Fully Committed

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE

Today was the hottest day of the year in the desert, perhaps the hottest day in several years. In my mind I was back in Lake Tahoe, or at the beach, enjoying cool breezes and cooler water, anywhere but here. My body, however, was here and that's where I had to hike today. I figured I'd just go for a short hike on the Hopalong Cassidy Trail in Palm Desert and be done with it. I knew I'd be alone because no one else would be crazy enough to go hiking on a day like today; it would be pure suicide. But I found out there are a lot of nutjobs out there.

I get to the parking area to go hiking expecting to see it abandoned but instead it's as packed as a cool winter day. What is going on here? Has the whole world gone insane? I think those are people on the trail up ahead so these cars must belong to hikers and not back to school shoppers at Target.

Good heavens, people! It's 113º! What are you doing here? I guess insanity loves company.

I start up the trail and notice that the people I saw earlier have now vanished. Were they really here? Has the heat gotten to me so quickly and caused me to hallucinate? What happened to those people?

As I go up the trail the people don't reappear but this trail does. I've never seen this before and I wonder if it actually exists. The only way to determine that is to take it.

The trail steadily climbs and seems to be going in the right direction. It's steep and as I climb the heat burns the inside of my nostrils with each breath. It is so dry I may have to start packing saline nasal spray in my pack along with my other survival gear.

But it soon vanishes, like those mysterious people that I saw earlier.

Oh wait! I think those shadowy figures on the next ridge are people, or are they?

The "trail" I took gets even more non-existent so I just have to guess which direction to go.

Even though the "trail" is not here any longer it's better than hiking this scar on the land.

And someone has definitely been this way before.

I just have to make it over this ridge and I'll head down the trail back to the cars. So much for hiking the Hopalong Cassidy Trail today.

The trail I took today came out just at the part where the newer south trail hits the Bump and Grind Road. I only have to walk a few feet on the road before I hit a real trail. So there's not a trail here yet but when it gets used a bit more it'll be a good way up this hill without having to walk that boring road.

So I'm off down the trail and back to the car before I do any permanent brain damage. Or maybe it's just a little too late for that.

I'm still wondering, what ever happened to those people?

Grump and Whine

January 10, 2009

Day Ten

The most popular trail in our area is called Bump and Grind.  It's hardly a trail but more of an old road that climbs the side of a mountain from Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert.  I don't really know why it's popular because it's not a pretty trail and the views are only OK.  Maybe it's the accessibility.  It's easy to get to.  For a lot of neighbors, that has been a problem.

As the trail gained in popularity amongst those looking for an outdoor Stairmaster and not requiring solitude or scenery for their hiking pleasure, the residents in the area started noticing trash left on the street, noisy hikers coming all hours day and night and lots of traffic.  They didn't like it, complained to the city and the city listened.  The city worked with Palm Desert to create a new trailhead--actually several new trailheads--and then built a fence to keep hikers away from the old one.  You should have heard the griping and crying.  If the whiners paid any attention, they would notice that the new trails are far superior to the old road but it doesn't matter.   They are still crying about it.  It's just one reason I hate this trail.

So why hike it?  My son had to do it for a PE assignment so I took him.  There's really not a lot to see, at least as far as the trail goes, but there are always a lot of women in shorts on this trail.

This is the new start of the trail.  I guess no ugly women are permitted to hike here.

As we climb up the trail, we are greeted with this beautiful view of the rooftop of Target and Sports Authority, Circuit City and Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Breathtaking!

Now this is what I call a TRAIL.  Oh wait.  It's really a road.  I wish I could bring my Jeep up here.

The view from a little higher looks down upon the road, I mean, trail.  Isn't it beautiful?

Finally, I get to a real trail and decide the abandon the road before getting to the top.  Besides, my boys already bailed on me and  followed a bunch of girls in shorts back down the other way.

I really don't care if I ever come back and hike this "trail" again.  However, my boys, especially my 13 year old, are really looking forward to it for some reason.  I can't quite figure out why.