“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.
August is generally hot at JTree, and the 24th of August, 2015 was no exception. But sometimes it's nice to experience the extremes, as long as you're prepared for them. That said, I think I prefer the cold extremes over the hot ones....
Read MoreThere's a lot of stuff going on in the general area around the Desert Queen Mine. If you park at the small parking area/trailhead for the DQ Mine and Pine City, you've got gold mines, stone building ruins, vanished cities, dams, debris, sparkly rocks, amazing vistas and many signs of the local Indians who once passed through this area during their seasonal migrations. And all within a couple miles hiking distance. It's like a nexus of amazement.
Read MoreAs with many of the mines in J Tree, few details are known about its origin, ownership and production over the years. The scant records so far discovered reveal that on May 27, 1895, a lead ledge that became known as the Eagle Cliff mine was located by Robert Muir. My hat's off to him. Back in the 1890s, it would have taken a true explorer to discover this claim.
Read MoreIt was a beautiful morning for a hike in J Tree and the destination was the Desert Queen Mine. Even though most of the machinery, artifacts and buildings that were part of the mining operations are long gone, the lure of an old gold mine is still strong.
Read MoreEnjoy hiking? About a quarter mile west of the entrance to Jumbo Rocks campground, on the south side of Park Blvd., there are several large rocks blocking the entrance into what looks like an old jeep road that heads off into the desert. What more of an invitation do you need? There’s plenty of room to park nearby, so pull over, take a day pack with plenty of water and some snacks, and hit the trail. Plan on about four miles roundtrip, roughly 50 feet of elevation change and a wonderful time.
Read MoreJoshua Tree National Park, the California Gold Country, forgotten places in the Mojave Desert. These are a few of my favorite things.
