Hiking the desert

Yesterday seemed a good day to try a new trail we'd heard about. While out in La Quinta at the Farmers' Market, we checked out La Quinta Cove Trails. This is desert hiking in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! A mouthful! It is a series of trails from about two miles to 10. Some with little elevation, others a climb. We chose the Cove Oasis loop for a start. 

The signs all stress the importance of preparing for desert hiking. Water? Two quarts per hour!! Since it was hovering about 20 degrees celsius and we were only doing the two-mile loop, we had a litre each. But after the hike I knew that next time we would set out earlier in the day and I'd choose a cooler top! 

You can see the trail - they were well marked and we carried a map
but I still wouldn't be safe out there without my highly paid guide. 

The Cove Oasis - these are fissures in the earth that allow for water-hungry palms to thrive. 

Desert life - we spotted one tiny lizard but no rattlesnakes,
another advantage of cooler weather. 

A few remaining zoo stories

Our visit to The Living Desert a few days ago took us back to the African section. Once we tore ourselves away from the naked mole rats, we stopped and watched a Greater Kudu (huge antelope with three foot curly horns), a few ostriches and many giraffes wonder the savannah. The Kudu stopped at the water hole and we thought a giraffe was coming that way. I couldn't wait to see him do the acrobatics required to get his head down to the water but he gave that a miss and wondered over to a ridge at the side of the enclosure where he could reach over the little fence and have a sip from the drinking fountain (a sprinkler head dripping water). Eight or nine feet of legs are hidden. 

Water hole with Greater Kudu, giraffes in background

Why go to contortions when you can use the water fountain?

Next stop was at the food preparation station where menus were displayed. We chose badger food for our lunch....

Wind warning

There have been wind warnings off and on since we've arrived. The warnings cover the whole coachella valley and we don't always feel it here. But this one kept us awake wondering why airplanes were flying over in the middle of the night. Turns out that sound of a jet flying overhead was a wind coming down the valley and living up the reputation of this area being the fifth windiest place on earth. The palm trees stand strong with the fronds blowing sideways and loose ones flying off. I expect the cleanup crews will be dreading the aftermath. Sand is flying everywhere with drifts forming on the roads. We can smell it inside. 

We can only imagine what it would be like to be on the desert today - Lawrence of Arabia comes to mind but I suspect the locals think nothing of it.  

Our usual view

This morning

High crimes and misdemeanors

 Nellie the black rhinoceros has become one of our favourites but we were shocked to find she had been implicated in a recent spate of robberies. While on trial she has to wear an ankle bracelet to track her movements. A sad comedown. 

Hiding in the hopes of avoiding capture

Hanging her head in shame once the bracelet was attached

Joshua Tree 4

 Finally into the Mohave Desert as we drove up from the southern entrance this time. The difference between Colorado and Mohave Desert is the elevation. Mohave is above 3000 feet. It was 4400 feet at one point as we drove through. 

The rounded rocks are everywhere and we plan to explore these areas on our next trip but you can't miss Skull Rock - right by the road with many cars and people. I snapped one picture without people in it then crossed the road and checked out the Joshua Trees. I'm on the hunt for at least one tree that can explain the name. Now really do either of these look like a man waving you on to the promised land? I guess after all the time the Joseph Smith followers had been trudging across North America, they'd agree to anything? 

So many cars, it was hard to parallel park! 

Joshua Tree 3

 We travelled up to the Cholla Garden. These glistening cactus shine thoughout the Colorado Desert.

Blooming time

Can we learn from the Cahuilla?

 Signposts educate the hiker throughout the park. Some intended more as warning but should also teach us. 

Area affected by mining. If only the owners had learned the lesson of the Cahuilla

Ancient spot used for grinding mesquite beans.

A lesson here

Joshua Tree National Park - 1

We spent the day in Joshua Tree today. It is a full-day endeavour - about 200 km round trip. And we explored some short hiking trails while there. It was a cool day - in fact, 6 degrees at the highest point. Desert extremes brought to life.

Our first walk was down to an oasis in the Colorado Desert known as Cottonwood Springs. Rounded granite boulders are punctuated with mesquite and the occasional barrel cactus. The cottonwoods are bright yellow and the sky brilliant blue. The cooler temperatures perfect for hiking although I'll put gloves in my pocket next time!

An unknown succulent just bursting after the rains - leaves about 1/4 inch

This beautiful barrel cactus was hidden around a corner.

The Cottonwood Springs Oasis

White Mountain Preserve - closed due to flooding

 We knew rain was in the forecast but headed out to the White Mountain Preserve anyway. We figured if it was raining too hard for hiking we'd at least have an interesting drive. The rain was only just starting to be serious as we pulled up to the "CLOSED due to Flooding" sign and chatted with the warden sitting in her truck ready to turn people away. Turns out the heavy rain predicted could come straight down the mountain sides because fires have taken away any vegetation that would have stopped it in previous years. 

She encouraged us to return. The ecosystem is different from the desert surroundings with more water and trees. We look forward to it. 

Living Desert Part 3 - trails for walking.

 

An oasis with many varieties of palm trees

The native California Palm 

One of the trails in The Living Desert - ranging from .5 km to 5 kilometeres

Living desert part 2 Australia

 

A wallaby joey leans out to eat.
He got right out earlier and Mum wasn't keen to let him back in. 

Mum and Dad conferring about what to do with the kid who won't leave home.

Don't you love the eye shadow? 

The tricky emu keeps the plants outside her pen pruned as well. 

Living Desert visits part 1

 

Coachella Lizard. Looked like road kill to me. But Bill made me look close and sure enough his side was moving in and out. 

Made me think of Monty Python's dead parrot sketch. This ugly guy looks dead as a doornail but I guess that's what he hopes you think. He'll blow up from collar back if you really threaten him. 

This lovely kitty is a Caracal or desert lynx.
She gave us a big toothy yawn just after I put down my camera. 

I'm partial to badgers from my zoo days. 

A week in the desert

 We've been going out every day to interesting places. This includes three visits to The Living Desert, and three trips to the Rancho Mirage Library. I could spend hours in the reading room at this amazing place but we also have signed up for various events they are sponsoring. We attended an afternoon presentation: Conservation of the Coachella Valley ecosystem and an evening video and presentation with 89 year-old Anne Dagg (Look up The woman who loves giraffes). The things we didn't know.....

I continue being fascinated by all things succulent! The varieties are mind-boggling. The Living Desert is focused on conservation of animals as well as their habitats. They have a nursery with native succulents and provide them to places trying to make the change from water-hogging geraniums and grass. 

Various succulents bloom at different times. This is the time for barrel cacti

Turk's Cap Cactus

Conversation starter? 

Vermillion skies and flycatchers

So we've had texts asking us about the weather. We are not sure if some of our weather is related to the atmospheric rivers but the last few days haven't seemed out of the ordinary. Rain has fallen off and on these past few days but never heavy and not prolonged. The wind yesterday was crazy up in Joshua Tree and we heard it rattling our place in the evening. But we've experienced that before. 

Today it started out about 17 as we drove to the Living Desert and must have reached the predicted 21 while we were there. We both pealed off layers. It is still chilly to sit outside at our place because the patio is on the shaded side but we'll probably love that when the temperature goes up. 

While at the zoo today we both carried our binoculars and spent time looking at wild birds a good part of the time. One thrilling sight was a Vermillion Flycatcher which we knew from our previous bird watching sessions here. It is a thrilling little bird but was far enough away for the pictures to be blurry. Look it up, it is worth it. 

And tonight as the sun went down at 5:00, the skies tried to compete. 

We're heading out soon for a presentation at the Rancho Mirage library. 

Watch out for naked mole rats!!

So we are getting ourselves signed up for places where we can go for long interesting walks. Today's visit was to The Living Desert. There are nature trails attached to the zoo ranging from one mile to five  Today we didn't make it past the zoo itself. In fact we only covered 1/3 of it. Large, natural enclosures contrast with my time - no four-foot square, cement box for the dwarf mongoose. The staff hide food, moving it around from one hidden place to another to keep the animal's 'grey cells' working. I might try that at home....

Bill's camera was set for black and white for this lovely dwarf mongoose

You haven't lived until you've met the naked mole-rat

All snoozing but at the ready with their teeth should there be danger

This guy starred in The Lion King

Weather!

 While in the park, the wind blew so hard that we were advised to be careful when we opened our car doors at the lookout to avoid having them ripped off!! This confirmed what we'd heard about this area.  The coachella valley is the fifth windiest place on earth! Accounts for the forest of windmills you encounter as you enter the Palm Springs area.

The dark cloud we noticed as we headed home turned into rain and Highway 10 once again because our least favourite place. 

The round trip was about 300 km! It is a long way up and through the park but we are unscathed and hope to get up there once or twice a week. Tomorrow we do our homework to figure out good hikes. 

Let's get going!

     While catastrophic storms are hitting northern California's coast, weather here is less affected. But rain was predicted today so we decided take the car and check out Joshua Tree national park. If it did rain we'd at least get our passes and information. The friendly volunteer at the Visitor's Center made the trip worthwhile recommending a detailed map and a book of hiking trails, as well as recommendations for relatively easy hikes - around 3 miles with not too much elevation to get us started. He also suggested good spots for a trip up to watch the stars. 
    

Joshua Tree

Birds hide in the spiny bark

We saw two "Antelope ground squirrels" but no camera fast enough!

The trip was a reminder of how much we love this park with its quirky Joshua Trees (not actually a tree - a member of the agave family) and the jumbles of rock formations. A truly fantastical setting. 

Even penguins eat oranges

 We drove out to La Quinta Famers' Market yesterday. So much fresh food! The smell of oranges filled the air. So now we have fresh veggies for the week and oranges and grapefruit for longer! What a treat.