Art Smith Trail - 1.19.2017
We parked in an unofficial parking area for the Art Smith Trail... just across Hwy 74 from the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitors Center... you can see Denali Girl heading up a very large berm over by the fence.
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Denali Girl has crossed over the berm by the unofficial parking area and getting ready to hike a short distance on flat terrain.
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Leaving the flat terrain and starting to switchback up the Art Smith Trail.
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Switchbacking up the Art Smith Trail... the town of La Quinta is down there on the left.
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Broader views with every step up the switchbacks... looking across Cochella Valley to the Little San Bernardino Mountains and Joshua Tree National Park.
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Lots of switchbacks.
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Lots of rocks.
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High enough now on the Art Smith Trail to see Haystack Mountain... we got a late start today due to suspect weather and will need to turn back now... but I plan on returning on a better day to do Haystack Mountain.
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Our high point.
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Lots of Cholla cactus on the hike... our hike was 3.2 miles roundtrip, gaining 780 feet of elevation.
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