“Yeah, Desert Sky - Dream beneath the Desert Sky”
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.
This is a tale of danger and deceit, a story of riches found and fortunes lost; a trail that led to the brink of madness and beyond. Take heed, stranger, and read on at your risk. For I have met the Zombie Woof and have been...changed. You have been warned.
Read MoreJust a short hike from a turnout on Barker Dam Road, is a group of giant rocks the climbers have nicknamed the "Comic Book" area. There are some amazing boulders to gaze/scramble/climb upon and while you won't find this area labeled or marked in any of the park brochures or maps, it's a great spot to spend a half day exploring. Take some snacks and drinks, there's a beautiful spot under a large Pinyon pine to sit and relax, to enjoy the desert stillness.
Read MoreThere are a lot of big rocks in what the climbing community refers to as the "Lost Horse" area, and most have very unusual names. If you like rocks, this is a great place to spend some time. The main parking area for this location is signed "Hemingway," after one of the more notable chunks of quartz monzonite that stands nearby.
Read MoreMy first visit to Joshua Tree National Park must have been in the late '60s, (that's 1960s, not 1860s). Friends of my parents took me camping and we stayed at Jumbo Rocks campground. I think what fascinated me about the Monument then and which still does in the Park today, is the same thing which drew in over 1.6 million visitors to the park last year. The Rocks. Put simply, the rocks rock.
Read MoreJoshua Tree National Park, the California Gold Country, forgotten places in the Mojave Desert. These are a few of my favorite things.
