The Way You Look Tonight

Day Twenty Five

Today I had a choice.  I could wake up early and get a hike in before work or I could sleep in and wait until after work and hike in the dark.  Well, night time is the right time so I enjoyed my extra slumber this morning and took a little hike after dark.  

I've hiked at night many times but it usually was not be choice. Either environmental conditions called for it, i.e, climbing a mountain early in the morning when snow is consolidated, or I just finished later than hoped for.  This time it was purely by choice.

There are a few things I learned on this night hike that I'll use when I do more.

 

Oh good, the park is still open!

And the trail is open, too.  Sweet!

I learned you should do a hike you've done before when going night hiking.   I wander around a bit wondering if I'm off track.

I hit this sign and think I'm lost but I'm not.  It's just some more names of people I've never heard of.

I finally hit the actual trailhead and get on a real trail.

You've seen those beautiful night shots of city lights.  This is not one of them.  Another lesson learned.  When doing night photography, bring a tripod.  Maybe it would also help if I knew what I was doing.

This one is a little better.  Very little.

It might help if I had a destination in mind but I come to a fork in the trail and take it.

I've seen this before and maybe it'll be my next night destination.

The night hike was actually kinda fun and I look forward to doing another soon.  Maybe in two weeks when there's a FULL moon.  That's the last lesson I'll take from tonight.  If you're not hiking during a full moon, bring a BIG flashlight.

REALLY Hidden Palms

Day Twenty Three

Lack of time kills my plans more often than not.  I had less than an hour before dark and I didn't really want to do a hike near home that I'd already done.  Today's hike, though, I'm gonna have to do over.  I didn't quite finish. 

A different hike everyday has been my goal for this first month.  It looks like I will be able to accomplish it but it's getting tougher.  I'm not running out of hikes but the hikes I want to do are getting further away.

I decided I'd go over to the 1000 Palms area and hike toward Pushwalla Palms.  I knew I wouldn't have time to get all the way there but I thought I'd go part of the way and then just turn back.

I started following the trail signs on this well marked and well traveled trail.

No map needed here.

I get to some big steps going up the bank.

Here's a closer look

I decide to change course and head to Hidden Palms instead of Pushwalla.

The sun is starting to set and I'm not really that close yet.

I get to where I can see that tops of palm trees but that's it.  I'm losing light already and I want to get back before dark.  Besides, my son is making a chicken dinner on the BBQ and I can't miss that.  I'm gonna have to come back another time.

I make it back to the steps during twilight but I did bring a light just in case.  

Down the steps and back to the car I go.  I'll be coming back soon.

1000 Palms is a great place to visit if you are ever in the Coachella Valley.   Next time I go there I'll give myself just a bit more time.

Time Out of Mind

January 3, 2009

Day Three

Hikes never seem to go as planned.  I figured today I'd just go for a little half hour walk here in La Quinta and then head home to watch a little football.  Instead, I ended up hiking for over an hour and a half and got back to my vehicle just before dark.  It was just too nice to go home early.

I started at the top of the Cove with these competing signs.  One say, "Welcome"; the other, "No Trespassing".  Today I'll stick with the welcome side of things.  I hike up the little hill on the left.

Here it is a little closer.  Notice the little steps on the right.  When I first moved here I was told they were used in filming the first Ten Commandments movie.  I always called that hill "Moses Mountain" because of it.  But someone told me it wasn't true.  Then I heard it was used in some movie called The Shoes of the Fisherman.  Wrong.  Now I don't know when the were built or why but the mountain is Moses Mountain to me.

From the top of Moses Mountain, you can look down on a little picnic area called the Cove Oasis. It would probably look more like an oasis if they'd used native California Fan Palms instead of imported Date Palms to surround the oasis but it's a nice little spot to hang out with the family.

I climb down of the mountain and head out toward Martinez Mountain and a little cleft in Sheep Mountain called Bear Canyon.  I don't know why it is called this because there probably isn't a bear within a hundred miles of here.  I guess Sheep Canyon was already taken.

After hiking about 45 minutes I come on this little crease that ends in a dry waterfall.  The Bear Creek Palms Trail starts near here but I don't have time for that today so I head back to the car. There are so many little adventures to take and so many little canyons to explore I don't think I'll ever run out of places to go right here in my own backyard.  Some people would look out on these hills and see a lifeless expanse of mountains and desert.  Not me.  I look at these hills and see an endless opportunity for adventures.

I get back to the car right as the light is fading into night.  I'm going to have to start carrying a flashlight withe me, just in case.