| The Museum Trail, a Gateway to the Skyline |
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Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 Palm Springs, California Story by Jace Edwards Photos by Jace Edwards and Darren Cole To see more photos of the Museum Trail, click here.  Behind the Palm Springs Art Museum lay a gateway. Its starting point is to the left of the O’Donnell Golf Club's entrance. Hidden by a shrub and a couple of trees is the Museum Trail. This is a steep incline leading to the intersection of the Skyline and Lykken Trails. The Lykken Trail traverses the mountain from north to south Palm Springs. This hike takes you through much desert growth, so that means burrs and other uncomfortable dry, scratchy things. The Skyline Trail is noted as one of the most extreme hikes in North America and leads in its entirety a brave and well-trained hiker to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
 The Museum Trail's beginning is marked with a sign honoring John Hollinger, founder of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue. Today I was going to tackle one of the first major peaks this trail had to offer. This peak is adjacent to that junction of the Skyline and Lykken Trails. That is the perfect turnaround for a hiker looking for a challenge, but who has only a few hours to spare. That is the perfect spot to rest up one last time before turning your sights on the 8,000-plus-foot elevation climb ahead. Complete with donated picnic benches, this clearing has turned back a well-satisfied hiker and opened its doors to adventurers willing to challenge themselves. A large brass seal adorns the steps that lead you onto the correct path, which is a very important place to be, by the way. It has been marked throughout the lower section of the trail that you are to stay onto the path. Do not deviate. Keep off the lawn. Do not enter. No trespassing. I think you get the idea. There are few other signs along the way that are a bit more helpful. One states that you should carry ample water and reminds you that water won’t be found on this trail. The first series of switchbacks are well groomed and in some cases have railings installed. Once you reach the driveway of that much-marketed property owner, the trail takes a turn upward. This is where the real hike begins. Keeping on a pathway that leads continually upward is the rule of thumb here. Soon enough a series of white markings appear on random rocks. These white dots and arrows are meant to direct you toward the peak. There is a junction that is marked by a white double arrow, head right. At this point your lungs are about to explode and legs falter. This is normal. One could compare this to a wobbling stair climber with a setting of 10. As you overcome the rocky terrain and press forward on a trail that tests not just your stamina but your endurance as well, you find that this trail consists of a series of small paths that spider web their way up the mountainside.When you first start heading up, you find a need to stay fixated on the summit that looms ahead of you. That is a false summit. The painted white markings will lead you past this great viewpoint of the windmills to the north and Palm Springs to the east. Here your journey is far from over. The climb continues. At this point, our instruments read 1,500 feet above sea level and the approach to the first peak seems attainable. The wind becomes a factor as we reached the higher elevation. The natural wind tunnel formed by the mountain and its series of crevasses and valleys creates a perfect opportunity to cool off as we had the sun at your back for the entire climb. Drink water sparingly. With the intense physical labor created by this climb, adding a massive amount of water to an overworked system may induce cramping. Also watch your footing. This is especially important when heading back down. The rocky path has many hidden traps that can catch a hiker distracted by the view.  Upon reaching what would be considered the peak are the series of paths that webbed the face you just conquered. A large, jutting rock marks a breathtaking viewpoint. After carefully perching myself on it, I could see an incredible view of the entire structure of Murray Peak. Its large base and rough terrain culminates to a pyramid-shaped top. This is a climb that I will remember and look forward to doing again. To the north, the windmills that seem to slowly infest the desert floor are turning. Behind the peak to the south is an incredible view of the Indian Canyons. A large crevasse still providing its depths shade from the sun looks like a crack in the earthly structure.  Now whether you continue on the Skyline Trail up towards the Palm Springs Tram or turn around and head back down the Museum Trail, your hike is far from finished. Those going back down will remark about how steep a climb it actually was. I was surprised at the trail's angle of descent. The view going down is awe-inspiring, as you can see the entire valley from a vantage point that few get to share.Overall, I give this trail a high rating with a moderate to high difficulty factor. If you challenge this trail it will challenge you back! Thanks to all the volunteers who provided the trail maintenance and markings. To see more photos of the Museum Trail, click here.  Jace Edwards is a contributing writer to Palm Springs Guides with a focus on hiking and the numerous trails the Coachella Valley has to offer. Aside from his contributions, Jace is also a broadcaster who has been heard on KCLB (Palm Springs), KCXX (Riverside), KCAL (San Bernardino), KKND (New Orleans), KEDG (Las Vegas) and KNRQ/KZEL (Eugene). An avid adventurer, Jace is always looking for that next challenge, so that he may write about it here, on Palm Springs Guides. For more information about Jace Edwards or to contact him, click here. | |||||||
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