The Real Cathedral Canyon

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHT

About ten days ago I went on a hike up what I thought was Cathedral Canyon in Cathedral City and did what I called the Cathedral Canyon Trail up to Dunn Road. There was only one problem with my assessment of that hike: I was not in Cathedral Canyon. I went home and looked at where I'd gone on a topographical map and discovered that Cathedral Canyon is on the east side of the cove and not the west side. I don't know what the name of the canyon I was in is called. So, I went back today and hiked in the real Cathedral Canyon.

The area around the cove in Cat City is fenced off but I found this gate to get access.

There's also a fence blocking the canyon itself but this part of the fence has been propped up presumably to allow hikers like myself the pleasure of enjoying the canyon.

Is there any place in this desert where there is not an old abandoned car?

I hike past this cool looking trail but continue up the canyon. If I have time I might just hit this on the way back.

The canyon has some towering rock formations set formed by nature.

And some that are formed by man.

As I continue up the canyon it is easy to see why someone named this after a cathedral. The towering sides enclose you and give you comfort.

At the end of this section of the canyon is a large dry waterfall. There are possibly ways to get around this fall but they would be steep, rocky and potentially dangerous. So this is a good turnaround point.

Heading back you get a good view of Edom Hill and the Little San Bernardino Mtns.

Looks like I'll have time to go and explore this trail, at least for a while.

The trail goes up into the mountains and one trail drops down into another canyon. I take the mountain route.

At the next fork I take what appears to be either a game trail or an old Indian trail and it leads to yet another canyon.

From up here I can look across to Murray Hill and the San Jacinto Mountains.

I also look up and see what appears to be an old mine or prospect of some kind. I will have to go and explore this sometime.

Instead of dropping down I choose to climb up another hill hoping to run into the trail I didn't take at my last intersection.

With the sun setting quickly I hope to run into the trail quickly.

The trail is right where I suspect it is but then I spot something else I don't expect.

Who put this here? This rock monument is probably twelve feet tall at its longest side and at least nine feet on its shortest. I wonder how long it took to build this thing.

And it's not the only one. There's a second smaller rock pyramid not far away.

I want to explore around a bit more but the sun is going to bed and the wife called and wonders when I'll be home. There are so many mysteries in these hills that I never get tired of going out to discover them. You never know what you're going to stumble upon next.

Cathedral Canyon Trail

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN

After work I went out driving after work, looking for some place to hike. I settled on the Cathedral City cove area figuring I could go up Cathedral Canyon or maybe hike up Dunn Road and see where that would take me.

I start at the top of the Cathedral City Cove and start hiking toward Cathedral Canyon. I quickly come to this sign prohibiting motor vehicles. There's not much area here for motor vehicles so I don't see why this is necessary but whatever.

Rather than going up the canyon I spot this old road going up the hill and decide this might be good so I take it.

It turns out to be a good decision. This little road is STEEP and I gain a couple hundred feet in elevation is about five minutes. It leads to a little level area and then from there is really nice trail. And the best thing about the trail is that it has NO footprints on it, none.

It is somewhat windy and a Red Tail Hawk takes off and enjoys the breezes. I don't mind the wind because the weather is perfect and it makes me feel like I'm flying.

Looking over at Dunn Road I wonder if maybe this trail leads over to it. If it does I'll go down that way.

There are a couple of palms growing in this little cleft in the mountain. There are a few of these little pocket oases up here.

The trail takes me high up above the Coachella Valley and offers nice views.

The trail eventually leads up to where it leads down toward Palm Canyon and the San Jacinto Mountains. I don't have time to head this way today but it's good to know this access point.

It connects to Dunn Road which I'll follow back to the start. There are no footprints here but there are plenty of mountain bike tracks. This is probably the most popular mountain bike route in the area and has been for years.

The road, which was illegally built many years ago, will take me back to the my starting point. It's not as nice as the trail but not having to hike back the same way is a good option. And speaking of options. I saw another trail a bit east of the one I came up that I want to follow next time. I just have to find out where to access it.

Just Around the Corner

DAY FORTY THREE

One of the difficulties of trying to hike every day is figuring out when to do the other things that are necessary in one's life.  Shopping.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Working.  Errands. 

I am extremely grateful that my wonderful wife has been very supportive in handling many of the jobs necessary in running a household and doing a lot of tasks that I haven't had time for. She's been cooking, hauling kids to sports, doing the grocery shopping and even registering my Jeep with the DMV.  On top of that, she's had to listen to my groaning about the various aches and pains that come from hiking.  Every morning, she even has a list of any typos I made the day before--she loves pointing out my mistakes; without her, I would never be able to hike every day.  (Oh wait, maybe I should save all this praise for Valentine's Day).

Today, however, I had to do an errand that she couldn't do for me.  I had to go to Cathedral City and pick up a computer keyboard from someone I found on Craigslist.  After that, I was off to work.  It's  a good thing there are hikes in Cathedral City.

I've not done much hiking in Cathedral City so it took a few minutes to figure out where. There's a trail that someone built near the top of the Cathedral City Cove but I don't have time to do that so I decide to head to Cathedral Canyon.

I find the gate where I'm going to start my hike and am relieved that I will not have to share my adventure with any vehicles.

As I head up the canyon I look up on the hillside and can see Dunn Road and the top of Murray Hill.  On a day I have a bit more time I'll be heading up there.  From the top, Murray Hill has THE best view in the Coachella Valley.

This is what happens to vehicles that don't obey that sign.

I head up this canyon.  There's an old road that heads up the hill on the right but that'll have to wait for another day.

There are a bunch of little dry waterfalls in the canyon that are fun to climb.

Then you hit this much bigger dry fall.  There is no work around so you just have to climb it.  There are plenty of hand and foot holds so it's not too hard.

I come upon this lonely palm tree.  

Obviously, there is subsurface water here or this palm could not live here.

In the side of the hill, I find a pack rat's nest.  It looks a lot like my office at home.

I come upon this even larger dry fall and decide this is a good turnaround point.

There is a trail around this fall but it's off to work I go.

You know, this waterfall was much easier to go up than it looks like it will be to go down.  Of course, if I fall, I will probably only break my leg and not die so I climb down with confidence.

I figure in a month or so this canyon will be very nice with lots of wildflowers along the way.  Of course, I could probably say the same thing about a hundred other canyons here.  That's the great thing about living in the Coachella Valley; no matter what city you're in, it seems like there's a fun hike just around the corner.