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| Hiking | 2.00 Miles |
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| | Hiking | 2.00 Miles | 1 Hour | | 2.00 mph |
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| no partners | | My girlfriend and I were visiting her Uncle near Parker Dam. He happens to work for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California who are responsible for supplying So. California their water!! She enthusiastically described this special hike to me prior to our visit and I was very excited to hike as it meanders through a very bizarre desert/canyon landscape lush with palm trees, cascading fresh water waterfalls and fern covered canyon walls. It was indeed very beautiful and very much, a real desert oasis. We looped around and returned via a service road so I guesstimated at the total milage.
The hike starts at a very private yet popular recreational location for MWD employees, a place called "Ol' Swimming Hole". This quaint little pool's source is seepage runoff from the canyon directly behind the first MWD reservoir called Gene Wash. Hiking "upstream" about 1/2 a mile, this small slot winds through until you reach the tall reservoir dam which actually creates the Gene Wash Reservoir (basically a small lake pumped out of Lake Havasu). This hike is located on private property owned by the MWD. We were only able to access this area with her Uncle and his pass code; it's a very high security area. (My understanding is the water from Gene Wash Reservoir water is then pumped upwards again into the larger Copper Basin Reservoir where it awaits its final journey to the aqueduct's and finally to the faucets and toilets of Southern California).
The hike basically clamours over large boulders and thick tropical brush. It also required wading through some mucky pools until you reach a junction with a service road very near the dam. From there, you can walk about 100 yards to the base of the reservoir (I could have climbed the long ladder to the top of the reservoir had my Cojones been a bit larger)...This whole area was frickin' amazing with all the seepage from the side canyon creating trickling waterfalls down the length of this final slot. Was pretty amazing.
After exploring the dam area, we took the service road UP and then back around to the swimming hole and enjoyed some adult beverages.
Was a very interesting hike and a magnificent place to hang out and explore. I'm glad I got to share it here on HAZ. |
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