Berdoo Camp and Horseshoe/Hidden Oasis

The first hike of the week was just a small trek up an old paved and washed out road to Berdoo Camp, a ghost town.  This camp was set up in the 1930's and was used to construct the Colorado River Aqueduct. The shaft or adit goes in from this site over 2000 feet. This camp was responsible for the construction of 5 1/2 miles of tunnel. The road that passes by the camp is used by 4 wheel drives to access Joshua Tree National Park.

The road below the camp is used for a firing range and strewn with empty cartridges, shot-up targets and garbage.

The hills in the center are a level platform where the tailing from the tunnel were dumped.

Not sure what kind of bug was running around here but is had what looked like a fuzzy sack attached to it's back end.

Good to have Brian back hiking with us this year...

Photo looking out to the Coachella Valley from the center of town...

The foundations have certainly crumbled over the years

In this photo I have sketched around where the shaft opening was and also where a trestle was located.

View up the canyon and the way to Joshua Tree Park

There are a few companies that offer 4 X 4 tours through this back road. I don't know if they provide a kidney belt but the paved roads must feel very smooth after 24 miles of this.

The second hike of the week was to Horseshoe and then Hidden Oasis.  This hike is part of the Coachella Preserve and is just under 5 miles long.  The day was very hot and I am sure it was at least 90 F out on the open trail.  The palms you see in the oasis are all California Fan Palms and are the only naturally occurring palms in the state.  They are usually found in the center of a geological fault line. 

This oasis is along the San Andreas Fault

We walked the ridge above the Horseshoe Oasis

Our hiking group at the eastern end of the Horseshoe Oasis

A view over the cliff of the bottom end of the Pushawalla Oasis

Picture of the center of the Hidden Oasis as you will see below it is hidden when you walk on the trail but if you drive up Washington Avenue from Indio you will see the oasis from the road.

The oasis is just around the corner to the left but the main reason for the picture is to show the air quality when the wind blows all the sand around.  Anyway, hope it is sand and not smog.

A parting shot of Indian Palms in the distance before we head back down the hill to the car.