Page 208 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

that creek several times before you reach the falls. These creek crossings are espe-
cially easy since very big boulders are the steppingstones.
The final climb to the falls is very rocky and very steep, and I often quit just
short of them. But even without that desert wonder, the creek and its palms and the
enormous cliffs of craggy rocks that seem to burst out in bunches provide plenty of
awe.
But then you ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and enter an entirely
different natural world.
From its Valley Station at 2,643 feet in elevation — more than 2,000 feet
higher than the desert floor of about 440 feet — to its Mountain Station at 8,516
feet, the tram takes hikers through five climate zones up to Mount San Jacinto State
Park and Wilderness Area where 54 miles of hiking trails beckon.
It’s usually 30 degrees cooler here than in Palm Springs, which can be
especially inviting in summer. But in winter, there is the thrill of snow just 15 minutes
from downtown Palm Springs.

208 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018