Sleepwalking

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FOUR

This morning my lovely wife, aka Early Bird, woke me up at six a.m. so I could go out and hike. At 6:30 she came back in a said, "Alright lardass, get your lazy butt out of bed and get moving". OK, she didn't actually say that but her tone did. Or maybe I was just dreaming. Anyway, I got up. The wonderful angel that my wife is, she made coffee but I turned it down. Even though I was going hiking I wasn't quite ready to get up.

I brought Kahlua and headed over to the hills near our house in the La Quinta cove. We were going to head up this steep little trail when a lady was coming down. Instead of hiking away she turned around to head back up. Good exercise for the gluts, I thought. Not that I looked or anything.

As I head across the hill, you will notice from the picture the shadow of the mountain. That is going to be a major requisite for hikes in the desert for the next few months: shade.

I'm going to head down to that little crease where you can see that shade. There's a trail there. Of course to get there I'll have to venture out into the sun. Ugh.

Some people think I'm a bit crazy to go hiking every day and they may have a point but do you know what I think is crazy? Getting up before the sun to go out and play golf. Those people should go see a shrink.

We get to the canyon and go up just a ways. I hear someone calling me and realize it's my pillow so we turn around before reaching the top.

There are lots of ducks along this trail for me to knock over but I don't have the energy. I've been out for an hour and still haven't woken up yet.

The clouds offer some respite from the direct sunlight during the walk back.

Someone built this rock circle and I'm tempted to lay down here and take a little rest but the sun reappears. I'll just have to settle for my own bed instead. Good night!

Heat of the Moment

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE

This morning I had to wait for a construction crew to come and do some home repair before I could go hiking. That killed my hope of going to Idyllwild for a hike so I'd have to go near home. I'd hoped they'd be coming early (around 7:30-8:00) but they didn't get there until much later. I didn't mind the extra time to sleep but as far as hiking goes, early afternoon is not the ideal time to go this time of year.

With the construction guys working on the house, tearing down the old stucco in our breezeway, I left to go on my hike. It was about 11:00 and the temperature was already over 100º with no shade. I will be keeping it short and simple.

I walked over to the Yucatan plain and headed up this trail that I've never followed here.

I wasn't missing much. It pretty much ends and drops down into a wash but I decide to take this route, cross-country, because it looks more interesting and I've never gone this way.

And what do you know? I found a cairn to knock over. There is a faint but usable trail that someone has put ducks along. I knock them down because they are not needed and besides the trail just ends. Why have people following a trail to nowhere?

After following the trail to nowhere I find a proper trail and hike a bit until I see another duck up on this rocky hill. I wonder where it leads.

It goes nowhere except this overlook of the La Quinta Mountain Course. Those sprinklers down there look really good right now. It's about 106º at this point.

I hike up to this rock that reminds me of an iconic desert picture (you have to use your imagination). My wife doesn't see it but I think it looks like a howling coyote. Sort of.

Here's a closer shot. Let me know in comments if you can see it or if my wife is right again and I'm just nuts. Of course, if you can imagine it, you might just be crazy, too.

On the way home, I spot this rock circle that looks like a crumb donut to me. Or maybe I have just been out in the sun too long.

Risky Business

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX

Being a dad is hard work. It also involves a bit of sacrifice. Today, I had to sacrifice a day in the mountains in order to let my kids hang out and play with their friends. So I was stuck in the desert for today's outing. Luckily, the high today only hit 100º so by this afternoon it was actually kind of nice in a warm sort of way.

As I start out, it's still somewhat warm and I am in the sun but it's setting, thankfully.

Before I get too far the sun has already set behind the hills leaving me in the blessed shade.

Higher up the sun still shines.

Just off the trail is another rock circle. This has to be at least the twentieth that I've seen this year. At least.

A bit higher up a hawk leaves his perch and takes flight.

I get to the trail sign and this time decide to take the trail to the Lake Cahuilla overlook. How risky can this trail possibly be?

How risky, indeed?

After climbing a gully that might as well have been filled with coyote crap I get to the top.

I am greeted with a very nice view of Lake Cahuilla. I don't have much time to enjoy it because I don't want to go down Coyote Crap Gulch in the dark.

Oh yes, this is going to be fun.

I get down to the main trail, which is still not without its rough parts with just enough time to make it back to my Jeep before dark.

Or maybe not.

Today I was a good dad. I let the kids play with their friends, I didn't strangle them when they talked back to me and I didn't take them on this rocky and risky hike. But next week they're doing what I want if I have to take their friends to the mountains with us.