Luckiest Man Alive

DAY NINETY NINE

Today is my 21st Wedding Anniversary. It is amazing to all who know me that my lovely wife has been able to put up with me for this long. No one is more amazed than I am and I am thankful every day. How many wives would let their husbands go hiking every day? Of course, she's probably grateful for the extra free time.

This morning I thought we'd have breakfast, or go to the park or spend some time just gazing at each other. Wrong! She'd already made plans to meet her dad for breakfast, go out with a girlfriend for coffee and do some shopping. Oh well, more time for me to hike.

I headed over to Snow Creek to hike up the PCT a bit. Snow Creek is one of the premier mountaineering climbs in the country. While the route is officially closed, several parties defy the ban and continue to make this climb. I will, however, be going on a legal route today.

The Pacific Crest Trail, going from Mexico to Canada, goes many miles through the San Jacinto Mountains.

The sign at the starting point is not too welcoming but I know the PCT has legal access so I bypass this gate and start to hike up next to the road.

I hear a sound behind and turn to see six black helicopters. These people mean business when it comes to keeping trespassers out. Thankfully, they continue on their way and I'm free to go.

I get to where the trail goes and pass a security guard who is sitting in a car beside the road. I size him up and figure I can outrun him if he gives me any grief. He doesn't so I continue up the trail.

It's not too far before the trail gets real overgrown and I take a wrong turn. I'm cruising WAY off the trail when the guard yells at me, "Hey Buddy, the trail's the other way".

I thank him and finally get on the proper trail.

From the trail you get very nice views of the north face of Mount San Jacinto.

You also get nice views of Mount San Gorgonio.

I hike up a bit further and turn around to head back. On my way down I notice Deputy Dawg on the lookout, waiting for me. It's probably the most excitement he's had in months. As I leave, I again thank him for the directions and wish him a nice day. I'm sure now he can resume his nap.

Once I'm out of eyesight of security, I head away from the road for a little exploring. I've been here before and there's an old Indian rock shelter in the area and an old trail. It is closed off to protect the rock art and antiquities and also so people don't come up and vandalize it.

Inside the shelter, the pictographs are visible on the wall. It's a good sized shelter and most have been a great place to hang out.

Obviously, someone was hanging out there not too long ago.

Snow and Falls Creek are one of my favorite areas to hike and it is a shame they are closed to the public. The agencies in charge of the area should allow limited access to the public to enjoy their lands. I understand that the area is a watershed but then so are hundreds of other places around the country that have public access. I personally just think the bureaucrats in charge just don't want to do any extra paperwork and are taking the easy way out. Obviously, the people who sneak into the area aren't affecting water quality.

Anyway, the PCT is open and is a great way to enjoy this special area. Hopefully, I'll be back soon. That is, if my wife will let me.

Join The Club

Hike now while you still can.  

Today I went to go hiking up Carrizo Canyon just south of Palm Desert.  I hadn't been up there in a few years so I thought I'd check it out.  Nice area, ends in a usually dry waterfall and fit my schedule for the day.  I was not happy to come upon this sign on a chain link fence that spanned the length of the canyon.  

It seems the Fish and Game biologists want to have a private playground without intruders so they put this area off limits under the guise of helping the Bighorn Sheep.  They seem to think that a few hikers walking quietly in the wild will disturb the sheep and do them harm. Shooting nets on sheep from helicopters, tranquilizing them and mounting radio collars on them is OK but walking quietly is wrong.  Oh, unless you're a biologist.  If you are, then you can hike around the sheep but no one else can.  They don't have the proper credentials.  It's like they have their own private little club.  Members Only.

So I figure I'll just hike on over to the Dead Indian Canyon and hike up to the Palm Oasis there. Nope.  That place is also now a country club for biologists and their friends.  Call the number and maybe they'll leave your name at the gate.
So I am forced to head up to the new Art Smith Trail.  You see, they have redirected the trail from its original path because it went too close to  an oasis where someone might see a sheep. I guess the shutter of cameras frightens them.  Like it does pro golfers.
So I hike up the Art Smith Trail a bit before turning around and find this fascinating view.  I find it fascinating because these multi-million dollar mansions and private golf courses are encroaching further and further into the prime sheep habitat that hikers are being banished from.  

It is funny that the biologists think the sheep are so skittish that they cannot handle hikers but development of mansions is just fine.  Like biologists, millionaires have their private clubs, too.  Hikers need a better club.  I don't think the Sierra Club is gonna help us.  They're all establishment now.  But I have to wonder how John Muir would feel about fences keeping hikers off public lands.

I don't know exactly how to explain how I feel about this whole situation but I saw something on the trail that sums up what I think about having to belong to a special club in order to enjoy the beauty of the desert without fences.

It's pure horseshit.

No Where To Go But Up

Took a nice little hike in Palm Springs today.  I was looking to see if I could find a somewhat easy access point to get on an old trail called the Gordon Trail.  No luck. 

I did hike up a very nice canyon that ends at a waterfall which had just a trickle of water coming down it.  Although the canyon does not have a name on any map, I have been told it is called Os Wit Canyon.  This is supposed to be an Indian name meaning wild cat or bobcat.  Although I did not see any wildcats, I did come across three guys hiking with dogs.   Other than that I had the canyon all to myself.

I took a few pictures.

Maybe this sign was part of the reason I didn't see a lot of hikers in the area.  I guess it could be translated: "Little used trail".

Oddly enough, just about a 1/2 mile up from the previous sign I came upon this sign.  Now why would any one put a No Trespassing sign just down from a well used trailhead?  Liability, perhaps?  Maybe the Flood Control District wants plausible deniability if someone gets hurt hiking on their land.  They could just say, "We are not responsible for anything that happens to trespassers".

 

A view up the canyon.  The Gordon Trail is somewhere to the left of the big white rock outcropping.

This is the view from deep in the canyon looking up at the North Face of the rock (called Eagle's Rest).  You can't really get there from where I am.  It is probably about 1500 feet higher than I am at this point.

This is the waterfall.  There was just the slightest trickle of water and a lot of algae growing on the rocks.  I bet it's pretty in the spring but I was quite happy I brought plenty of water with me and did not need to avail myself to what I am sure was some very tasty spring water.

I didn't find a path to get to the Gordon Trail today but it was a great little hike that I hope to repeat after some winter rains.