Rabbit Peak #2

24 March 1990

By: Bill T. Russell

Leaders: Bill T. Russell, Frank Goodykoontz

We met at the end of Fillmore Street at 5:30am and were underway at 5:45. We went east in the wash for about 1/2 mile and then SW across the desert to the mouth of Sheep Cyn. We went into the canyon for about 1/4 mile and then up the slope to the ridge top at about 1800' in the east part of Sec. 30. From here we had good walking along the ridge top to the small saddle at 2540', then up the steep slope to the Plateau starting at 2800' and ending at 3300' at another steep slope. This slope/ridge extends to about 5400', the beginning of the summit plateau. We reached the summit at 2:45 pm.

The day was unseasonably hot, the forecast for Palm Springs was 93°. People carried from four to six liters of water, my four was not enough. Four people dropped out at the Plateau but the remaining 17 made the summit in good form.

On the ascent we passed a man who had left the roadhead 45 minutes before us. He did not make the summit but had turned back and had stopped at the saddle at 2540'. We invited him to walk out with us but he had leg cramps so bad that he could barely walk. He decided to spend the night. I called his wife from Indio and told her that her husband was ok and he called me the next day to say that he had reached his car at about 8pm. Full dark came upon us at the plateau. Frank did a fine job of finding the route down the ridge and down the east side of the ridge below 1800' to the start of the white ducked path across the desert to the levee. We did not follow this path on the ascent but the white markers are certainly a comfort in the dark. We lost the ducks about 1/2 mile from civilization but continued NE until we came to a lemon grove. The thirsty people really went after those juicy lemons! We hiked thru the groves and along the wash to the roadhead. We had some very slow people on descent and reached the cars at 11:30pm. It was a long day but everyone seemed to be in good spirits at the end or perhaps they were too tired and thirsty to have much spirit at all. Participants were: Jim Adler, Paul Bacher, Jim Brown, Barbara Cohen, Evelyn De Chantillon, David Eisenberg, Mike Fredette, Frank Goodykoontz, Diana Jo Harmon, Bob Hartunian, Patty Kline, Gary Murta, Bruce Peterson, Paula Peterson, Kathy Price, Bill T Russell, Bob Sumner, Bill Tryon, David Verner, Bob Wyka, Heidi Zimmer.