No Experience Necessary

Day Forty Six

Experience is more than knowing where to go or what to do in certain situations, it is also about knowing where NOT to go and what NOT to do.

Today I decided to hike up toward Bear Creek to see how the wildflowers were coming along.  I was considering hiking to Bear Creek Palms but didn't have the time.  I didn't want to finish yet another hike in the dark so I decided to do a little exploring.  Not much yet to report on the flowers.

The Chuparosa are blooming quite nicely.

But the brittlebush, while not quite brittle, are not to the flowering stage yet.

I decide to take this trail up a ridge.

Only to be met with a canyon at the end that I have to cross.

I then find another trail on the other side.

But it ends here.

I traverse across another canyon and find this trail.

Which ends here.

I see this cairn that makes me think I've found something but no.  All is tells me is that some other dummy has also been up here.

I finally make it down to the last canyon and follow it over numerous dry waterfalls but never do quite make it anywhere.

I see this cave and wonder if anything is in it.  I consider the possibilities: mountain lion, rattlesnake den, angry bobcat, skunk.  I decide not to check it out.

On my way out of the canyon I come upon this palm tree.  It is obviously burnt.  I smell it and realize that it has recently been burnt.  While not still warn, the smell is of a fire in the past few days.

Here is another picture of the palm with another higher palm that was not burnt.  Maybe the pyromaniac tried to climb up to this higher palm but fell and broke his neck.  At least, that's what I'm hoping.

On the way out of the canyon I find yet another trail and follow it.  This trail actually leads me somewhere.  Home.

It's been an interesting day hiking.  I found a couple of palms, got some good exercise clambering over ridge after ridge, enjoyed climbing a bunch of dry waterfalls and got a LOT of experience.

Unfortunately,  I didn't make it out before dark.  Again.

Get me to the Church

January 15

Day Fifteen

There are a ton of new trails in Palm Desert.  So many, in fact, that I don't know the names of all of them.  Today I hiked one of them, a short one.

One of the difficulties in trying to hike every day is that I have a life.  Kids, wife, job, bills are part of my every day existence.  So are stupid little responsibilities like going to the bank.  People hate bankers these days and for good reason.  Bankers have played a major role in screwing up our economy and in the end we are the ones who are going to pay for it.  I hate bankers because they almost made me miss my hike today.

It's a long story but I waited for over a half an hour and still never got the five minute task that I was waiting for completed.  Since I was on a very tight schedule today I left before being helped. Too bad I can't bill them for a poor service fee.

Some of the new Palm Desert hikes start at the Cahuilla Hills Park.  It's not really much of a park and I always think of it as the park near the little church near the mountains.

This church.

Can you tell this city is run by old people?  Do you think there's anything else they could disallow at the park?  Oh wait, if you go to the City Clerk you can get the full list.

So this is the trail I pick today.  

It heads up a hill until I reach a place where the main trail goes to the left.  I go to the right.

It takes me to this little canyon and I can only get so far before I have to head back.  Another adventure for another day.

Nice views looking east over Palm Desert.

Chuparosa is starting to bloom.  In another couple of weeks both it and the brittlebush will be in their full glory.

Here's another trail to try next time.  Now will somebody tell me who Gabby Hayes and Herb Jefferies are?