Suitable For Framing

Day Twenty Six

The Palm Springs Desert Museum is a local museum that has been here in the desert since 1938. It is set up against the San Jacinto Mountains and is the starting point for the aptly named Museum Trail.  This trail is short but steep.  It climbs directly up the mountain face and joins both the Lykken Trail and the Skyline Trail.  

I found the trail to be in not very good shape.  A lot of hikers use it to access the Skyline Route and, in an effort to make time, have created several of their own use trails by cutting the switchbacks on the official trail.  This has caused considerable erosion and difficulty in finding the actual trail.  Far worse than going up this trail is coming down.  Due to the erosion, there a large number of loose rocks on the trail and the potential of tripping and falling are great.  While I highly recommend the trail, I would suggest that unless you are extremely sure footed to consider coming down the Lykken Trail and then walking the surface streets back to your parking area.  That's just my take.  

On the drive over I stopped to take a picture of the Desert Angel.  See it?

Maybe this will help.

The beginning of the Museum Trail.

Think someone is trying to get a message across here?

OK, we get it already!

Steep and rocky.

Some picnic tables make a great place to stop anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A warning about the Skyline Trail.  Each year, several people ignore the warnings and are rescued.  At least, the lucky ones are.  Some hikers have died on this trail.

Another more potent warning.

The Museum Trail affords some of the best views of Palm Springs available.  It just needs a little work.  Maybe we can get a infrastructure grant in the government's forthcoming stimulus package to handle this.

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.

A Bear of a Day

Day Twenty Four

It is said that some days are better than others; today was one of the others.

Saturday is one of the only days I get to sleep in so, naturally, my wife woke me up early.  When I finally got back to sleep, one of my kids runs in and yells, "Dad, it's 7:55!!".  He then quickly realizes that it's Saturday and he's not late for school.  So he leaves and then proceeds to start a fight with his brother.

I had such great plans: either we would go up to Joshua Tree and visit some more Indian rock art sites or we'd head down to Borrego Springs and then up to Julian for some Apple Pie. Neither plan was realized.  That theme would continue throughout my entire day.

I placed a support call to Apple to get a replacement headset for my phone but I have to call back on Monday.  

Some electronics I was setting up never did work properly.

Today's outing wasn't a hike; it was an escape, a flight to freedom, a mental reset.  On days when nothing goes right, getting out in the wilderness allows me to think about nothing and set myself right.

Up the steps and into the Wilderness just minutes from home.

Following La Quinta's color coded trail signs I head up Bear Creek.

Desert Lavender and Chuparosa starting to blossom.

I move up this steep walled canyon doing a lot of boulder hopping, which I love.

More boulders

I get to a point in the canyon where I decided I have to go back.  I know there's a waterfall up there and wonder if it has any water but as much as I like boulder hopping, I don't like it in the dark.

Star light, star bright.

The lights are coming on in the city.

I leave the wilderness feeling much more at peace than when I entered it.  

I know I'm only supposed to only leave footprints in the wilderness but today I left all my worries back in that boulder-filled canyon. I head home feeling like I'm starting my day over again.

 

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.

Water, Water Everywhere. Well, not quite.

Day Twenty Two

The desert is known for its dryness.  One dictionary definition of desert is: a dry barren area of land, esp. one that is covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless and without vegetation.  

It is obvious that the person who wrote that has never been to the desert.  While the desert can be dry, it is full of life.  There are robust plants and animals living in the desert and water can be found if you only know where to look.  

Today I went out and looked.

We started at the top of the La Quinta Cove.  A few public art pieces meet you at the trailhead.

The only bear you'll ever see in the Bear Creek area.

A big flounder caught in the cove Fish Trap.

The trail starts here.

There's an old Indian trail that leads up to an unnamed canyon.  It's seen a lot more traffic than the last time I hiked up here.

Some kind soul even added a sign.  Not that it's really needed.

Walking into the canyon

A not totally dry waterfall.

Looking down from above.  This water has been here for over five weeks.  It is the only water within miles.

A beautiful little red barrel cactus

More water upstream

Looking out of the canyon to the distant city below.

This is just one of the many little unnamed canyons around the desert.  We found water in this one.  Who knows what we'll find in the next?