**photos from 2017 were lost; those shown are from 2013**
October here is often more tricky than treaty. The sun and the rain begin their battle for control, and we outdoorsy types have to make the decision on just how wet we want to get or how far we’re willing to drive in order to stay dry. Today, we were willing to drive all the way to Palm Springs!
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| See? (image from NBCRightNow) |
Having been to the actual Palm Springs, I have to say that Yakima is no Palm Springs. Unlike the real Palm Springs, it will eventually snow there, and it is almost completely devoid of palm trees. What Yakima does have in common with the real Palm Springs is a crap ton more sunshine than on the west side of the mountains. The other thing it has in common with the real deal is that it’s quite a drive — not days long, but more in total than the time we’d spend with our boots on the ground, which isn’t something we normally like to do. But the lure of more warmth and light was too strong to resist.
A rainbow delineates the sun and rain.
Four years ago this month, TBG dropped me off in downtown Yakima for a school conference, and then he and the pup took a hike on this trail. Since then, he has wanted to re-visit it with me, even though we knew by the time we could, the pup would no longer be with us.
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| Zuzu, the best hiker, on the bridge in 2013. |
[TBG capitulates.]
After some disagreement about the end of the trail at which to start — TBG had begun at the other end then — we began at the other other end now.
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| Then and now. |
The main trail is 2.9 miles in one direction, and as you can see, is flat.
[I’m the pack mule, carrying our limited supplies for the day.]
There are several bridge crossings over Cowiche Creek, the name of which we aren’t sure how to pronounce, having never heard it said aloud. Is it Cow-itch? Cow-itchy? Cow-eesh? Who can know?
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| We know how to pronounce “canyon.” |
This sign indicates that if you see falling rocks, you should try to catch them.
It was a little breezier than we would have preferred, but how picky did we want to be?
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| [Whaaat? Are we in Palm Springs?] |
There are some spur trails that climb up the sides of the canyon, and we took the one up to the vineyard on the return walk.
[Adding in more of a workout.]
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| [Overlooking the winery.] |
It is possible to access the winery from here, and there are weather-worn signs pointing the way to the tasting room. We satisfied ourselves with a tasting of some of the grapes still clinging to the vines.
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| Someone neglected to catch these fallen rocks. |
[I left a rock to be “caught.”]
As the day’s pack mule, I was prepared with our little gorilla tripod to take a photo of the two of us, but although we talked about the best place to do so several times, we completely forgot to actually do it. I hate when we do that (or don’t do that as the case may be.)
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| Vitamin D! Get your vitamin D here! |
On the way back through downtown Palm Springs, we stopped at Miner’s Burgers for a treat, Then it was time to head back to the dark side.
[Another rainbow guides us home.]
Next weekend’s forecast is promising some Palm Spring-like weather on our side of the mountains. It might be too much to hope for this time of year, but I think I’ll hope anyway, optimistic fool that I am. You’ll know in a week if it came true! The sun part, that is. It’s already pretty certain I’m an optimistic fool.