Neighborhood Watch

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE

I had no idea where I'd hike today. I got off work this afternoon and wondered where on earth to go. I didn't have much time and it was pretty warm so my selection was limited. Upon arriving home I found that I'd be doing a hike I had not even considered. The reason? A bunch of neighbor kids wanted to go along. So due to that, I went on the trails right by my house.

These boys' parents sure are lucky to have me for a neighbor. They are going to have over an hour of peace and when the boys get home they'll probably be tired and want to go to bed early tonight. I wonder if I can get them to return the favor sometime?

Along the hike today are (from left to right) Markus, Steven, Jakob (standing), Erik, Eddie, Johnnie and Kahlua.

We're going where?

For the entire course of this hike, the two six year olds, Johnnie and Markus, lead the way. Want to solve the energy crisis? Figure out a way to harness the power of a six year old.

We hike over to the golf course but it's getting late so don't let the boys explore the hillside for stray golf balls. Also, with this many boys along I don't want one of them to wonder off too far and slip on the rocky hillside.

Even though we didn't find any golf balls, we did find this flag that someone put up on the hillside for some reason. And, no guys, we can't take it with us.

So we plant it in the hillside and leave it for someone to shoot at. This is definitely a par 5.

Someone has built another rock circle up on this trail. I wonder if they're thinking of putting a new tee box up here?

I'm king of the hill!

The boys don't want to but we have to head back to civilization.

But not before they slide down a hill on the seat of their pants. I'll tell their parents I'm sorry if they get any holes. It's a small price to pay for a little peace and quiet.

Home Heat Home

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE

Today I arrived back home and it was beautiful. I missed the profound beauty of the desert landscape but I noticed how many similarities my home has to the Lake Tahoe area.

Temperature

Most days in Lake Tahoe during our visit the high temperature was about 75º. Most days this time of year the low temperature in the desert is about 75º.

Mountains

Both areas are surrounded by incredible mountains.

The Coachella Valley is surrounded by several ranges including the Santa Rosas, the San Jacintos, the San Bernardinos and the Little San Bernardinos.

Lake Tahoe has the Sierras. I guess if you're only going to have one mountain range it's a pretty good one.

Trails

Both area have wonderful networks of trails. The Coachella Valley has over 1000 miles of hiking trails within an hour and thousands of square miles of open terrain for hiking.

Lake Tahoe doesn't have quite as much but its hiking isn't bad. At least in summer.

Lakes

We have plenty of lakes in the Coachella Valley. In fact, there's even a community in Palm Desert called THE Lakes. Additionally, we have the largest lake in California just south of here, the Salton Sea. It's not as deep as Lake Tahoe but it's bigger.

The lakes in Tahoe are lovely but I wonder what these lakes look like in February.

There are loads of positive things about both the Coachella Valley and the Lake Tahoe area but there's only one place that I could ever undertake an endeavor like hiking every day and that's here. Lake Tahoe is a great place to visit but....

Put Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIX

Today was the birthday of a couple of kids in the neighborhood. I didn't buy them a present so I took them on a hike as my present. After the past couple of days, I didn't have the energy to go exploring today so a hike with the kids was great.

We hiked over on a trail that heads by one of the local golf courses. It's perfect because we can just walk from our street to get to it.

These are remnants of the tiles that were originally made for the La Quinta Hotel. The tiles were hand formed in this area about 80 years ago.

Someone is a really bad golfer and we're counting on more hackers. We didn't come here just to hike.

We're going down the trail near the course and then going to scour the hillside above for a few lost balls. The golfers are gone for the day so I don't think they'll mind. The kids are Birthday girl, Amaya, age 6, Johnnie, age 6, Amaya's twin brother, birthday boy Markus and Jakob, age 11. My kids weren't in the mood today. Their loss.

The kids clamber up the trail after we got the easy findings. The hillside is loose and rocky so we were limited to where we could look. No injuries are allowed on my trips so we keep any risks to an absolute minimum. I leave the scary stuff for when I go alone.

On the way back, the kids want to run. I don't have the energy to keep up with them. "Look out for snakes," I yell. That slows them down.

The kids proudly display our findings. Four golf ball each and one left over for me. I have a great time hiking with the kids and I think they enjoy the experience. Just so long as they don't ask me to teach them how to play golf, we're good.

Palm Desert Hiking Park and beyond!

Day Forty Three

After hiking up the green hills near Snow Creek,  I thought I'd go to the Palm Desert Hiking Park and see how green the hills above Palm Desert are.  Unfortunately, the answer is: not very.

I head up the Gabby Hayes trail and this time decide not to take the offshoot trail but to remain on the main trail.  I still don't really know who Gabby Hayes is and why this trail is named for him but that's OK.  They can name any number of trails for obscure Western movie actors as long as they keep building them.

Someone has decided to create this trail art by piling up rocks on other rocks.

Not wanting to hike to the cross today, I head to the right and take a trail by the fence near Stone Eagle Golf Club.

There's a trail that climbs the side of the mountain above Bump and Grind.  I've heard a ton of names for this mountain but I call it COD Mountain because when I first moved here someone had painted the letters COD on the face of it.

There is some green along the hillsides but nothing to compare to the hills near Palm Springs.  The golf course doesn't count.

I climb high on the mountain on a pretty good trail.  Someone had obviously put some work into it.

The view of the golf course from the top.

Someone put some art at the top of the mountain.

Instead of going down the same trail I decide to go straight down the mountain face to the top of Bump and Grind.  That way if it gets dark on me I'll be able to follow the herd trail down.

This hill is steep and rocky and I keep thinking I would not want to do this in the dark.  Coming down this was fast but it wasn't fun.  My teeth are still clinched.

The lights are coming on in the city.

I got down just a bit after dark but my night vision must be improving with all my after sunset adventures.  I didn't even have to reach in my pocket and get out a light.  Although it was much longer than I anticipated, I'm glad I did this hike.  I'll sleep well tonight.

Way Out of Bounds

Day Thirty Three

I know I'm going to make it to that golf course someday.  Today, however, was not the day.  I set out again to walk over the hill toward the golf course and pick up some loose golf balls that hackers continually hit up into the rocks.  No one goes up to get them so they sit out there baking in the sun waiting for me to come along.  Yet, once again I got distracted by yet another little trail I stumble upon before getting to my ultimate destination.

Here we go again.

I can see the golf course but the trail goes up and not down

It gets steeper and rockier.  I know this is gonna suck coming down.

Here's the top.  This little knob is only about 400 ft tall and it doesn't take much time to climb it but it's rocky and loose and not much fun.

This is the place I call home, The La Quinta Cove, with hiking right out your door.

There are some things you only need to do once and I think climbing this little hill is one of them.  Climbing down it was not fun.  I had to remember to breathe because I thought every step my foot was going to slide out from under me.  After two days of climbing loose, rocky slopes I'll be looking for something fairly flat tomorrow.  Unless.....

Super Sunday

Day Thirty Two

I get off work with just enough time to do a short hike before watching the Super Bowl.  It's about 45 minutes until kickoff so I figure can do something quick, close to home, and then get back before the game begins.

So I start over at what I call Golf Course Gully.  This is the area that leads to where you overlook the La Quinta Mountain Course.  I figure maybe I can pick up a few stray balls before the game starts.

But then I see this trail heading AWAY from the course and wonder where it goes.  I'll just go check it out and then go by the course.

It looks like it goes to this little prospect where someone did some kind of digging.  

But there's only one problem.  The trail keeps going, but where?

I look back and wonder if I'll make it home for kickoff now.

The trail keeps going up!  I wonder why on earth someone would put this trail here and I think maybe Cahuilla hunters where the first and then some adventurous hikers.  Who knows?

I find some fresh sheep scat which lends credence to the hunter idea.

I've gained quite a bit of elevation and now I've missed the Super Bowl kickoff.  Oh well!

I get to the top and find that someone has put a stick in the ground to mark what seems to be the end of the trail.

I must have gained a thousand feet and can look down on the course in La Quinta

And up to Eisenhower.  I wonder how long it will make it there from here but now I have to hoof it if I want to make it home by halftime

I missed whole first half and who knows how many commercials? It's a good thing I couldn't care less about either team but I have to make it home before Springsteen comes on.  And while it was close I made it home just in time for the Boss!