The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

California Desert hikes

The recent (and still ongoing) wildfires in Los Angeles County reminded me of the nearly 300 photos I took last winter in the California Desert that I had yet to even look at. It’s been nearly 3 years since my last post from Joshua Tree National Park, so here are a few more recent photos. . .

The Low Desert

For two weeks in December and then again for most of January I stayed in Indian Wells and Palm Springs, in the (warmer) low desert east of Los Angeles.

Indian Canyons oasis, Palm Springs
California Fan Palms, Carrizo Canyon, Palm Desert
Folded rocks, Carrizo Canyon
Oswit Canyon pond, Palm Springs. It was wonderful to see the waterfall actually flowing!
View from ‘Peak 638’, above my Indian Wells condo.
Indio Mountain trailhead at Bear Creek. The paved path belies a challenging subsequent scramble up Indio Mountain.
Indio Mountain loop vista. My favorite photo, with the wonderful morning clouds.
Two Coachella Valley Hiking Club members scrambling up Magnesia Springs Canyon In December 2023. This canyon is closed for Desert Bighorn Sheep from January to October each year.
Some of a herd of Desert Bighorn Sheep along the South Karl Lykken Trail in Palm Springs. A wet winter provided them with plenty of food.
Tahquitz Creek park in Palm Springs. On “off” days I frequently walked here.
Wormhole loop rocks, Mecca Hills. The San Andreas fault passes through here, evidenced by the stark difference in the rock strata. Mecca Hills is in the western portion of the newly-established (14 January 2025!) 624,000 acre Chuckwalla National Monument.
Dr. Mark on the Wormhole loop. He almost single-handedly maintains most of the ladders to enable access to this amazing area.
The Vagabond Hiker at Mecca Hills
Emory’s Rock Daisy, Mecca Hills
Skyline Trail vista, Palm Springs. This trail ascends nearly 11,000 ft up San Jacinto Mountain, though I hiked “only” about 4,500 ft up from the desert floor.

The High Desert

In February 2024 I relocated to Yucca Valley and then to 29 Palms for the remainder of the winter season, focusing my hiking on Joshua Tree National Park. All photos below except the last were taken in JTNP.

An old chimney on the Lost Horse Mine loop. The rest of the cabin was demolished.
Window Arch, Wonderland of Rocks
A monzogranite formation in the Wonderland of Rocks
The “Pink House” ruins
Sand Verbena
Panorama from my traverse of Mt Minerva Hoyt
An imposing Joshua Tree near Warren Peak in March. These yuccas usually bloom in April
Joshua Mountain loop vista above 29 Palms
Pine Canyon, a fun scramble I had never done before
Desert Bells in Pine Canyon
Golden Suncup
Desert Lavender
An ephemeral pond in the Wonderland of Rocks
A possible ascent route up Spectre Peak. Over the years I’ve attempted climbing this remote peak in the Coxcomb Range of Joshua Tree four times without success.
Chia
Dawn from my Yucca Valley bungalow.

Currently I am wintering on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, off the coast of Morocco. As I have already posted twice on Lanzarote’s interesting hikes, here and here, I am taking a break from photography. However, before I return to St George, Utah at the end of February, I hope to post photos from some wonderful hikes I did in 2024 in that amazing redrock sandstone country.

The Vagabond Hiker

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