Construction Ahead

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT

After a few days on the road, it was time to do something close to home. I've been very vocal about the dearth of dog friendly hiking trails and the need for new ones, so I decided to head over to the area I think should become the Kahlua Trail.

The area at the top of the La Quinta Cove is incredibly popular with hikers so there is an increasing need for more trails.

There are some areas where trail work will be fairly easy.

Just by kicking rocks out of the way I managed to create over 15 feet of trail.

Of course, in some areas it won't be that easy.

This section will also be pretty easy and Kahlua gives this portion of the route her full approval.

But for every easy section is another that's will be quite a challenge.

But all the pieces fit together and I think this will one day be a nice trail for dogs and their people. Next year, I think I'll have the time to make it happen.

In The Heat Of The Night

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN

I am looking forward to this weekend. With expected highs in the desert topping 110º I am thankful that I will be able to hike in the mountains the next three days. Of course, there was still today to get through.

This morning when I got out of bed, the temperature outside was already in the mid nineties so I decided to put my hike off until late afternoon. Even though it was still almost 100º I wouldn't be in the direct sunlight so it was going to be tolerable.

Due to time limitations I just went up to the Bear Creek Trail. I wanted to go up to Mount Whitney but just didn't have the time. Plus, Kahlua just doesn't do that well being in the car that long.

Once we get out of sight of the road, the leash comes off. Just like men, dogs live to be free. Most of the day we are cooped up in our yards or cubicles or homes. Getting outdoors is about being feeling free if only for a few hours at a time.

The moon is not going to be a lot of help tonight so I made sure I brought a flashlight.

The start of the trail is just a sandy wash. Kahlua loves it. She runs around chasing bugs and lizards, hoping to find a varmint but they probably sensed her before we left the house. She's not really very sneaky.

Kahlua just runs right past this sign without reading it. Since she's not a gigantic dog she probably didn't think it applied to her but I figure we'd probably better look for an exit and head back.

We decide to take this trail. We've never really done it before but since the dog haters keep putting out signs telling people where they can't take their pets we are going to need to find new places to go.

We follow this ridge trail back as the city lights start to come on.

We make it to the palms before we need the flashlight.

Good thing, too. Without it I'd have walked right past Kahlua's drinking fountain.

Or, maybe the moonlight might have been enough.

Dogging It

DAY EIGHTY FOUR

I didn't have much time to hike today so I decided to just go close to home. Since it was a perfect day, weather-wise, I brought the dog along. She has become quite the little hiker. When I get the leash off of the shelf, she starts jumping up and down and scratching at the door. That dog loves to hike.

We went to the top of the La Quinta Cove to the parking area adjacent to the intersection of Calle Tecate and Avenida Ramirez. I guess a lot of people walk their dogs here because they have these little doggie doo bags. You know, I understand the idea behind these but I kind of hate them. Environmentally speaking, it's really probably better to let your dog's doo dry out in the desert than to put it in a bag and send it to the landfill. Just kick it off the trail. Oh well. I've carried a bag of my own poo on Mount Rainier so I guess hauling a bag of dog doo is not the worst thing in the world.

After following a road, you get to a couple of trails going up a little hill.

But they both go to the same place so it doesn't matter which one you take.

There are not many flowers left up here but this Ocotillo is still blooming beautifully.

We get to a place where we can't go any further so I'll have to come back without Kahlua to see where else this trail goes.

We head down this road to.....

Some big water tanks. It's warm and Kahlua doesn't really know how to drink from a water bottle so I walk around to see if there's some kind of spigot but have no luck. Time to head home anyway.

On the way back, I spot this Silver Cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa) blooming. This is actually the first of these I have seen this spring.

It has a beautiful green flower.

I can't say this was really a great hike for me but to Kahlua it might have well been the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite rolled into one. She's not really particular; she just loves to go along.

I guess that's one reason why dogs are man's best friend.

Going to the Dogs

Day Fifty One

I must be getting old.  Everything in life used to be better when I was younger, especially here in the desert.  Traffic wasn't as crazy and there were WAY fewer stoplights.  You could go places that are now closed off by country clubs. The trails were less crowded and unrestricted.  You could hike with your dog. Anywhere!  Ah, the good old days!

Those days were amazing.  I was able to hike twenty miles or more and never get tired.  The only nudists in the canyons back then were beautiful women, never the old wrinkly men you stumble upon nowadays. Wild animals ate from your hand and birds sang in harmony just for you.  It really was better back then. At least, that's how I remember it.

And while not everything might be exactly as I picture it in my memory, you were able to hike with your dogs back then.  Now there are several restrictions due to the Bighorn Sheep. Biologists think that dogs remind sheep of their natural predators and frighten them away from their traditional breeding and foraging grounds.  I don't know if that's true but it makes sense and so the places you can hike with your dog are quite limited.  Fortunately, one of those places is right here in La Quinta.

Back in the day, I had a great hiking dog, Shasta.  That dog went everywhere with me.  She climbed Mount San Gorgonio, Tahquitz Peak, Martinez Mountain and did most of the peaks along the Desert Divide.   I had to put her down a few years ago and our new dog, Kahlua, just doesn't quite measure up.  It's not really her fault.  We just don't have as many places to hike.

Here's Kahlua, ready to go!

We head out on this trail.  Thankfully, this is the only concrete on the whole thing.

Trails across the sky.

Some nice person put this birdhouse out here.  I guess the trees just weren't cutting it.

Someone also built this nice, uh, I think it looks like a compass.  We're heading South.

Obviously, this wasn't a very good place to park.

Dog owners never cease to amaze me.  You'd think they'd feed their dogs dry food on a hike or at least carry their empty cans back out.

Kahlua is going to be a good hiking dog after all.  She's so excited to climb up this peak.

At the top of the peak, Kahlua proudly surveys all she sees.  Sure, the peak is only about thirty-five feet high but that's over 200 in dog feet.  I know she is looking forward to going again.  I just have to find out where else we can go.