Last month, I wrote about a few of the many trails here in the Coachella Valley. I briefly covered the Camille Canyon Ridge Loop in Desert Hot Springs, and how some reviewers think it is more difficult than “moderate,” while yet others say it’s hard to follow.
My hiking buddy and I checked this trail out recently—and sure enough, it’s a tough one, and it is very hard to follow. This is a trail that’s more off the beaten path and less-traveled. We only saw two other people on the trail, and this was during a weekend.
The trail certainly has a variety of terrain. We started counterclockwise and faced some steep, rocky climbs. Coming down wasn’t any easier—although it was most interesting: We were in about a three-foot trench. The ground was so soft that the loose, sandy dirt covered our shoes completely. The trail walls were about half as tall as us, and the path was so narrow that we barely fit through it. It took us around 1 1/2 hours to complete the nearly three-mile loop. We did lose the trail toward the end and finished via streets after we shimmied underneath a barbed-wire fence.
I recommend wearing a great pair of hiking shoes or boots with excellent traction, and bring hiking poles. I used a satellite map, to which I had to refer often. And as always, bring more water than you should need—at least one liter per hour—and always be prepared for the unexpected.
We saw a lot of animal scat along this trail. My thoughts are that animals use this trail more than humans.
All that said, the scenery is most spectacular and rewarding from the high points (approximately 2,200 feet in elevation), with clear, 360-degree views. Looking west, in the distance, you’ll see San Gorgonio Mountain—the highest peak in Southern California, at 11,503 feet. Looking southwest over the city of Desert Hot Springs, you’ll see Mount San Jacinto, the second-highest peak in Southern California, standing tall above the city of Palm Springs, at 10,834 feet. As you look north and east, you’ll be looking into the rugged badlands area at the base of the Little San Bernardino Mountains. To the south, you may even see the Salton Sea.
One thing I’ve learned from hiking the Camille Canyon Ridge Loop and other neighboring trails is to never underestimate the beauty and adventure of our local hills, valleys and canyon trails.
Speaking of beauty, I’m noticing desert wildflowers popping up already across the Coachella Valley and beyond. Who would dream of seeing wildflowers in the desert as early as December and January!? It must be a result of the August rains. I’ve been seeing the biggest and most beautiful sacred daturas, mainly in the canyons.
The sacred datura (aka Datura wrightii, trumpet, yerba del diablo and Jimson weed) is a plant that is classified as poisonous. However, it’s also considered to be a spiritual plant that magnifies strength, wisdom and creative solutions as a hallucinogen. It has been used by certain tribes as a painkiller in initiation rituals and as a narcotic for ritual sacrifices. It’s known as a significant part of the American Southwest’s cultural history, central to the Zuni people’s relations with rain, according to Karla Glashow, from California State University Los Angeles, writing for Archaeology Southwest’s Preservation Archaeology Blog. (To repeat: The sacred datura is considered poisonous, so don’t consume it.)
Also, brittlebush, desert mallow, purple verbena and so many more wildflowers are blooming all throughout the desert. Blooms are becoming prevalent from northwest of the valley in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to the Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Thousand Palms, and the throughout the Coachella Valley Preserve/Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve in the east valley. I’ve heard that Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has blooming wildflowers as well. It might be worth a drive to check it out.
Whitewater Preserve Update
Good news: The prestigious Whitewater Preserve is now open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission.
According to The Wildlands Conservancy’s Whitewater Preserve website and Facebook page, Riverside County has repaired and repaved Whitewater Canyon Road, which was damaged by Tropical Storm Hilary on Aug. 20. The road is now open, as are the parking lot, picnic area and visitor center. However, the Canyon View Loop Trail remains severely damaged and cannot be completed as a loop, although sections of the trail are accessible; it can be done as an out-and-back with the turnaround at a beautiful viewpoint.
The Pacific Crest Trail between Whitewater and the Mission Creek Preserve remains severely damaged and is not recommended at all; repairs are not expected before spring. There are other out-and-back hiking alternatives from the parking lot. For more detailed information, visit the ranger station/visitor center.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Jan. 27, and the Palm Springs Health Run and Wellness Festival. It’s a 10k and a 5k (both USA Track and Field-certified runs), with a 1k fun run (which is free for kids 12 and younger). There will be a fitness expo featuring more than 80 health and wellness booths showcasing the latest in nutrition and exercise techniques; the KESQ News Channel 3 Cooking Competition; a LifeStream blood drive; a rock-climbing wall; and more. This child- and pet-friendly event will take place at Ruth Hardy Park, 700 Tamarisk Road, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and registration ranges from $12 to $50. Register and learn more at www.palmspringshealthrun.com.
Join the BE A HERO 5K and JR. Superheroes Dash on Saturday, Feb. 3. This event benefits the Hazelden Betty Ford Children’s Program and the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. The event offers a wellness fair that includes activities for kids, raffles and much more. This course starts at Rancho Mirage Community Park at 8 a.m. and takes participants along the dirt trail of the Whitewater River Wash, under Highway 111 and into Rancho Mirage’s Magnesia Falls Cove before returning to the park. It is runner-, walker- and dog-friendly and has a water stop mid-race. Enry fee is $40 (or $45 at packet pickup the day before and on race day), and $15 for the Superheroes Dash. Register and learn more at racewire.com.