The Wildlands Conservancy pt.5: Mission Creek Preserve #mycalifornia
There's nothing like visiting the desert in the rain. The cool water transforms the rugged environment into a succulent feast for the senses.
Brittlebush blooms and weeps sweet droplets of life-giving rain.
As you may or may not know, I have been working on a series highlighting each of the preserves of The Wildlands Conservancy (TWC). Check out the previous installments here:
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-1-bluff-lake-reserve
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-2-whitewater-preserve
https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-3-oak-glen-preserve
Mission Creek Preserve, 4780 acres, is tucked away just off highway 62 on the way to Joshua Tree. Originally the homeland of First Nation people, it was-- for a time--an Indian Reservation for the Sonoran Band. Back then, the creek flowed year-round with enough volume to support a thriving haul of trout. By the early 60s, drought had driven the Reservation's residents out. Today, the creek is intermittent depending on rainfall.
1930s casitas from the T cross K dude ranch
Nice new tables and shade slats since my last visit.
Our hike begins at the gate just before the relics from a failed dude ranch which had hoped to become as popular with the Los Angeles fancy set as Palm Springs. Here's an advertisement from Desert Magazine, December 1938:
T CROSS GUEST RANCH K
Located 30 minutes drive from Palm Springs, eight miles from Highway 99, in Mission Canyon on the edge of the Colorado desert.
One of California's newer guest ranches offering American Plan accommodations in unique stone cottages all with private bath. Rates are reasonable, ranging from $5 daily and $30 weekly, per person. https://ronslog.typepad.com/ronslog/2010/08/t-cross-k-guest-ranch.html
Elegant outdoor bathing
Outdoor chimney keeps desert nights hot after sundown!
It's a scenic 2 mile stroll upstream to a unique desert wetlands. You can see the yellow tops of the towering cottonwood trees beyond.
Springs seep mineral-heavy waters here, fueling a massive thicket of mesquite, grapevines, and monolithic Grandparent Cottonwoods.
The road bends gently through the subtle painted canyon. Game trails beckon into the impenetrable thorny thicket.
Soon enough, the Stonehouse appears, surrounded by sycamores.
You can contact TWC for permission to drive up to and camp here at the Stonehouse. https://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_missioncreek_access.html
There are a bunch of tent sites with picnic tables, and some clean flushing toilets. The house itself is just an informational kiosk or meeting place, but it's very charming in its Craftsman-style river cobble architecture.
Just past the Stonehouse, we quickly come to the perimeter of the Preserve and the wilderness.
Someone is pleased with making it this far. Look at that grin!
One review of the Preserve complained that it's a monotonous trek. As I sort through my typical photo overshoot, I both agree and disagree. Yes, distant views soften all the desert pixels into a uniformpastel gleam... But to me, every step adds novelty and dimension to the theme.
A sheltering Sugarbush in the rain.
The sole survivor: the only juniper tree left in the canyon.
A cloud touches down
At just under 4 miles, we hit our destination: the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.
A view towards returning home:
Since the woodlands still color the slope up here, I thought I would try to record a bit of a nature walk. It turned into a celebration of having a satellite communicator when hiking alone in remote locations.
Woods and erosion
Mistletoe loaded with berries
I managed to catch a lovely desert wetlands bird on video as I retraced our trail back to the car.
http://digital-desert.com/wildlife-birds/phainopepla.html
Returning to the casitas, their charm is evident even after 80 odd years.
And our hike of Mission Creek Preserve closes with a nice dry towel and heated seats.
Thanks for coming along on a tour of the 5th Wildlands Conservancy Preserves in my series. My Inland Empire dream. #MyCalifornia.
Love,cat
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Thank you so much, @curie!!!
You had an interesting adventure, you captured beautiful pictures despite the bad weather, I loved how you wrote your experience while you showed us the pictures, I also liked that you complemented your publication with videos..
I really liked those stone structures and the table is very beautiful.. Congratulations for such an excellent post a big hug @creationofcare
Much love and hugs back! I'm so happy you enjoyed:)
WOW Amazing Shots!!
Thank you!!!
WooHoo! I'm so happy to see a socalsteemit post being curied! I'm sure you are a contender for mycalifornia as well :)
Great job with this, and it looks spectacular. Not at all boring. You caught so much beautiful color for desert scenery.
I went to your linked post in the comments. California dreaming indeed!
In all my time is California, I never knew those yellow blooming trees were cottonwoods. Thank you for the education today.
I am so glad you enjoyed! I feel so much gratitude for @curie, they make my day! I love the #socalsteemit crew, too, awesome community. Much love!
Very cool hike @creationofcare. We’ve been out to Joshua tree once and it was awesome. We crawled up and down all of the rock formations and just hung out at the very peak of the highest rock we could climb. A peaceful place the desert can be. I think your journey looks nice, nothing boring about it. Congratulations on getting curie’s attention. Great post :)
Oh yes, Joshua Tree is truly spiritual. <3 I find all the different nooks and wide open spaces of our deserts endlessly fascinating, especially its hidden wetlands. All of these creeks and springs are sacred lands. Blessings to you and yours!
Thanks @creationofcare, to you as well. 😉
Here comes just another one of your CA adventures with great photos!
Interesting. I was not expecting a desert to be as colorful as those on your photo in spite of the rain. Most deserts are arid and looks barren. Your desert is different somehow. Life comes out when rain comes down. 😊
That table and chair on the fifth photo, I would love to have them! 😃 And the Stonehouse look lovely. I think it will be very cool to stay there at least for an overnight. 😊
Yay, nice to see you again! Even the brush that has gone dormant is painted with the colors of the sunset. Now that I figured out how to reserve the Stonehouse, I will definitely be bringing some campers over there for a few nights of glory!
Is the Stonehouse being maintained by anyone? I wonder if anyone stays in the middle of desert like that?
Yes, The Wildlands Conservancy maintains this Preserve, and you can email them to stay. I think people who are thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail do stay here from time to time, or they camp at the adjacent Preserve, Whitewater. :)
That is good to have those options of accommodation in the middle of a desert. Others I read about just camp for the night with a tent and it does not sound safe for me.
I can relate to your fears. I prefer a good tent that zips cleanly and has secure anti creepy crawly mesh all over. With that, I am fine. What about where you live, isn't it very tropical with huge beetles and whatnot in the wildlands? It is super interesting to make your acquaintance and share camping lore!
Except for my citizen army training in high school, I did not really have experience of camping overnight in the real sense of it. I just happened to have been born in a mountainous area of the country where I also grew up so being one with nature is always appealing to me. While I have been out in the forests so many times, being out it a wide dessert like that feels different.
Yes, I think sharing camping lore will be a great idea! 😊
Thank you for this trip to Mission Creek Preserve , I did not realize that it was a name of that place till I saw that shield. It is obvious Autumn is everywhere, predominantly with its yellow and red colors. Nice shot of Brittlebush blooms with droplets, you were in right place in right time. The short videos are demonstrative and sometimes they help to capture the variety of the beauty but photographs let us to explore the details. Wonderful journey and beautiful pictures.
Thank you for joining me on the tour, I really appreciate your thoughtful comments!
Wow, 1937 photos of T cross K in its prime https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/kt796nc6mx/
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