Happy 4th of July

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE

Nikolas and I went to the Tram today with all the tourists. Our time was limited, as usual, since we had to pick up Harrison, who was returning from sports camp. Since we were with the tourists, we decided to take the tourist trail to Desert View.

Before our hike we went over to the Ranger Station and got information about backcountry camping. I want to take the boys on a little backpacking trip in a couple weeks. We walked back by the creek, which is dry.

Nikolas looked like Pigpen walking down the trail. I kept telling him, "Pick up your feet!". Like a 10 year old, he kept ignoring me so I just let him walk ahead. I came up here to get away from stress so I wasn't going to freak out about a little dust on the trail.

The trail is well worn and populated with tourists.

We even past a ranger led nature walk. I've never done one of these up here but I bet it's probably interesting. I'll add it to my agenda.

Here's Long View Dome, the hike I did last weekend. In the background is Santa Rosa Mountain and the Desert Divide.

To get to the view, you have to clamber up some rocks.

Someone put some flags up here from the local car dealer. Actually, I think it's someone's prayer flags. I'd better call the ACLU because I don't think they'd approve of this religious display on public lands. Too bad I didn't bring a knife or I'd cut it down.

A bit more climbing is required to get to the best viewpoint. Let's hope the view is worth the climb.

It is. Time to just sit back, relax and enjoy the view.

Stop Making Sense

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR

Today may have been the hardest hike I have ever done. It was more difficult than any of the peaks I've climbed, tougher than a 25+ mile adventure, more taxing than any rock climb I've ever done. It's not that the hike was any great challenge; I just didn't want to go.

Work today was brutal. With people coming into my hotel for the Fourth of July weekend, I was running around, sweating profusely, all day. When I got off work all I wanted to do is take a cool shower and hit the sack. OK, maybe I'd take time to swill a cold beer, too.

Instead, I went for my hike. I am certainly committed, or should be.

When I started it was still 104º. At least the sweat I've been dripping with all day will have a chance to dry. On top of the heat, there's a brisk wind blowing. Unfortunately, it is more draining than refreshing. It is like a blow dryer in the face.

Looking north, I see some thunderheads and wish they were over here. Perhaps they'd provide some cooling rain. I'd love some rain about now.

I figure I'll walk over to this little peak and hike across the front of it. Seems like something to do. I don't have a lot of cognitive function at this point so if this is a crazy idea I can't tell.

It seems like I'm not the only crazy person hiking out here. There's a trail at the base of this hill. Cool.

It's very well defined so it must been getting a fair amount of usage. I may be crazy but I'm not alone. I guess crazy is the new normal.

I find this little stone circle that someone made. I don't know why.

As I get up the trail I get this idea to climb up this sandy section of the hill. It's a compulsion I just can't say no to. For some reason walking uphill in the sand seems like a good idea right now. I don't know why. It might just kill me at this point but if it doesn't it'll do something. I don't remember that saying but I think it's: "Whatever doesn't kill you, adds to your hospital bill". Something like that.

At least there's a nice view from the top. And getting down might just be fun.

As I head up the wash area I find some old car remnants. This would've been a bad place to run out of gas.

Despite my weariness, it is beautiful and peaceful out. I am thinking about doing a longer hike in the future but not tonight.

I'm thinking about doing a long, hard hike under the full moon. I think it might be fun to hike the Guadalupe Trail to Sugarloaf under a full moon. It's about 16 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation gain. If I started around midnight some evening I could finish it sometime around sunrise. For some reason, that really sounds like a good idea right now, it'd be fun. I guess there is something restorative about hiking because I'd have never thought that if I'd just gone home instead of hiking tonight. I wonder if I can find someone out there crazy enough to go with me.

Simply The Best

It is hard to believe that I have actually been hiking every single day for over six months. What was I thinking when I started this crazy endeavor? Why didn't anyone stop me? Well, now that I've gone this long I can't just stop now. What would I do with all that extra time?

I looked through all the years hikes and pulled out my favorites. If you just started reading or if you've been with me on this journey since the beginning I hope you'll enjoy these hikes as much as I enjoyed doing them.

June 6: Key's View

June 3: Mount San Jacinto

May 12: Apple Canyon to Red Tahquitz

March 28: Living Desert Eisenhower Trail with the boys

March 24: Schey Trail to Art Smith Trail to Hopalong Cassidy Trail Loop

January 31: Borrego Palm Canyon with the boys and friends.

If you have a personal favorite, write about it in comments.

Also, I'm taking requests for the second half of the year. If you have a favorite hike you'd like me to do and write about or if you'd like to come along, send me an email. It's been a great year; here's hoping the second half is even greater.

Like Pulling Teeth

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE

I went to the dentist this morning and then went hiking right after that. Thankfully, the dentist visit was painless--I was just having a crown cemented back on--and I must admit the hike was, too. I went to see what kind of work was done on the Bump and Grind Trail. They were supposed to widen it because some whiners didn't like hiking on a trail and wanted it more like the road section higher up. The work got done but I don't know if it makes that much of a difference.

As I get ready to start up the trail, the temperature is ONLY 90º. But alarmingly, I see an agent of the Department of Fish and Game. He's on the phone talking to the office and informing them of this "new" trail. I think he's referring to the Hopalong Cassidy Trail that is a couple of years old since that's the one he starts hiking up. I figure with the budget crisis going on in the state, DFG really have to work hard to keep their jobs so they're probably looking for more trails to close and monitor.

I think the trail has been widened here. I can't really tell but it seems like it.

Here's a section that's been updated. I can tell because there's a part that no one has walked on. I think they just added a few new sections as passing lanes.

Here's a picture of some of the rock work that they did.

I wasn't real fond of this trail to begin with and the new work doesn't make a difference but there is one thing this "trail" has going for it: you do get a nice view.

I have finished the first six months of my quest to hike every day for a year. I'm halfway home! Tonight I will post my six favorite hikes of the first part of the year. Be sure to check it out.

More Idyll Than Wild

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO

Idyllwild is the gateway to the San Jacinto Wilderness. Sprinkled around the town are trailheads that lead the intrepid hiker into the high country. I have used all of these trailheads and hiked all of these trails, many of which are quite challenging. Today, however, I found a trail that I have never done before. Why hadn't I hiked this trail that is right near the town center? It's too easy.

This morning I drove up to Idyllwild looking for a hike. Since I needed to be at work by 2 I didn't have a lot of time. I thought I might hike up the Deer Springs Trail to Suicide Rock. Nice views, easy access, not too tough for my son Nikolas were all good reasons to do this hike. But when we went over to the trailhead we saw something interesting.

What is this? I wonder if they have any trails in here.

So we went in to check it out and found out the Nature Center is a little museum-like building with all kinds of hands on displays for kids,

Exhibits about the history of the area,

stuffed native animals like this Mountain Lion,

and this Golden Eagle. It is a very interesting little museum and we both really wished we had more time to enjoy it but we had a hike to do. Our hike was short since our time was very limited today. But we are going to have to come back, and soon.

Our hike was probably the easiest hike I have done this year. That doesn't mean it wasn't great fun, though. The sign says it is only 1/2 mile and will take 3/4 of an hour to cover. We'll walk slow to make sure it does.

There are numbered areas along the trail that correspond to various points of interest. We learned that the bark of the Jeffrey Pine smells like vanilla. Smell one sometime because it really does.

There are lots of things to see along the trail and plenty of lizards for boys to catch. Just make sure they let them go, though. You cannot take anything from the center.

There is a great spot with 13 bedrock mortars where Cahuilla Indians ground acorns into meal. The mortars are perfectly situated under an oak tree.

After our hike, we saw this little guy trying to steal seeds from the bird feeder. He ultimately was unsuccessful but we enjoyed watching his persistence.

To finish off, we did the short hike up to a viewpoint near the Nature Center. You could see San Jacinto Mountain, Suicide and Tahquitz Rocks behind Nikolas and other various ranges in the direction Nikolas is now looking.

Here's a closer look at Tahquitz, or Lily, Rock.

Although this was my first visit to the Idyllwild Nature Center, I certainly will not be my last. It should be on the list of things to do for anyone visiting Idyllwild and at the top of the list if you are bringing kids along. While the hikes are easy--there are more than the ones we went on--they are rewarding and, more importantly, the weather is much cooler than in the desert right now. I can't wait to go back.