It's A Very Good Place To Start

If you've happened to stumble across this blog and like what you see, you would do well to start at the very beginning and follow its progress.  Just read the post and at the bottom click on Newer Post. Enjoy!

Start At The Very Beginning

Favorite Hikes Number ONE

The Mountain Fire in 2013 destroyed almost 28,000 acres of forest in the San Jacinto area south of Idyllwild.  It closed a section of the Pacific Crest Trail that nearly three years later has yet to reopen.  It also burned several structures and has closed a significant part of the San Jacinto Wilderness area.  I am grateful that I'd been able to hike in the area before the fire and saddened by the memory of what was lost.  This is one of my favorite hikes I've ever done and I don't know when I'll be able to do it again, if ever.  I know the mountain will recover one day.  I only hope I'm around to see it.

My Favorite Hike

Favorite Hikes Number TWO

I see Mount San Jacinto almost every day.  I looms large on the Western Skyline of the Coachella Valley where I live.  If I could live on it I would.  But since it's mostly wilderness area I have to content myself with visiting and then returning home to the desert.  Plus, it'd be too cold for my wife. Days spent hiking there are always memorable and although I've hiked it hundreds of time I still look forward to when I can get back there.  This is one of my best days on the mountain.

Best day EVER on San Jacinto

Favorite Hike Number THREE

This was my longest hikes of the year and one of my longest hikes ever.  Snow Creek Village to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway via the PCT in one day!  I've climbed Snow Creek several times but it had always been via Snow Creek itself.  This was the first time I'd ever gone up the PCT all the way to Fuller Ridge.  I don't think it'll be my last although I have to admit I haven't done it again yet.  Maybe this fall once it cools down.  Maybe.

Snow Creek to Tram via PCT

Favorite Hikes Number FOUR

San Gorgonio is the tallest mountain in Southern California.  It's wilderness encompasses almost 95,000 acres and there are numerous trails leading to its summit.  I chose to do a loop on this day and enjoyed perfect weather and, except on the summit, saw very few people.  When the crazy rat race in Southern California seems to robbing one's soul, it's a great place to escape to.

Mount San Gorgonio

Update: The area included in this hike is being decimated by the Lake Fire, which started June 17, 2015.  At this point the fire has burned over 15,000 acres and significant portions of the area I went to during this hike.  Sadly, this area will take years to recover.  It is heartbreaking to any hiker who has been in this area and those who had yet to enjoy it.

The Lake Fire

Favorite Hikes Number FIVE

I love hiking in the Sierras.  How can you not?  The scenery is breathtaking, the weather is fairly predictable and you can enjoy a nice stroll around and alpine lake or a death-defying adventure up a 14 Thousand foot peak on pristine granite.  It's a place you can get lost in and never want to be found.

I only took one trip to the Eastern Sierras this year.  I did Tahoe, Yosemite and Sequoia but the East Side is where the big peaks are and has quick access to the high country.  I can never go there enough.

Here's my number  five favorite hike of the year.

Mount Langely

Favorite Hikes Number SIX

Lake Tahoe is one of my family's favorite places to spend a vacation.  The summer weather is perfect.  Warm days and cool nights are a welcome respite from the summer heat we deal with at home.  The lake and surrounding mountains never cease to captivate.  Although I'm sure the local teenagers sit around complaining that they're bored, there's so much to do there—hiking, boating, mountain biking, rafting—that we never have enough time to get it all in.  Then, there are the buffets.  I have to hike every day I'm there just to make sure I don't put on 20 lbs. in the week I usually stay there.

Mount Tallac is my favorite hike in the Tahoe area.  Start early in the day and watch the sun rise over the lake and make sure you're down early because thunderstorms are frequent and can be deadly.  Get caught in one and you'll make sure it never happens again.  Getting down early also ensures that you can hit the buffet before the lines get too long.

Mount Tallac

Favorite Hikes Number SEVEN

I love hiking in Joshua Tree National Park.  It's a place that's otherworldly in its landscape and unbelievably serene but within easy driving distance of over Twenty Million People.  There are numerous hikes in the Park and you could spend years trying to explore them all.  I know.  I've spent years hiking there and still have places I haven't even touched.  The area around Pushawalla Plateau is one of the more infrequently visited areas and offers fun and interesting side trips.  I enjoyed this hike immensely and look forward to going back often.  There's always something more to see here.

Mines near Pinyon Well and Pushawalla Plateau

Favorite Hikes of the Year: NUMBER EIGHT

My eighth favorite hike of the year was my last one.  Not only was I happy that I'd completed my goal but it was also a beautiful day in the desert and I was able to go to an area rich in history.  There are so many wonderful places to visit in the Indian Canyons but the Bullseye Rock area is one of my favorites.  I've been back many times since.

Trading Post to Bullseye Rock

Favorite Hikes, Number NINE, New Hemet Bell Mine

Ok, so it's been over a year since I updated this thing.  At this rate, I'll have my favorite hikes finished sometime after 2020.  I'm a person who likes to keep moving forward so going back and looking at the past is not easy for me.  Picking the best of these hikes is hard because there are so many I really like.  Sadly, there are also quite a few that are really mundane and boring.   Maybe once I'm retired I can try this again and have time to visit more interesting and exotic locales.

I really liked this hike and enjoy the entire area; it close but has a remote feel to it.  I went back yesterday and found the mines have now been closed by the National Forest Service so I'm glad I went when I did and was able to actually go inside the mines.  Supposedly, the USFS said they closed the mines due to the local bat population but I didn't see any bats when I was there.  We did see a frog, though.

I also found out that the mine is called the NEW Hemet Bell Mine.  I haven't been able to find where the OLD Hemet Bell Mine is so I guess my original title will do just fine.

New Hemet Bell Mine

Favorite Hikes, Number 10

This hike was not particularly long or interesting.  I did not see anything really exciting or noteworthy.  However, it was an example of my family's support and my own persistence so I'm nominating it as my 10th favorite hike of the year.

I seldom get sick—Which I attribute to the amount of junk food I eat.  Germs don't want to live in my body—but on this day I was down for the count.  With the support of my lovely wife and son I was able to get out and keep the streak alive even though I barely was.  I thank them for being there for me and it's a great reminder of what a difference family support can make in realizing your dreams.

Sick Day

What were your favorites?

I'm reading through my trips for the year to see what my favorites were. After I'm done—and when I find time—I'm going to post my 10 favorite hikes of the year. That'll make it easy on anyone who wants to find some fun adventures to do but don't want to read through an entire year of ramblings. If you've got a favorite, leave a comment and let me know.

Palm Canyon Falls

Did a hike earlier this week in the Indian Canyons. Read about it here.

New trip on my other blog

Hike to Sheep Mountain

On The Road To Recovery

I had my toe worked on last Friday and hopefully it'll clear up the ongoing problem I've had with ingrown toenails. If you've never had ingrown toenails it probably doesn't sound like that big a deal but it's very painful. It's like having a toothache in your toe. Two nights before I went in to get it fixed I was up at 2:30 in the morning because the pain wouldn't let me sleep. Here I am trying to do something to alleviate the pain just so I could get back to bed. It was very annoying.

I also went to physical therapy for my back and that's getting better, too. I'm hoping 2012 will be better than 2011 and I can get back out on the trail…or off it.

My Next Endeavor

OK, so the hiking into shape thing didn't quite work out. I got a couple of injuries that really set back my progress and I'm finally going to get the fixed. I'm seeing a physical therapist today about my sciatica and I've got an appointment with a podiatrist about my ongoing problems with my toes. I hope to be good as new but the first of the year.

I've got some great adventures planned for 2012 if I can get my health under control and will have no other objectives than to enjoy the best hikes possible. No hiking every day again, no let's hike for health, no big plans other than to just enjoy myself and to share some of the great places I explore.

Amazingly, this blog still gets over a hundred hits a day even though I stopped adding hikes to it almost two years ago. I have to think of a name for whatever blog I do next but I'll give that some thought as I'm undergoing my recovery. I'll let you know what I figure out.

Hiking Into Shape

My new blog, Hiking Into Shape, is now live.

I haven't quite started the Into Shape part of the equation yet but I've done a few hikes that I thought were enjoyable enough to share.

I'm waiting until after the first of the year to start the full fitness aspect of my endeavor because who wants to start a fitness regimen during the holidays?

Once I get that started I'll give fitness assessment and updates on any hikes I do.

Hope you enjoy it!

Hal

Change In Plans

I'd been hoping to finally get moving on my Palm Springs Hikes blog but during a 16 mile hike this past Saturday I came up with another idea.

Last year I was able to accomplish my goal of hiking every day. This year I've been far less motivated and have paid the price, mainly in weight gain and a loss some of the fitness I attained by hiking every day.

SO, next year I have set forth a new project for myself: Hiking Into Shape.

I hope to chart my progress toward greater health and my hiking experiences all while losing weight and returning to my role as an inspiration for millions. OK, maybe not that last part.

Bookmark my new site: Hiking Into Shape and there will be more coming in the next few weeks. I promise.

Favorite Pictures of Animals--Reptiles and Birds

One amazing thing about the desert is the amount of wildlife. Most people think of the desert as a dry and lifeless, sandy and remote area of land but it is really an incredible wellspring of life. There were very few days that I did not encounter some type of animal and often the creatures I did come across were the highlight of my adventure. Here are a few of the birds and reptiles I saw on my outings.

I saw a lot of hawks this past year but couldn't get any real good pictures of them. They fly high and fast and I wasn't able to get the camera on them but they are a pleasure to watch.

Roadrunners are a different matter. I could probably take a hundred pictures of them. In fact, I have a pair that live on my street that I see almost every day. They are fun to watch and when you see one you know you're in the desert.

Hummingbirds are another desert bird that are difficult to photograph for an amateur like me although they are plentiful. These guys move FAST and when you think you've got a good picture they're gone. I was lucky to find this one actually perched for a second while I got my camera ready.

Hummingbirds are usually seen around flowers as this one hovers near this Palo Verde.

One of the best bird sightings of this year for me was this juvenile Great Horned Owl that Carl Garczynski and I saw on a hike in Joshua Tree National Park. He showed very little fear of us and Carl suggested that we were probably the only humans that he had ever seen and didn't know what to make of us.

Here he is just a bit closer.

Probably my favorite bird sighting this year was this Falcon that I saw near the start of the Art Smith Trail. He had a freshly killed Chuckwalla in his talon and had must have had a nest nearby because he hung around for a while even after leaving this spot.

Lizards were the most frequently spotted animal during my year of hiking. I probably spotted lizards on at least 75% of my outings. Most of the time I just let them be but Nikolas wanted to catch one so I let him. He also wanted to take him home but I insisted we let him go.

This Desert Iguana was lucky to get away from being caught. He was spotted on a hike when I had three boys along but he managed to escape.

Banded lizards, like this one, were the most plentiful and easily recognized.

Other than running under rocks the most frequent thing I saw lizards do were push-ups.

I saw a couple of Horned Toads (or Horny Toads as we called them when we were kids) and of the lizards I spotted, I most wanted to take on of these home.

I know frogs aren't really Reptiles but I didn't have enough amphibians to up them in their own category so this one goes here.

One of the most frequent questions I got about hiking every day was, "Have you seen any rattlesnakes?". Hiking hundreds of miles over three hundred and sixty-five days I saw one. Amazingly, I saw it on an evening in August when I thought it would be WAY too hot for a rattler. It was way too hot for me and I had Gatorade.

Bullseye Rock and Mad Women Spring

BEYOND THE LAST DAY

On my last hike of the year I went to the Bullseye Rock area in the Indian Canyons. I wanted to go beyond there to Bullseye Flat and Mad Women Spring but the canyons closed early on December 31 and I really didn't feel comfortable going up into that rugged area alone. I'm old. Years of domestic bliss has not softened my adventurous spirit but my body is another story. Having someone along would be good in case I tripped over my cane.

So I went back with Florian, a guy I met in an online forum for Mount San Jacinto, with the goal of making it all the way to Mad Women Spring and the rock cabin I visited over 17 years ago.

The trip report on my first visit up to Bullseye Rock can be found here.

Bullseye Rock is a huge monolith and there are no easy ways around it. It is not that steep so it's possible to find a place to just go up the face.

But once you're past it, the traveling doesn't' get much easier. There's a large boulder field that has to be navigated through.

A couple of deer run through Bullseye Flat but I only got a picture of one.

All along this hike there is a wealth of Indian artifacts and dwellings. This rock shelter is one of the most interesting I've found.

There are a number of bedrock mortars here.

This one is quite deep.

There are also cupules which are generally more for ceremonial use than food preparation.

Another large bedrock mortar.

Under this overhang could have been a sleeping area. Just move a few rocks and bedtime.

Just around the corner is the kitchen area with lots of pitch from fires on the roof. I don't know how those ghosts appeared in this photo because I didn't see them and the picture before and after this one are clear. My wife thinks the image on the right looks like a lady holding a child.

This is the picture I took almost immediately following the ghost picture. There are no ghosts in this one so I guess they only hang out in the kitchen.

After leaving the rock shelter and the ghosts behind, we tromp up a steep and rocky hillside until we come to the rock house at Mad Women Spring.

A closer look at the backside of the cabin.

The inside of the cabin is a bit dusty but there are some tools left behind and it's obvious that someone's been up here since my last visit. They put a new roof on the thing.

There are also many provisions although it doesn't appear that any are particularly new.

Here's another view of the rock house with its shiny "new" roof. From reading the log book the roof is about ten years old but it still looks great.

The spring is just a drip but it's enough to ensure the water tub is full and clear. The tub is also "new". It may only be a couple of years old. Not many hikers come up here. The most recent entry in the log book is about two years old and several parties came in by helicopter.

I have plenty of water left in my water bottle but if I didn't there's an ample supply here.

Florian makes his way down Bullseye Rock as we head back after a successful adventure.

It sure will be nice to get back on flat ground.

This is a very interesting little place in the world and I hope to get back soon. Next time I'm going to wear long pants because my legs look like they were in a vat of cats. I can only imagine what else might be left to be discovered in this mysterious and seldom visited section of the San Jacinto Mountains.