Whaddup hikers, for this weeks blog I hiked a trail a little ways away from Victoria. I spent my reading week with my family down in the sunny state of California, specifically the city of Palm Springs. During the week my family and I hiked the Palm Canyon Trail, located on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. You can take a look at the out and back trail here on AllTrails.
The trail was a short 3.2km hike with little elevation, and took roughly an hour and a half to complete as the trail had some spectacular scenery that was worth taking a pause for. We also did a hybrid hike of two nearby trails the same day, one called Murray Canyon Trail and the other called Coffman Trail. This hike was roughly 8km and took around 2.5 hours to complete. You can take a look at the Murray Canyon Trail here on AllTrails.
The photo above is a shot from the Murray Canyon Trail and showcases some of the beautiful scenery that was present during out hike. A breathtaking ravine filled with bushy California Fan Palm trees, and a creek running through it to provide the trees with water. The surrounding landscape was rocky, with a mix of bushes, cacti and various grasses.
One amazing thing about this hike was that we met a Coast Salish gentlemen, residing just north of Seattle, who came down to visit some family. We passed him coming down the trail, as we were heading up and he shared his spiritual experience with us which I found quite amazing. He mentioned that when he reached the apex of the trail, he gave a shout and sang a song for his people. He also expressed his connection to the land, and how beautiful everything was. His appreciation for the land was contagious, and made me reflect in that moment how grateful I was to be there. I thanked him for the quick chat and we went our separate ways.
Above I included a picture of the beautiful California Fan Palm trees. I had never seen palm trees like these before and they were spectacular to look at in person. The bushy part that extends down the trunk of the tree felt like a mix between a branch and a leaf. It wasn’t hollow on the inside (although I think that would’ve been an amazing hiding spot if it was) but it appears like a hula skirt, which made me think so. Overall, I had a wonderful time in the United States and would recommend checking out the Palm Canyon trail if you’re ever in the Palm Springs area!
Margwyn Zacaruk 8 March 2023
Such a great review of this incredible hike, Adam. Note that the crazy weather in Southern California left snow in nearby upper mountains. That was cool but as much sharing this adventure with you!