Joshua Tree National Park
A drive through Joshua Tree National Park might take a couple hours, viewing the park from the road. An exploration of the park would take a lifetime. Joshua Tree National Park has over 550,000 acres of wilderness filled with a variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Every now and then, man intrudes in this wilderness and leaves his brief, passing mark among the surreal geologic features that cover the landscape. Let’s go see what we can find.
Snow in the Desert? - Joshua Tree National Park
Yes, it can snow in Joshua Tree National Monument. And when it does, it turns the desert landscape into a magical winter wonderland. Something that if you ever get the chance to see in person, move heaven and earth to do so.
Hidden Valley Found! - Joshua Tree National Park
I pulled into a rather large parking lot near where my research had led me to believe was near an entrance to the famous “Hidden Valley” of Joshua Tree National Park.... I was determined to be the first to find the secret valley where desperado outlaws stashed their stolen cattle.
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon - Joshua Tree National Park
It wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t too cold. It was just right, for an afternoon wander-bout amongst a few favorite spots in the park. Who could have guessed that I would See the Elephant?
Queen Valley Prospects Camp - Joshua Tree National Park
Hiking to Nolina Ridge, will I make it? Are those gold mines? What’s with all the wildflowers?
The Desert isn’t Dead - Joshua Tree National Park
Back in early May, opportunity presented itself and said, “Hey, your aunt and uncle will be in Twentynine Palms for a couple days, it would be great to spend some time with them and show off your vast knowledge of neat places to visit in the park.”
What was that? Joshua Tree National Park
“What was that, way up that canyon?” are probably words you’ve said at some point. Then the trick is, find a place to safely pull off to park, so you can climb into that canyon and see what you can find.
GoPro or Go Home - Joshua Tree National Park
With the really wet weather this past winter, the rain, the snow, the “precip,” many folks were saying those magical words……super bloom.
The Barbed Wire Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Once the hiking boots hit the trail, anywhere in Joshua Tree National Park, toss the game plan out the window. Oh, you may come back to it and somehow end up where you had set out to go (often with a <squirrel!> side trip that turns out to be more interesting than the original goal), or you may get lost and die alone in the unforgiving Mojave.
The Sawtooth Ascent - Joshua Tree National Park
And this one seems to create a jagged, sawtooth-like set of steps that lead from the bottom of the pile up towards the right. Why haven’t I ever tried to climb those steps to see what’s on top, I asked myself.
“I dunno.”
The Sanctuary of the Rock People - Joshua Tree National Park
I am not an anti-rockite. I like them all; small, medium and Jumbo. Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary - they’re all good. I like to scramble on them, climb them, and get scraped and abraided on them. I especially like to photograph them. I’m a rock people.
Chasing the Light - Joshua Tree National Park
My plan was to stick around to see the moon rise and maybe get a picture, and then watch the eclipse process. But before that would happen, there were a couple hours to fill. What to do, what to do…..
Stirrup Rock Afternoon - Joshua Tree National Park
The Stirrup Rock area out at JT is somewhat of a lesser known, dare I say, “secret” area in the park that doesn’t get a lot of visitors.
Yucca brevifolia - Joshua Tree National Park
No trail, just open JT environs with cholla, yucca, cactus, sticker bushes, Joshua Trees and rocks. You never know what will turn out to be the focus on a hike like this, one with no real planning or destination in mind. So I set out to see what I could find.
Twin Tanks - Joshua Tree National Park
Totally old-school “take a bearing!” There’s no trail whatsoever, just park at the lot and follow Patty’s directions. I always enjoy a hiking/discovery challenge, so I headed out to see if I could find the twin tanks.
Boy Scout Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
The only thing I knew about the Boy Scout Trail before today was that the one-way distance was roughly 8 miles. And while it was on my list of undone things that I wanted to do in the park, in all honesty it was towards the bottom.
E’s Arch - Joshua Tree National Park
Well, I was out wandering around in the rocks just north of Twin Tanks the other day, and that's truly a great area to wander. So many washes, twisting, turning.
Queen Valley Pictograph Boulder - Joshua Tree National Park
There are hundreds, if not thousands of large boulders in Queen Valley. And one looks much the same as another, so what’s the big deal?”
Barker Dam Nature Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
It had been over ten years since I last saw any water in Barker Dam, so when I heard reports that the recent monsoons had filled the dam up, I knew I wanted to get out and take a look.