Alive Again

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT

I went to the Living Desert today for the first time since summer started. They close down the hiking area during summer to insure that no tourists die out there. It's probably a good idea.

The sign points out to the hiking trails but you have to make a little detour to get there.

They're doing a little project and you have to make your way around it.

I don't remember this but maybe it was because it wasn't too hot when I was last here but I think every trailhead in the desert should have misters.

The Living Desert has animals that aren't part of any exhibit. This Snowy Egret is probably just here to enjoy the misters as well.

This is so tempting. I probably wouldn't think too much about climbing it but when they put out a sign telling me not to it, makes me really want to.

I get to where the trail forks and head to the canyon route.

One of the volunteers is doing a little bit of maintenance in the canyon, lopping some of the Catclaw Acacia. More needs to be done because I still catch my arm on one.

The canyon hike here is really fun with lots of rock hopping. Later this fall I want to follow it to the end but don't have time today. I've got to get to work.

On the way back I get a nice view of the mountains and think about how cool it must be today up on San Jacinto.

The golf cart makes its way back to the main part of the park and I really wish I could get a ride. TAXI!! Oh well, I guess I've just hike back and really, I don't mind. The weather is getting to the point where it's nice to visit the Living Desert and the train will be opening in a week. I think next time I'll bring the kids.

The Painted Desert

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN

Work and family left me little time to hike today and tomorrow will be a similar day. I need to find a new job. Where can I apply as a professional hiker?

I headed up to the Kahlua Trail later than I'd hoped. Except for this little portion at the beginning of our hike, the shade was gone. We'd be walking in the sun.

For all the graffiti abatement programs the city has this area never seems to get cleaned up. I'm thinking that maybe I should call the graffiti hotline.

Not only do these taggers leave their marks, they also leave their cans. I'm definitely contacting the city TODAY. Since it's out of view I bet they don't even know and most hikers probably forget about it once they get back to their cars. I wonder how long it'll take the city to clean up this mess.

Kahlua fancies herself as a hunter but there is no way she can catch one of these Antelope Ground Squirrels. They are too quick and too smart and as much as Kahlua loves the outdoors she's not much of a hunter. Just don't tell her I said that.

Only the start of the Kahlua Trail is really much of a trail. I think anytime we come up here we go a different way and never leave much to follow the next time. Starting next year we're going to have to make this a real project. Dog people need more area to hike around here.

I wonder what this wash basin thing is doing here. Hiking around I see so much interesting stuff and always wonder the story behind it.

We head up into the sun and it is starting to really warm up.

Kahlua is looking for some place to lay in the shade. She has NEVER done this before. Of course, I usually don't bring her into the direct sunlight. That black coat isn't made for sun.

I let her lay down for a while and get her some water. She doesn't need much time to rest and we're on our way again. Cooler weather can't come soon enough for either of us.

We get to the base of the hill and I give her another moment to rest. There's a perfect little den for her to kick back before our return home so I can shower and head to work. We'll get this trail done one of these days; I just have to remember to work in some shade along the way.

Notch On The Belt

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX

This afternoon I headed out to the Mecca Hills hoping to find some shade. According to Philip Ferranti in his book, 8,768 Super Stupendous Hikes in Palm Springs, The Coachella Valley And Other Places I Think Are Cool, or something like that, there's a canyon that he calls "Coffee Bean" Canyon. I figured I'd go and check it out.

I drove out through beautiful downtown Thermal and headed toward the Mecca Hills. At a place where the directions tell you to take a right, I took a right and ran right into a locked gate. Not literally, of course, I put on my brakes but the gate definitely barred my passage. According to the directions, I could've walked two miles down the road to get to the canyon but there was no shade on the road so time for some improvisation. I went back to where the directions told me to go right and went left instead. That led me into Thermal Canyon and a Jeep road up a sandy wash. I could have gone on for quite a while in this wash and the ridge road it brought me to but with hiking being my goal it was necessary to get out and walk.

The sign said the Wilderness was on either side of the road so I found a good parking spot and off we went.

I saw this hill (and some shade!) and decided that climbing it would be necessary. On the topo it is called Notch although I can't see why. It doesn't look like any notch to me.

From the top there is certainly a wonderful view. This little hill overlooks the entire Mecca Hills plus you can see the Salton Sea, the Coachella Valley, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and that's just looking in one direction.

Looking to the Northwest you see this interesting formation. Maybe this is the notch that the name refers to. Perhaps Notch is short for Notch View.

And if you look to the Southeast, you get another view of a notch-like formation.

"I don't care how the mountain got its name. May I have some water, please?"

After enjoying some water, we enjoyed a sunset over San Jacinto.

We still had some light so we decided to explore a little more. Once the weather gets cooler, we'll be in these hills a lot. There are tons of canyons and adventures awaiting.

Before we leave, we decide to take a short little stroll down one of them. Notch Canyon I'm guessing this one is called.

The canyon is quite rocky but passable.

The walls are steep and crumbly. I considered coming down this way from the top of Notch Hill but am glad I didn't.

This is a very interesting landscape and one that deserves more exploration.

Today, however, the moon will not provide sufficient light to venture further so we head back.

We get back to the Jeep just a few minutes after I need to pull my headlamp out of my pack. The stars are starting to shine.

As are the lights of the valley below. Locked gates cannot diminish adventure or discovery; there are just too many wonderful places to explore. All it takes is the right frame of mind, although a Jeep and a dog sure do help.

Falling Forward

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE

While the calendar now says Fall the weather didn't get the message. It is still over 100º here but we're getting close to the end of the season of suffering. The overnight lows are getting into the 60s so it is nicer in the morning that it has been. This morning when I first woke up it was 64º. By the time I got out it was 75º but that's still better than a few weeks ago. It's almost nice.

This sign dictates how I'll be hiking for the next several days. I won't have much time this week to go anywhere but the local area so I'll have to make the most of it. Work is busy and will be taking a lot of my time. I need to get a job hiking.

Up in the Cove Oasis area here in La Quinta they've put up a new sign. I've always thought these signs were terrible and this one is no different. Of course, I'd prefer a hiking sign with a decent map (not that I need it myself). Then I thought maybe this sign is directed to its tourist targeted audience who might not know how to read a real map.

It has a highly reflective plexiglass cover that makes it hard to read.

On the back side are some instructions for hikers, general use trail rules.

Someone put an arrowhead made out of rocks here since my last visit.

I head down these rocks instead of going out of my way to hit the trail.

And it looks like someone did the same thing in their vehicle, unsuccessfully.

At the top, I head out across the open desert. Not much to see today but I'm enjoying the "cooler" weather.

I'd like to head up to the Boo Hoff Trail but work awaits.

It's so nice today I run back and when I get to my Jeep it's only 85º. It sure beats the 110º of just a few weeks ago. I love Fall.

The Crest of Spring

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR

This week will be a tough one for me. Not only will it be hotter than I'd like it to be for this time of year but my work schedule is not going to give me very much time to get out and go places. That's why today I headed up Highway 74 and went exploring behind Spring Crest. I drove the Jeep up about as far as I could and still have a good place to turn around because from the topo map and Google Earth it looks like there's some sort of trail up here. The trail, if it really exists, goes along the face of Santa Rosa Mountain over to the Sawmill Road.

I park and start looking for the trail. I could've continued driving up the road but I wasn't sure if I'd have a good turn around spot.

The trail is not readily evident and if there is one it is very overgrown. Obviously.

Bashing around through the bushes I find this pipe so that's a good sign.

And here's an even better sign. I've reached the Forest Boundary and hopefully will find some semblance of a trail.

I finally find what I'm looking for. It appears to be an old road of some kind.

The road deteriorates and I turn right and start heading up this gully. As long as there are no bushes blocking my path I'll be OK.

There are sections higher up where it appears that this gully was once some sort of road.

At this point, though, it is so eroded that the only way to travel on it would be on foot. The Jeep might be able to make this but it's way beyond my driving skills.

The gully/road is relatively steep and gains elevation quickly. I get nice views looking down upon Pinyon Flats and Asbestos Mountain.

I think about climbing this rock to get a better picture but quickly decide against it.

In order to get on the rock requires me to pass through this brush and I'd prefer to go home with some skin on my legs.

Even without climbing to my preferred perch I can see Sugarloaf Mountain and the Coachella Valley. I'd like to go further but it's time to head back.

Going down that rocky gully in the dark would not be my idea of fun. But once the weather cools down just a little bit more I'd like to take this trail/road all the way across Santa Rosa Mountain. I want to find out why someone would put this here.