Beyond The Quarry

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT

I'm tired and sore today. Not because of my hike yesterday or work. On my way home from hiking I stopped off at the park for a little football with my teenage son and some of his buddies. One of the kid's dads and I taught the youngsters a football lesson but it's been a long time since I sprinted and hiking doesn't really prepare you for that. Last night I could hardly walk and my back was killing me but thanks to modern pharmaceuticals and a hot, hot shower I'm feeling better today. And this afternoon's hike also helped.

I pulled behind the Quarry Golf Club to explore a little canyon that I saw on a hike earlier this year. Instead of hiking to its flank I will go up from the bottom of the canyon.

There's a little trail that passes south of the country club and heads to the canyons beyond.

Kahlua is wondering why I'm moving just a little slower than usual today.

This is the canyon I'm looking for. There are about 20,000 little no name canyons in the Santa Rosas and all of them have the potential of holding something interesting.

This canyon has seen a lot of erosion. The water that comes down here must be incredible considering the size of some of the rocks that have been washed down this canyon.

The side of the canyon has lots of interesting geology; too bad I haven't had a class in geology in about 30 years. I think this to the left is composite or something.

Some of the erosion has given Kahlua little places to play. There are some nice animal beds out here but no sign of any critters.

There's nothing like a little hike to eliminate a little post football soreness. I feel much better now than when I started.

But even though Kahlua wants to keep going we've got to get back because it's the wife's birthday and we've got to go help her eat some ice cream. Happy 29th, honey!

Resting Up

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINE

I've got a couple of longer adventures planned this coming week--20+ miles each--so I'll be doing a few shorter hikes in order to rest up. This morning I set the alarm for six in order to beat the heat. When I looked at the outside temperature and it was only 78º I thought maybe I can sleep a little longer. So I asked the wife to wake me in a half an hour. When she did I saw the temperature was only 84º so I dozed off again. I finally rolled out of the sack at around 7:30 and hit the trail around 8. It's still under 90º so I'm good.

Now the signs here in La Quinta can be confusing. This one says the Boo Hoff Trail is 7.5 miles and it's also a loop that's 12 miles. Or is the Boo Hoff 7.5 and the Lake Trail--whatever trail that is--4.5? Or is the Boo Hoff 7.5 and then loop ANOTHER 12? It's a good thing I don't really follow these signs or I'd be in trouble.

The soon to be Kahlua Trail is going to be along the base of this mountain but I'm too late to do it in the shade and besides Kahlua's at home. She likes sleeping in, too.

When the Kahlua Trail gets done, it'll be better than this. Do we really need two trails up this little saddle?

As I hike up to overlook the Quarry Golf Club, there are a few trail monuments and rock piles which may be graves. I have been told that these large circular rock piles once held ollas and were water caches for the Indians. It makes sense because this was a main thoroughfare for the Indians and there wasn't a lot of water around certain times of the year (like now).

Here's a bit larger of a hole and hollow rock mound.

Here's the overlook to the Quarry and my turnaround point. I don't want to aggravate a little shin splint that's starting to flare up. Of course there's not a sign to tell me how far I've come but even if there were I still wouldn't know.

On the way back I follow a line of rock piles but never find a real discernible trail.

That is, until this one. I get done at about 9:30 and it's still not bad, under 100º. And I still have time for a nap before work.

My Life Is Not My Own

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHT

Whenever I have a day off I get this illusionary idea that I am going to be able to go to the mountains and do some great hike in cool weather. I should know better. With the wife working I have babysitting duty and the boys would rather hang out with their friends watching endless reruns on Nickelodeon than do something wonderful and memorable with their dear old dad. Kids. Also, my wife made an appointment for me to draw some blood--don't even ask!--so I had to be home by three in the afternoon even if I had taken the kids away by parental force. So my dream of cool mountain air vanished in the intense glow of family responsibilities. It's not the first time.

Since I couldn't get to the cool mountain air as I'd hoped it was back to the heat. Since I wasn't traveling far, Kahlua insisted on coming along.

We went just south of The Quarry and were quickly into the wilderness.

The horse trail heads up to the ridge above this canyon but this is a better way for hikers to go even though I am a bit concerned about snakes in all these boulders.

Hiking uphill in the sand in 100º heat was not what I'd hoped for today but, hey, it's better than working.

You can see the sun shining on Rabbit Peak in the distance but we are completely in the shade. If not for that, we wouldn't last an hour out here.

We make a nice little loop using one of the many trails out here and head back to a cooler with iced beverages.

There are some little dens and small caves along the mountain side but we don't see anything in there at the moment. Any critters may have sensed us coming and gone into hiding.

The one animal we see are bats flittering across the sky. There are hundreds of them but since I don't have my good camera (that's another family story) so I can't get any good pictures of them but trust me, they're out there.

We get to the water faucets near The Quarry but they have turned them off for the night and I don't have a key to turn them back on.

But that's OK. I prepared for that. Kahlua enjoys some iced water in the cooler and dreams it's a cold mountain stream.

Hot and Bothered

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY

After hiking in the mountains the last couple of days I was getting spoiled. I was looking forward to going up high again today but it didn't happen. I had the day off but the kids were tired from their weekend and didn't feel like going anywhere. So we stayed home and I was not happy about it. I would much rather have spent the day high in the mountains with the temperature in the 70s than here in the desert with the temperature in the 100s. But sometimes being a parent means you don't get to do everything you want. Actually, that's most of the time.

So I waited as long as possible to go out and started hiking once the sun went behind the hill. The temperature was still around 100 degrees but it wasn't bad once I started going. Really.

I went over the Lake Cahuilla and was going to get dropped off at the Morrow Trail Head. There was a small problem, though. The road to Lake Cahuilla was closed and locked. It says it's closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Somebody needs to tell them today is Monday.

While the air is hot, the sun is mercifully behind the mountains and there is just enough light to make it. I hope.

The trail will connect me to the top of the Cove where my wife will pick me up. If the pool at Lake Cahuilla were open it might be a better hike to do in the opposite direction and end with a plunge. Maybe next time.

On the hillside near the trail there are several trail monuments that generally mean there is an Indian trail somewhere near here. I don't have enough light to go exploring today, though. I'll have to remember this for the fall.

While it's tempting to go and walk down the fairway, I will respect the owners and their willingness to allow the trail to cross their property. The trail heads up the sandy wash on the right.

The trail climbs up to the left but I decide to go straight instead. It looks like people have climbed up that way and since I'm a little pressed for time it looks like a short cut.

The climb was steep, loose and rocky but doable. It also was definitely shorter.

At the top there are some type of monuments, similar to what I've seen along trails in 1000 Palms as well as a few others.

There are also a few large rocks mounds. I don't have time to really explore around here but this is pretty interesting and I must have hiked by here a hundred times.

There is also a trail. Hopefully, it's another short cut because the light is fading fast.

I lose the trail and have to travel cross country. It's slow going because the terrain is rocky and loose and I have to make sure I don't fall or step on a snake. Some short cut this turns out to be.

After going through a couple of little rocky canyons I hit the trail that will take me home and with just enough light to see.

Tomorrow Is Another Day

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

Some days you wish you could take a Mulligan, like today. Everything just started out wrong from the time my wife woke me up an hour before I had intended on awakening.

My wife is the most wonderful person I know but she has one terrible flaw: she's a morning person. You know, the energetic, cheery people who always smile and say, "Good morning" in a sing song voice at an hour when the only sound that should be heard is snoring. They would be the life of every party if every party were held some time before noon. After noon, they're ready for a nap. They have never seen Letterman, Leno or Saturday Night Live. Don't even think of mentioning The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. Good Morning America is their idea of a talk show (I've never seen it myself). Morning People have a place in the world, I guess. It's their job getting things ready for the rest of us. They're like prep cooks. Only prep cooks let the chefs sleep in.

I think it must be lonely being a morning person because she seems to think it is OK to start a conversation with a sleeping (non-morning) person. I have told her the only reason to wake me up is if the house is on fire but not once has that been the reason for our early morning all-too one-sided conversations.

Usually they go like this:

Wife: Good Morning!

Hal: mmmbmbmsbbm

Wife: Are you going to make the kids breakfast this morning?

Hal: What?!?

Wife: Are you going to make the kids.....

Hal: I'M ASLEEP!

Wife: Well, I was wondering if you were going to make the kid breakfast this morning.

Hal: Whatever! They'll have cereal or donuts, I don't care. I'm asleep.

Wife: well, they have a big day a school.

Hal: Can you see I'm asleep?

Wife: It's such a beautiful morning out, it's cool and so clear...

Hal: Sounds like a great time to sleep. Is it still dark out? Good night!

Such was my morning today. Being awakened before your time is disconcerting and throws your whole day into turmoil. First, I left my hiking shoes in my wife's vehicle and had to retrieve them. Then, I left my camera in her vehicle but only realized it after I got to the trailhead.

And what an ugly trailhead it is.

The trailhead for the Morrow Trail is just west of the entrance to Lake Cahuilla. However, there is no sign designating it as such and there is a big pile of trash right near the parking area. If I didn't know this was the place to park I would never think about hiking here. Maybe that's the point.

The trail walks by the Quarry Golf Course to the top of the La Quinta Cove but I don't have time to cover the whole area. I'll only go about half way and then come back.

You'd think there was an old mining camp here but those are just props for the golf course.

A large Desert Iguana lounges in the shade along the course. Ordinarily I'd take a close up but my camera is in my wife's van.

This statue is a good turn around point today. I think public artwork along trails is a nice idea that should be expanded. I know it's for the golf course but I think a statue in a remote area might not be a bad idea.

As I walk back, I notice a couple of stray golf balls WAY out of bounds. Obviously, I'm not the only person in need of a Mulligan today. Maybe we can both sleep in tomorrow.

Hat's Off

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR

There are some days I just don't really feel like hiking. Today was one of them. It was my first real day off in a while, a day without plans or obligations, a day to sleep in and be lazy. The day went past slowly with a little housecleaning and a bit of doing laundry and a lot of lying around. By the time my wife got home from work I was ready for a nap. I overcame the urge so I could watch the Angel game. As the game got into the eighth inning I knew I was going to have to leave to go on a hike. I guess it's a good thing, too, because the Angels lost in the tenth.

As I set out, it is so windy even the doves don't fly away as I approach them. Of course, it could be the hawk circling above that grounds them. If they take off, they're toast.

The clouds blow quickly past and diminish in the wind. It's cool out and I embrace the cool breeze. Usually I hate hiking in the wind but today it's blowing me uphill and I like it.

I'm sure this mountain biker likes it even more than I do.

I get to where the trail I want to take heads off. I haven't done this trail before and I have no idea where it goes.

As I get up the trail a ways, it looks like it goes up to this little saddle.

It's not long until I get to this little sign that tells me where I'm going. It is a mystery to me who built this trail or the sign. Today I'll take the easier trail to the Quarry Overlook. That'll give me something to do on another day, a day I'm not feeling so lazy.

As I'm thinking about taking my hat off to the mystery trail builder, the wind does it for me. My hat blows about 75 feet up the hill and lands in a little wash area. The sun's going down so I don't need to wear it anymore. I hold it tightly in my hand.

The trail toward the top is steep and rocky. I wonder what the non-gentle "risky" trail is like.

From the top, you get a nice view of the Quarry. I have to hold on tight or I'm afraid the wind will blow me down there. My hat goes into my pocket at this point.

The Quarry isn't the only view I get from here.

On the way down, I spot another trail heading down but I don't have time to explore it today. Looks like I have two trails to do next time up.