Painted Canyon - 3.19.2022
We parked at the end of the Painted Canyon Road in the Mecca Hills Wilderness.
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The canyon is very broad at the beginning of the hike.
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After hiking in the broad canyon for a half-mile we stepped across the huge rock arrow suggesting that we turn left... but we kept going up the canyon.
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The canyon does narrow some after crossing the huge rock arrow.
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After hiking a total of one mile we have reached the first two ladders.
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iraman decided to scramble up instead of using ladder #2.
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The canyon does broaden again after the first two ladders... and it is kind of obvious why this place is called painted canyon.
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After hiking a total of 1.3 miles we have reached the place where the canyon divides... we will take the right branch over there on the right to start the loop portion of our hike... and we will return to this spot via the branch above iraman.
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iraman took this photo of me going up ladder #3.
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iraman going up ladder #4... and we can see ladder #5 above him.
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iraman going up ladder #5.
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iraman continues up painted canyon.
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iraman continues up painted canyon.
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iraman continues up painted canyon.
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iraman continues up painted canyon.
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iraman continues up painted canyon.
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iraman decides to skip using ladder #6.
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iraman above ladder #7... and I can't remember if he used it or didn't use it.
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iraman scrambling up the canyon... there is an easier route over on the left out of the photo... and that is the route I used.
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Continuing up the canyon.
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After hiking a total of 2.3 miles it is time to leave the canyon and head up to the top of the foothills.
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Up out of the canyon... looks like some ocotillo plants in the distance.
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iraman took this photo of a blossom on an ocotillo plant.
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Out of the canyon now... here looking back at the canyon we were in earlier... with the San Jacinto Mountains on the horizon above iraman.
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Looking across the Mecca Hills Wilderness at the Santa Rosa Mountains on the left horizon... with the San Jacinto Mountains barely visible on the center horizon.
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Heading for our high point of the day... searching for another canyon that will help us complete the loop portion of the hike.
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After hiking a total of 2.8 miles we have reached our high point (1444 feet) for the day... looking at the Salton Sea (240 feet below sea level) on the left horizon... and the Santa Rosa Mountains on the right horizon.
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We are heading for the canyon down there in the middle of the photo.
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Heading for the canyon that will help us complete the loop portion of the hike.
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After hiking a total of 3 miles we have reached the canyon that will get us back to the car.
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After hiking a total of 4.7 miles we have closed the loop portion of our hike... earlier in the day we had gone over through the 'V' on the right.
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After hiking a total of 5 miles iraman is going down ladder #2 (actually it is ladder #8 for us today because we went up it earlier in the day).
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iraman is going down ladder #1 (actually it is ladder #9 for us today because we went up it earlier in the day)... actually it is ladder #9 for me... while iraman probably only did 3 or 4 ladders all day... it is the difference between a rock climber and a hiker.
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Done with all of the ladders and heading for the car.
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Back at the parking lot... the hike was a total of 6 miles, gaining ~1000 feet of elevation.
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