Wednesday 26 February 2014

Bachelor Time Roadrunners and an Awesome Bday #54

Yes we are still alive. I know I know I am way behind in my Blog updates and I am sorry for that so here we go.
Since the last post there have been several hikes lots of pickle ball and Kelly has had some bachelor time.
This was a great hike on a beauty day. this was June's last hike before she left on the 12th of February. June flew into Vancouver to meet up with her mom and then leave again on the 14th for Houston Texas. The ladies then left on a 2 week cruise in the Western Caribbean. I guess the pace in Desert Hot Springs was just to much for her. This means Kelly has been a bachelor for the last 2 weeks. This is probably why there hasn't been an update as his editor has been missing.
While June was away Kelly went on a hike that took him on a ridge overlooking Bob Hopes House.
Bob Hope's House is for sale only 32 million reduced from 50

View from top. Palm Springs in front Desert Hot Springs in Background
Nice Day at the top of the hill

As a kid growing up the "Bugs Bunny Show" was the big cartoon. The Roadrunner versus Wile E Coyote. The other day I saw a roadrunner and got this picture.
Yup this is a Roadrunner
The roadrunner eats meat its favourite meal is rattlesnake. Yup they are fast enough to catch hummingbirds! People in the park feed them bits of hot dogs.

On February 20th Kelly turned turned 54 years old. He went on a hike with the regular group. The hike was the most difficult hike to date. It was 8.9 miles that went through two "grottos" one of which included a belly crawl. After the first grotto and a third of the way through we stopped for a "snack break". The snack break turned unbelievable when the leader pulled out two big mugs filled with Kelly's "favourite vegetable" Ice-cream!!
Kelly and his favourite vegetable
We had enough ice-cream for all 18 of us to have a couple of dixie cups full each. Kelly was beyond surprised and speechless which some of you won't believe. Just can't thank them enough!!!!!
Kelly flew to Vancouver and then over to Victoria on the 25th as Natalie and Reid are expecting their first child and our first grandchild. June will be joining him there on the 2nd of march. We will be updating the blog when the child arrives.



Friday 7 February 2014

Tight Fits Hummingbirds and Midday at the Oasis

Ahhh another week of fun in the sun. We started the week with another hike. This one was a mash-up of two different hikes with an unexplored joiner. Our hike leader Jerry prefers "loops" when hiking rather than an in and out(don't say it), so he created a hike with an unknown section in the middle to complete the hike. The hike started  out on the Painted Canyon trail then switched to "Jerry's Trail". We had to climb a total of 5 ladders to get over dead waterfalls and boulders.

June make it look easy, notice the knee pads and the hat is on backwards so you Won't bash you head on an overhang......this bit of knowledge came too late for Dell as his brim blocked his view enough he didn't see a low overhang soon enough.
A look from the top of the ladder
Once we made it up the ladders the view from the top was great.
After the new part was completed we headed down hill towards the vehicles. When we were about a half mile away Jerry said anyone want to check out "Big Split Rock?" So all but three of the fifteen of us took off our packs and headed into Big Split Rock. The trail starts out about 15 feet wide but within 500 yards it's down to 5 feet. The further we went the tighter it got. Years ago Nick Newell once held his hands out in front of me to measure whether I would fit into an attic access. All I can say is where was he when I needed him.
At one point I yelled at Jerry "does it get tighter?" he replied "Why are you a little claustrophobic?" "Yes" I replied. "Are you afraid of the dark?" "No" I said then I heard "Then close your eyes and you'll be ok" my reply shouldn't be recorded here, those that know me can guess it.

Tuesday was dog sitting day as our friends went shopping and we looked after the dogs. Anne's place backs right onto the desert at the Rv park boundary. She has several bird feeders and I got this hummingbird shot there.
 Fifteen feet away with a 500mm lens
The wind was back again for Wednesday so it was a rest day. I had twisted my left ankle at Sunday pickle ball and then again on the Monday hike so a down day was welcome.
Thursday had us hiking to "Anniversary Rock" in Palm Springs. This hike started out on the Lykken trail but soon took a left turn. We walked up a river bed in a canyon to an Oasis. The water bubbles up through the rocks then as the trail continues the water disappears for about a half mile then back it comes.
June has got this rock under control
At the upper Oasis the branches in the top left hand corner of the picture are from a fig tree.
From the Oasis back to the valley.
How do they grow on rocks?
When we got almost back to cars Jerry wanted to know if anyone wanted to climb to the top of Lykken Trail it would be about another hour. June and two others went up the hill with Jerry and I rested my bum ankle. The view from the top was spectacular.
Looking down into Palm Springs from 1700 feet.
All in all it has been a good week. We have Pickle Ball coming up on Saturday hopefully the wind will die down.

Take Care
Junkel


Sunday 2 February 2014

Rainbows and Horse Races and Getting Blown

Well the honeymoon is over and so is the unbelievable weather we have had.  On Thursday we went for an 7 mile hike to Rainbow Falls. It was the least taxing of all the hikes we have done so far. It's called Rainbow Falls because of the rainbow rocks on the path leading up to the falls.

Two of the Rainbow Rocks

The rocks looked better when wet but they were still very cool. I don't know what kind of geological event has to happen for the rocks to have all those colours in them, but we were glad it happened. We carried on up to the falls and yes there was actual water in the desert, only one person climbed the ladders as she had wet feet already.
On the way back to the parking lot we came across this little guy, we aren't sure what it is and nobody wanted to hold it.
When you're hiking in the desert it is very nice when you can find water, just ask June.
By thursday night the winds had come up in Desert Hot Springs. The weather people said that we had gusts to 50 mph, all I know is that the trailer was rocking and it wasn't us(this time). The wind blew for about 40 hours straight and has been back a few times since, not as bad but still there. 

On Friday night it was horse race night at the park. Yup horse races, well not real ones. We have 6 horses and 12 squares and 2 dice. The first dice roll is the horse and the secound is the number of spaces the horse moves. This sounds boring until you include the betting on which horse will win. So we drank beer and bet on horses for 2.5 hours. We did so well that we don't have any quarters left for laundry this week.

Saturday was a down day to recover and Sunday was 2.5 hours of pickle ball for Kelly and a good walk for June. Sunday night is poker night and Super Bowl night, lets just say Kelly and the Broncos have lots in common.

Hope all is well with you all.
Take care Junkel