Feeling Better: Hiking Sheep Mountain

I'm well on the road to recovery.  My back is 90% better and the toe is healing.  In fact, it's well enough that I went with some friends on a little 9+ hour hike this past week.

I've also been dieting a bit and have lost 23 lbs. since the day I went to the doctor for the surgery on my toe.

I've done about one hike a week but today's was special so I thought I'd better write about it.

We started off by hiking up the Boo Hoff Trail at the top of the La Quinta Cove.

This trail ascends fairly quickly and soon we connect the Guadalupe Trail that will take us up to Devil Canyon.

No matter what type of shoes I wear these cholla balls just seem to love me.  

Alberto and Carl, a couple of old hiking buddies came along for the adventure.  Once we got to Devil Canyon we headed out to the Northwest toward Bear Creek.  I'm sure at this point both of them are wondering, "Where is he taking us to now?".

Up here we have nice views looking down over Palm Desert and the western part of the Coachella Valley.

Alberto finds a deer antler.  I had told the guys there were lots of deer up on this mountain and now we have some evidence.  This is the first of two antlers we will find today.

This is what we came for.  Exciting, isn't it?  This little crease in the mountain is a place that holds water and has a lot of vegetation.  I thought that perhaps it might be a place the Cahuilla Indians used as a campsite or a gathering place.

Unfortunately, there really isn't too much flat area in which to make a decent campsite.  There may be some evidence of Indian occupation here but we were unable to find it.  We don't have a lot of time to look, however, because we've got a lot of miles and over 4,000 ft. vertical to head back down.

But the views up here are spectacular. 

But that's where we need to get to.

On the way down, we meet a new friend.

But he's not really too happy to meet us.  Carl mentioned that this is the first time in his 40 plus years of hiking in the desert that he's ever seen a rattlesnake in January.  

We make our way down as the sun retreats across the desert.  It actually feels good to be in the shade.  The hike up was just a little to warm for so early in the year.

We say goodbye to the sun.

And hello to the moon.

Why is it that all of my favorite hikes seem to end in the dark?

Rattlesnake Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park

My entire body aches.  I went out for a hike in Joshua Tree National Park today and it was more like a scramble than a hike.  My arms are sore from climbing up and over rocks.  My skin hurts from all the various scrapes and scratches.  But despite my sore and battered body I am exultant; I had a great day.The day would have been perfect but I forgot my camera at home--again.  Thankfully, I have my phone and while the pictures certainly aren't as good as a regular camera they'll have to do.  My friend, Cameron, came along and took some pictures.  When he sends me a link to where they're posted I'll put that up.

Rattlesnake Canyon is a boulder strewn crease on the northern edge of the park near the Indian Cove campground.  It's a bit too cool yet for rattlers but there are plenty of other hazards to be found up there.

We barely get into the canyon and find there's quite a bit of water flowing.

Cameron, who's an expert rock climber brought his 19 year old daughter, Charlene, along.  It's obvious she got his genes because she has no difficulty negotiating the many boulders we are required to climb in the canyon.  I am not quite so young and lithe.  

There is no trail in Rattlesnake Canyon.  You have to find your own way among the boulders and make sure you pay close attention.  If you misstep it's a long way down.

Besides climbing over the rocks it is sometimes required to squeeze through a few.  I'm a bit too large for this gap so I go around.

The hiking, at least at this point, is fun, walking along big boulders along the stream.

The geology here is amazing.  How did this boulder end up stacked on three little rocks?

We pick up a couple of stray Marines from Twentynine Palms who are looking for a cave.  Cameron offers to show them but it's too far up the canyon.  They come along so Cameron can show them a challenging shortcut back to the parking area.

A delicate little arch.

Here's the shortcut--called the Gunsight--that the Marines are going to take back.  Good luck, guys.

The canyon is a place of many wonders and the weather is perfect today, about 72º.

Another tight squeeze.

This rock reminds me of a Picasso sculpture.

We spend a good portion of the day out of the direct sun but sometimes it cuts through the boulders.

But there are some places the sun never shines.  We head into the cave that the Marines were looking for.  There's not much to see in here.  It's dark.

We get up to the head of the canyon and decide that rather than going back the way we came we'll do a little cross country travel and make a loop.

The going was rough to get here but it's nothing compared to our trip down.

The way down is much steeper than the way up.

The going is slow and arduous but still fun. 

Cameron scouts ahead to find a way down. 

There is not one easy step going down this gully.  One moment of inattention could bring about another scratch, a bad fall or death.

Cameron coaches through some tough sections just to make sure his baby girl is safe.  He says he's feeling tired and we'll have to start heading back.  She does not know he's joking and almost has a coronary.  

We just negotiated some incredibly interesting and difficult terrain.  In over five hours we went a little over three miles.

We are finally almost down.

Thank you, JESUS!  It never felt to good to be on solid ground.