Midnight Rambler

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE

Work and hiking sometimes do not mix. In fact, they seldom do. But today they were especially opposed to one another. I had two choices when it came to hiking today: wake up before the sun (again) and greet the day or wait until after work and wander around in the moonlight. After yesterday's debacle I figured the latter would be the best--no, the only--choice. There was no way I was waking up early this morning.

It's a couple of days until the full moon. For the hiker, it is even better than the full moon because the moon is much higher in the sky earlier than on the night that the moon is at 100%. The moonlight is so intense that I don't even bother to bring a headlamp.

I considered going to Palm Desert, Palm Springs and the Tramway but settled on hiking near home in La Quinta. I don't have a spare tire so I really didn't want to drive very far.

The moonlight is so bright it illuminates everything around. I can make out the shapes of mountains miles away. Unfortunately, my camera cannot capture that image so I have one of this palm tree instead.

Not only is the trail lit by the moon, it also sort of looks like it.

In the moonlight, plants all look fairly similar because you can make out shapes but not really detail. So, rule one is don't touch anything. You might think it's a harmless Desert Lavender but instead it's a Pencil Cholla. These hurt.

The only plant that is easy to differentiate is the Ocotillo. There's nothing else that looks like this. And don't touch these either. They have HUGE spines.

I caught Kahlua stalking something but it was only her own shadow. When I took this picture it went away.

There's a certain magic to walking in the moonlight whether in the mountains, at the beach or in the desert. The darkness adds to the feeling of solitude and requires that you move slower than in the daylight. There's an opportunity to drink in more wildness than during the day. And since the full moon isn't for two more days, you have a chance to get out and experience it yourself. Take an hour and walk around the closest trail to your home in only the moonlight. You'll come home a different person. I do every time.

Evening Soul

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE

More often than not I hike alone. I enjoy the solitude, the time to think, soaking in the beauty, serenity and strength of desert landscape. Sometimes, however, there are moments of such sublimity and grace that it's a shame that they cannot be shared with someone else, a person you love. Tonight was one of those nights. I am only sorry that my pictures cannot do it justice.

Sometimes it is the physical exertion that makes a hike enjoyable, while other times it is the scenery, tonight it was the temperature. Every cell of my skin soaked in the absolute perfection that surrounded it. The intense heat of summer has finally come to an end.

After yesterday's long hike, a short and flat hike to Willis Palms was just what I needed. Instead of hiking to the Palms themselves, though, I climbed the hill behind them from the backside up an old abandoned and eroded road that is now used as a trail.

The sun is setting as I get to the top of the hill.

A concrete slab rests where a homestead once stood.

And while no one now lives here, in some ways it feels like home, the place I belong at this moment.

The moon rises and brings its magical light.

As the last light of day falls on the hills in the distance and the moon kisses it goodnight I head home to those I love. My only wish is that they were here instead.

It Only Hurts When I Walk

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN

Today the desert was like a swamp, hot, muggy, sticky, disgusting. It made me wonder, not why I live in the desert but why anyone would live in some place where it's often hot and humid, like Florida. Last night's hike was a sweatfest and I started to get a little chafing on my thighs. I tried to treat it this morning but by this afternoon it had only gotten worse. Just walking became painful. It is not what one wants to deal with when you have a hike to do.

When I left the house to head up to the trailhead the moon was already up to greet me.

And while the sun was down there was still light coming from the West horizon.

Unfortunately, when I got to the trailhead the mountain obscured the moon and left me somewhat bereft of light. But since I was walking quite slowly and gingerly it didn't matter much. It doesn't require too much light to move at a turtle's pace.

After a while the moon made its appearance and the landscape changed. I could see! It didn't cause my pace to quicken but it did alleviate my fear of inadvertently stepping on a snake.

With the moon in it's full glorious glow I was tempted to start moving quickly to cover more terrain but my swollen and irritated inner thighs quickly said don't even think about it.

I love the desert landscape at night during the full moon. It's almost magical.

And I can't wait until next month so I can go out and hike somewhere footloose and pain free. I'm thinking Joshua Tree would be a good spot since it looks a bit like a moonscape. So put October 3 on your calendar. Full Moon Hike at Joshua Tree. You're all invited.

Joy and Disappointment

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT

After such a great hike on Saturday, today's hike was anti-climactic, VERY anticlimactic. Since it was a full moon, I waited until the end of the Laker game to go out on my hike. I was hoping to get some good pictures of the moon rising over the horizon. That didn't happen. It's not the first time the moon has disappointed me.

With the Laker game going into overtime I had to literally run to try and get into position to get some moonshots. I crossed over the storm channel and headed up to the hills.

I thought if I climbed up this little hill I might get a good view of the moon coming up. Wrong!

I started running up the hill, looking to the East, trying to beat the moon's arrival. I thought for a moment the moon was coming up but soon discovered the light came from cars driving on I-10 in the distance.

I got to the top of the hill and waiting...and waited....and waited. No moon. As has happened to me before, on other hikes, is that the moonrise is blocked by the mountains. To make it worse, the sky was cloudy and the clouds also shrouded the moon.

After waiting for a moon that never came, Kahlua and I set out on the trail for a little night hike. While I had hoped for some moonlight to guide our way, our eyes were well enough adjusted to see even without it.

Someone had some fun over in this area building all kinds of little rock formations like this little heart. How fun to be young and in love. I don't have time for that stuff now.

Kahlua loves chasing critters and she almost managed to capture something but it ducked under this creosote bush.

Much like the rest of life, hiking is filled with joy and disappointment. It is always a pleasure to go out and discover new places or to take comfort in familiar terrain. But things don't often work out as planned and you have to adapt and just keep moving. It's a lesson I apply to my life daily, whether hiking or not.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love (updated)

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT

People say crazy things happen during a full moon. I don't know about that but it is one of my favorite times to hike. I love it. The moon casts light upon the desert that is otherworldly and since I didn't bring a flashlight it is the only light I have tonight.

As I start up the Gabby Hayes Trail in Palm Desert, the full moon starts to make its appearance over the top of Indio Mountain.

As it rises, I get a better view of the trail and I'm glad of that. Before I left, my wife made sure to point out to keep my eyes open for rattlesnakes.

On part of the trail the moon gets obscured by the mountainside. I hope there are no snakes here because if there are I cannot see them.

I get to a higher point where I can really take in the coruscating lights of the desert below. However, my limited skills as a photographer and the limitations of my equipment become more evident to me at night. It is impossible for me to get any shots to capture the beauty of the landscape under the full moon.

I can't even get a good picture of the cross on the hillside above.

I can zoom out but it doesn't capture what my eyes see. The mountain glows from the light of the cross and the moon casts its shadows on the hills below and I just can't get the picture to reflect what it really looks like.

I was going to hike up to the cross but my frustration at not getting a shot worthy of the effort dissuades me. I need to take a photography class or maybe just read the manual that came with my camera. I head down to where this palm tree is and opt for the flash since I can't do anything else right.

This little picnic area would be the perfect spot to just kick back, enjoy a nice bottle of wine and relish the view. Next time.

As I get down on level ground, I hear a sound that could be a sprinkler or a rattler emanating from this bush. Without a flashlight I am not about to go and check. As long as it is not by my feet, within striking distance, I don't care.

The magical glow of the moonlight on the hills and the peacefulness of the desert together create a calmness that helps melt my frustration at being unable to get any pictures I want.

Call me crazy but hiking in the moonlight is an aliment to my soul like no other. You don't know quite which way to go; every step is tentative. You're a little bit scared but excited by the thrill of the unknown. And the light that fills your eyes fills you heart as well.

It's like being in love for the first time.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

DAY NINETY EIGHT

With the full moon coming tomorrow, a night hike seemed appropriate. Especially since I worked all day and would not have a chance to get out any other time. Trying to figure out what trail to do was easy. I wanted a trail with a clear view to the East and one where the mountains would not block the moon. That left me with pretty much two choices: the Lykken-Museum Trail in Palm Springs or the (ugh) Mirage Trail aka Bump and Grind in Palm Desert. Since my time was limited, by default, it would have to be the B&G. I've made no secret of my disdain for this "trail" but tonight it seems like the best choice.

I drove straight over from work and got ready to join the crowds. I feel like putting a trail map on cars at this place telling people there are better trails around.

The sun has set but there is still plenty of light. It is pretty windy and clouds are hugging the top of Mount San Jacinto.

I am not ten minutes up the trail when I turn around notice the moon is already up. I know it always comes up a bit early before the full moon--which is tomorrow--but I didn't expect it to be up this early.

I didn't bring a flashlight because I figure I'll have ample light for my hike down.

I look over at the Palm Desert Cross and think I could have hiked there but the mountains probably would have obscured the moon coming up, like they do the sunrise.

I'm up toward the top of the trail as it starts to get dark and the lights are going on in the city.

I follow the trail down and by moonlight it really doesn't seem so bad. The glow of the moon sort of acts like lunar beer goggles.

Plus the view of the city below is magnificent.

My rudimentary photo skills cannot fully capture how well the trail is lit by just moonlight.

But I make it back to the car without mishap and without any source of light but this.

I really enjoy the peacefulness of a full moon hike and I think I'm going to try to do one every month. I think everyone should.

The Way You Look Tonight

Day Twenty Five

Today I had a choice.  I could wake up early and get a hike in before work or I could sleep in and wait until after work and hike in the dark.  Well, night time is the right time so I enjoyed my extra slumber this morning and took a little hike after dark.  

I've hiked at night many times but it usually was not be choice. Either environmental conditions called for it, i.e, climbing a mountain early in the morning when snow is consolidated, or I just finished later than hoped for.  This time it was purely by choice.

There are a few things I learned on this night hike that I'll use when I do more.

 

Oh good, the park is still open!

And the trail is open, too.  Sweet!

I learned you should do a hike you've done before when going night hiking.   I wander around a bit wondering if I'm off track.

I hit this sign and think I'm lost but I'm not.  It's just some more names of people I've never heard of.

I finally hit the actual trailhead and get on a real trail.

You've seen those beautiful night shots of city lights.  This is not one of them.  Another lesson learned.  When doing night photography, bring a tripod.  Maybe it would also help if I knew what I was doing.

This one is a little better.  Very little.

It might help if I had a destination in mind but I come to a fork in the trail and take it.

I've seen this before and maybe it'll be my next night destination.

The night hike was actually kinda fun and I look forward to doing another soon.  Maybe in two weeks when there's a FULL moon.  That's the last lesson I'll take from tonight.  If you're not hiking during a full moon, bring a BIG flashlight.