The Great Adventure of 2008

Joshua Tree National Park, CA

1 April 2008: This was an absolutely fascinating place, with a great diversity of terrain, flora and fauna. Two desert zones meet in the middle of the park: to the east is the Colorado Desert, which transitions to the Mojave Desert as one heads westward. We happened to arrive at a perfect time to catch the wild flowers in the Colorado Desert. There are lots of hiking opportunities and a number of campgrounds. We spent eight days in the park, staying at three different campgrounds.

Lots of desert yucca plants....lots of mountains.....lots of wildflowers!

Two interesting things about this picture: the top of the rock resembles a reclining face, and on the forehead is a large iguana basking in the midday sun.

One day we took a 5-mile hike which led us over a small mountain summit, Mastodon Peak (3740'), and down to a desert oasis. Along the way we encountered this desert tortoise.

Cottonwood Spring was the oasis; it was the result of a fault in the earth's surface which allowed water to escape to the surface. It was once home to the Cahuilla Indians. Around the spring are these California fan palms, which tower to 75' or more.
As we headed northwest toward the Mojave Desert, we passed the Cholla Cactus Garden.

 

In the Colorado Desert portion of the park, wilflowers were just everywhere. As we crossed into the Mojave Desert, at a slightly higher altitude, there were nowhere as many flowers in bloom.
The namesake tree of the park - the Joshua tree, which is really a yucca plant.
We spent three nights at Jumbo Rocks Campground in the park, surrounded by....jumbo rocks. Most interesting shapes and positions.
Another desert bloom.
Just one of many varied rock formations in the Jumbo Rocks area.
You sure wonder how these rocks got like this.
One day on the campground, we watched a beginners class in rock climbing. The young girl on the rock about halfway up was learning the art of free climbing.
We were sitting by the RV one afternoon when this squirrel climbed up to the top of a nearby rock and assumed the pose of a sentinel.
This rock really fascinated us. In addition, it was on the cover of a book on the park's geology that Liz bought.
About a half-mile hike from the Jumbo Rocks Campground is Skull Rock.
On 3 April we moved a few miles along the Loop Road to Hidden Valley CG. After claiming a site, we drove out to Keys View, which offers a great view from an elevation of 5185'. Across the Coachella Valley looms the snow-capped foot peak of Mt San Jacinto. Down in the valley is Palm Springs, the Colorado Aqueduct and the San Andreas Fault.
Hidden Valley is a small campground designed primarily for tenters, who come here for the rock climbing. Here is a young woman climbing up.
We spotted this blooming cactus aong the Nature Trail in Hidden Valley.
Also in Hidden Valley we passed this huge flowering yucca plant.
Everywhere you look there's another fascinating rock formation.

Joshua trees at sunset.

 

Check out the campgrounds we stayed at while in the park: Cottonwood, Jumbo Rocks, and Hidden Valley.