Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - Day 16 April 24th
Day 16: Tuesday 23rd April Snow Canyon– N. Teulang Canyon
The temperature only dropped down to 67ºF last night so I could expect a hot day
ahead. In the rain shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains there are only a few inches of
rain a year in this area, which is really the southern edge of the Mojave Desert.
In the morning there was smog blowing up the valley from the direction of Palm
Springs. I expected smog to be visible to the South of the San Jacinto Mountains over
the Los Angeles Basin, but I had not expected it over Palm Springs. The population of
Southern California has grown at a terrific rate in recent years and Palm Springs is
just one of the towns which has developed into a large city. I had thought of Palm
Springs as a small exclusive oasis in the desert, but now it is just a suburban sprawl.
When first built these cities depended on water from the local aquifers, but now the
water table is dropping and water supply is becoming a major problem.
It took a couple of hours to complete the descent to Snow Canyon and since I
finished off the last of my water at breakfast, I really appreciated the cool water from
the water fountain in the canyon. The trail now crossed the San Gorgonio Valley, which
is the main artery, carrying the Interstate 10 highway and the Southern Pacific
Railroad, connecting Los Angeles with the eastern States. The railroads in the USA don’
t really cater for passengers any more, but they carry a lot of freight. A typical train
would have well over one hundred trucks and be pulled by several locomotives. Extra
locomotives would be added to get the train up the steeper hills. The long distances
between American cities make railroads ideal for freight transport.
The temperature in the valley was well over 100ºF and the strong wind wasn’t
cooling at these temperatures. Walking into a headwind through soft sand, with the
added discomfort of windblown sand, was hard work and not a very pleasant experience.
The San Gorgonio Valley is full of wind turbines to help provide the electricity for Palm
Springs. The hot sun on the Mojave Desert causes the air to heat up and rise with the
resulting convection currents producing the winds that keep the wind turbines running.
During the next few hundred miles we were never far from these turbines.
The heat of the valley was relieved by arrival at the “Pink Motel”. Don Middleton, who
lives in the village of Tamarack, also had a cabin next to the trail, which he leaves open
for PCT hikers. This cabin, in common with most cabins in the desert, was surrounded
by scrap vehicles and junk and looked like a slum from outside, but was well appointed
inside. The kitchen was full of free food for the thru-hiker and I lunched on a large can
of stew, carrots and potatoes. Unfortunately there wasn’t running water at the cabin, so
showers weren’t available, but Don supplies large quantities of water in bottles and I
managed to wash all my clothing in hot water and have a towel bath myself. The
clothing dried quickly in the sun and wind. Before starting I had dropped a supply bag
off at Don’s house and picked it up at the cabin. I had originally intended to spend the
night at the cabin, but as I had arrived in the morning, I decided to leave as it cooled
down in late afternoon.
The route from the San Gorgonio Valley avoided the main peaks of the San
Gorgonio Mountains, skirting them to the north, to avoid environmental impact on an
area already said to be popular with backpackers. The route climbed up through the
desert of Gold Canyon, where the former mining industry had now been replaced with
wind farms. By the time I reached Teulang Canyon it was getting dark and, in this
steep terrain, I was having difficulty finding a site big enough to put a tent, let alone
one sheltered from the wind, which was now gusting to gale force. I was fortunate to
find a sheltered spot just before it got dark. The streams were all dried up but I was
carrying plenty of water from the “Pink Motel”.
Day 16: 15.6 miles 6.34 hours Camp: N. Teulang Canyon
The temperature only dropped down to 67ºF last night so I could expect a hot day
ahead. In the rain shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains there are only a few inches of
rain a year in this area, which is really the southern edge of the Mojave Desert.
In the morning there was smog blowing up the valley from the direction of Palm
Springs. I expected smog to be visible to the South of the San Jacinto Mountains over
the Los Angeles Basin, but I had not expected it over Palm Springs. The population of
Southern California has grown at a terrific rate in recent years and Palm Springs is
just one of the towns which has developed into a large city. I had thought of Palm
Springs as a small exclusive oasis in the desert, but now it is just a suburban sprawl.
When first built these cities depended on water from the local aquifers, but now the
water table is dropping and water supply is becoming a major problem.
It took a couple of hours to complete the descent to Snow Canyon and since I
finished off the last of my water at breakfast, I really appreciated the cool water from
the water fountain in the canyon. The trail now crossed the San Gorgonio Valley, which
is the main artery, carrying the Interstate 10 highway and the Southern Pacific
Railroad, connecting Los Angeles with the eastern States. The railroads in the USA don’
t really cater for passengers any more, but they carry a lot of freight. A typical train
would have well over one hundred trucks and be pulled by several locomotives. Extra
locomotives would be added to get the train up the steeper hills. The long distances
between American cities make railroads ideal for freight transport.
The temperature in the valley was well over 100ºF and the strong wind wasn’t
cooling at these temperatures. Walking into a headwind through soft sand, with the
added discomfort of windblown sand, was hard work and not a very pleasant experience.
The San Gorgonio Valley is full of wind turbines to help provide the electricity for Palm
Springs. The hot sun on the Mojave Desert causes the air to heat up and rise with the
resulting convection currents producing the winds that keep the wind turbines running.
During the next few hundred miles we were never far from these turbines.
The heat of the valley was relieved by arrival at the “Pink Motel”. Don Middleton, who
lives in the village of Tamarack, also had a cabin next to the trail, which he leaves open
for PCT hikers. This cabin, in common with most cabins in the desert, was surrounded
by scrap vehicles and junk and looked like a slum from outside, but was well appointed
inside. The kitchen was full of free food for the thru-hiker and I lunched on a large can
of stew, carrots and potatoes. Unfortunately there wasn’t running water at the cabin, so
showers weren’t available, but Don supplies large quantities of water in bottles and I
managed to wash all my clothing in hot water and have a towel bath myself. The
clothing dried quickly in the sun and wind. Before starting I had dropped a supply bag
off at Don’s house and picked it up at the cabin. I had originally intended to spend the
night at the cabin, but as I had arrived in the morning, I decided to leave as it cooled
down in late afternoon.
The route from the San Gorgonio Valley avoided the main peaks of the San
Gorgonio Mountains, skirting them to the north, to avoid environmental impact on an
area already said to be popular with backpackers. The route climbed up through the
desert of Gold Canyon, where the former mining industry had now been replaced with
wind farms. By the time I reached Teulang Canyon it was getting dark and, in this
steep terrain, I was having difficulty finding a site big enough to put a tent, let alone
one sheltered from the wind, which was now gusting to gale force. I was fortunate to
find a sheltered spot just before it got dark. The streams were all dried up but I was
carrying plenty of water from the “Pink Motel”.
Day 16: 15.6 miles 6.34 hours Camp: N. Teulang Canyon
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Looking across San
Gorgonio Valley
Gorgonio Valley
Southern Pacific Railway
The Pink Motel
Mesa Wind Farm
in Gold Canyon
in Gold Canyon