We had a rest day in Palm Springs on the way to Vegas for the International Roofing Expo.
Usually we stay at the Best Western Inn around 2 miles from down town Palm Springs.
Breakfast is served in the pool area (help yourself) and while having breakfast we have often seen people walking along the ridge, way above the motel and wondered how they climbed up there? This time we decided we are going to find the walking trail up to that ridge, the country here is beautiful and rugged and the colours soft and delicate; there are rattle snakes and all sorts of critters.
Let alone the loose small rocks and boulders.
There must be a walking trail close by! After Breakfast we were off to find a walking trail Breakfast over it was time to investigate the local walking trails.
No research was undertaken, so along with my companion who incidentally is my boss we both decided to start walking along S Belardo Road which runs parallel to the mountains, then onto W Mesquite Ave and headed for the hills.
At this point we had no idea if there was a trail up to the ridge but we hit the jackpot! There were a number of hikers climbing down onto the roadway and they were more than willing to share their knowledge.
"Follow the trail and you will come to a picnic area on top of the ridge", they said.
This is just the information we were looking for.
Tahquitz Canyon Trail The visitor's centre was further up the road, but we decided to follow the hiker's advice and climb up the trail.
Many of the hikers coming down had walking poles, so perhaps this was an indication of how steep the climb was going to be.
However the climb was relatively easy and the views were spectacular; Palm Springs stretched out before us a carpet of Palms and streets.
Josie Johnson Vista Park the Picnic Area The dusty trail continued to climb to Josie Johnson Vista Park, where a number of tables and benches were spread over a small plateau ready for weary hikers to enjoy their refreshments.
How they transported them up the trail was beyond me, but just ahead was an area where you could tie up horses perhaps this was the way.
From this location you can see Tahquitz Canyon below, if you looked carefully, you just might pick out other hikers taking the Tahquitz Canyon Trail to the waterfall.
We Couldn't Continue -Not Enough Water The sun was hot even though it was winter and we weren't prepared for a long hike.
With just a little amount of water in my water bottle, I kept holding a small amount of water in my mouth instead of swallowing it, read this somewhere if you were short on water.
Probably a bit dramatic but three hours had passed and we have walked beyond the Best Western Inn, in fact we couldn't even see the motel because smaller hills hid its location.
The trail meandered into the distance, beckoning us to continue but time to head back.
The trail will be conquered on another visit when we are better prepared.
If you travel for work or pleasure take the time to check out the local walks you may be surprised what you find.
See you on my next walk.