Stay Tuned

Day Thirty Six

It's great to have a Jeep in the desert; it saves a LOT of walking.  This afternoon I was heading to go out and do a hike near the Fish Traps and took a little detour.  I decided to drive out near the Martinez Landslide, a big section of that mountain fell off about a bazillion years ago, and see what I could find over there.  I drove the Jeep up a sandy wash until I got to where it was time to walk.

Usually, it's a sign like this that tells me it's time to walk.

There are some gnarly Pencil Cholla out here.  I gotta watch out for these.

As I walk toward the landslide I'm surveying the landscape and wondering if there's an Indian trail around here.  The Torres Martinez Reservation is not far away and there have to be trails reaching up into the mountains toward springs, hunting areas and pinyon gathering areas.  I notice this rock and from a distance wonder if those are cupules, small rock art indentations but upon closer inspection it appears to just be from gun shots.

This, however, is a little more interesting.  I don't know what this might be but ancient grave is the first thing that comes to mind.

Here's another little rock pile which had at one time been fenced off and now has some kind of survey marker near it.  Interesting.  Not seeing anything else in the vicinity I start heading back to the Jeep but decide to walk along the hillside still thinking a trail might be nearby.

And whaddaya know?  A trail.  I have a little time left before it gets dark so let's see where it goes.

It goes up.

It looks like there are several areas that may be sleeping circles, sections of land that are cleared of rocks for sleeping along the trail.  I don't know if that's what this is but it is certainly possible.

You can tell this trail hasn't been used much when there is a big creosote bush growing right in the middle of it.

It looks as if the trail keeps heading up toward this canyon but it's time to go so I'll have to find that out another time.

On the way down to the Jeep I notice another little small rock circle.  This is obviously manmade, but by whom?

I just knew one of those nasty cactus spines was going to bite me.

Upon returning to the Jeep, I notice that under the Closed to All Motor Vehicles sign is another sign.  This sign talks about protecting Native American antiquities and GRAVES.  I don't know if those are graves but this is the first hike I have ever been on that I've seen one of those signs.  It makes me wonder.

If nothing else, I know this place is a graveyard for old cars.

Finding a trail for the first time is always exciting because you never know where it will lead and what you may discover along the way.  It seems to me that there could be a number of trails out here that could lead to new routes (to me at least) to springs, canyons and areas of ancient history.  This hike is definitely to be continued......

Giving the devil his due

Day Thirty Five

Most days when I set out I have a general idea of where I'm going to go and today was just like that.  Of course, whether I end up there is a totally different story.  I had in mind climbing a little peak over by Lake Cahuilla. When I was driving by it the other day, I noticed an American flag at the top and thought it'd be fun to do that.  For some reason a lot of peaks out here either have flags or crosses on top of them to mark that someone's been there.  Whatever makes you happy.

Well, I drove out there in my Jeep and then just drove right on by.  It seemed a shame to not go as far as the road would take me.

This is the hill that I planned on climbing.  I guess I'll save it for another day.

God Bless America!

A sign at the trailhead for Devil Canyon.  The road continues on to the left so I'll follow it

This is the end of the road as far as I can tell.

This peak here looks interesting to come back and climb another day.  I don't see a flag or cross on top so maybe it'll be a first ascent.

A pretty yellow flower growing in the canyon.  I need to find my flower book but if anyone knows what it is, let me know.

Here's the canyon itself.  I hike up it a little bit but only get a small glimpse before I have to go and shower for work.  This is a place I'm going to have to come back to when the time I have to explore can be measured in hours rather than minutes.  There is a lot of potential for exploration down here.

I think when I come back I'll have someone drop me off.  I don't want my Jeep looking like this when I get back to it.

Desert Hillbillies

Day Thirty Four

I'm always looking for new places to hike.  Fortunately in the desert, you can hike about anywhere.  Just pick a ridge, a canyon, a wash and go!  Today I picked on old road.

Although the most popular hike in our area is an old road and I think it's a terrible hike sometimes you have to take what you get.  I was out scouting for a future hike and found a road to explore and since my wife had my Jeep, it was time to walk.

It's State Park land so that's a good sign.

This is the road I head up.

Looks like more than a few people come out here for shooting practice.

There are several of these holes dug along the road.  I guess they must be test digs for mines which didn't yield anything worthwhile.

At least there's a nice view from the top.

It looks like someone was less impressed with the quality of this parkland than I am.

Wait a minute!  I'm I seeing a mirage or what?

In case of a major flash flood here in the desert, I know exactly where I'm going.

I talked to a local and she told me about an old mining camp called "Dirty Sock Camp" that's up one of the washes in the hills near where I went today.  There's also a Hidden Gold Mine and several other things of interest to make me want to come back.  I don't think I'll be hiking the road again, though.  God made Jeeps for a reason and hiking a road is like kissing your sister: if you like it, you're living in the wrong place.

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!