Between Devil Canyon and Martinez Landslide

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN

There's an Indian Trail that heads from Devil Canyon in South La Quinta over toward the Martinez Landslide. I know it's there because I stumbled on it months ago while returning from another hike. I went out today to try and locate it.

By the time I get to my starting point, the area where I plan on hiking is already well in the shade. In the summer, I would have greatly appreciated it but right now it's a tad chilly.

I get to the trail and ascend onto the little mesa area above the wash. The trail quickly dies out. I may have taken the wrong path.

I hit a few intermittent trails along the way but none of them last for very long. I am certainly not on the path that I intended to travel but it's too late to go back now. I know where I'm going so I'll just continue on.

In addition to the little trails I find something else that lets me know that I'm not the only one who comes out here and wanders around.

Hiking over to the landslide area is about a couple miles. It doesn't look that far but the terrain is challenging with lots of up and down travel and rocks. I finally make it over to the base of the landslide and then go to explore an area with these large rocks. Not much to see here.

The only thing I find is this little small mortar.

But there is a trail. I am going to follow it for a while because there is no way I am going back the way I came, over the rocks, in the dark.

I follow the trail until I come to a road, which I will follow until I hit an old vineyard.

There's an old tumbledown shack and lots of trash. Anyone who doesn't think that recycling makes a difference has never seen a big pile of old cans like this. I've seen several of these around the desert. Now that cans are worth money there will never be another pile like this. Someone would pick these up and cash in.

There's not enough moonlight to walk without a headlamp but it's a beautiful evening and I make it back knowing where the trail is not and a better idea of where it is for the next time. Hopefully, I'll be able to start a bit earlier then.

Put On A Happy Face

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE

Today I wanted to go and hike an Indian Trail that I discovered this summer that goes from the southern section of the Boo Hoff Trail down toward the Martinez Landslide. I got out there and an equestrian was out exploring the area exactly where I wanted to go and, not wanting to walk through horse manure, I decided to go elsewhere.

Instead of hiking the Indian Trail to the landslide area I just head out across the open desert.

I don't head straight over to the landslide but instead go up a little ridge to the west. On the ridge I see a surveying stake and wonder what it's for.

I think it could be a wilderness marker but right near it I see this little hole and wonder if it's some Indian roasting pit or something.

Hiking along the ridge, I find several more little holes just like the first one I saw.

Some are even surrounded by rocks but I've no idea exactly what they are or why they're here.

I drop down the into the large wash between the ridge and the landslide and head over toward the base of the landslide to see what I might find over there.

There's a small area that has been used to grind some seeds.

There's a little canyon but it yields nothing interesting.

There are so many great, big, cool rocks in this area I'd love to spend more time here until I am able to cover the whole thing.

This rock looks like it got karate chopped by a giant.

Here's another rock with some rubbing spots on the top. I didn't find the trail I was looking for but I did find some other things of interest, just like I always do out here.

There's so much out here to discover that it always puts a smile on your face.

Hiking into the Past

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX

Modern trails in the Coachella Valley, like most places, have history. While there are trails that are purely of modern origin, a good many trails in the areas were at one time Indian trails. These trails were the only means of transportation for the people who lived here. They had no roads, no vehicles, no horses. They walked wherever they wanted to travel and travel they did. The Indians were largely nomadic and traveled throughout the area, establishing campsites in varying elevations depending on weather and food supply. They also engaged in trade with other tribes throughout Southern California. In addition to trails that have been reworked and utilized by modern hikers, there are still trails in their natural state that haven't seen much use for decades. I love to go out and try to find them.

Today I thought I'd go out and see if there might be a trail that connected Devil Canyon, south of La Quinta with the area near the Martinez Landslide. I know there was a Cahuilla Village in the area and there must be a profusion of trails reaching into the high country. I'm sure when the weather got hot, the Indians headed up the eastern face of Martinez Mountain. The question is, where?

It's obvious that this VW bus never made it out of this area but I wonder how on earth it ever got back here. This terrain is extremely rugged and no place for the predecessor to the mini van.

I don't have to go far before I hit a trail. This probably connected the trail where the modern Boo Hoff Trail makes its way into Devil Canyon with other trails heading east, or at least I hope.

The trail dumps into a wash and I cannot locate another trail heading east. I find a trail I previously hiked that heads south but that's it. Maybe my hunch is incorrect and the Indians just walked down the wash to get to the Landslide area.

I decide to walk along the alluvial fan instead of in the wash because even without a trail it's easier going. Plus, if there is a trail that heads from the wash area up toward the mountains I will be able to spot it from up here.

While I don't find a trail I do come across this interesting rock sitting on a boulder.

It's travertine like down by the Salton Sea. Someone had to transport this up here.

A close up of the rock.

There's a section of heavily varnished boulders on the hillside that stands out. To me this would be a good place to meet or to hang out if I lived out here but I explore around and don't find too much of interest. There are no fire pits or petroglyphs or anything that would suggest anyone had much interest in this area. I guess there are plenty of brown rocks to choose from around here, so why should these be special?

I realize I'm not going to make it to the landslide today because my light is fading and I want to get back before it gets too dark. I have a headlamp but would rather not travel off trail through rocks and Cholla in the dark. I figure I'll head down to the wash and walk that back up to where I started.

But as I head down to the wash I find these two odd rock piles. There's nothing else in the vicinity, no fire rings or litter of any kind, just these.

Not too far away I see this rock pile that has a grave-like shape. It could just be a naturally occurring pile of boulders but it doesn't look to be. It looks as though the rocks were stacked here and the size is similar to graves I've seen elsewhere. OK, now I really want to get back before dark.

Heading down toward the wash what do I come up upon? The trail I'd been looking for in the first place. It heads straight toward the landslide area but now it's too late to head there now. Thankfully, cooler weather is on the horizon and I won't have to start my hikes so late in the day to avoid the heat. This area will be high on my list of places to come visit.

The trail heads right up to Devil Canyon and now I know where it meets the wash near my starting point. Now I can follow it to the landslide area and, from there, who knows where? This adventure is only beginning.

No Man's Land

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO

I never run out of places to hike because my home is surrounded by wilderness areas, National Parks and Monuments, Forests and BLM lands. If only I had more time.

This afternoon I went out exploring south of La Quinta between the Martinez Landslide and Devil Canyon. I want to explore this area more but it is getting hot and that allows for me to only go for a couple of hours at a time. The reason I want to explore here more is because I know that one day this land will be developed. Once it is developed it will be a sea of homes, streets, fairways and cart paths surrounded by walls and guarded gates, inaccessible. Right now it's just rugged desert awaiting exploration.

I want to make it out to the big canyon in the distance and back before dark. It shouldn't be too hard because while the terrain is fairly rocky at least it's flat.

Or so I thought. The alluvial fan that I thought was somewhat flat is pocked with lots of little canyons where the substantial runoff from the slopes of Martinez Mountain heads toward the Salton Sea.

This solitary Ocotillo should be a good marker for me on the way back. Notice the Salton Sea in the background and the water line of the ancient Lake Cahuilla on the mountainside to the right.

Judging by these survey markers, I am not the first person here and I would assume that preparations to destroy this pristine desert land are well underway.

I try to stay in the shade but will head for the hill where the light still shines.

A nice little dry waterfall greets me. This is along a wide wash and the rock here was just too hard to be washed away.

I walk along the top of the ridges looking for remnants of an Indian trail but I don't have much luck. I find a number of little rock piles along the way and a few traces of trail but nothing substantial enough to even take a picture of.

I also find more survey markers well up near the entrance to the canyon. I wouldn't think there would be any development up this far but judging from some of the desecration of the mountains in South Palm Desert you never know. Of course, these may be archeological survey markers as there are a large number of those rock piles in this area.

Looking up the canyon only increases my curiosity but it's getting late and I don't want to walk through that rocky landscape after dark.

I could go down to the wash but it's about a hundred feet down loose, rocky soil and I don't want to risk it. I'll stay high for a while.

I get to a place where I have to go down and it's only about forty feet. Luckily, I only slip on loose rocks a couple of times and manage to keep my balance. Whew!

I'll just follow the wash out and see where it takes me. I hope I don't step on a snake but the going is good and I make it to my Jeep with about fifteen minutes to spare.

I know this canyon and some of the others around here will be on my fall list to explore. I've got to get it done while I still can. Who knows how long until this No Man's Land is no more?

Moving on up.

Day Fifty

I am really drawn to the Martinez Mountain landslide area for several reasons.  One, it's close to my house.  I can get there in about fifteen minutes.  Two, no one goes there.  It's an area that I am pretty sure I can hike in utter solitude, which I like.  Three, there's a lot area to explore there. Four, the potential discoveries are almost limitless.  

I went out there a couple weeks ago and found a trail and what I think might be some kind of graves.  I went back today to see where the trail goes.  Read about my previous visit here.

I follow the trail to the mouth of the canyon but it seems to end there.  I scout around to see if it went up a ridge or just ends in the canyon and it appears to end at the canyon so I follow the canyon.

Once up the canyon I decide to go up the side of the canyon to see if I can get a better view and maybe see where the trail went.

Whoa!  What's this?  If I were in the mountains I'd call it a meadow.  I don't know what I call it in the middle of a HUGE rockpile.  Maybe a flat.

I wonder around the flat for a while but do not see much in the way of signs of human activity.  It probably wouldn't be a place Native Americans would have lived because there's no food or water.  I did find this cairn so I know someone's been here.

I also found this old shoe.

This also could possibly be another grave.  A lot of times graves were marked with stones like this and it's the right size.

If anyone thinks they can't grow anything, they should try cactus.  These Red Barrels are going quit well right in this rock.

After wandering around for quite a while looking for more trails or signs of previous visitors I have to head home.  But on my way down I spot yet another trail.  I'm sure there are many more here to discover when I can spend days exploring rather than just a few hours.