Went out a couple days ago on a hike. The temps are trending up, so I wanted to leave early so to give me enough time to enjoy the place before it got too hot. I overslept and didn’t leave the house till a little after 6:00am. It was in the low 80’s when I got there at 7:00. I left my car on the turnout and headed into the desert. When I walked into the wash and out of sight of the road and I could take off the clothes.
My original decision was to hike up to a peak I have done before*. It’s not long, about 3.5 m, but it is steep and slippery climbing in spots. At about 1-1/4 mile of the way in I headed out of the wash for a bit and while wandering about saw a trail that headed off over the hill, so I decided to follow it. Change in plan.
| The hike to Hamblin Mtn. (yellow line). | The hike I just did (red line) |
I did the mountain hike several years ago. The new valley I found is to the left of the end of the red line. I ended up north of Hamblin Mountain. I could tell it wasn’t used much as there were few footprints. There were a couple of the cairns in places that showed signs of having been there a while.
A cairn by the trail
I crossed a couple saddles on the hike and ended up about a mile north of the mountain I had intended to hike. I had found a new trail to the mountain. Next time I’ll try this new route to see if it is easier. At least it’s a different path.
After being on the trail for a bit I realized I probably out here all alone. It was middle of the week and too warm for most and I considered caching my clothes. Having just found the new trail I decided not to this time as I didn’t want to leave the clothes somewhere I hadn’t been before.
There’s not much to hide a cache under out here
Maybe next time I can do an unencumbered hike. This was an isolated trail. Sometimes you see a trail that splits off from the trail or was visible as you walk. This one wasn’t. It was off of a branch in the wash and up on top of the bank. You would have to know it was there to choose to hike it.
Black lava stones are scattered
After reaching the 1st saddle I could see the trail as it snaked across the valley floor. I was probably 50-60 ft. up so I saw how it headed up the 2nd saddle. The washes here were not large so the walking wasn’t bad. Once I got to the 2nd saddle, I saw a much larger valley to the east. I had seen this one on maps and on GoogleEarth and wondered how hard it was to get to it. Well here it was, I found it by accident. I will come back to do some exploring. I’d like a different way out for variety.
 |  |
| The trail up to the 2nd saddle | Walking across the 2nd saddle |
I truly love these places. They look desolate but they aren’t. Sparse is a better word. Like the difference between someone that jabbers and someone that only speaks when there is something to say. The only man made marks here are the trail, a shoe print here and there and the occasional cairn. I am far from the road and the cell reception here is little to none. I walk up to the top of a small hill to sit for a while and enjoy the silence.
The small hill I climbed to rest
Some people can’t stand the quiet. But it’s only quiet if you don’t listen. Sit still and the sounds that are there begin to register. Insects, lizards and birds are always around.
Unlike Jbee’s wonderful canyons these are rolling hills slashing cuts in the slopes from the past rains. Most of the terrain is sedimentary. Clay, conglomerate, shale and mud hills that alternate between sharp edges or eroded faces that look like they are melting in the heat.
As I was climbing the hill, something was glittering about halfway up. No, it wasn't treasure. Trash. From someone else.
 |  |
| A glittering on the slope of the hill | It’s a party balloon. |
These balloons show up out in the desert. People release them at party’s and watch them float away. They think it will just disappear and then the party is over. They float up until they pop then back down to the desert. The desert tortoise in this area eat flowers. They see this brightly colored mylar and synthetic rubber trash and think it’s flower petals. The stuff gets into their GI tract and eventually they die. I pick up the party trash and stuff it into my pack. I get to clean up litter from people that have never been out here.
I spend time sitting or laying on the ground or on boulders. I eat the orange I slipped into the pack. Being hot has an amazing effect. When the sweet juices from the fruit hit my taste buds it makes it seem like the best orange I ever tasted. The body rewards you when it gets what it needs or wants.
A boulder to sit on, rest and eat an orange
The name of this trail is Cottonwood Spring. Right near where the spring seeps to the surface there are several cottonwoods. A hole is dug into the soil, most likely by the wild burros. When water collects there it is a busy spot for insects. Here there are hundreds of honey bees collecting water for their hive, where ever it is.
Honey bees busy taking water back to Le Queen
The wind started picking up around 9:00am and kept it comfortable. Around 10:15 I headed down. This was a easy hike with no strenuous sections. So I was able to make it to the car in about and hour.
 | A panorama looking northeast from the trail |
 | A panorama west from the 1st saddle |
 | Looking up the trail to the 2nd saddle |
School is out and the cooler hiking in the mountains is crowded. Good hikes all of them, but no CO.
As I am typing, today it’s 105ºF on June 3. Even now it doesn’t cool off below 95 till around 9:00pm. Makes for great night hiking though. Nice and warm.
* I posted the hike on the old site as my 1st naked peak hike, I’ll see if I can find it and the photos.
Duane
