Art Smith Trail Loop

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE

A couple of days ago I went out intending to hike the Art Smith Trail but upon finding Dead Indian Canyon open decided to go there instead. Today I made good on my intent to hike the Art Smith and rather than just hike it as an out and back I hiked up the new Art Smith and then came down the original Art Smith. I'd never done this before so the novelty and the absolutely perfect weather made this a very pleasant little outing.

The sun is already down when I start hiking and the air still. It's perfect.

Today I take the trail instead of following the wash.

On the trail this Giant Swallowtail Butterfly rests on a Catclaw Acacia. It looks like some bird or bat swallowed part of this one's tail.

Higher on the trail I see that the desecration of the desert mountains continues. The only thing that makes me madder than closure of trails is that building up in the mountains continues unabated even as they close hiking areas. Money talks.

The other day I noted that the Dead Indian Palms Oasis used to have running water but in recent years has been dry. I wonder where all the water went to?

I hike around and get to the Schey Trail. This is but one of many trails Mr. Schey built in the area. They all have the same name, too.

On the right, just after this trail junction I take a little trail that leads me to the original Art Smith Trail which I will take back down.

The original sign painted by Mr. Schey just so there's no mistake as to who built this trail.

The trail down to Dead Indian Canyon hasn't been maintained in years but it's still there.

Although it is certainly eroded in a few areas.

Between the new and the old Art Smith I really prefer the old trail. On the old trail you get to hike further up the canyon before you start gaining elevation, you don't have to hike near the abomination of hillside development and the sign is WAY better. Too bad it's only open three months out of the year.

Schey Trail from Cat Canyon

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY

My list of hikes that I've not done in the local area keeps getting shorter. I can only think of a few that I've yet to do and I'll have to wait until it's just a bit cooler to attack those because they're all hard. OK, there may be a couple in the Indian Canyons that I could do but since I'm cheap I don't want to pay the $8.00 for a couple of hours of hiking. I'll just wait until I can spend the better part of the day there to get my money's worth. Plus, the drive kills me sometimes. I'm not getting tired of hiking but I do get tired of driving to get to places to hike.

Today I did a hike in a place I haven't been to since spring: Cat Canyon. It was only a fifteen minute drive from work.

At the place in the wash where I park to hike up Cat Canyon there's always been a fence. Now the fence is gone. That's a good thing. We need more easy access to hiking, not less.

This sign was also taken down but not removed. Maybe I'll affix it to one of the fence posts.

There are a LOT of footprints in the canyon, more than I've ever seen before. I don't know if people are coming here because they can no longer go to Dead Indian and Carrizo Canyons or if there are just more hikers looking for new places. This is both a good and bad thing.

The trail itself has seen some work since I was last here.

But it could still use a little more. There's been some erosion and washouts due to rain.

I hike to the top of the saddle past where the Schey Trail takes off to the left and the Hopalong Trail continues on past the Bighorn Club. Looking back I can see where the Hopalong Trail continues toward its starting point behind the Palm Desert Target. Doing this entire trail before the year is out is on my list.

Looking south I can see Martinez Mountain in the distance. Though I've stood on its summit many times I'd also like to do this before the year is out. I'll announce it ahead of time in case anyone wants to come along. It's about sixteen miles round trip.

From the top of the saddle I decide to climb this little peak to enjoy the view.

I'm happy I did. The view is dramatic and the weather is superb. One of the great rewards of hiking is that after the physical exertion required to reach a rocky hilltop you are met with views so sublime that all you can do is sit down and enjoy them. There is no better way to relax than this.

Join The Club

Hike now while you still can.  

Today I went to go hiking up Carrizo Canyon just south of Palm Desert.  I hadn't been up there in a few years so I thought I'd check it out.  Nice area, ends in a usually dry waterfall and fit my schedule for the day.  I was not happy to come upon this sign on a chain link fence that spanned the length of the canyon.  

It seems the Fish and Game biologists want to have a private playground without intruders so they put this area off limits under the guise of helping the Bighorn Sheep.  They seem to think that a few hikers walking quietly in the wild will disturb the sheep and do them harm. Shooting nets on sheep from helicopters, tranquilizing them and mounting radio collars on them is OK but walking quietly is wrong.  Oh, unless you're a biologist.  If you are, then you can hike around the sheep but no one else can.  They don't have the proper credentials.  It's like they have their own private little club.  Members Only.

So I figure I'll just hike on over to the Dead Indian Canyon and hike up to the Palm Oasis there. Nope.  That place is also now a country club for biologists and their friends.  Call the number and maybe they'll leave your name at the gate.
So I am forced to head up to the new Art Smith Trail.  You see, they have redirected the trail from its original path because it went too close to  an oasis where someone might see a sheep. I guess the shutter of cameras frightens them.  Like it does pro golfers.
So I hike up the Art Smith Trail a bit before turning around and find this fascinating view.  I find it fascinating because these multi-million dollar mansions and private golf courses are encroaching further and further into the prime sheep habitat that hikers are being banished from.  

It is funny that the biologists think the sheep are so skittish that they cannot handle hikers but development of mansions is just fine.  Like biologists, millionaires have their private clubs, too.  Hikers need a better club.  I don't think the Sierra Club is gonna help us.  They're all establishment now.  But I have to wonder how John Muir would feel about fences keeping hikers off public lands.

I don't know exactly how to explain how I feel about this whole situation but I saw something on the trail that sums up what I think about having to belong to a special club in order to enjoy the beauty of the desert without fences.

It's pure horseshit.