2011-01 La Quinta Cove to Lake Cahuilla Trail

This was certainly a different type of hike as we started on the edge of  a residential area and headed over a small pass and down to a regional park.  The brochure on the Internet described it as a short hike with a gradual incline and it was obviously written by some Jock in the La Quinta Recreation Department.  The trail at one point went from 180 to 90 metres within a 100 metre distance.  It also changed elevation by 60 metres at least three times.

I told all the hikers it was a 4 mile hike but looking at the map along the way it was actually almost 3 miles one way but at the end of the hike the GPS said 10.5 km or about 6.5 miles.  Everyone made it although a few had body parts swearing at them but the guys weren't swearing at me. 

A north view back at La Quinta homes

Chuparosa - Spanish for 'sucking rose' is popular with hummingbirds and is showing signs of an early bloom.  They aren't usually out till March or April.

West facing view with La Quinta Cove Oasis in lower right of photo

East view toward Lake Cahuilla (pronounced Kah-wee-ah). The lake is around the range of hills(mountains) on the left.

Rocks everywhere.  I like the patterns that have been formed by all the forces of nature.

The Ocotillo has also starting to blossom and it also sends out bright green leaves after the rains.

A picture of the gradual incline...

 The next photos are of the trail as we passed by a golf course.  The golf course was built in 1994 at the site of an old quarry and hence the name 'Quarry at La Quinta'.  According to the Internet this course is world renowned.  It has a waterfall on the 10th hole against the side of the quarry and the 14th hole is in a natural ravine, the one we hiked through.  They have over 80,000 indigenous plants, an abandoned western mine and numerous bronze statues depicting early cowboy days.  So if you are having a lousy game of golf you can be distracted by your surroundings.


Wild bronze horse on the hill beside the golf course



Palo Verde trees (tree green) skirts the fairway

The hiking crew are standing on the top of another gradual incline and overlooking the 14th hole.

Mine equipment

Lake Cahuilla

Lake Cahuilla was man-made in 1960 and is situated at the end of the Coachella Canal.  In addition to the beautiful beach and picnic area it also has an outdoor pool, modern and rustic campsites.  They stock the lake with trout so fishing is also allowed.  It must be very popular with the locals but this day must have been too cold even though the air temp was at least 70 + F.  Warm summer day by Canadian standards.

Part 7 - Hike almost a washout

The hike called the 'Never Ending Canyon' will have to wait as today when we attempted to hike the trail and found out that 'Box Canyon Road' does end.  Washed out to be exact so it will be a few weeks before we can hike in the Mecca Hills. 

Five years ago there was another big rain storm and the road was washed out so we headed north toward Palm Springs and hiked into the Coffee Bean Canyon. 

As you can tell by the colour of the hills you are entering the world of Coffee Bean Canyon... actually I lie because to go into the actual canyon you have to hike down the trail another couple of miles.  I said to my hiking partner "This looks just like the CB Canyon lets check this one out."

The first indication we were in a similar spot was the nodules of mud and rock.

These nodules roll off the surrounding hills and pack so tight that the water that washed them down through the valleys don't break them apart.  I tried to break this one open and it took quite a few tries to break it apart.

I am showing this photo so you get the idea how the hills zig-zag downward.  We continues up this line of hills going right and then left until it got too difficult for the dogs and us to walk in the runoff trench.

As you may see in this photo someone thought it would be fun to use an upturned iron board to slide down the slope.  I think that finding the board halfway up the slope would indicate that the attempt to participate in the extreme sport of iron board sledding was a failure.

 The dogs tried to walk up on the side of the hills but the aggregate of mud, sand and rock would not support their weight.

Bryan, Shiraz and Chip are humouring me with a pose just after we decided we should turn back. 

Chip is investigating a water channel that is about 100 feet long.  It is amazing the water's ability to find a path through all the rock and mud.  We could tell that there were no animals using this tunnel as Chip showed no interest in searching any further.

On the way back to the truck we walked along the top of the Coachella Canal.  The canal extends from just north of the US-Mexican border where it tees off of the All-American Canal and ends in Indio.



Part 6 - Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and hope everyone is enjoying their company and surroundings.  My sister and brother's families had a visit before Christmas and sent photos that made me wish I was there with them.  So here are a couple of photos of Lin and I and it may make all of you wish you were at our place this morning.

This is a tradition we have every Christmas morning... Waffles, strawberries, whip cream.  We had problems finding enough strawberries this year so added some blackberries.  If you look carefully there is waffle under all that...

Have a great day celebrating Christ's birth!

Part 5 1/2 - The sky opened

This isn't the worst flooding we have seen but Chip figured he had to swim to go on his morning walk.  The water level in the photo had actually gone down about 4 inches.  I know this because as a good neighbour I chased down a 'welcome' mat that was floating past the front of our trailer.

Chip wasn't happy but he had his front legs moving.  The water is all gone this morning and the sun is out but yesterday was certainly dark, wet and windy.  We had a day of last minute shopping and just getting out of the trailer.  On our way to the wool shop we had to drive over the Wash.  On the map it is called the Whitewater River and usually it is very dry and you wonder if it was a waste to put such a huge waterway through the center of the city.  Then when the rains come you find out why it is so big.

A number of golf courses use this area for their driving ranges and many places are just planted with grass but you can just bet there won't be many golfers practicing their swings for a few months.

Part 5 - It does rain in the desert

I took the photo a few days ago and they were saying that it was going to rain.  When the meteorologists say chance of rain they aren't too serious down here in the desert.  We have some rain shadows of the San Jacinto mountains to the south and west and smaller ranges to the north.

These conditions can lull you into a sense of false security because if you look off into the hills you see all the deep scars carved into the sand, mud and rock.  It had to be some serious water flowing to make that kind of character. 

Today we had rain off and on throughout the day and we are to get some heavy rain tonight and tomorrow.  No problem you say especially if you are from the Wet Coast of BC but our day of hiking could be a great washout.  You can be walking up these slot canyons and find yourself washed out through the bottom. 

In the photo above I hope to show how smooth the concrete looks and really when you add a little water you can skate on the surface.  Someone told me the sand blowing around polishes the surface but I think they start off being finished with too smooth a finish.  Either way you could see people shuffling around like were wearing wool socks on a polished floor.

In the interests of keeping the trailer a bit cleaner and dryer we put Chip's raincoat on him.  You would think he would be a bit more cheerful having gone for a walk but as you can see he is not impressed with the rain.

Hope this is all behind us by Thursday and I can share another hike.

Part 4 - Shopping at the Street Fair

The Street Fair is held every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year.  During tourist season (that's us) they have up to 340 stalls and at the peak 20,000 shoppers each weekend.  We were very fortunate this Saturday as the crowds were down. 

Quite a few vendors have similar merchandise so they all have things that they try to draw you in.  One place that was selling ladies nightshirts was also trying to sell a bubble blowing machine.  So while Lin was shopping for her nightshirt the little boy in me was playing with the bubble machine... Lin bought a shirt but I resisted buying the bubbler even though the sales guy pointed out it had lights that flashed and it looked really neat at night.

I think the term 'there's everthing from soup to nuts' came from this place.



Dried flowers were very colourful and creatively arranged




These guys are trying to  attract Marylou or anyone that remembers the song.




The rows of vendor does spread out farther than the eye can see



There is food, live music and always lots of interesting people to watch.  Dogs aren't allowed but it certainly isn't a hard and fast rule.  The artwork is really exceptional at some of these places but as with all markets there is the odd piece of rubbish.



George and his breakfast burrito, mexican sausage and egg. I have over 2/3's of it eaten in this photo...Burp!




As I said interesting people and pooches




These guys are the Aztec Kings, great music




Wanted to buy one of the cactus but it wouldn't fit in the decor back at Parksville

 Our dog Chip is so spoiled we let him open his Christmas present early.



A workout T-shirt from Gold's Gym

 

Part 3 - A Living Nativity

Lin and I are the only people that travel 2000 km to go see a portrayal of Jesus when we could go about 3 km from home and see a wonderful presentation.

Last night we went to the 2nd annual presentation located at Vintage Nursery about 10 minutes from the RV park.  Local churches and the nursery have set up a virtual holy land experience; acting out Jesus life starting at the prophecy from Isaiah; immaculate conception;  travel to Bethlehem; Herod's decree and ending with Crucifixion and rising from the grave.



Isaiah's prophecy





Mary with Angel Gabriel



Along the way Roman soldiers were out collecting taxes



Look there isn't any room at the inn!




The angels appeared to the shepherds out in the fields





The wise men visit. They came by camel



The wise men offered gifts to baby Jesus.



After His crucifixion Christ rose on the third day