PART 2 Pines to Palms Scenic Drive

We continued traveling up the mountains when we left the Diamond Zen Center and the rocky landscape changed to fast moving, rolling clouds swooping up to converge upon snowcapped mountains.

Eventually, as you can see, the clouds won out obliterating the view below. WOW! We were actually above the clouds. In with the clouds, in with the cooler temperatures. Time to decend.

Down the mountain and around the curves we traveled Through the pines we drove when suddendly we chanced upon a picnic and day use area known as Lake Fulmor. It was a wee bit cool for a picnic I thought, but there were a few hardy souls eating at picnic tables and some fishing in Lake Fulmor. We stopped long enough to snap this pix. The next stop became Indian Vista. By now we were definately on the opposite side of the mountain ranges from Palm Springs. If there was a tram going down from Indian Vista one would most likely meet the Palm Springs Tram, leading up the other side of the mountains from us, out of Palm Springs, Ca. Along the ridge of these mountains is the western equivalent hiking tail of the Appalachian Trail; the Pacific Coast Trail. No, I have never set a foot onto the PCT. The entire region is known as the San Jacinto Wilderness.

We spent some time here once again watching the fast moving cloud cover moving into this area before continuing on.

If you were wondering if there was still any snow left in the higher elevations of the mountains, well a little here and there.

Around a few more curves and suddenly we are in Idyllwild. It is a very small tourist attraction town, relatively busy even in the late winter months. Hidden in the woods surrounding the town are many "summer homes". Places the folks living in the desert move to when the temperatures exceed 100deg. F in the summer.

Look for Part 3 next: TTFN