[whitebark]

With the grim spring weather in Seattle, it seemed the right thing to do to head down to Palm Springs and do some hiking in dry sunny condition. During the week I was down there, the weather was often quite hot in PS, but there are plenty of high elevation areas nearby that provide cool and pleasant hiking conditions. All in all, it was a fun vacation! Hike 1: Whitewater Preserve The weather was cool on this day, so my hiking buddies and I decided to visit the beautiful Whitewater Preserve, located a few miles north of PS at a relatively low 2200'. The preserve headquarters and trailhead is located in a lush tree-shaded oasis of lawns and ponds once used to raise trout. Since the Whitewater Preserve is close to the Pacific Crest Trail, tired through-hikers often stop here for a break. Near the trailhead was this odd art sculpture/ shelter thing:

The trail led us across a rocky alluvial plain to a bridge over the mighty Whitewater River, fed by snows melting on Mt. San Gorgonio, at 11,500 feet the highest point in Southern California.

Beyond the bridge, we soon reached a junction with the PCT. We followed the famous trail northbound, heading uphill on the vast, rocky floor of the Whitewater River's canyon. Flowering cactus plants provided splashes of color:

Eventually we reached a vivid red outcrop of lava called the "Red Dome", and shortly beyond a ford of the river, where we decided to have lunch. This was the peak season for through-hikers on the PCT, and we saw an amazing number come up the trail. After lunch we headed back the way we came on the PCT. Along the way, I spotted a good use trail that headed into a tempting side canyon. Lacking time, we hiked the use trail only as far as the entrance of the canyon:

A full exploration of the canyon will have to wait for another day. Hike stats: 5 miles, 500 feet of gain. Hike 2: Suicide Rock (Idyllwild) The weather became much warmer the next day, so we headed for the high country near the town of Idyllwild, which is an hour's drive from Palm Springs. We parked at the Deer Springs trailhead, located at a cool 5800' elevation. The trail climbed briskly from the start, but the air was cool and pine trees provided shade. At the 2.5 mile point, we diverged onto a side trail which traversed sunny slopes with great views and through forest-shaded ravines, some of which had snowmelt-fed creeks. After a mile we reached the brink of Suicide Rock, at 7200' a fine destination with a view of the massive granite Lily Rock and 8800' snow-patched Tahquitz Peak:

After lunch we returned the way we came. Hike stats: 7 miles, 1400' gain Hike 3: Pine City (Joshua Tree National Park) Warm weather again had us looking for a high elevation hike, and Joshua Tree National Park filled the bill. We drove to the town of Joshua Tree and into the park via the north entrance. After a scenic drive through the picturesque park, we reached the trailhead, and set out on the trail heading to Pine City, the site of a former mining camp. It was pleasant and cool at this elevation of 4500'. Right from the start, we were treated to quite a flower show, as the winter had been rainy:

After a mile or so, we reached a picturesque area of granite boulders and pinyon pines. Here was the site of Pine City, but we could not find any evidence of the former mining camp:

We found the old trail leading to Pine City Spring, and decided to explore it. The trail led down into a dry wash, then disappeared into an area of brush and boulders. One of our group was not a strong hiker, so we decided to call it a day at this point. We then headed back to the trailhead, and took a short side trip on another trail that led to an overlook of the Desert Queen Mine site. This was one of the more productive of the Joshua Tree mining areas. Across a deep ravine, we saw a hillside full of grated-over mine tunnels, tailing piles, and the remnants of cabins. Exploration of this site would have to wait another day, however. Hike stats: 4 miles, minimal elevation gain. Hike 4: Palm View Peak from Jo Pond Trailhead Another warm sunny day, good for a high elevation hike. We drove south from PS on Highway 111, then up into the mountains on 74. Finally after a short jaunt up Morris Ranch Road, we reached the Jo Pond Trailhead, elevation 5400', where the weather was surprisingly brisk, in the high 50's. The trail led us up a pleasant oak-wooded canyon to a grassy green meadow with a picnic table. Then the trail took off uphill on a dry, sunny slope via well-constructed switchbacks that look recently maintained. Off in the distance, I spotted Palomar Mountain with its famous telescope. While I was distracted by this sight, I heard an odd hissing sound and looked down just in time to see a big fat rattlesnake (with a dysfunctional rattle) next to the trail and just two feet from me- yikes! I wonder why the hiker we had seen just minutes before did not mention anything about the snake. After that little scare with the snake, there was no more excitement as we ascended the switchbacks 800 feet to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail was located right on the crest of the Desert Divide at 6800' with a spectacular view in every direction. A strong cold wind greeted us at this exposed spot. We headed north on the PCT, which gradually climbed higher and providing even better views:

We entered a fire-damaged zone, the result of the massive "Mountain" fire that burned a few years ago. Fortunately, the damage was spotty and many trees had survived. Nearing Palm View Peak, we entered a pleasant forest of white fir. The trail passed by a charming subalpine basin with a small meadow at about 7000' elev.:

The fire damaged summit of Palm View Peak was located a short distance from the PCT. There we were surprised to find a summit register. The fire had opened up the view from the peak, which once had been thickly forested with firs:

After lunch, we returned the way we came. Hike stats: 8 miles, 1800' elevation gain. Hike 5: Upper Palm Springs Tram Station to Round Valley The weather was predicted to be over 100 F in Palm Springs today - time to ride the famous tram to the cool heights of Mt. San Jacinto. After a spectacular but nerve racking 15 minute ride in the swaying gondola car, we stepped out of the upper station and into the cool air and tall pines of 8500' Long Valley. We hiked down the paved trail into the valley, then stopped by the ranger station to pick up the required state park wilderness permit. The walk up the Round Valley trail was delightful. We followed a creek brimming with snowmelt, which ran through a canyon surrounded by picturesque granite boulders and crags. after a half mile, the trail crossed the creek and switchbacked up a shady slope, where we encounter banks of snow covering the path in places. In two miles were reached Round Valley where there is a big meadow, just starting to turn green. There are campsites here and a seasonal ranger station. We continued farther on a side trail and a short cross country trek to Tamarack Valley, where we stopped for lunch at a spot with a view of snowy 10,600' Jean Peak:

After lunch, we wandered back to Round Valley and took the upper loop trail to get back to the tram. This trail stays high and offers nice vistas, along with the usual picturesque trees and boulders:

Hike stats: 5 miles, 800' of gain. Hike 6: Devils Slide Trail to Tahquitz Valley Another boiling hot day in PS - predicted high of 105F! Back to cool Idyllwild we went. We stopped at the Forest Service station in town to pick up the required wilderness permit, then drove to the Humber Park trailhead, located at a 6400'. It was a bit warm even at this elevation but much better than in Palm Springs! The popular Devils Slide Trail offered spectacular views right from the start. The view of Lily Rock from the trailhead was impressive, almost Yosemite-like:

The well-constructed trail immediately set out climbing in long switchbacks, gaining 1600' in 2.5 miles. Much of the way it was shaded by pines, very welcome on this hot day. We stopped frequently to enjoy the views and did not mind the climb at all. At length the trail crossed the ridge and reached Saddle Junction, a complex 5 way nexus of trails including the famous Pacific Crest Trail. We followed the Tahquitz Meadow trail though a gorgeous forest of huge Jeffrey Pines, where occasional snowbanks lingered at this 8000' elevation. After a mile we reached the meadow, a lovely spot with a lively snowmelt creek:

We enjoyed a long, leisurely break here, then continued on to Little Tahquitz Meadow:

Beyond the meadow, the trail climbed a bit to a junction with the PCT. We followed that trail, which set out on a stiff climb to a 8500' high point near Tahquitz Peak. Tremendous views here. If you look closely in the picture below, you can see the fire ookout structure on the peak. Getting there will be a hike for another day:

Descending towards Saddle Junction we ran into an extensive area of snow that was a bit tricky to pass. After getting through the snow, the rest of the trail offered a quick and easy stroll back to the junction. No PCT through-hikers were seen here because a long stretch of the trail was closed south of this point due to fire damage - the PCT hikers have to walk an annoying detour on roads to get to Idyllwild. From Saddle Junction we made quick work of the 1600' descent back to Humber Park. Stats: 9 miles, 2200' of elevation gain. In summary, Palm Springs is a great hiking destination! You can pick and choose between a multitude of hikes at low or high elevations - there's always some place to go where the temperature is pleasant. And after the hike, you can take a swim in your hotel pool, then enjoy the many restaurants and bars in town for a bit of "apres-hike" nightlife. Direct flights from Seattle make it easy and fast to get to PS.

[Bernardo]

Looks great, though the heat must be tough.

[whitebark]

We picked high elevation trails on the hot days - the heat was not bad at all. The heat in Palm Springs did feel furnace-like, especially the last few days where it hit 105 (the average this time of year is in the low 90s). It was nice to jump into a swimming pool on those days!