Wake up to surprisingly uncharacteristic general overcast and a sinking feeling: this is not a day for the highlands. However, this is the day, planned as such, and, further, the sky over the distant San Jacintos (in view) is not cloud-capped, so off we go on a gamble,
resupplying locally (hoping the weather will not be like the realty enterprise), to connect the San Jacinto dots between last year's
Saddle Junction and yesterday's
South Red Tahquitz Pass, part of a series of hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail (or thereabouts) between the Mexican Border and points north (which, at the current rate, even to the California-Oregon divide, should take about 230 years to complete)....
Initially
drivingly
literally
backtracking
through
Lamb
Canyon,
San
Jacinto
Valley,
up
into
the
highlands,
we deja vu to Idyllwild -- unused parking and wilderness passes having been secured, of course, from yesterday -- but stop into the Ranger Station to touch base again, anyway. The storm to the south was indeed a wild one yesterday, the elderly female trio that had taken up so much airspace previously never made a certain plan for their day, and the weather today is still iffy, although not so much as it first looked. Indeed, skies are reasonably clear on the way up North/South Circle Boulevard and Fern Canyon Road (construction still in progress from last year) to
Humber Park, with its striking views of Lily Rock (saving the designation Tahquitz Peak, according to the topo, for the eminence above).
Yogi Berra'ing up the Devil's Slide Trail --
views to Lily and
Suicide
Rocks --
Saddle Junction at last makes its appearance, as well anon as
Tahquitz Valley Junction, and the
Meadow
and
Little Valley to the
Pacific Crest proper (between Humber and here all twelve friendly people of the day's acquaintance are met -- and a solid twelve more than yesterday, at that, when not even a Zen Master could be seen).
After a break by Little Tahquitz Creek
(the same which tumbles down into the Indian-run guided-tour-only Canyon enterprise at the outskirts of Palm Springs),
it's time for the main pull into the wilderness:
east
and
south,
pivoting around Red Tahquitz (yes, the name gets around), views opening up to San Andreas Ridge and Canyon,
Palm and Murray Canyons (again of Indian toll-enterprise fame), the
Little San Bernardino Mountains, and
Coachilla Valley.
Onward.
The Desert Divide spectacularly appears again,
wind blasted pines,
and another
gathering storm,
seemingly almost the
same spot as yesterday,
although perhaps
further
to
the
south and nastier (the lightning is discreetly, visibly in evidence along with the manifest thunder).
Again,
the turnaround -- hard achieved -- by the Little Pine
of
South Red Tahquitz Peak (sounds like a Villa-Lobos composition), seems well timed, and, as beautiful and memorable as the scene is, there's little lingering.
Reversing
course,
there
are
more
rest
stops,
such
that
the
way
down
is
no
faster than the way up,
perhaps a little slower, and am shocked to return just as the last light sets on Lily Rock.
Of the twelve:
Devil's Slide Ascent :
1. Asian-American middle-aged male making great progress
2-3. European/Asian-American young couple up for a chat
4. European-American middle-aged male enthusiastic about the day
5-7. European-American two middle-aged women and young man clearly challenged and resting
(amazing that, given the condition since yesterday, I can actually be walking faster than anyone)
Saddle Junction Outbound:
8. European-American older male camping for a week somewheres about, making a supply run back down to Humber
Just Before Pacific Crest Trail, Outbound:
9-11. Hispanic-American two middle-aged males and a younger one, friendly, but there are miles to go
After Tahquitz Valley Junction, to Saddle, Inbound:
12. German young male on month holiday, we walk and talk together of the wonders of California South and North, including San Francisco, and make Yosemite Half Dome recommends.
Get in the car and drive away (not an unusual situation after a walk), stopping for light refreshment in Idyllwild, then encountering a continuing glorious
sunset over the north San Jacintos on the way to the evening's festivities with John.
