If you go on the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club’s 2015 trip you may have a chance to see Tahquitz Canyon Falls, a spectacular 50 foot desert waterfall on Agua Caliente tribal land near Palm Springs; photo by Dave Sorenson.
Karen Schickedanz
A hiking trip to Palm Springs? Yes, it’s true—the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club’s fifth annual trip, scheduled for April 7 through 9, 2015, will be to this California desert resort city better known for its outstanding restaurants and hotels, celebrities and great golf.
“What most people overlook about the Palm Springs area is the dazzling variety of hikes and varied scenery just minutes away,” said Dave Sorenson, the trip organizer. He and Larry Linderman, a co-planner, both have lived in Palm Springs and are using their contacts and knowledge of the area to create another of the Hiking Club’s much anticipated and increasingly popular annual trips.
Past trips have been to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff/Sedona and Zion National Park, with participation growing to just over 100 on last April’s trip to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks near Moab, Utah. About 75 people already have expressed interest in the Palm Springs trip.
Among the hikes being planned for the Palm Springs trip are the following:
* Indian Canyons and Palm Canyon, which boasts the largest stand of California fan palms in the world.
* Santa Rosa National Monument
* Painted Canyon near the small town of Mecca in an area sometimes called Little Utah
* A segment near Palm Desert of the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Canada to Mexico
* Joshua Tree National Park
* Whitewater Preserve, populated by bighorn sheep, deer and bear
* Nearby Idyllwild, with mountain hiking at elevations of 6,000 to 8,000 feet
And, you can take the Palm Springs Tram from its 2,600 foot starting point to the 8,500 foot Mountain Station where a network of mountain trails begins, including the trail to 10,800 foot Mt. San Jacinto.
If you have questions about the Palm Springs trip or wish to be put on a list for further updates, contact Dave Sorenson at 777-1994.
To participate in the trip, you must be a member of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club. For more information about the club, contact President Larry Allen at 825-7864.