2016.03.12-17 – Meandering towards Joshua Tree

Our time in Manzanar marked one of my last days with my mom. After spending the day wandering Los Angeles with her, I dropped her off at the airport for her flight home. Even though we didn’t get to visit the Channel Islands, we did end up having one hell of a week together. Death Valley is one of the most amazing places I have visited thus far and I couldn’t have asked for a better travel partner. That said, it was time for me to move on.

Sadly, the weather reports for the Channel Islands did not improve to a point where I felt comfortable devoting the time and resources towards the journey. Knowing that I would be back to explore the islands later, I spent a few more days in LA before heading south. That extra time in LA did allow me to knock something off my bucket list though: Going to an REI Garage Sale! How did it go? Well, it was so overwhelming that I didn’t even buy anything! Maybe I’ll have better luck next time. Although it isn’t on my bucket list, I did cross something else off my to-do list: finishing up my taxes. My other activities included long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. Way to go LA!

Since the Channel Islands weren’t an option, I headed south to visit another west coast Batesie, Torben. Living the dream in Santa Cruz, Torben took some time out of his busy schedule to show me a few beaches, Balboa Park, and Sunset Cliffs. We even sampled San Diego’s vegan fare. Even though my visit was relatively brief, I got a good taste of San Diego’s laid back, beach vibe and saw some of the sights. Also, everyone I talked to about my trip could hardly contain their excitement when I mentioned where I was going next… Joshua Tree.

Considering all the positive feedback I was getting in San Diego about Joshua Tree, it didn’t take much convincing for me to leave the city and head towards the park. As I moved farther and farther from the coast, the temperatures steadily rose. I was back in the desert. En route to Joshua Tree, I swung by the Salton Sea, a landlocked salt water lake surrounded by harsh desert. The flow of water into the Salton Sea has promoted agriculture within the region, despite its inherently arid soil and climate. Row after row of palm trees grew on one side of the highway, while a look in the other direction showed only dry dirt and swirling sand. Just before turning off towards Twentynine Palms, I passed by the 3,218 units of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, easily the largest wind farm I have ever seen. At the head of the Coachella Valley, the San Gorgonio Pass has a consistent and powerful breeze. Speeding under the whirling turbines, I made a beeline for the chunk of BLM land that would be my home for the next four nights.

At this point, my time with friends in LA and with my mom in Death Valley had left me terribly behind on the blog, so I spent a chunk of time that morning uploading photos and posts from the outdoor patio of the Joshua Tree Coffee Company. I continued this ritual for the next few days and it paid massive dividends. On my first day, I ended up overhauling a homeless guy’s bike that he had just crashed. After repositioning his handlebars, jerry rigging his seat, and tightening his chain, I sent him on his way. The next day, I ended up sharing a table with a guy named Peter, who you will hear more about later. Oh and did I mention that there coffee is ridiculously good? I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to catch up on all things electronic in my life.

After my first day of coffee and uploading, I headed towards the park headquarters to get the lowdown on the park. Twenty minutes later I emerged with a map that looked like a six-year-old had attacked it with the entire box of crayons. I have never gotten so many suggestions before from a ranger! Clearly Joshua Tree was a fantastic place for exploring. Not knowing how long I would be in the area, I decided to try and knock as many of the drive-by style sites off my list as possible on my first day. Little did I know what lay in store for me…

After clearing the checkpoint at the park’s entrance, I followed the road as it twisted over and around rolling hills covered in Joshua trees. Before long, I started seeing rocky protrusions jutting out of the otherwise flat expanse growing before me. Some looked like piles of smooth boulders, others seemed more like curvaceous pieces of modern art. Juxtaposed with the ever-present Joshua trees, I soon realized I was driving into a landscape that had been ripped from the imagination of Dr. Suess. Truffula trees and puffy, cloud-like boulders stretched as far as I could see. My first order of business, as it usually is, was to climb one of the piles of boulders to get a better view from the top. As I did, I realized that however smooth they seemed from afar, the rock itself was rough. So rough, in fact, that my worn-down running shoes stuck to each boulder like glue. It was as if rocky teeth sunk into the soft rubber of my shoes with each step. It made scrambling up the boulders a breeze. Before I knew it, I balanced atop a precariously balanced boulder high above the desert plains below. From my vantage point, endless opportunities for scrambling and climbing stretched in every direction.

As always, getting down was a little bit harder, but traction was never a problem. Hopping back in the car, I drove until another pile of boulders caught my eye. Then, as if possessed, I hopped out of the car and proceeded to clamber up to the top for yet another splendid panorama. The enthusiasm with which I tackled each obstacle amazed me. Remember back when you were a kid and you saw a tree with the perfect size and layout of branches for climbing? That is what Joshua Tree felt like. It was like a playground!

Bouncing from rock to rock, I eventually made my way around to many of the famous sections of the park, places with names like Skull Rock, The Arch, and Keys View. I found crowds of people at each site, but they could quickly be avoided by simply climbing above them. I must have looked a little silly running around with a grin on my face for the entire day, but it was just so much fun! The only thing limiting my exploration was the bombardment of UV rays. After awhile, I knew I needed to head for the shade. On my way into the park, I had seen a bunch of sport and trad climbing going on in the Hidden Valley area, so I headed in that direction to hunker down in the shade and watch some climbing. I didn’t know it then, but Hidden Valley would become the epicenter of my next few days in Joshua Tree. I will save those stories, however, for my next post!

Map Time!