LIVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue 186 June 27 THRU July 11 2014

A Blind Man's Perspective
Tahquitz Falls
By Michael Tapia
Late Spring, 2014, Palm Springs,
California
The Games for All
The 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation
is one of the biggest sports & cultural festivals in the world
and comes to Cleveland+Akron, 9-16 August.
The Games are open to all adults - regardless of sexual orientation
or athletic ability. With more than 35 sports (from darts
to triathlon, bowling to softball) and 2 cultural events (band
and chorus), there's something for everybody.
Games Week is about more than sport with spectacular ceremonies,
Festival Village, parties and more. Let's show the
world. Now is the time. GO ALL OUT.
Register, volunteer, donate, sign up for e-newsletter, follow
on Facebook and Twitter! Find it all here:
www.gg9cle.com/
Check out the new video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=erG7rIOSsF8
Following our successful hike to the
Seven Sisters Waterfall, my dear friend
Ramon and I venture on to hiking
Tahquitz Falls in beautiful Tahquitz
Canyon.
“Are you up for a hike to Tahquitz Falls today
Michael?”
“Sounds great, Ramon!” I love exploring my
local canyons. “It’s a $12 entrance fee to
hike the canyon, and “worth every cent”! I
say. “My experiences hiking with you are
priceless.”
“Yes, It feels like we have our technique
and rhythm taking shape with every hike,
Michael.”
“I agree, our energy is very attuned to one another’s direction. It’s very easy for
me to follow your sighted guide technique. I trust I’m in very good hands with you,
Ramon!”
We arrive to Tahquitz Canyon. We pay our fee at the visitors center, and cross a
grated metal bridge to begin the hike.
“Will you describe the terrain for me Ramon?”
“To our left there are cliffs several hundred feet high. They are very steep, and very
stark and austere.”
“Wow! Amazing! Right in the middle of Palm Springs!” I say.
The trail ascends and descends crossing the creek several times on beautiful stone
bridges.
“Use your cane for leverage and I’ll pull you up.” Ramon says. He pulls, and I’m up to
the next set of steps. Some are as high as 15 inches.
“We should be climbing about 300 feet of vertical, and in a mile reach the falls,
Michael. “ Several small steps coming down now... Careful, there’s a rock the size of
a grapefruit on the third step,” he warns.
I feel ahead of me with my cane, and avoid the rock. I tread carefully following his
direction. Suddenly loud thunder echoes through the canyon.
“Wow, I love thunder!” I say.
We reach the waterfall. “It sounds beautiful” I say, exhilarated.
photo from www.aguacalinete.org
The best way to find a condo in Palm Springs
www.pscondos.com
Did you know that ads in LIVE Magazine
come with built in editorial and social
networking support? They do! The ad
gets printed in the pages of our hard
copies which are distributed in Palm
Springs, Las Vegas, San Diego and parts
of LA. The ad also goes online where it
remains indefinitely! Some of our online
versions have been viewed over 563,301 times by online viewers alone
(and counting)! Make your advertising dollar work for you. We care. Call us
and become a part of the LIVE Magazine family today. Call Levvy Carriker
today at 760-409-1234.
Alex Dethier (760) 808-3300
REALTOR© BRE#01926911