“A memory.
Scrambling up the steep and rocky South Lykken Trail in Palm Springs on a winter day that sweltered like summer. The plants alongside the path were crunchy, not a bloom to be found, and the entire hillside loomed monotonous.
I’d moved here from the Midwest a few months earlier and heard rumors of a waterfall somewhere nearby. A waterfall in the desert? That seemed as preposterous as a rainforest on the moon.
Near the top, I paused for a moment to take a swig of water and look over the edge. That’s when I spied the most peculiar thing below — water flowing down a distant cliff. I rubbed my eyes to ensure this wasn’t some sort of heat-induced trickery. But the marvel was no mirage.
From my perch on the trail, I was peering into Tahquitz Canyon, observing the fabled Tahquitz Falls from a bird’s-eye view. The waterfall was lovely in its cascade, but it also appeared to be an act of defiance. It was as if the water was shouting, declaring the desert to be a landscape of wonder.
In the years since, that’s the biggest lesson I’ve come to learn about this region: Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, something will make your jaw drop and demand exploration.
Natural wonders proliferate the California desert. Here are seven to know…”
[Read the full article at palmspringslife.com]