and one for heat. I bet it can get cold up here.

Of course, I didn't just hike up here for the exercise. I am now a member of the ancient and honorable order of squirrels. I have never been so proud.

My Longest Vacation Ever

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY

As a kid nothing beat summer vacation. No school, never ending days and fantastic fun with friends made the time off school the best time of year. I never wanted summer vacation to end.

The same is not true for adults. I hate summer vacation. Most of my days off work are spent babysitting, refereeing and entertaining. There are no days of carefree blissfulness; disappointment and frustration are the norm. Today was one of those days.

No trip ever goes off as planned but during summer, it seems, no trips go off. Idyllwild was on to do list today and I'd hoped to go there after my wife returned from an eye doctor appointment. She was going to watch the boys but when she came home there was a big problem. She couldn't see. It is hard to watch someone without vision. By the time her eyesight returned to normal, it was too late. I can't wait for summer to end.

Instead of a trip to Tahquitz Peak as I would have liked, I did a little hike near home with Nikolas and friends. But my mind was in the mountains.

When I was here a few a months ago someone had built this little monument. In the intervening months it's been added to quite a bit.

The boys decide to take a break. It's not that they are really tired; they probably would've enjoyed the mountains more, too.

For some reason, they do not get as excited as I do about a pile of rocks left here to make a faint trail up a slope of loose rocks. I don't understand why.

They decide to wait and let me go ahead and I'm OK with that. A few minutes of peace and quiet does me well. A few hours or days would do more, though.

The boys get a little more motivated when it comes to climbing a little hill. We build a little wall beneath the hill and I promise we'll come back later to build a fort. I figure if I have to spend all my hours in the presence of ten year old I may as well do something fun for them.

I love my kids. But they say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it's those hours they spend in school that gives me time to miss them and love them more. Without it, the fondness wears off real quick.

School starts this coming year on August 31. I cannot remember school starting so early in my life. Even still this will be my longest vacation ever and I am counting the days until the kiddies are back in school. July 4th may be Independence Day but August 31 is when I will celebrate freedom.

Trail To Enlightenment

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO

Today was probably my favorite hike I've done so far this year. It was fairly long, it was high and it had incredible views. If I didn't have to work, I'd do it again tomorrow; OK, the day after tomorrow. I need an easy hike tomorrow to rest up a bit.

I started at the Mountain Zen Center in Apple Canyon in the San Jacinto Mountains. The Zen Center is a private Buddhist meditation retreat. The word had been passed around to locals that they are kind enough to let hikers pass through their property so long as they observe complete silence, no talking, out of respect for meditation practitioners. Now, I am not a Buddhist and meditating all day is not my thing--hiking is my meditation--but I can respect their wishes in return for their graciousness in allowing others to pass through their property.

You hike along the road for a while until you get to this sign letting you know you are on the trail. It is my kind of trail, no nonsense, no big switchbacks, straight up.

It is hard to tell from this picture but this trail is STEEP. I start slowing my pace and using the rest step. Although I'm not a Buddhist I can appreciate some of the wisdom. After all, Confucius said, "It doesn't matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop".

I get to the top of the trail and hit the PCT which is, mercifully, fairly level.

After hiking a little on the trail, I get a nice view of my destination, Red Tahquitz.

The trail is in fairly good shape--TOO level for my liking--but could use a little work.

Here's a section that was blasted out of solid rock. It's a good thing some of those whiners who hike the Bump and Grind Trail in Palm Desert don't ever come here. They'd never make it.

Especially since there's a steep drop off if you step off the trail.

The trail continues to get me closer to my goal.

And then it goes right on past it! I didn't really see a good area to go up.

So it's time for a little cross country travel. Now it's getting fun!

There are lots of fallen logs to climb over here. The high winds up here does a number on these trees. There's little wind today so I've got nothing to worry about.

I get to the top and there are two guys sitting there having lunch. It makes me wish I'd brought one. I ask them where the summit register is and they say there isn't one. I then notice that just a few hundred feet away is a rock outcropping that looks just a little higher.

I make my way to it and whaddaya know: a summit register.

The view from here is tremendous. You can look over and see the Tahquitz Peak Lookout.

And you can look down the Desert Divide to all the peaks there.

Just below the peak is a big patch of snow and a view of the desert below.

Heading down, I cut through the forest not quite as far up the trail as where I came up. It's really pretty easy going with soft dirt and pine needles.

I think about cutting through here but I prefer my legs with skin so I go another way.

I get back on the trail and head back to where I started.

It's that little saddle WAY over there. On my way there, I pass two Pacific Crest Trail through hikers on their way to Canada. I get off the trail and let them pass because they've got much farther to go than I do. The trip back goes fairly quickly since it's mostly downhill.

I get to the saddle and probably the hardest part of the trip, going down the steep trail to the Zen Center. It's a bone jarring, knee tweaking descent but I make it OK.

I didn't see any people at the Center but at least someone was there to see me off.

Although I got a later start than I wanted to, this was a great hike and one I look forward to doing again. If I can arrange a shuttle maybe I'll hike down to Idyllwild or over to the Tram so I don't have to hike down the Zen Center Trail again. My old knees just don't like it

Thanks to the Zen Center for allowing quiet, respectful hikers pass through their property. Your kindness is appreciated.

And yes, I know Confucius is not Buddhist. I was joking.