From the trip reports I read, Indianhead looked like a sufferfest, so I decided to tackle this one well into the season when my fitness was high. I talked Manny and Wes into coming with me, and we were all excited about the challenge. The hike starts out on an easy trail into Palm Canyon, complimented by a full creek. There were even waterfalls – a first for me on a hike in the desert.
The trail ran out a mile in, and the next mile and a half was bushwhacking through thick brush, navigating back and forth across the stream. We had high precipitation year, and the desert flora flourished and chocked the entire canyon with thick brush. By the time we got to the part where we started climbing out of the canyon, I was already feeling slightly fatigued.
By the time we got to the part where we started climbing out of the canyon, I was already feeling slightly fatigued.
The Tough Job of Gaining the Ridge
The climb out of the canyon was straight up over lousy, cactus-filled, loose terrain. Manny had been training leading up to the hike, and it showed. He left Wes and me like we were standing still as he bounded up the steep slope and gained the first ridgeline. Wes and I eventually gained the ridge and, after a quick break, continued up the steep ridge. We could clearly see the route to the summit from this position, and it looked daunting. I told the guys to hold this one loosely because I didn’t see us making the summit, given the distance and steepness of the terrain. Wes agreed with my assessment, but Manny was determined to make it to the summit.
I told the guys to hold this one loosely because I didn’t see us making the summit, given the distance and steepness of the terrain.
Struggling in Zone 4
Over the next hour, I spent most of the time at my zone 4 heart rate, feeling like I couldn’t maintain that pace indefinitely, but Manny seemed to be in his element. As we continued our ascent, the rocky terrain became even more challenging, and I found myself struggling to keep up with Manny’s relentless pace. Then, almost out of nowhere, we found ourselves 500 feet from the summit. We did it. I didn’t see that coming at all.
I found myself struggling to keep up with Manny’s relentless pace.
Our Descent
Descending was the arduous slog I thought it would be, but the feeling of accomplishment and the stunning views from the top made it all worth it. This was a great one. Surprisingly, I felt the fatigue of this one for the next two days before I was ready to return to my regular training routine. This one set the benchmark by which I compared all the other desert hikes of the season, and it did not disappoint.
Elevation Profile
