The Early Bird and the Old Dog

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE

After last night's late night moonlight hike, I got to bed really late. Then at six a.m. this morning my eye's opened and I was wide awake. Don't ask me why; it doesn't happen very often. The wife noticed that I wasn't snoring as I normally would be at this time of day and suggested I go for my hike. I thought it a good idea especially since the temperature was 71º, perfect.

As I start out the sun is very low on the horizon--causing me to cast a long shadow--and there's a slight breeze. It is actually cooler this morning here than it was the other day in Newport Beach.

It is a beautiful time of day even if I normally don't ever see it.

I am tempted to take the trail to the right but I still have some sleeping to do. After I finish this morning I am planning on going home and hitting the sack.

After heading up the trail a bit, I drop down in the canyon for a nice little loop that I did a couple months ago. I enjoyed it then and I especially enjoy it on this cool morning.

Someone has been here since my last visit and built this little monument.

The little canyon narrows and I keep my eye open for snakes. Thankfully, there are none.

Toward the end I go a different way than the last time I came and see this big pile of boulders. I would imagine there's some work planned on the flood control catch basin. While the desert is dry the vast majority of the time, it is known for cataclysmic storm that can cause incredible damage.

As can be seen by the erosion of this channel. This area was once completely filled in and there is now a gap here that is up to twelve feet deep. I hope we get some storms later this summer because I'd like to see what happens here during a flash flood. Of course, I'll be watching it safely from higher ground.

I had a very pleasant little outing this morning and as the temperatures really heat up in the next couple months I may have to consider becoming a temporary morning person. Of course, after my hike I went home and slept for another couple of hours. This old dog can't change his ways overnight

Summer Reruns

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR

As much as I like to do a different hike every day it's just not possible, especially in the summer. Most people take vacations in the summer but my work is busy right now. It used to be that the season happened, well, during the season. Now the summer is the season. Of course, people don't come here to hike in the summer. And that's OK. I don't like crowded trails.

I headed up the trail and mercifully it is fully engulfed in shade. The air temperature is 100º but it actually feels very tolerable, even comfortable.

Right near the top of the trail someone has started to build this little rock circle. I used to build forts when I was a kid and this is sorta the same thing.

I'm going to head up to this little canyon. I went there a few months ago with Nikolas and his friend, Jakob. This time it is just Kahlua and I.

This trail sign has been replaced since the last time I was up here. Kahlua gives it a sniff but she's a female so it doesn't get christened.

It even got a new sign in addition to the new pole.

When I first hiked this trail about 20 years ago it was barely detectable. Now it is easy to follow. I feel two ways about this. One, I'm glad that people are getting out and appreciating the wonderful wild areas in the desert. But then I also am worried about what that might bring. There are already some signs of abuse like graffiti on some rocks and beer bottles and cans left along the trail. Some people just don't know how to treat wilderness.

Kahlua is very excited to go into the canyon. You never know what you might find. Of course, sometimes it's nothing.

Or nothing much. Someone built this little dam to catch water. It probably hasn't held any water in months but I'm sure it would extend how long water stays here by a couple of days.

This dry fall had a little water coming down it the last time I was here but this time it is completely dry. One day I am going to try to explore this canyon to the end but I need to do so when the weather is cooler and with someone else along. There are a LOT of loose rocks to climb and it would be better to have someone along just in case.

There is just a little moisture remaining in the sand here and a colony of bees have decided to build a home in the sand. I'm not going to get too close. I'm still just a tad skittish around bees right now.

While this canyon feels like it is so isolated and wild, it is just a short distance from civilization.

And as much as Kahlua loves going hiking, she's glad to get back and get some water.

Hidden In Plain Sight

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE

With work and kids taking most of my time, my dream of traveling around the country and doing hikes in America's most beautiful places has been put on hold. Probably forever. Oh well. At least I live in a place with seemingly unending options for place to hike.

I headed up to the top of the La Quinta Cove, a place I've hiked about a half a million times this year so far.

This trail up to the Bear Creek Oasis is widely traveled. When I first moved to La Quinta over twenty years ago very few people hiked back here. Of course, that was because you could drive your 4WD most of the way back into the wash so what was the point of walking?

As I hit the wash I take an immediate right turn and head to a wash heading up toward Coyote Mountain. Since I almost always have headed straight up the wash, I have never hiked up this canyon. This is yet another first for me.

The canyon gets narrow and rocky fairly quickly. Up beyond are steep cliffs and canyons. I wonder how far I can actually get.

There are some very deep clefts in the mountain that may possibly house tinajas, tanks that hold water for months.

But it looks like I maybe not be able to get too much further due to dry falls and loose rocks.

This dry fall may be passable but I'm not going to try it alone just in case I fall. No one knows where I am and it's getting warm. If I fall off and break my leg I don't want to sit here and bake. I'll have to come back and try another time.

There is another canyon that may also be passable and which will also have to wait for another day. Maybe later in the year if we have some summer rainstorms I'd like to come up here and see if I can find some water holes.

Standing deep in the canyon I hear a shrieking overhead. Two Red Tail hawks circle around the steep cliffs above. I imagine they probably have a nest way up on the mountainside. They are too high, however, for me to get a good picture of them so I just sit back and enjoy their aerial dance. The canyon is not far from the main trail but it seems far away. I hike back on the upper ridges above the canyon hoping to find a trail but I don't have any luck with that. If Indians came up here they followed the canyon itself. I'll have to come and explore further to see if I can find any evidence of that possibility.

Distant Relatives

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE

I had to hang close to home today because I had to meet with a construction company who is fixing the entry way on my house. I was going to just go and hike up a trail that I've done a few times this year but then I noticed a side canyon that I hadn't ever explored.

Kahlua always wants to go even if it's in the middle of the day. Fortunately, it has not been too hot so I don't feel bad about taking her out in the heat. Once it warms up again she'll only be going in the morning or evening no matter what she wants.

She fancies herself a great hunting hound. She needs to be a little more selective, though. She pretty much chases anything that moves.

We head up this little side canyon. I'm hoping to find some tinajas or maybe on old Indian Trail or something other than just brown rocks. Then I see something move.

Running across the rocks is one of Kahlua's distant relatives, the coyote. He runs away from us but then stops and looks back, curious about what we're doing there. (click on picture to enlarge)

He gets a better viewpoint and checks us out for quite a while. I thought about moving in his direction to get a closer picture but he knows this area much better than I do and I have no chance catching him in this rocky terrain.

He also blends in really well. It's amazing how well camouflaged different animals in the desert are. You really have to look close to see them sometimes.

While I have heard the cries of coyotes many evenings on my hikes, this is the first time I've seen one this year. Coyotes are prevalent in the desert and they are frequently responsible for people's missing pets. It is much easier for them to catch a curious little lap dog than a fast and cautious jack rabbit. That is why it is a good idea never to let your pooch out of your sight. These wily critters are our neighbors and will gladly make your pet a midnight snack. Thankfully, Kahlua stays close. She's too tired from chasing little varmints. She probably thinks she could take this coyote but I won't give her the chance. As much as she loves hiking, she's no match for this guy who lives in the wilderness. None of us are. He's just too wily.

Unplanned Parenthood

Day Fifty Seven

I had plans for a nice hike up Hwy 74 today but sometimes life gets in the way of your plans. My wife informed me last night that I was accompanying my son's class on a field trip to the Palm Springs Desert Art Museum and, oh yeah, I was driving. Asked why she didn't go since it was her day off, she replied that she hadn't signed up with the district for approval and I had.

OK. Dad duty overrules plan so now it's time for new plan.

I decide to go do a hike South of Lake Cahuilla, in some canyons I had been eyeing. To get there, I had to hike along the southern wall of the Quarry Golf Club. Next time, I'll drive a bit further. This part of the hike is not very interesting.

There is some landscaping going on in this area outside the club. It'll be good to remember there's water here once it starts getting hot.

I head up a wash, south of the club, with Martinez Mountain looming in the background.

I quickly notice this trail on the right and decide to take it.

From the trail, you get a nice view of Lake Cahuilla, some homes and the golf course.

A bit further on the trail I can look down about a hundred feet into the canyon bottom.

As the trail reconnects with the canyon, I decide to take a right and hike cross country toward another large canyon.

This canyon is deep and looks like a giant sluiceway. I'd love to explore it but I have a museum to go to so I must turn back here.

I decide to hike the canyon back to the start rather than take the trail. It is easy to see that the trail was built solely for the use of equestrians because the trail is quite passable for someone on foot. A horse, however, would have a bit of a problem coming down some of the obstructions in this canyon.

There are a couple of other canyons in this area to explore so I'll have to add them to my plans.

Get me to the Church

January 15

Day Fifteen

There are a ton of new trails in Palm Desert.  So many, in fact, that I don't know the names of all of them.  Today I hiked one of them, a short one.

One of the difficulties in trying to hike every day is that I have a life.  Kids, wife, job, bills are part of my every day existence.  So are stupid little responsibilities like going to the bank.  People hate bankers these days and for good reason.  Bankers have played a major role in screwing up our economy and in the end we are the ones who are going to pay for it.  I hate bankers because they almost made me miss my hike today.

It's a long story but I waited for over a half an hour and still never got the five minute task that I was waiting for completed.  Since I was on a very tight schedule today I left before being helped. Too bad I can't bill them for a poor service fee.

Some of the new Palm Desert hikes start at the Cahuilla Hills Park.  It's not really much of a park and I always think of it as the park near the little church near the mountains.

This church.

Can you tell this city is run by old people?  Do you think there's anything else they could disallow at the park?  Oh wait, if you go to the City Clerk you can get the full list.

So this is the trail I pick today.  

It heads up a hill until I reach a place where the main trail goes to the left.  I go to the right.

It takes me to this little canyon and I can only get so far before I have to head back.  Another adventure for another day.

Nice views looking east over Palm Desert.

Chuparosa is starting to bloom.  In another couple of weeks both it and the brittlebush will be in their full glory.

Here's another trail to try next time.  Now will somebody tell me who Gabby Hayes and Herb Jefferies are?