Pushin' It!

DAY EIGHTY FIVE

Papa's got a new pair of shoes!

I was quite excited to get a new pair of Patagonia trail running shoes delivered the other day and could not wait to try them out. After putting them through the paces, I can only say one thing.

My feet are in love.

I decided to put my new kicks to the test by going to Pushwalla Palms. It's the only trail I hadn't done this year at the Coachella Valley Nature Preserve so I figured this was the perfect time. The preserve honored my new shoes by putting some new steps on the trail.

You hike high on the ridge above Horseshoe Palms.

There are still some flowers along the trail but they are on their last legs. If you want to get out and see wildflowers in the desert, you'd better do so this weekend.

The palms and the mesquite are doing quite well, though.

Except this one palm which created a little trail limbo. Good thing no cars were around.

The oasis is strong and healthy with new growth emerging to replace the toppled trees.

It's easy to see why the oasis is so strong. There is a lot of flowing surface water.

There are several stands of large healthy palms at this oasis.

The trail goes right through one of them but I take the trail that goes around. Do you think I want to get my beautiful new shoes muddy on the very first day?

On the way out of the oasis, you come across this carcass of a vehicle that just didn't quite make it. I wonder if maybe a palm tree fell on it.

I feel so good that I literally run most of the way back from the oasis to the car. Of course, it's mostly downhill so that helps.

It's funny how a new pair of shoes can make a person so happy. Somewhere, Imelda Marcos must be smiling.

Indian This and Palms That

Day Fifty Six

It seems almost everything out here has the term Indian or Palms in it. OK, you can probably add the terms desert, spring, oasis, valley or canyon to cover everything. Considering that, I went on the perfect desert hike today. It was the Indian Palms Oasis. It is in a little canyon fed by a spring on the North side of the valley.

You leave from the parking lot of the 1000 Palms Oasis. Today that lot was filled with cars from places much colder then here. Oregon, Washington, Canada, Iowa and New York were all represented. A few Californians were even there. They were probably from up North.

It's very easy to get to the Indian Palm Oasis. Just follow the signs.

I didn't see any evidence of Indian inhabitation like metates, arrowheads, bedrock mortars or casinos but it's easy to see why Indians may have used this area. Mesquite was a staple of the Cahuilla diet about a hundred years ago and there is a lot of it growing here.

Here is a beautiful full skirted Washingtonian filifera, California Fan Palm. Mesquite and palms are both indicators that water is just below the surface. Both require constant water to survive, especially the palm trees, which have shallow roots.

Here are some not so beautiful headless palms.

I found a lot of evidence of more recent inhabitation and some historical litter. That's a fancy name for old junk left by someone a long time ago.

If you're looking for an easy, nice hike to take someone visiting from another state or country, the Indian Palm Oasis, shown with Mount San Jacinto in the background, just might be a perfect choice.

Preserving the Future

Day Twenty

This morning I went on a short hike in the Fred Wolff Bear Creek Nature Preserve here in La Quinta.  The Nature Preserve is almost twenty acres of land along the Bear Creek Bike Trail that has been left in its natural state and in the future will include hiking trails, native plant life and signage to help visitors understand more about the desert. At this point, it pretty much is just a big empty lot.  

The sign at the entrance to the Fred Wolff Nature Preserve.  No explosives?  It's a good thing I left my dynamite at home. Fred Wolff was La Quinta's first mayor in case you're wondering.

A view of the Santa Rosa Mountains.  The main peak is Indio Mountain.

When they do a plant assessment, I hope they know that this is a non-native date palm.  

This is what a native California Fan Palm looks like.

Ugh.  This tamarisk is the first thing I'd get rid of.  These not only are non-native but are very destructive to the surrounding soil and plant life.  I hate these things.

I really enjoy the peacefulness of hiking alone but sometimes it is nice to have company.

There is really not a whole lot at the Fred Wolff Nature Preserve.  There are no artificial streams,  pseudo Indian artifacts, buildings or lush green pathways.  It is only a piece of desert just like it used to be.  I guess that's what makes it special.