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.

Walking The Earth

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE

It is a fact of my life that some days my time is very limited. Traveling to hike is not an option. I have to do something near home. Today was such a day.

I head off from the top of the La Quinta Cove and see that someone has built some type of rock structure to enhance the experience. That person obviously does not have a life like I do. Even if I wanted to build a rock pile, I just don't have the time.

There's a new snazzy Monument sign to greet me and a new No Dogs sign. I'm sure people will not be happy about this particular sign. Now, the No Dogs signs are a bit further up the wash and a LOT of people currently walk their dogs beyond where this new sign is. I wonder how long it will be until someone vandalizes this new sign. I'm guessing less than a week. Personally, I think people are getting fed up with some of these restrictions that do nothing to protect the sheep. I wonder if anyone with a dog has ever encountered a sheep within one mile of this sign. My guess would be no and, if I am correct, why would you restrict someone's freedoms on the off chance one dog walker MIGHT see a sheep? I don't get it.

I hike up the Morrow Trail that heads to Lake Cahuilla. It's nice to know a horse camp is two miles from here although I doubt anyone is bringing their horse to the top of the cove to access the horse camp. I think they'd probably just go straight there. Especially since there's not any trailer parking in the cove.

After going up the trail a bit, you get to a steep drop off and the trail goes to the right. If you look closely, you can see it on the right side of the picture. (Click on this, or any, picture to enlarge). I head over this way and discover something I hadn't expected.

I find another trail. Do you see it? Really, it's not the heat. I think I see a trail here.

After hiking around the corner a bit, it becomes a bit more obvious. It IS a trail.

But why is there a trail here and where does it go? From the look of it, the trail goes to this canyon. I do not have time to check it out but there must be reason it goes here. Perhaps a water tank or maybe another reason. I cannot find out today but I'll find out on a day when I have more time and the temperature is under 100º.

Just so I know the heat isn't playing tricks on me, I take a picture of the trail heading back from the way I came. It's a trail all right. A trail I'll hopefully be on again soon. Can you think of a better way of celebrating Earth Day than discovering a new trail?