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52 Hikes, Part 2: Covid-safe family hiking in Palm Springs (and beyond!)

February 28, 2021

This year I set a goal of taking 52 different hikes with my family. You can read Part 1 here, which is about our 11 hikes in January.

That brings us to February, one of the best hiking months in Palm Springs. It’s post-holidays, so the trails aren’t crawling with people, and it’s pre-summer, so the trails aren’t crawling with rattlesnakes. Perfection!

Here are the 8 hikes we did this month.

Keep in mind:
• These hikes are family-friendly, meaning they were good for my family. They are not necessarily stroller accessible or toddler-friendly.
• I’m strategic about when and where I hike. Some popular trails get heavy traffic throughout the day, and I don’t feel comfortable on narrow paths with people who might not be wearing masks. So I go early or late.
• Don’t take my distance as gospel. Hiking with a 6-year-old child involves a fair amount of wandering, so your mileage might vary.
• Do check check a website like AllTrails for current trail conditions. I always look the map to get an idea of the terrain, and I read the most recent comments for any relevant info.
• Please wear a mask when you encounter others on the trail.

North Lykken to Falls View, Palm Springs • 6 miles

We accessed this via the trailhead on Cielo Road, which is located in my favorite Palm Springs neighborhood. From here the journey appears so charming and not at all like the brutal killer it is.

I kid. Kind of.

After a quick but steep climb, the trail leads you through Chino Canyon, which is an isolated and tranquil part of Palm Springs. It’s particularly dreamy when wildflowers are in bloom and the whole canyon looks like a screensaver.

Okay, here’s the killer part: The hike was pleasant out through the canyon but surprisingly strenuous on the return. I partially attribute this to a lack of snacks and an unseasonably warm February day, but wow. Just watch out for that. We should have turned back long before I turned into a hangry goblin.

Lake Calavera Loop, Oceanside • 4.3 miles

We spent Presidents’ Day weekend in a remote yurt, which was wonderful and gave us new places to explore.

I really loved this trail system because it was a great mix of well-maintained, easy trails and wilderness with rock scrambling and overgrown parts. Also you can’t beat the excellent view from the top.

However, so few people were wearing masks that I wondered if Oceanside had defeated the virus and didn’t tell anyone.

The trail had heavy traffic at the beginning and end, but we were able to maintain good distance on offshoot trails in between.

Los Jilgueros Loop, Fallbrook • 1.2 miles

A quick loop around a sweet nature preserve. It seemed to be a popular place for birders.

Roadrunner/Chuckwalla Loop, Rancho Mirage • 3.1 miles

A picturesque trail system that ambles through the mountains around the Ritz Carlton — a five-star view for free!

Aside: We didn’t make that rock heart that you see in the photo, because I teach Everest to leave only footprints. But he was happy to stumble upon it!

Araby Trail, Palm Springs • 3 miles

This trail takes you past the Bob Hope home, a mushroomy modernist masterpiece, and into the hills beyond the residence. It’s so fun, especially in the spring when the hills are lush and verdant. Also it holds some surprises. I won’t spoil them for you.

Continue toward Berns Trail Lookout for a longer loop, which we did not do.

North Lykken Loop, Palm Springs • 1.4 miles

There are a lot of ways to access the Lykken in Palm Springs. For this hike, we used the trailhead on Ramon Road, and it was an entirely different experience than the North Lykken loop we hiked earlier in the month.

My son had such a great time here, because there were dozens of offshoot trails to explore, outcroppings to climb, and plenty of adventures to be had. Plus there are spectacular views of downtown Palm Springs throughout. We didn’t cover much distance, but we spent a few hours having the best time.

We could have continued this hike north, where it meets up with the Museum Trail. Instead we followed the map on AllTrails to make this a true loop, ascending via the steep dirt trail and returning on the stone “road.”

South Lykken, Palm Springs • 3.6 miles

I personally refer to this as Middle Lykken, because there’s another South Lykken trailhead at Oswit Canyon.

This is my very favorite trail in Palm Springs, because it’s both challenging but rewarding, and it’s always spectacular. Over the past few years, it’s rare to hike here and not see bighorn sheep, although you might have to keep your eyes peeled. (Other times, they walk right across the trail!)

Note: There’s no parking at the trailhead, so park on Mesquite close to Palm Canyon, near the Happy Traveler RV Park, and walk up the street until it dead-ends at the mountain.

Pushawalla Palms Loop, Coachella Valley Preserve • 4.6 miles

This trail is like traveling through an actual metaphor — you have to trudge through the desert to get to an oasis.

Multiple oases, to be accurate.

Follow a slender ridge along the top of a bluff before descending to the Pushawalla Palms grove on the desert floor. This is a cool oasis with water that has been brought to the surface from the San Andreas Fault.

Along the way back, you’ll pass through another collection of full-skirted palms and see even more water. Here we had a snack, lolled in the shade from the trees, and watched a flock of Gambel’s quail skitter about — a respite from the rest of the world.

52 Hikes, Part 1: Covid-safe family hiking in Palm Springs

January 31, 2021

I hike a lot, but I tend to stick to the same trails. I’m sure there’s a metaphor there.

So I set a goal to hike 52 different trails this year. Part of that was to force myself out of my comfort zone, but I think it’s also necessary for Covid times. Even though I can’t travel far, I still want to explore, I want to have new experiences, and I need to feel like I’m having an adventure.

It’s important for me to cultivate that for my 6-year-old son as well.

At the same time, we want to be safe and maintain distance from others, which is an additional bonus of 52 different hikes. Although I ticked some popular hikes off my list this month, I think this will push me to find some lesser-known trails and ultimately explore my area without encountering a lot of people.

Here’s how we did in January:

A few things to keep in mind:
• These hikes are family-friendly, meaning they were good for my family, but these trails are not necessarily accessible for things like strollers.
• I’m strategic about when and where I hike. Some of the popular trails get a heavy amount of traffic throughout the day, and I don’t feel comfortable on narrow paths with people who might not be wearing masks. Those are the trails we hike at dawn.
• Don’t take my distance as gospel. Hiking with a 6-year-old child involves a fair amount of wandering, so your mileage might vary.
• In each case, I’d recommend checking a site like AllTrails for current trail conditions. I always look the map to get an idea of the terrain, and I read the most recent comments for any pertinent info.
• Please wear a mask when you encounter others on the trail.

Bighorn overlook, Rancho Mirage • 1.3 miles

We kicked off the new year with a quick hike to watch the sun rise over the valley.

There’s easy-peasy parking at City Hall, and the hike is a mild, half-mile jaunt up to the overlook, which connects to other trails.

Bogert Trail, Palm Springs • 1.8 miles

Bogert offers a pretty overlook of south Palm Springs and leads to junctions with several other trails. We opted to do this as a moderate loop, with the first half on the mountain, the rest on residential streets.

Randall Henderson Trail, Palm Desert • 2.8 miles

This one is a favorite, and we’ve been doing it since E was just a wee little guy, so I think it’s appropriate for many ages.

The trailhead begins at Friends of the Desert Mountains. The visitor center and parking lot were closed, but parking is available across the street or along the side of the road. (It is a very busy road, though. Be careful.)

Oswit Canyon, Palm Springs • 3.2 miles

I love Oswit Canyon, and I’m grateful to everyone who worked hard to save it from becoming a housing development.

This hike is particularly great during covid times, because there’s not one particular trail that takes you back into the canyon. Basically everything is a trail, so you can really maintain distance from other hikers.

It’s also a gradual climb (you don’t even realize you’ve gained elevation until you look back), and it feels like a real escape from the rest of the world. Bighorn sheep sightings are not uncommon.

Fish Traps Archeological Site, Thermal • 1 mile

This wasn’t much of a hike, but wow, was it cool. We found petroglyphs (and modern graffiti, sadly), shells, broken pottery, and best of all — hundreds of fish traps! Yes, in the desert.

Back when ancient Lake Cahuilla was here, the Cahuilla Indians crafted these ingenious stone traps to catch fish. You can learn all about that here.

Goat Trails, Palm Springs • 3.2 miles

These trails go on forever and branch off into multiple other trails, and I don’t even remember which path we took. Only that we reached an old horse corral that I’ve never seen before, and it was in the middle of nowhere.

This area is heavily trafficked, but the first section is wide. Then once the trail begins to branch off, it’s easy to maintain distance from others.

Earl Henderson Trail, Palm Springs • 2.3 miles

When I first moved to Palm Springs, I ran this trail multiple times a week. Unlike a lot of other trails here, it’s hilly; not a relentless, glute-killing climb. It’s also in the shadow of the mountain, so it remains cool on hot mornings.

Mission Creek to Stone House, Mission Creek Preserve • 3.6 miles

Mission Creek is a dreamy place, often overlooked in favor of other parks and preserves, and that’s fine with me. My son could spend hours tossing rocks into the creek, floating leaves in the water, falling off logs into the mud.

The main path will take you along the creek, next to desert wetlands that are popular with birdwatchers, and past historic structures to the Stone House. (Believe it or not, this used to be a dude ranch/resort.)

The trail near the Stone House links up with the Pacific Crest Trail, so you can pull a Cheryl Strayed and just keep going if you want.

Hidden Palm Oasis, Thousand Palms • 3.8 miles

This hike’s name is no joke. You’re walking along a bleached, somewhat barren landscape, then you head down a slope and SURPRISE! A hidden palm oasis. And it’s glorious too. Cool, breezy, a nice stop for a snack.

We’ve also seen a lot of horned lizards on this hike, and we love horned lizards for being the most metal of all creatures. Here, I’ll let you see for yourself.

McCallum Trail, Thousand Palms • 3.4 miles

This out-and-back trail at the Coachella Valley Preserve will take you to a large pond that is fed by underground springs (the result of seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault). Kind of. Right now the pond is closed due to desert pupfish reintroduction.

We continued beyond the pond toward Vista Point and Moon Country trails, then decided to save Moon Country for another day.

I always get a thrill at the beginning of this hike, which starts by the now-closed visitor center. An elevated wooden platform leads you through a marshy oasis with small ponds and shaggy palm trees. It looks and feels otherworldly, like Ewoks might hop out of the trees.

Bump and Grind, Palm Desert • 4.3 miles

This moderate trail is great for some serious exercise, but it’s also uncomfortably crowded. I once saw an entire bachelorette party on the trail — Mardi Gras beads, water bottles with penis straws, bridal veils and satin sashes, the whole bit.

We hiked this loop at dawn, and it still had too many hikers for my taste. On the plus side, this trail branches off into some other excellent Palm Desert trails, it offers a picturesque view of the town, and it’s easy to find and centrally located.

The top is closed every year from February 1 to April 30 for Bighorn sheep lambing season. We lucked out and made this hike on Jan. 31, so we were able to do the full loop. My son struggled around the 1-mile mark, but we took it slow and made frequent stops until we made it.

2017 in summary

December 31, 2017

The world's cutest toddler, running along a beach

My focus word for 2017 was “abundance,” and I spent all year trying my darnedest to cultivate that.

And failing. I failed so hard, you guys. My failures were abundant.

Financially, it was one of my driest years since I started freelancing. There were long and seemingly endless spans of time where nothing was accepted or published, even though I wrote, pitched, queried, and followed up obsessively. At one point I read an article that advised writers to aim for 100 rejections per year, and I cackled like a mad woman in a Brontë novel — I was hitting about 100 rejections (or non-responses) per month.

It was depressing. It felt like I was trying to climb a mountain, and even though I was doing my part, I couldn’t quite get there. I researched the trail, I showed up in hiking boots, I carried all the right gear, I had the motivation and desire to put in the work. Then mere steps from the top, I toppled for whatever reason, forcing me to start all over again.

Just when I considered calling it quits, I attended the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop in magical Granada, Spain. It helped recharge my batteries on just about every level, from inspiring me to write new things and look at my work in a different way to satisfying my itchy feet and proving I can still travel solo.

Soon after, I placed some of my favorite pieces, like this essay for LitHub about Silent Book Club, a piece about wildflowers and making my own roots in the desert for Palm Springs Life (the online version is a little wonky with some repeated paragraphs, but you can see it here anyway), and a funny/sad essay about a rat for Mutha Magazine.

I also started hosting a radio show about books with Tod Goldberg. I received an acceptance from an outlet that has been on my byline bucket list for decades. I registered for the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, because I want to find my way toward humor writing again. I read 51 books.

Other good things happened: A road trip to Vegas, a quick jaunt to Portland, a terrific visit with my sister. I reconnected with old friends and made some new ones. As a family, Jason, Everest, and I slept in a tipi under the stars in Pioneertown, hiked through a couple of Canada’s spectacular national parks, and explored Vancouver, now one of our favorite cities.

Also Everest turned 3, and he has grown into someone I genuinely love to hang out with. He’s funny and weird and makes me laugh until I wheeze. We have dance parties, take silly selfies, and haven’t found a trail yet that we don’t want to explore.

In November Everest and I hiked 30 miles together, and most of those were quiet morning jaunts, clambering over rocks, scraping up knees, and listening to birdsong. I cherish every one of those miles.

Now we’re ending on a high note. We just finished a family road trip that was just about as perfect as those things get. We started by seeing the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at The Broad in Los Angeles, and stayed the night in Solvang, a quirky Danish-themed town. Then we spent a few easy days at Morro Bay, listening to seals bark, running on the beach, and sipping hot cocoa as the sun sank.

Our last morning in Morro Bay is a memory that I hope lasts, as it seems to sum up the whole year for me. It’s Everest, barreling down the pastel beach, gathering sand dollars by the handful. He carries them to me, holds these urchins to his chest, makes careful piles of them. He tosses some into the ocean; the rest he tucks into the pockets of my old college sweatshirt.

This is abundance. My pockets hang heavy with sand and salt and shells, and my heart is so full it’s buoyant. I am sand dollar rich, and I have all the things that matter.

Cooleyhighholiday: A Christmas Miracle

December 23, 2015

The Ghost of Christmas Past just reminded me of this story, which took place a few years ago.

A friend of mine, an opera singer, was booked to perform at a local casino during the tribe’s holiday party. I tagged along, but I don’t remember why. Probably for free food.

While my friend crooned Christmas carols, I sat backstage on a rickety metal chair. A couple of guys were sitting back there too, and they laughed when the chair almost tipped me onto the floor. They were nice, though, and we had a ridiculously good time for people hanging out in the wings of a dusty stage. I don’t even remember everything we chatted about, only that we laughed a lot.

One of the guys complimented my friend’s singing and said she’d be a tough act to follow.

ME: Oh, you sing?

GUY: Yeah, we have a group.

ME: Sweet. What’s your group called?

GUY: Boyz II Men.

You guys, Boyz II Freaking Men.

Boyz II Men served as the soundtrack for my formative years. I owned “Cooleyhighharmony” on cassette, and when it wore out, I bought the CD. More of my backseat makeout sessions were set to “I’ll Make Love to You” than other jam. And I’ve been to more than one prom with the theme, “End of the Road.”

So when I realized these dudes were actually Boyz II Men, I did the only thing I could do. I launched into the Michael Bivins rap from “Motownphilly.”

“Now check this out
One day back in Philly
Four guys wanted to sing
They came up to me I said
What’s your name? (Boyz II Men)
Ya know what I’m sayin’.”

It’s a horrible flaw of mine that I sing celebrities’ songs to them. Usually the musicians aren’t happy about it. But in this case, the guys played along, launching into the “dum dum dum dah dah” harmony — a little Christmas gift to me.

Pregnancy Week 16: Clinton, Kobe and golfers, oh my!

January 21, 2014

First, there was the pregnancy announcement with Bryan Cranston, who was perfectly lovely.

As soon as I told him my idea for an epic Breaking Bad pregnancy announcement, he was game. “Let’s do it,” he said. “Where should I stand? Should I hold your belly?”

The blue meth made me do it.

That was a couple weeks ago. And then this week of pregnancy, things got really crazy.

I volunteered for the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters conference, which addresses important questions about health and wellness in the U.S. My job was to act as security for the talent, which included Herschel Walker, Matt Kemp and Kobe Bryant, checking badges backstage.

Safety first.

Like, this Kobe.

This marks the first and only time a Laker will be guarded by a relatively small pregnant lady.

The same Kobe who is chatting up Chelsea Clinton. Like, this Chelsea.

Outside this door? Me with a walkie talkie, ready to kick some ass! And talk to people in CB slang.

Then I brought my dad to the Humana Challenge golf tournament, which featured a bunch of men who are golf famous. Not Tiger, but you know. Those other guys in the pants with the clubs.

Hideous winter weather in Palm Springs.

And then we saw President Bill Clinton, who recognized me from such things as following him around the golf course last year.

Not the father.

This fetus, man. It’s destined to become an A-list celebrity. Or a TMZ paparazzo.

Here’s how everything else is going this week:

Baby: Is the size of a Hass avocado, and my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe. This prompted my friend Abby to say the best thing of my pregnancy thus far: “An avocado inside a cantaloupe inside your belly is like a pregnant vegetarian Turducken.”

Wee baby Turducken.

The interesting thing is that I have not received a single comment about my pregnant belly or anything like that. So all those times pre-pregnancy when I felt so bloated or thought everyone was focused on my extra pounds, NOBODY ACTUALLY NOTICED BUT ME. Right now I am literally walking around with something the size of a melon in my gut, and it still slides under the radar.

Other baby stuff: Baby is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows now. (Weird!) It can hear my voice. (So weird!) Supposedly I will feel it move soon. (Super duper weird!)

At night before I fall asleep, I lie very still and focus on the baby and try to feel it flutter. Sometimes I even feel the tiniest bit of something! And then I’ll realize I ate a lot of lentils this week, and I’m probably feeling what my friend Ashley calls “a cherished moment of gas.”

New this week: I am itchy. All the time. Every part of me. I’m sure part of this can be attributed to living in the desert in winter. But I think part of it is also caused by my skin expanding to accommodate an entirely new human.

These products have been hitting the dry spot: Weleda stretch mark massage oil, Weleda sea buckthorn creamy body wash and Alba very emollient body lotion. Sweet, sweet emollience.

Cream of the crop.

Also my hair has been weird. The curl is weird. Length is weird. Ends are dry. Where’s the glorious, thick pregnancy hair I’ve read about? I want my money back!

Clothes: Still wearing my regular clothes, but I’ve also added this maternity T-shirt into the rotation. It is so soft and so long, and it is black like Morrissey’s soul, and I love it forever and ever.

Liz Lange for Target; very comfortable for me.

I have also been wearing my Thai fisherman plants a lot. What exactly are Thai fisherman pants? Well, they are pants that involve a lot of fabric, very wide legs and a weird, wide waistband that is elaborately folded, then tied.

I was certain these pants would become fashion’s next big thing, and I stocked up while I was in Chiang Mai. I have about six pairs in a variety of colors.

I mean, they still haven’t gotten very trendy yet. And sometimes people point and openly laugh at me when I wear them to Trader Joe’s. But someday, you’ll all see.

Who’ll be laughing then? Me and this guy.