For even a short hike in the desert, I’d recommend bringing at least a liter along, wearing a sun hat and slathering on some sunscreen. But I actually didn’t do any of that. I chugged some water and hit the trail, thinking I’d probably be back very soon. The trail through the canyon is not even a mile, the internet told me, and I could choose to either double back or climb out of the canyon and make a loop by hiking along the rim.
I decided I would feel it out when I reached the end of the canyon and trudged past creosote bush and cholla cactus as the flowing corridors began to heighten and close in. This is what I had come for, the look of the gently curving walls, the feeling of being right up against them and somehow managing to pass through.
After a few minutes of turning sideways, sucking my gut in and creeping through the narrowest stretch, the canyon opened up a bit, and high overhead I saw something even more impressive: a rock bridge! I had seen things like this in Sedona, Arizona, and Utah’s Arches National Park, but never California.It looked like a long, rectangular piece of rock had broken off one side of the canyon and careened toward the other, eventually finding a perfect balance between the walls.
There, I had to make my choice. I considered turning back, which seemed shorter and simpler, but I was won over by the idea of looping back on unexpected territory. But take my word for it on this one — don’t do the loop. It requires climbing steep, sandy terrain out of the canyon, and takes a lot more time than doubling back would have. The journey had me huffing and puffing, and despite starting in the late afternoon, it was still scorching, and the mile-long walk back to the car was all desert and no shade.I arrived back at the car thirsty, but with all of my limbs intact.
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