PS - HIKE: Mecca Hills Little Utah Canyon 21 Jan 2018

Meeting times:

9:00 am: Palm Springs carpool drivers and riders meet at Hunters; leave at 9:10 am

10:00 am: All drivers meet at Mecca Starbucks; leave at 10:15 am

10:30 am: Meet at trailhead; start hiking at 10:40 am

Hiking details:

Distance: 8+ miles round trip

Elevation gain: 700 feet (400-1,100 feet)

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous

Duration: 4-5 hours

Terrain: Broad sand and gravel washes and narrow slot canyons

Meeting locations:

9:00 at Hunters; Arenas Road and Calle Encilia, Palm Springs

10:00 at Mecca Starbucks; CA 86 & 66th Ave E (N 33.5698859; W 116.0909961)

10:30 at trailhead; north side of Box Canyon Road (N 33.5848606; 115.9454960)

Driving directions from Palm Springs to Mecca Starbucks (35 miles)

Drive north 2 miles on N Indian Canyon to Vista Chino. Drive east 3 miles on Vista Chino to Date Palm Drive; from second turn lane from left, turn left onto Date Palm and then right onto East I-10 ramp. Drive 18 miles southeast on I-10 to CA 86 Expressway (Brawley/El Centro/86S Expressway). Drive south on CA 86 12 miles to 66th Ave (CA 195); get in left lane and turn left. Drive east on 66th Ave East (CA 195); enter and drive through Arco truck stop complex to Starbucks at west end of parking lot. We’ll meet in just outside door to Starbucks.

Driving directions from Mecca Starbucks to Little Utah Canyon trailhead (11 miles)

Drive east 0.8 mile on 66th Ave East (CA 195) to CA 111; get in left lane. Drive north 0.2 mile on CA 111; turn right on 4th St; cross tracks and turn right at roundabout. Drive south 0.2 mile on Hammond Road; turn left at stop sign onto 66th Ave. Drive east 9.7 miles on 66th Ave/Box Canyon Road. (Do NOT take a left on Painted Canyon Road!) Short car track to the trailhead is on the left (north) side of Box Canyon Road; surface is compact enough for all cars to drive and park. Meet by boulders at trail entrance.

Landscape and geologic features:
Broad sandy washes and narrow slot canyons. Most of the rock found on this hike is of the Upper Palm Springs Formation from the Pleistocene Epoch (25-5 mya). It consists of extensively exposed delta-plain deposits from the Colorado River. It underlies the Vallecito Formation (Miocene) and overlies the Imperial and Orocopia Formations. (Cretaceous and Tertiary).

Flora:

Palo Verde, Smoke Tree, Ironwood, Desert Aster, Opunia, Cholla, Ocotillo, Desert Sage, Mesquite, Creosote Bush, Desert Sunflowers, Desert Sand Verbena, Arizona Lupine, Desert Poppies, Desert Lavender Bush, Desert Dandelions, Globe Mallow, Yellow Primrose, Phacelia

Fauna:

Desert Hare, Spotted Bats, Coyote, Tarantulas, Scorpions, Tarantulas, Desert Tortoise, Prairie Falcons, assorted lizards and snakes,

Ten essentials

No maximum number of hikers

Health Problems/allergies:   Discuss any medical concerns with the hike leader that may affect your ability to complete the hike.