Resting Up

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINE

I've got a couple of longer adventures planned this coming week--20+ miles each--so I'll be doing a few shorter hikes in order to rest up. This morning I set the alarm for six in order to beat the heat. When I looked at the outside temperature and it was only 78º I thought maybe I can sleep a little longer. So I asked the wife to wake me in a half an hour. When she did I saw the temperature was only 84º so I dozed off again. I finally rolled out of the sack at around 7:30 and hit the trail around 8. It's still under 90º so I'm good.

Now the signs here in La Quinta can be confusing. This one says the Boo Hoff Trail is 7.5 miles and it's also a loop that's 12 miles. Or is the Boo Hoff 7.5 and the Lake Trail--whatever trail that is--4.5? Or is the Boo Hoff 7.5 and then loop ANOTHER 12? It's a good thing I don't really follow these signs or I'd be in trouble.

The soon to be Kahlua Trail is going to be along the base of this mountain but I'm too late to do it in the shade and besides Kahlua's at home. She likes sleeping in, too.

When the Kahlua Trail gets done, it'll be better than this. Do we really need two trails up this little saddle?

As I hike up to overlook the Quarry Golf Club, there are a few trail monuments and rock piles which may be graves. I have been told that these large circular rock piles once held ollas and were water caches for the Indians. It makes sense because this was a main thoroughfare for the Indians and there wasn't a lot of water around certain times of the year (like now).

Here's a bit larger of a hole and hollow rock mound.

Here's the overlook to the Quarry and my turnaround point. I don't want to aggravate a little shin splint that's starting to flare up. Of course there's not a sign to tell me how far I've come but even if there were I still wouldn't know.

On the way back I follow a line of rock piles but never find a real discernible trail.

That is, until this one. I get done at about 9:30 and it's still not bad, under 100º. And I still have time for a nap before work.

Easy Does It!

DAY NINETY SIX

Mondays are typically one of my days off. They allow me to take longer hikes, further away from home. Today was an exception. I had a couple of appointments that I will tell you about later because I don't want to spoil the surprise. Instead of a more difficult hike, I did a nice easy one. It's a good thing, too. I'm in agony.

At work, we went to new uniforms and I got a brand spanking new pair of shorts yesterday, a pair of shorts with the consistency of iron. I got chafed mercilessly and nothing makes it feel better. I've tried soaking, Bag Balm®, Desitin® and Neosporin®. If you know of any secret remedies for chafing (aka, Monkey Butt) let me know. I've got to go hiking tomorrow.

For my hike today, I went with someone to the Coachella Valley Preserve and we hiked out to the McCallum Palms. This is probably one of the top three easier hikes in the desert. Along with Andreas Canyon in the Indian Canyons and Dead Indian Palms (when it is open in the fall months) in Palm Desert, it is a hike that you can do with kids and newcomers and not worry about overdoing it.

The parking lot at the Preserve was packed. I have seen this lot full before but never this full. On the trail to the oasis, I passed probably twenty people, by far the most people I've seen on this trail. At the oasis, there was a group learning about the Preserve, its history and geology.

The pond at the McCallum Grove is something out of a movie. A palm lined body of water out in the middle of the barren desert. If you didn't know it was naturally occurring, you'd swear that someone built it.

There were lots of lizards out today but before I could get many pictures, they scurried under rocks or into bushes. This Zebra-tailed Lizard, Callisaurus draconoides, was kind enough to pose for me. Everything else was just too fast or maybe today I was just moving a little bit too slow.

I've got a big hike planned for Saturday and I want to be in perfect shape for it so this week I will probably be taking a couple of easier hikes until my, uh, condition clears up. That's OK, though, even an easy hike beats being at work, especially since I can choose my own shorts.