Skip to main content

Day 15 - Joshua Tree part 3

Waking at 6:30 in the morning to get a jump on the day before the crowds arrive has its benefits, but it also has its costs in that you lose that needed hour of sleep that gets you to your fullest.

The benefit of getting up early was nearly spoiled as 10 cars pulled into the parking lot of the Barker damn trail just as I was preparing to leave. 30 Koreans young and old ran quickly to the Barker dam trail but luckily the Wall Street Mill trail, a second trail to a gold mine was also leaving from this parking lot so I took the alternate path.


After completing both trails in this area I decided to drive north on some dirt roads up to the wilderness of Joshua tree. There was an unofficial trail/path leading up to Queen mountain, a tall rocky peak in the north part of the park, so I set out to find the path of the mountain. The trail became rocky and steep but I made it up the mountain, and as I was going up I looked down to see two people behind me pointing at me and following me up the trail. I continued on the trail on the mountain top but it didn't get to the summit of the mountain instead the trail followed around a bend. I followed the trail for 20 minutes to a wild place of rocky peaks all around me-- true wilderness.  I turned back, took a photo and then ran into the couple that had followed me up. They commented on the perfect hiking day. It was.



I was tired of hiking at this point and it was only 2 o'clock and there were some basketball games on that I wanted to watch so I drove to the Joshua tree saloon and had a Baja chicken special with broccoli and a salad and a couple Lagunitas beers while I watched Duke win.  Then halfway through the Wisconsin Kentucky game I decided to leave.  The sun was about to set and tonight was my last night in Joshua Tree for this magic time of day. 

I drove into the park and stopped at a large field of Joshua trees.  I put on my headphones, turned on Led Zepplin IV and as Stairway to Heaven began to play, walked towards the sun. 








Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 41 - Escalante Coyote Gulch

This one or two night Coyote Gulch hike was an easy test of my newly learned navigation skills.  Anxious to get started I awoke at 545 just as the sun was rising.  I followed an obvious landmark, a tall thin spire called Chimney Rock, northwest to Hurricane Wash (a drainage running into Coyote Gulch).  After a couple of hours of walking up over and around slick rock, I entered the famous Coyote Gulch.  The walls around me raised up, darkened and th water flow increased--like nature hinting at the scenic beauty ahead.  The normally crowded Coyote Gulch was fairly empty on this early Thursday morning, giving the canyon a very peaceful and quiet feeling-- fragile almost. Down steam, I ran into the famous Jacob Hamilton Arch and then thirty minutes further-- the Coyote Natural Birdge. Both were beautiful due to their see through the wall character, but both would be overshadowed in my memory by the Stevens Arch tomorrow. Pics.  By 1pm, I had hiked for six hours...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 62 - Colorado National Monument

Established as a national monument early in 1911, Colorado NM is known for its high canyon "rim road" and sandstone spires of Monument Canyon.  The canyons of west Colorado are pretty--as they have more green trees and shrubs than the more famous Utah canyons. This gives them a more alive feeling, although the sandstone spires were formed many thousands of years ago by erosion.  Rim Rock road curves up the the top of the canyon cliff, goes through several round tunnels and is lined with scenic viewpoints. The best views were in he Monument Canyon section, and included in sequence, the Coke Ovens, The Kissing Couple (behind my head), and the most famous of all: Independence Monument, the tall spire in pic 3 and viewed from the side in pic 4.  The original promoter and caretaker of the park, John Otto, was the first person to climb Independence Monument and now it's a climbing right of passage. Every July 4 climbers ascend and mount an American flag at the summit. Fun! ...
2 comments
Read more

Day 57 - Rocky Mountain National Park

Ever since I decided to go west for my big trip, I had dreamed of high mountain lakes with snowy peaks arching in every direction, with chilly air making every moment crisp, and with clear skies bringing all into perfect focus-- pure bliss.  Today was the first of many great mountain lake days to come.  Hiking here was far easier here than in the San Juans because the snow was packed down on the trail, but I brought my mini crampons for the downhill. I made it safely past a narrow ridge with narly black peaks across the gorge (pic 1), then up to Mills Lake (pic 2) then Jewel Lake then the Loch (pic 3) then down before the afternoon rain started falling.  I hiked around some lower, more accessible lakes but the sky was now overcast and pictures no good.  I drove up the open portion of the Ridge road amid a very light dusting of snow before heading back to camp for dinner and bedtime. I did manage to capture some fine Elk grazing in a meadows on the return trip and a g...
3 comments
Read more