kitty pi

Making Lemonade

Damn that tram! But thank god, too! It was a blessing in disguise most likely.

Me and the Mr. woke our butts up at 5 am Saturday, drank our coffee, showered and dressed our lovely selves in the latest hiking fashion. Actually, we just dug out some old things to wear but it sounds more exciting the other way. We laced up our boots, packed up our bags with plenty of water and power bars. Filled up the gas tank and hit the road just as the sun was rising in the eastern sky.

One hundred miles later, we turned onto the road to drive up the mountain. The plan was to take the Palm Springs aerial tram to the 8,000 foot base station and hike to the peak from there. The peak of Mt. San Jacinto is 10,000 something feet above sea level. Anyway, it is usually quite cold up there (45 to 65 degrees F) so I was wearing two layers of shirts, long pants and a scarf. I was worried about being cold! We knew our friend would be there before us and expected him to be waiting at the top for us.

Needless to say, we were quite surprised to see him at the entrance to the tram road. Waiting there next to his car. Right next to the sign that said "TRAM CLOSED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE".

We laughed and laughed and got out of the car. "Where's the nearest bar?" we asked. More laughs. We've been planning this hiking trip since early August and had checked the park's website as late as that morning. No mention of a closed tram. We all drove 2+ hours only to be denied!

We had a terrific breakfast while we waited for our other friends (who were still stuck in traffic). After they arrived, we decided to find a hike nearby and make a day of it anyway.

The lady at the Visitor's Center told us about a hike called Tahquitz Canyon on Indian tribal lands, so we hit the road again. A short drive later, just past the main strip in downtown Palm Springs, we found it. There was a small admission fee, and it was a short hike (only 2 miles) but it was magnificent. We hiked along a stream for about a mile and wound up at a beautiful waterfall. The water was crystal clear and cold. We were quite hot (remember, I am wearing a long-sleeve shirt and long pants) and the water was like a hidden treasure. Mr. Q smartly wore shorts for this hike so he was able to jump in and swim up to the waterfall. I would have joined him for skinny dip but a park ranger showed up about that time. So, I rolled up my pants and waded around in the extraordinary cool water. We were practically the only people there and it was enchanting. We literally just sat on some rocks with our feet dangling in the water, talking to each other for about an hour.

A short hike back to our car and we were off to the nearest pub for cold beer and a light lunch. We decided to make it an annual tradition.

I still want to climb that mountain, and I probably will one day. I've been up there before, but not to the peak. I know it is beautiful. I also know that I am getting older and lazier so it was probably a big blessing that we did a hike that was more in line with my ability level! I expected to be exhausted today and I'm not. I had a great time and made a great connection with our oldest friends. I'm quite thrilled to have a new (and relatively easy) annual hike!

All in all, I can say I am not at all disappointed. It turned out to be a brilliant and beautiful day. I love the desert (but I'm taking my bikini next time!). I love my husband. I love spending time with good people. You can never go wrong with that!

Hope your weekend was great.

posted by Anita at 6:35 PM