TAHQUITZ CANYON SUCCESS

YESTERDAY TERRY AND I DECIDED TO CHECK OUT TAHQUITZ CANYON.

THE CANYON IS RIGHT NEAR OUR V.R.B.O. IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND IT HAS BEEN HOME TO THE CAHUILLA TRIBE OF NATIVE AMERICANS FOR AT LEAST 2,000 YEARS.

WE TOOK OUR WATER BOTTLES AND I GRABBED MY CANE INCASE OUR WALK AROUND THE CANYON HAD SOME UPHILL ELEVATION.  LITTLE DID I IMAGINE WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO ACCOMPLISH /ENDURE FOR THE AFTERNOON. 

WE SOON DISCOVERED AFTER WE PAID OUR ENTRANCE DUES AND ENTERED THE CANYON THAT THE SANDY PATH WAS INDEED AN UPHILL CLIMB… THE ENTIRE TRAIL IS A TWO MILE LOOP GAINING A TOTAL OF 350 FEET ELEVATION AND COVERED IN STONES, ROCKS AND ROCKY STEPS TO CLIMB .

WE CONSIDERED OUR OPTIONS ( TURNING BACK OR TAKING OUR TIME AND FORGING ON) AND WE DECIDED ON THE SECOND ONE.   I WOULD GO SLOWLY AND IF I FELT I WAS ‘DONE’ THEN WE WOULD JUST STOP.  THE TRAIL BECAME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT AS WE CONTINUED.  I FOOLISHLY THOUGHT THAT THE PATH WOULD BE MOSTLY ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE I SAW HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOTS OUTSIDE THE INTERPRETIVE CENTRE . BUT THIS WAS NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE.

TERRY HAD TO CONSTANTLY GO AHEAD OF ME TO GIVE ME HIS HAND AS I MANEUVERED ROCKY STAIR AFTER STAIR AFTER STAIR.  AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW ME…MY KNEE CAPS ARE ‘BONE ON BONE’ SO THIS WAS LITERALLY A ‘GRIND’ FOR ME.

I NEVER CONSIDERED HOW HOT IT WOULD BE EITHER. OF COURSE I KNEW WE WERE IN THE DESERT BUT EVEN STOPPING TO REST MEANT SITTING IN THE GLARING SUN . THIS PROVIDED LITTLE RELIEF.  THE VIEWS WERE AMAZING THOUGH.  WE SAW A SNAKE ON THE PATH AND TERRY SAW A COOL GECKO.  THE PHOTOS DON’T ACCURATELY REFLECT HOW MASSIVE THE ROCKS WERE THAT WE PASSED. THE WILDFLOWERS WERE BEAUTIFUL AND SO WERE THE MOUNTAIN AND STREAMS.

FINALLY , JUST OVER HALF OF THE WAY TO THE TOP WHERE WE WERE TO REACH A WATERFALL WE CAME UPON A SHADY SPOT WITH A SLIGHT BREEZE AND A ROCK TO REST UPON.  I TOLD TERRY THAT I WOULD BE FOOLISH TO CONTINUE AS I STILL HAD TO CLIMB ALMOST A MILE BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN BUT THAT HE SHOULD CONTINUE ON AND TAKE PHOTOS OF THE WATERFALL. HE AGREED AND OFF HE WENT. ( THERE IS AN ATTACHED PHOTO OF TERRY POINTING AT OUR MAP WHICH SHOWS EXACTLY WHERE I HAD TO STOP ON THE JOURNEY UPWARDS. THE STARTING POINT BEING THE BOTTOM LEFT. )

I MUST ADMIT THAT I HAD A LITTLE CRY.  AT FIRST I FELT SO SORE,  SO TIRED , SO UPSET THAT I HAD COME ALL THAT WAY AND COULDN’T FINISH THE ‘JOB’.

BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT I ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED SOME GREAT THINGS TOO! 2 SUMMERS AGO I HAD MY FOOT AND ANKLE COMPLETELY REBUILT AND WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR.  WITH TERRY’S HELP THIS YEAR… I JUST MANAGED A HUGE CLIMB AND HIKE THROUGH ROCKY TERRAIN!  AND THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW AMAZING THIS IS ( MY HIPS ARE REPLACED AND I WILL NEED KNEE REPLACEMENTS…)  I FELT REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF.  

AND .. TERRY DID BRING BACK PHOTOS OF THE WATERFALL ,HE TOLD ME THE CLIMB GOT EVEN WORSE FOR BIGGER ROCK STEPS, AND THAT THERE IS NO WAY I COULD HAVE MADE IT ANYWAY!  I MADE IT ALL THE WAY BACK WITH NO INJURIES TOO.

SO , YES!  I WILL CALL MY TAHQUITZ CANYON HIKE A SUCCESS !