Red Canyon and Gucci Spring

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN

Some days I have no idea where I'll end up when I set out to hike and today was one of those. I had several ideas about place and I ended going to none of them. For some reason I was drawn to head down Interstate 10 heading toward Arizona. There were options on a number of outings that I've done but just not this year. The Lost Palms Oasis, Victory Palms or Carey's Castle were possibilities. I chose none of them. Instead I headed out to an area south of the Orocopia Mountains. I don't know why. That's just where I ended up.

It is important that you pay close attention to where you're driving down here. There's something about live ordnance that could really wreck your day.

I decide to drive back near this giant sand castle and see what's around.

A 4WD is pretty much necessary to get access to most of the places around here.

But there are some places even a Jeep can't go. The canyon ends pretty soon here at a dry sandstone waterfall that I will not attempt to climb alone. I think it's climbable but, in case it's not, I like having a spotter. So I'm off to somewhere else.

There are a ton of little canyons in these mountains so I'll have to be coming back again but today is just an exploratory trip, anyway.

I hike up a steep old Jeep trail and look down on where I came from.

There is no real place that I have to go and see but I can tell there are a couple of old foot paths that lead out of other canyons that may be worthy of future exploration.

It's obvious that I'm not the first explorer in these parts.

After taking in the view I decide to head off someplace else.

Now this is a place I just have to check out.

After a hike up a wash I come to the site of Gucci Spring. I think Prada Spring and Dolce and Gabbana Spring are right around the corner.

The water is cold and clear.

The white minerals left on the surface by the water looks almost like a thin layer of snow.

Looking around a bit I come upon a trail leaving the spring and heading east. The earth here has a rich brown color that looks like milk chocolate.

The trail continues onward but to where? When was the last time this trail was in regular use and where did the trail users live? I will definitely be coming back here. In just a short afternoon I found several interesting canyons and a couple of trails that I never knew existed. Imagine what I might find in a weekend.

Martinez Canyon

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE

Once again family responsibilities got in the way of hiking aspirations. This morning my wife woke me with the news that my son, Harrison, was sick and would have to stay home from school today. That meant I would also be staying home. So instead of going to the Tram and hiking in the cool alpine air of Mount San Jacinto I had to wait until this afternoon and head out again to the desert.

Kahlua and I ended up heading out to Martinez Canyon. When I left home the temperature was 103º. By the time we arrived at Martinez Canyon, after a fun Jeep ride up the wash, it was nice. A breeze came from the South and made for very comfortable, if not cool, hiking. We would not have much time but we had enough to get a taste of what this fantastic area has to offer.

A lot of the landscape here is green due to the rains that fell here a couple of weeks ago.

The Palo Verde has even taken to bloom as if it were spring.

I'd stopped short of the wilderness boundary, anxious to get out and hike. I really should have kept driving but the rains caused a great deal of erosion and the going was slow. When I got to this sign I regretted my impatience. I could have hiked further if I'd only driven further.

Time counted in hours, of course, is not enough to explore what is perhaps the wildest place in our local area. There is enough here to enjoy that it would be necessary to spend days, years or a lifetime to experience the fullness of it.

A fully clothed Ocotillo is one of the many plants in the canyon arrayed in their resplendent spring attire.

As the last light shines on the upper reaches of Rabbit Peak I have to head back and find where I parked my Jeep. This canyon is wide at its mouth and I could wander in the dark until dawn trying to locate it if I get there too late.

But I am impressed, as always, at the possibilities that await in this wild and rugged canyon.

Notch On The Belt

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX

This afternoon I headed out to the Mecca Hills hoping to find some shade. According to Philip Ferranti in his book, 8,768 Super Stupendous Hikes in Palm Springs, The Coachella Valley And Other Places I Think Are Cool, or something like that, there's a canyon that he calls "Coffee Bean" Canyon. I figured I'd go and check it out.

I drove out through beautiful downtown Thermal and headed toward the Mecca Hills. At a place where the directions tell you to take a right, I took a right and ran right into a locked gate. Not literally, of course, I put on my brakes but the gate definitely barred my passage. According to the directions, I could've walked two miles down the road to get to the canyon but there was no shade on the road so time for some improvisation. I went back to where the directions told me to go right and went left instead. That led me into Thermal Canyon and a Jeep road up a sandy wash. I could have gone on for quite a while in this wash and the ridge road it brought me to but with hiking being my goal it was necessary to get out and walk.

The sign said the Wilderness was on either side of the road so I found a good parking spot and off we went.

I saw this hill (and some shade!) and decided that climbing it would be necessary. On the topo it is called Notch although I can't see why. It doesn't look like any notch to me.

From the top there is certainly a wonderful view. This little hill overlooks the entire Mecca Hills plus you can see the Salton Sea, the Coachella Valley, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and that's just looking in one direction.

Looking to the Northwest you see this interesting formation. Maybe this is the notch that the name refers to. Perhaps Notch is short for Notch View.

And if you look to the Southeast, you get another view of a notch-like formation.

"I don't care how the mountain got its name. May I have some water, please?"

After enjoying some water, we enjoyed a sunset over San Jacinto.

We still had some light so we decided to explore a little more. Once the weather gets cooler, we'll be in these hills a lot. There are tons of canyons and adventures awaiting.

Before we leave, we decide to take a short little stroll down one of them. Notch Canyon I'm guessing this one is called.

The canyon is quite rocky but passable.

The walls are steep and crumbly. I considered coming down this way from the top of Notch Hill but am glad I didn't.

This is a very interesting landscape and one that deserves more exploration.

Today, however, the moon will not provide sufficient light to venture further so we head back.

We get back to the Jeep just a few minutes after I need to pull my headlamp out of my pack. The stars are starting to shine.

As are the lights of the valley below. Locked gates cannot diminish adventure or discovery; there are just too many wonderful places to explore. All it takes is the right frame of mind, although a Jeep and a dog sure do help.

The Crest of Spring

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR

This week will be a tough one for me. Not only will it be hotter than I'd like it to be for this time of year but my work schedule is not going to give me very much time to get out and go places. That's why today I headed up Highway 74 and went exploring behind Spring Crest. I drove the Jeep up about as far as I could and still have a good place to turn around because from the topo map and Google Earth it looks like there's some sort of trail up here. The trail, if it really exists, goes along the face of Santa Rosa Mountain over to the Sawmill Road.

I park and start looking for the trail. I could've continued driving up the road but I wasn't sure if I'd have a good turn around spot.

The trail is not readily evident and if there is one it is very overgrown. Obviously.

Bashing around through the bushes I find this pipe so that's a good sign.

And here's an even better sign. I've reached the Forest Boundary and hopefully will find some semblance of a trail.

I finally find what I'm looking for. It appears to be an old road of some kind.

The road deteriorates and I turn right and start heading up this gully. As long as there are no bushes blocking my path I'll be OK.

There are sections higher up where it appears that this gully was once some sort of road.

At this point, though, it is so eroded that the only way to travel on it would be on foot. The Jeep might be able to make this but it's way beyond my driving skills.

The gully/road is relatively steep and gains elevation quickly. I get nice views looking down upon Pinyon Flats and Asbestos Mountain.

I think about climbing this rock to get a better picture but quickly decide against it.

In order to get on the rock requires me to pass through this brush and I'd prefer to go home with some skin on my legs.

Even without climbing to my preferred perch I can see Sugarloaf Mountain and the Coachella Valley. I'd like to go further but it's time to head back.

Going down that rocky gully in the dark would not be my idea of fun. But once the weather cools down just a little bit more I'd like to take this trail/road all the way across Santa Rosa Mountain. I want to find out why someone would put this here.