NuNativs, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

On our previous hike into 49 Palm Oasis, we thought we had hit the motherlode of Fan Palm filled Oasis’.  It all seems so perfect now, the way it unfolded.  Little by little we gradually have found a trickle of water, and then an Oasis, then a bigger, yet wilder Oasis.  49 Palms was indeed magical existing in all its wildness as it does, way out in the middle of nowhere.

Right this way...

The Coachella Valley Preserve is an Oasis of Oasis’.  More than 25 miles of hiking trails intersect through the preserve, taking you to some of the most spectacular groves of Fan Palms and subsequent natural spring water sources supplying them.  It is “owned” by a patchwork of hosts and private interests; luckily it is still available to the general public.

The First Attempt

A "friend" comes out to make sure we're ok.

We decided to hike to the Pushwalla Palms area.  Our first attempt took us up the steep Pushwalla Ridge trail.  I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this but I have extreme vertigo, (what a nature guy, huh), and we quickly found ourselves on top of very steep ridges that dropped almost straight down on both sides.  If you slipped and fell, you weren’t stopping till the bottom, which kept getting farther and farther away.

watch your step

Down below we could see a large line of Palms extending down at the base of the mountains.  We decided to go back and took a clear side trail down, and headed for the Palms, only realizing too late, we didn’t bring enough water.

the first stand of palms down below the ridge

Note to self:  they recommend you bring a liter per person per hour of hiking.  I’ve done ALOT of hiking in my days, but they aren’t joking.  In the desert, the Sun beats down on you, you lose moisture fast, and you realize quickly, that if your supply of water runs dry, you’re dead.  The rule of thumb is, when your water is halfway gone, turn back, so we turned back.

Pushwalla Palms The Sequel

The "magic" presence of water.

We returned another day, fresh and ready to explore the Oasis’.  We quickly rehiked our previous steps and rejoined where we left off.  We’re leaving the steep ridge trail for another time when I feel I can handle it.  With lots of water we set out for the farthest stand of palms down the line.  Inspecting at the base of the stands, I found small pools of water coming out, ready to filter.

Shira models for the Pushwalla Palm Grove.

At the end of the last bunch in the row, the trail continued on, clearly marked Pushwalla Palms.  We pressed on, winding through slot canyons, until at last we could see the tell-tale fan palms in the distance.  Getting closer revealed we had found the motherlode, a huge Oasis winding through the deep canyon washes, with hundreds of Fan Palms gracing our presence.

The Church Of Palm

An abundance of water flowing through the Palm Grove.

Entering the groove is mystical beyond description, there is an energy there that must be felt.  It feels like you’re in a tropical paradise, though you’re in the middle of extremely hot, dry, desert canyons.  Some say its up to 20 degrees cooler in the groves from the transpiration effect of water and the huge leaves.  There is a buzzing of activity, with birds and bees active all around you.  There is evidence of bigger game in the matted dead palm foliage at the base of the grooves.  You can only imagine what kind of action this place gets at night; this is THE hotspot in the desert.

Looking up at the abundant palm fruits.

Closer inspection revealed an abundance of Palm Fruits hanging down from above.  We ate a bunch of them and though they were drying, they were delicious with a rich molasses like flavor, probably from the rich mineral water the Palms exist on, bubbling up from the depths through the fault lines they thrive on.  We took advantage of the opportunity and filtered up a few bottles of Spring Water goodness.  It’ll be fun to return earlier to the desert next year around December, and get them when they are fresher.

The Nativs Had It Right!

Drink this water for awhile and see "WHO" you become...

The Cahuilla Natives based their whole Life around the Fan Palm, eating and storing the fruits, grinding the seeds for mush or cakes, using the vegetation for sandals, thatching for shelter and so on.  It goes without saying that the networks of Oasis’ in the area were their lifeline for procuring water, food, shelter and just a general buzzin’ place to hang out.

The Preserve guides living in paradise...

AS this area was the hub of Native American life, this will definitely become the future winter hub of NuNativs American life, during our annual regular winter migrations to the desert.  Perhaps in the not so distant future, we can return these lands BACK to the public again, as they once were, sharing the abundance, and the experience.  To our minds, a place like this, as all rare magnificent wild areas, cannot possibly be “owned” by anyone, an absurd, dinosaur concept.  Just ask the trespassing wildlife…

SHARE THE WEALTH!