Our group tackled several fun hikes in the Palm Springs area

In the spring and early summer there's a 60 ft waterfall at the turnaround point on the Tahquitz Canyon Loop; it was a nice starter trail for our group although we didn't see the bighorn sheep other hikers have seen here

The Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail was the most fun and unique hike we did while in Palm Springs; the trail is just north of the Salton Sea which is being looked at now for its vast lithium reserves

The slot canyons on the Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail were super cool, with us amazed that they could have been created in this desolate desert environment; it was very thoughtful of the person who brought ladders to the trail to make it hikeable

We needed a longer ladder for this climb on the Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail; there were lots of interesting geologic oddities to admire along what was supposed to only be a 4 1/2 mile hike

The 5 mile Pushawalla Palms Loop in the Coachella Valley Preserve took us along desert ridges down into an oasis of date palm trees; the San Andreas Fault has trapped groundwater which then created the oasis

The Ladder Canyon Trail ended up being 6+ miles with 1000 ft of climbing; the Salton Sea is CA's largest lake with twice the salinity of an ocean and is home to North America’s largest population of migratory waterfowl outside of the Everglades

The most popular hike in Palm Springs is at Tahquitz Canyon on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation; admission is $15 per person with the 2+ mile trail gaining 350 in elevation for nice views over the city

Many of the slot canyons and gullies on the Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail had been worn smooth over time making it difficult to find good handholds; the nearby Salton Sea is considered the biggest environmental disaster in CA history

One morning we played pickleball at DeMuth Park which has nice courts dedicated for pickleball; it's right next to the Palm Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant which explains why this truck stopped (kudos to the creative person behind the idea!)

The Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail was challenging enough for us with the ladders not always long enough for my tastes; Bob and David missed the excitement as they met with old friends back in town

The Ladder Canyon Trail offered views of the Salton Sea; roughly 15 by 35 miles, the Sea was a huge tourist destination in the 1950s and 1960s before agricultural runoff full of dangerous chemicals turned the area into something from the Twilight Zone

We came across this car frame from the 1940s miles from any road on the Pushawalla Palms Loop; there were steep slopes all around us so we were left to imagine how this car ended up where it did

Bob took this photo of Gary climbing his way out along the Ladder Canyon Trail; Gary, Mike and Bob all took photos on our hikes which they've generously shared and are featured here

It was astonishing to me that so many people were paying $15 each to hike 2+ miles to a dry waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon!; maybe they were just excited to get outside after spending months inside away from the scorching summer heat

The wind along the ridge on our Pushawalla Palms Loop had to be 60+ mph!; a storm front was approaching that created horrendous conditions at Indian Wells contributing to some surprise losses like Coco Gauff