One final hike in the hills above Palm Springs: the South Lykken Trail. It was dry, dusty, and hot (80s), but offered great views and a well-maintained path. We took a Lyft to the trailhead and walked back into town from the finish. A beer at Blackbook never tasted better.
Category: Regions
Neither up nor down
Hiked one-way with city transit at each end. We marched (kinda) up a hill, gaining a total of 1,300 feet. Here, we’ve wandered across the high ground and are part-way down the next hill. Palm Springs is spread out below us, as we watched landings and takeoffs at PSP (top-left).
Hiking an oasis
Granite walls gradually closed in as we hiked a shaded trail up a canyon to this spot. The trail must’ve crossed the stream a dozen times, giving us multiple opportunities to balance on slick rocks. Although we were surrounded by desert, the stream fed one long oasis, a winding line of palms.
Hiking Indian Canyons yet again
On our hike through Indian Canyons, the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a barrel cactus looked ready for some fancy dance moves. We’ve hiked these trails so many times over the years, and each time it seems to require a little more effort, particularly on the ascents.
What a difference 8,000 feet makes
This morning: hiked a snowy landscape with temperatures in the 50s. This afternoon: desert hiking in the 80s. All thanks to an 8,000-foot elevation difference and an aerial tramway. Both hikes were cut short: the first by ice, the second by dehydration.
“We’re not in Kansas anymore”
Arrived in sunny Palm Springs for a short respite from the Minnesota winter. After a much-anticipated grilled cheese sandwich late lunch at Blackbook, a downtown haunt for, um, friends of Dorothy, we filled a cart with groceries at Albertsons, then checked into our rental. Here, we’re sitting on our balcony in the dusk staring at palm trees and the San Jacinto Mountains.
Palm Springs 2025 #2
More journeys ≫
Lazy Sunday afternoon awaiting desert sun’s retreat
At the peak of the heat, the sun will dip behind the mountains, bringing a marked and comfortable temperature drop. A long, pleasant dusk follows, perfect for sitting outside. Until then, I’ll stretch out on the couch and read a novel.
Ghosts from Palm Springs’ past
While making random turns down streets that were new to me, discovered this scene of celebs who once had homes in Palm Springs. The developer of this building site had decided to have fun until construction begins. The mountains in the distance are topped with last night’s fresh snow while down in the valley it was warm enough to wear shorts while riding my bicycle.
Palm trees thriving where tectonic plates collide
Drove across the Coachella Valley to a ridge trail with lovely 360° views looking across the valley. Initially, we hiked directly on the San Andreas Fault. Here, we’re looking down at a line of native California fan palms owing their existence to groundwater pushed up by the collision of the tectonic plates.