Cove to Lake Hike - 3-21-12

Another Senior Center hike which started at the top of the LaQuinta Cove and ended at Lake Cahuilla (named after the Indian tribe).  Was a 6 mile hike round-trip...supposedly Easy again, but Allan rated it as an "8" on his hiking scale of 1-10...10 being the hardest. 

We're off hiking through the desert.  Was a beautiful day...one of the warmest for hiking...was in the 80's.  Love it!

Once we got to the wash...you could go high over the hill (which I did)...while others (Allan) stayed low and walked through the wash.   I think it is much harder to walk in the wash...it's sandy and loose...I like a hard rocky surface.  Plus it is cooler up top.

Great views from up here...looking across the valley to a beautiful golf course.

Met up with Allan once we got to the lake.

The Lake Cahuilla park is a man-made lake run by Riverside County.  Has a great outside swimming pool, picnic tables...and fishing in the lake, too.  Our tennis group is having a picnic here next week.

(A Diane shot)...this is what a palm tree looks like up close.  In case you've ever wondered.

Our hiking group...everyone made it this time...no injuries or falls.

Leaving the lake and hiking back to the Cove.

Don't know what the "Danger" was...other than 2 elder men looking a little suspicious there.

I went high again...and came upon this bronze statue of a horse...don't know how it got there or why...but it sure was pretty.

Interesting mountain...what a sharp peak.  Glad we didn't have to climb that.

The octotillo was in bloom....just love this plant.

I made it back to the parking lot about 10 minutes before Allan...he should have gone high.  Here's Valerie consoling him that "it wasn't that bad."

The pooped hiker....but was another interesting hike in the desert.