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.
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.
The Towers of Uncertainty - Joshua Tree National Park
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Park the truck along a turnout on the Geology Tour Road, leaving the relative safety of being on a maintained and a somewhat regularly traveled dirt road, and set off on foot across the desert….
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.
Interesting Rocks - Joshua Tree National Park
I think it’s fair to say that Google Earth is a temptress. How often has she led me to unknown places of wonder and beauty, places of history and charm, places from which even more can be discovered. When things are slow at work, why not spend some time with her, searching for places to see what I can find.
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon - Joshua Tree National Park
After parking at a convenient spot and suiting up, I started following an abandoned road leading to who-knows-where, one of my favorite places. Time for adventure.
Gold Mines & Pinyon Pines - Joshua Tree National Park
Most folks who park at the Desert Queen Mine/Pine City parking area generally head off to see the mines, or maybe Eagle Cliff hideout, or out to Pine City. But being in a contrarian mood, I decided to head southeast into the ruff, to see what I could find.
I Saw No Sheep - Joshua Tree National Park
I found no sheep, no gold mines or abandoned cars…… no bones, nothing but beautiful landscapes, amazing rocks with cavities, pretty skies and desert solitude.
Samuelson’s Rocks - Joshua Tree National Park
Chances are good that most visitors to Joshua Tree National Park have never seen them, let alone even know they exist. And of those who do set out to find this elusive and evocative site, many of them never return.
An Afternoon Adventure - Joshua Tree National Park
…and the desert will often try to kill you, with its dreaded strategy, Death by a Thousand Tiny Stickers.
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.
The Red Lady - Joshua Tree National Park
Who is the mysterious “Red Lady” of Joshua Tree? Is she single? And where can I meet her?
Garrett’s Arch - Joshua Tree National Park
The end of summer. It was crazy hot. The perfect time for a hike in the desert, yes, the DESERT. It’s contrarian. So I loaded up the Blue Shark with an ice chest full of water, packed some snacks, camera gear and the Camelbak and …..