Monday, June 11, 2018

Jojoba Hills and a Hike


IMG_2380

Won’t bore you with details about what we’ve been up to here in southern California but we’re managing to stay busy and we did do a nice hike last week, so I thought I’d post some photos of it and a few others from around Jojoba Hills.

There are several ponds around the park where we usually see ducks and turtles.

IMG_2382

IMG_2384

IMG_2390

IMG_2391

IMG_2393

And we love all the birds that hang out in our yard.

IMG_2400

IMG_2410

The weather has been surprisingly pleasant except for a handful of days in the 90s recently where the pool has been a welcome relief. We hadn’t hiked since we were in Prescott last month so I researched trails at higher elevation that we haven’t been on and found the Cedar Springs Trail, 29 miles northeast of Jojoba Hills, starting at 5,400’. 

DSC09501

After climbing through trees and gnats for about a mile we began a series of 13 fairly gentle switchbacks for another mile and a half, where we intersected with the Pacific Crest Trail.

We’ve never seen a sign like this on a trail before. This is right before the start of the switchbacks.

DSC09482

Nice views from the switchbacks.

DSC09484

There were some flowering yucca plants.

DSC09477

But the most common plants we saw were agave in various stages of growth.

DSC09487

Unlike the yucca which can bloom again, the agave plant flowers once in its life between the age of 20-40 years, then dies.

IMG_2415

IMG_2417

We did see a few other flowers, too.

DSC09496

DSC09489

How many more switchbacks did you say?

IMG_2422

And we finally reached the PCT. The Cedar Springs trail continues on downhill for another mile to the spring, but we turned right and hiked along the PCT for about a half mile.

DSC09491

This section runs along the Desert Divide, a ridgeline that forms the spine of the San Jacinto Mountains.

We now had a view to the north of the sprawl that is the Palm Desert/ Palm Springs area and the Coachella Valley. It looked hot and hazy down there.

IMG_2424

A closer look.

DSC09493

Probably an exclusive subdivision, given how it’s tucked into the hills.

IMG_2426

We really enjoyed this part of the trail at an elevation of 6,800’ where we could look down on both sides of the ridge.

IMG_2430

DSC09500

IMG_2433

DSC09494

DSC09495

DSC09498

We’d like to go back and do this hike again when it’s not so hot, and go a little farther on the PCT next time. We didn’t see another person on either trail but the PCT thru-hikers who started at the Mexican border would have already passed through this area a month or two ago.

DSC09499

Today we’re heading to Encinitas with Terry and LuAnn for a few days on the coast. It’s nice to be so close to the mountains and the ocean!