Quail Springs Joshua Tree National Forest: We learn what a "cirque" is

Our word for today is “Cirque.” 

The hiking book we have been using contained a hike to Quail Springs.  We thought that would be fun. 

So off we went today, for a “short” 6.2 mile, flat, easy hike to see these old springs.  

Well, 9.3 miles later we still didn’t find them.

Our hiking book said to look for a rock “cirque,” but didn’t define it.  All I know is that this is the French word for circus, and we didn’t find any rock circuses.

Vicky figured that “cirque” might mean circle, and that is why it was used for a circus (the rings).  Made sense, so we started looking for rock circles.  We found a couple of rock mounds in circles.  She also thought that there were a couple of places where the rocks made circular indentations, so we explored those. 

We scoured the hills for the cistern and springs, following our hiking description and TOPO maps. 

Back at the trail head I asked a couple of park workers if either of them had been there.  I said we had trouble finding it.  One of them said other people had said the same thing.  Like that’s supposed to make me feel better or something.

Addendum:  Cirque, in geological terms, refers to a half circle in a geological formation.  Vicky’s second guess was right on..  

Noun

1. A half-open steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside, formed by glacial erosion.
2. A ring, circlet, or circle.

 We found a perfect example of this type of geological structure, about where the springs were supposed to be, but found nothing. 

 

Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.