Hidden Spring and The Grotto - 4.4.2015
A photo of our GPS track for our hike to Hidden Spring and The Grotto in the Mecca Hills located near the Salton Sea... 6 miles roundtrip, gaining 1746 feet of elevation.
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Driving Box Canyon Road this is the only sign you will see for this hike... it says Sheep Hole Trail.
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The sand and dirt parking area for this hike.
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Looks like there used to be a sign... but nothing now... no mention of Sheep Hole Oasis, Hidden Spring or the Grotto... head a short distance up the wash and look for the trail heading up the hill.
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After hiking a quarter-mile you get this view of the Salton Sea and Santa Rosa Mountains on the horizon.
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Love the earth colors in the Mecca Hills.
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Looking across the Mecca Hills to the Salton Sea and Santa Rosa Mountains.
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Looking back we can see Box Canyon Road that we used to reach the trailhead.
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Denali Girl heading over for a closer look at the Salton Sea.
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On the trail that will take us down to Hidden Spring Canyon.
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Looking down on Sheep Hole Oasis... no water and no sheep.
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Looking back.
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Denali Girl heading down to the wash in Hidden Spring Canyon.
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In the wash now... shouldn't get lost here.
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Heading up Hidden Spring Canyon and looking back at the Santa Rosa Mountains.
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Heading up Hidden Spring Canyon... very wide right now.
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Lots of color on the south side of the canyon... this signals the place where we will follow a smaller canyon on the north side of the canyon up to Hidden Spring.
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In a smaller canyon now... heading for Hidden Spring.
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Denali Girl in the smaller canyon... we can see the multi-colored rock where we turned into this smaller canyon.
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Hidden Spring... there is no water... we will continue on up this small canyon for another mile or so before climbing out of the canyon.
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Out of the canyon now... we can see the Salton Sea and Santa Rosa Mountains... now we need to find the canyon that will lead us to the Grotto.
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I hiked over to look down on this small canyon to see if I could see foot prints in it... and yes, that is our target... now to find a way down to it.
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Looking for a good route down to the canyon.
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This small gully will get us down to the canyon.
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In the canyon that will lead to the Grotto.
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Narrow in places.
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Watch your head.
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Up and over.
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Narrow.
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Looking up.
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Denali Girl peeking around the corner.
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Narrow.
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Make yourself small.
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Glad that stick is there.
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Will the fun never end?
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Welcome to my den... the beginning of the grotto.
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Headlamps are out.
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Into the darkness.
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Pitch black... if Denali Girl didn't have her headlamp on, I would not see her.
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There is light at the end of the tunnel.
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Out of the grotto... but is there more?
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It just wouldn't be fun without at least one ladder.
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Another tight squeeze.
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And another ladder.
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Finally back in the wash of Hidden Spring Canyon.
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Out of the wash now and heading back up above Sheep Hole Oasis.
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Denali Girl heading for the barn.
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When we get up there we will have a quarter-mile of downhill hiking to reach the car.
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One last look at the Salton Sea.
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One last look at Sheep Hole Oasis.
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