Salton Sea Views - 2.14.2021
From the town of Mecca... drive east on 66th Ave... just before crossing the canal the road changes to Box Canyon Road... then drive 6.1 miles to an unsigned Sheep Hole Oasis parking area... we will hike down to the opening on the far right where the Hidden Spring Trail begins... note that the trailhead is unsigned.
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Entering the foothills... the official trail is on the right, but we like the one that takes us higher more quickly.
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It didn't take very long to reach Koenig Rock... and excellent views of the Salton Sea.
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Leaving Koenig Rock and heading down the Hidden Spring Trail toward Hidden Spring Canyon.
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Continuing to hike down the Hidden Spring Trail... our goal for the day is to visit the two bumps out there... the one in the center of the photo is slightly higher than the bump on the far right.
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Leaving the Hidden Spring Trail and following an obvious path out toward our two bumps.
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Looks like the obvious path will take us over to our first bump.
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Denali Girl is getting ready to stand on the summit of the first bump.
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Looking down on Hidden Spring Canyon which runs across the middle of the photo... eventually ending near the Salton Sea.
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Looking south to the Salton Sea and west to the Santa Rosa Mountains.
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Looking north up the canyon in the center of the photo that leads to Sheep Hole Oasis... with part of Hidden Spring Canyon on the far right... with the Orocopia Mountains on the right horizon.
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We have left the first bump and heading for the second bump... not much of a path here.
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On top of the second bump... with pretty much a similar view of the Salton Sea and Santa Rosa Mountains as we had on the first bump.
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Looking NW from the summit of the second bump... with Denali Girl standing between the snow covered summits of San Jacinto Peak (left center horizon) and San Gorgonio Mountain (right center horizon).
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Looking over at the first bump from the top of the second bump.
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We have left the second bump and shortly will follow the good path back over to the Hidden Spring Trail.
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Back on the Hidden Spring Trail... time to trace our steps back to the car.
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We have crossed over Koenig Rock and heading for the car.
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In the distance we can see the parking area for the Hidden Spring Trail.
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Back in the great wide open and almost back to the car... the hike was 2.5 miles, gaining 361 feet of elevation.
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