Double Disappointment Times Two

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR

Warm temperatures were expected in the desert today so I decided to head up to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a hike to Hidden Lake. Hidden Lake is a special little place not too far from the Tram and I've hiked there pretty much every year once or twice for the past fifteen years or so.

My time this morning was somewhat limited because I had to drop off kids at school and then pick up my son at 1 to get him to an Orthodontist appointment. Since the Tram goes up at 10 Monday-Friday I'd only have a couple of hours on the mountain.

I got to the Tram in plenty of time to get the first car up only to discover that my Tram pass had expired and I'd need to buy a new one. Plus, the price went up to $150 from last year's $120 (Don't these people know there's a recession? Who else is imposing 20%+ price increases these days?). So I plunked down money I hadn't planned on spending today and went up on the second Tram car. While sitting in the waiting room I noticed I could have bought the summer pass for $60 and it would have been good today through August 31. Oh well. I spent too much money and missed my Tram. I have a pass good until next year and I'm going hiking. It could be worse.

I hop on the Tram and head up the mountain. I plug in the new Bob Dylan album on my iPod to drown out the tedium of the tape they've played for years on the Tram. I guess it's interesting for first time visitors but when you've heard it hundreds of times, it is more than a little annoying.

I get a permit at the Ranger Station and head out to Hidden Lake. Now, Hidden Lake is a sensitive ecosystem so they don't publicize it. In fact, the State Park removed it from their map although it can still be seen on Google Earth and, oddly enough, on the topo map in the waiting area at the top of the Tram. Just don't ask me how to get there: I ain't telling.

I start out cross country and hop over Long Creek. It's nice to come up this time of year and see water in the creek. By the end of the summer, it is totally dry.

There is still some snow on the trails at the Tram but it's melting fast. It was a fairly dry year this year so there is not a lot of snow pack. I'd imagine the trails higher on the mountain will be completely clear of snow very early this year.

I head down from this trail junction to where Hidden Lake is. Every year, I'm sure hundreds, if not thousands, of hikers pass Hidden Lake and have no idea it's even there.

When I get to the lake I am in for another disappointment. The State Park has closed the area off to visitors. I've always felt the view of the desert from beyond the lake was the best on the mountain. I wanted some pictures of that but will respect the closure and head back instead.

Due to the low snowpack this year, I'm not really missing much by not being able to go down to the lake. It's really more of a puddle than a lake, with very little water. It'll probably be completely dry within a few weeks.

Despite my disappointment with paying too much for my pass and missing the first Tram as well as not being able to go to the greatly diminished Hidden Lake, I enjoyed my brief time on the mountain. There is something restorative to me being able to breathe the alpine air and I will certainly get my money's worth when the desert temperatures start to rise. I will be up here at least once a week. Because there's one thing that never disappoints me when it comes to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: perfect hiking weather.

Cedar Spring Trail, Garner Valley

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE

This afternoon I left the desert and went on one of my favorite little hikes to Cedar Springs. It leaves Garner Valley and climbs up over the Desert Divide to a little spring high in the San Jacinto Mountains.

You start toward the end of Morris Ranch Road and are quickly met by several signs. I think it's obvious that the Oak Grove Trail is closed to the general public.

This gate leads to the Cedar Springs Trail and is the first of four you pass through.

Blah, blah, blah

It's nice that the landowners allows people to cross their property.

This sign is new. I don't think it is really necessary but putting it here gave someone a job and we need more of those these days.

Another new sign and this one is en Español.

Yet more signage. Since I didn't start hiking until after 4:30 I think I'll limit my adventure to going to Cedar Springs. Since the Toll Gate closes at 5:00 I don't think I'll make it there in time.

Another of the gates. Cattle have been known to roam these hills so it's important to close all these gates when passing through them.

There's a picnic table here for the unadventurous hiker. It is only about twenty minutes from the trailhead to get here.

Only adventurous hikers should proceed beyond this point. I have a water bottle and a camera so I'm prepared.

They have another mileage sign because the one I came to 1/2 mile back probably wasn't enough.

At the top of the trail, you cross the Pacific Crest Trail and we have yet another sign. This one has seen its better days, though. The wind up here has beaten it up a bit.

The view from up here is fantastic with the Coachella Valley thousands of feet below.

After a quick mile of downhill, you come to Cedar Springs.

It is a different world from the surrounding chaparral and oak woodland. It's more like a forest here.

It is also a popular campsite.

It has running water.

Although I don't think they have to worry about people washing in this basin.

Or this one.

Near the campground is one of my favorite lunch spots in the San Jacintos. The view is amazing.

And with four bedrock mortars like this one, it's obvious that I am not the first to enjoy this view during a lunch or dinner break.

Cedar Springs is a great little excursion for an afternoon or overnight trip. I ran into a Pacific Crest Trail hiker on his way to Canada who stopped for some water and to enjoy the serenity of the area. It is easily one of the nicest water stops in Southern California and a fun little day hike.

Million Dollar Views

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO

Today the weather in the Coachella Valley was supposed to be terrible. Instead, it was very nice and in the afternoon it was perfect for a hike. Of course, for me every day is perfect for a hike.

I hit the Araby Trail in Palm Springs and head up to the hills above Bob Hope's House. It's late afternoon so most of the hike is in the shade. It's a good thing because although it is not real hot today, it is kinda humid, like 40%.

At the bottom of the hill a trailer park shares the same driveway as the mansions above.

The trail could use a little work since this palm tree is blocking most of it. It is not a problem for me but it might prove a solid obstacle for others.

There's no need to bring out the heavy equipment to fix the trail. A chain saw would have been OK.

The trail heads on up the hill by the Bob Hope House. I thought Chrysler owned this at one time. Who knows, maybe you could get it pretty cheap right about now.

The trail soon takes you past the mushroom shaped house and up into the hills above. You don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy this view.

I come to the Berns Trail and could take it to some other trails but instead decide to hike up to the little peak just to the west of the trail junction.

The peak is topped by this pile of rocks. I add one for luck.

Down below, you can see light pouring into the Coachella Valley.

Just as it does above Mount San Jacinto.

As I relax on this little unnamed mountain top, I feel like I'm the richest man in Palm Springs and with views like this I don't know if there's anyone who would argue with me.

Four Months of Hiking Every Day

I have been very lucky this year and have managed to hike every day for whole four months. Some of those hikes have been pretty easy and a few have been quite challenging. I haven't had time to do any monster hikes but I'm sure I will before the year is out. I've got a few thoughts on my experience so far but since I don't want to bore anyone with my tedious ramblings on something you don't care about I'll try to keep it short.

Life is hard. Hiking is easy.

The easiest part of hiking every day has been the hiking. It's everything else that's tough. Going to work, getting kids to school, trying to write and post pictures, those things are time consuming and have specific time constraints. Hiking can fill whatever time you have free. You can go morning, noon or night and it can be short or long. It's pretty open ended in that you can take a walk in the park or climb the highest mountains on earth. The only limit is your will and imagination.

Excuses are lame.

When people tell me that they just don't have time for something, I laugh. Most of those same people have hours to surf the Net, watch TV reruns, go shopping for things they don't need or lay around doing nothing. I have yet to find an excuse that has kept me for a day on the trail.

Set your mind to do something and then go do it. There is no special skill or knowledge needed to do something new or to explore an area you've never been. Again, all that is required is will and imagination.

Stuff is overrated.

Hikers can spend an unlimited amount of money on gear but most of it is not only unnecessary, it gives people a false sense of security. For most of my hikes I take a minimal amount of gear. I take water, some snacks, a lighter and, if it's cold, some extra clothes. That's it. I don't like to be weighed down with all kinds of extra stuff. If I get a little cold or a little bloody or a little parched, that's part of the experience and it makes me appreciate the comfort of the rest of my life just a little more. What I don't appreciate is a heavy pack full of extra gear I'll never use. I'm not advocating lack of preparedness but what I am advocating is tailoring your gear to your needs. I don't need the same amount of gear for a two hour easy hike that I'll need on a eight hour snowshoe adventure. Plus, sometimes people get so caught up in their love for gear that it overshadows their love of the outdoors.

I have a foot fetish.

I think about my feet a lot. I guess because I've had problems with ingrown toenails, blisters and other maladies in the past, I don't want foot problems to ruin my hiking experience. So far this year I've had very little in the way of foot problems and I attribute that to two things. I mostly wear running shoes and I wear Smartwool® socks.

Running shoes, I think, are better for hiking than most boots because they give your feet freedom of movement and they are lightweight and breathable. Right now I'm using a pair of Patagonia trail running shoes and a pair of New Balance 993s. I'm not in love with either one of them but they are OK and I'm always looking for the perfect pair of shoes. I'm also looking for a perfect leather boot so I can have something for any snow travel I might get into this summer. I have plastic mountaineering boots but no lightweight leathers right now.

Smartwool® are the best socks I've found because they are comfortable, soft and the wool doesn't hold moisture next to your feet where it can cause blisters. They are not cheap but I've learned from bad experiences not to skimp where your feet are concerned.

I also regularly trim my toenails and apply salve to my feet to keep them in good shape. If your feet hurt, nothing else matters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my feet don't give me any problems.

So many hikes, so little time.

I would love to take a year off and just go hiking. It would be incredible to travel around the country, and the world, and just hike every day. Unfortunately, that is not a possibility so I have to content myself with the hikes I can do in the time I have.

I have a to do list that I hope I can get to as the year goes by. There are some pretty big names on that list: Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Kauai, Mount Whitney. If time allows, I'll hit all of them and more before the year is out.

Wish me luck.

May Day

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

I cannot believe I have been hiking every day for four months. It seemed like such a crazy idea to start with and it seems even crazier now but I've been having fun so I might as well keep going. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be able to write a few thoughts about these first four months but then I wanted to do it after two months, then three and then 100 day so we'll see.

Today, since I couldn't find a May Pole anywhere I decided to hike up to a flag pole. I went to do this hike a few months ago with my boys but we didn't get to the top. The terrain was too sketchy for the kids and I'm not going to put my kids or their buddies at risk to any degree.

I went out by Lake Cahuilla to climb this thing called Rod 2. Maybe it's named after the flag pole on the top.

The climb is up this loose, rocky slope of the kind that is all too common in the area around my home. It's slow going heading up and even slower coming down.

It's steep so you gain elevation quickly. I'm up a couple hundred feet in less than ten minutes.

When I get to the gap at the top of the gully I look down to see if it would be better to go down this way. Uh, no.

I start to climb up this way but it doesn't look very good and I don't like climbing class four or five on loose rock. I back off to look for another way.

This way looks good. OK, it doesn't look GOOD but it is better than the other way and at least I can see the flag waving at the top.

I get to the flag and find it's detached from the pole on the bottom. I don't have any way to fix it so I just have to leave it how it is.

The base of the pole is covered in flying bugs. I'd like to sit up here and enjoy the view for a few minutes but that isn't even an option.

It's too bad because there's a real nice view from up here.

I get a picture of the benchmark near the top. I don't get the elevation because the topo map says the height is 465 feet. Of course, climbing it feels like it is ten times that high. Every step is precarious.

I am not looking forward to the climb down. When climbing, it is important to maintain three points of contact. That means only move one hand or foot at a time and keep the other three connected to the rock. On the way down this thing I keep five points of contact. Two hands, one foot and two buns. It is not a fun climb down.

I look down at the Jeep (you can click to enlarge) and wish I were there NOW. Downclimbing is not something anyone likes to do but it must be done. I am immensely happy when I finally reach solid ground and can make my way home. I am glad I made the climb but for me once is enough. Now I've got to get the bugs out of my shirt and shorts.