After we left Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and started heading back to Los Angeles, we decided to make a pit stop at Whitewater Preserve. I’ve been by this area many times on our way to and from Joshua Tree, but never made a point to stop even though I’ve always been curious. Today we decided to check it out. I’m so glad we did! It’s incredibly beautiful and the flowing river is amazing. You wouldn’t think there’s be water like this flowing in a desert. Whitewater Preserve is also part of the Sand to Snow National Monument and it is another wildlife corridor between the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains. Another birding hot spot, its wetlands attract more then 216 bird species. The preserve also has a population of bear, bighorn sheep and deer. As we hiked along the trail towards the river access, I heard plenty of frogs too. The wind was really kicking up by this time of day and the passing storm clouds coming from the direction of Mt. San Jacinto was causing some light rain showers. You’ll notice the rain spots on my camera lens in the photos. While I didn’t have time to do a proper hike today, Whitewater Preserve is definitely on my list to return. I highly recommend exploring this incredibly unique area.
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a wildlife corridor and desert oasis linking the San Gorgonio Wilderness with the San Bernardino National Forest and Joshua Tree National Park. It’s part of the Sand to Snow National Monument and if you’re into bird watching, over 254 species have been observed within the preserves 31,000 acres. It is also an internationally recognized birding site. The marshland habitat is caused by the snowmelt from the surrounding mountain ranges and attracts many animals such as desert bighorn sheep, mule deer and bobcats to name a few. There’s also a trail system that can accommodate all levels of hikers. On this day, it was extremely windy. I did an easy walk around the Desert Willow and the Marsh Trail, but I’ve hiked the Yucca Ridge Trail in the past and the views of the surrounding mountains are wonderful. The trees were blowing around quite a bit, so it was hard to get many good bird photos. I was, however, able to photograph my first Phainopepla. Adding another bird to my life list always makes my day!
It was a beautiful Sunday to spend a night in Idyllwild. As we drove up the 243 early Sunday morning, the fog hung heavy over the mountain. Our first stop was Lake Fulmor where I did a little bird watching. This was a much different experience then when we were here on New Year’s day. On that day we couldn’t even get near the lake because there were so many people. This time we had the whole place to ourselves, and it was wonderful! It was so quiet and the fog rolling over the lake was eerily beautiful. I saw a beautiful Red-wing Blackbirds singing in the cattails; a new species to add to my life list! After about an hour or more enjoying the lake, we headed to the Ranger Station to drop off our permit for the Deer Springs Trail. My husband brought along his video camera, and I had both my Nikon birding camera and my Lumix. We took our time and mostly played around with the cameras taking photos and video and not worrying too much about covering any set amount of mileage. The forecast was calling for rain turning into snow later in the afternoon/evening, so we had to keep an eye on the weather. When we reached the junction for Suicide Rock it was clouding up quite a bit, but we decided to push on since it was only one more mile. The forest was very quiet and as we approached Suicide Rock, we started to see some light snow flurries. The clouds were thickening and looming over the mountain and the sky was turning darker and gray. It was so pretty and so peaceful. As we hiked down we passed through a couple of light hail storms. It wasn’t a long hike back — only about four miles. I was thoroughly enjoying the mountain weather and the peace and quiet of the wilderness. We got back to the trailhead around 4:30 pm. By that time I was tired and I was looking forwards to a nice, warm dinner and spending the night by a cozy fire back at our cabin in Idyllwild. It was a beautiful hike. I love it when the weather is gray and chilly. After dinner we snuggled up by the fire and fell asleep. I kept waking up every once in a while to look out the window to see if it had started to snow. The wind was blowing strong and I could see the pine trees being rocked back and forth. It was nice to be snuggled up in a nice warm cabin and I enjoyed listening to the wind in the trees. The next morning there was a light dusting of snow on the car. We got the fireplace going and my husband went to pick up some breakfast while I waited inside. It was snowing and hailing off and on all morning. We enjoyed the lovely fire, a delicious pancake breakfast and the warmth of the cabin before heading back to Los Angeles.
Ahhhh! Another amazing trip to Joshua Tree! Have I mentioned how much I love it here??? We visit several times a year, but we always go in January because the weather couldn't be more perfect for hiking. On our trip in November we hiked the Boy Scout Trail from Indian Cove. It's a 7.7 mile hike one way and on that day we did about 3 miles. This time we got an earlier start and we hiked it from the opposite end from the trailhead at Keys View West. The trail starts off pleasantly flat from this direction but eventually starts to descend gradually until it finally makes a bee line for the canyon floor. But the really fun part is climbing back up on the way back! We saw very few people on our hike today which was surprising since the Boy Scout Trail is pretty popular with backpackers and people who do it as a shuttle hike. But we did see a lot of desert critters including a HUGE Jack rabbit. We hiked the trail just past the point where we had turned around last time and ended up with about an 11 mile day. This was a lovely trail filled with beautiful pinyon pines and juniper. The climbing section provided a moderate challenge which was just enough to make us not feel guilty about the delicious dinner we had later at the Twenty-nine Palms Inn. After dinner, we settled in back at our cottage at Campbell House. I stepped outside to watch the moon rise and listen to their resident owls. We heard them during the night too. It was so peaceful. It slept so good. I always feel very at peace in the desert. It was a great day and a restful night. I woke up feeling relaxed and recharged.
On the way back from Johsua Tree we stopped at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. We’d been here once before, but at the time, I wasn’t into birding. I’d read that this was a birding hot spot, so I was super excited to go again. We didn’t do a big hike on this day. I mostly meandered about the short Marsh Trail in awe of all the different kinds of birds I was seeing and trying to get photos of them. This place is such a gem and I can’t wait to go back again for more birding!
Desert Adventures, Day 2 consisted of a visit to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve which is easily accessed from the 62. You wouldn’t expect there to be so much green in the desert, but surprise! There’s lots of green here! This is because there’s a fault that runs through the canyon which causes water drainage from the surrounding mountains to form a marsh habitat. There are all kinds of birds here too; 254 species! If you’re a bird watcher, this is THE place to be!
There are trails here that are suitable for everyone. The Marsh Trail is an easy boardwalk that winds along the stream. It’s shaded by beautiful cottonwoods and willows. Yes shade! In the desert!! Lots of wildlife activity can be seen and heard here. The Yucca Ridge Trail takes you up to a higher elevation and is more exposed. From here you can look down into the preserve’s wetlands to appreciate just how green and lush it is. You’ll also have wonderful views of the surrounding peaks of Mount San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. If you have time and are looking for a longer hike, you can take the 9.76 mile round trip Canyon Trail. We didn’t have time to do this today, but I’d love to go back and try it when the weather is cooler.
To get an overall perspective of the preserve, we did a loop around it - Desert Willow Trail to Yucca Ridge to West Canyon Trail to Mesquite Trail and a loop around the Marsh Trail. There are maps and information at the kiosk at the trailhead. We saw so many critters en route, including a snake crossing over the trail. There were also many wildflowers in bloom. It was an enjoyable and relaxing way to wrap up the weekend.
