Spring 2022: Mecca Hills Wilderness

This relatively small place is a rather strange beast.  It is a designated wilderness with cities not far away.  Be that as it may, it was it was a fun stop between two much larger areas.

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This looks impossible, but it’s not. However, it includes some very narrow places. Since I would be away from satellite coverage, it made me slightly nervous. It was not easy and not without risk.
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In the middle of seemingly barren desert is a lush grove of palm trees. This always seems strange even so I’ve seen plenty of them throughout southern California.
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In many places there seems to be an endless alternation between high and low areas. Here I am descending the trail to the wash below, where I will reverse course and head up the hidden canyon. There’s more than one way to visit a place.
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I found this desert tortoise in an interesting situation. It was sheltered from the heat inside this 4-foot mini-cave but outside what seems to its home. I considered myself fortuate to see this one because it is a “Critically Endangered” species.