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Monday, February 1, 2016

Joshua Tree Ramble

"Water, water, water....
There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount, a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.” 

― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness

Hi Blog!

Today is Monday, February 1, 2016. Winter Storm Kayla is ripping across the U.S. bringing rain, snow and high winds across Southern California. Yesterday morning, we ran some errands in anticipation of the bad weather and then hunkered down in the rig as the winds picked up. With gusts up to 70 miles per hour, the rig was rocking and rolling last night. This morning dawned bright and clear, but the winds are still expected to stay strong at about 25 to 30 miles per hour. The temperatures dropped overnight to about 38 degrees and aren't expected to get much higher. We decided to drive into Joshua Tree National Park and stop at a few of the shorter trailheads and nature exhibits. This would give us a chance to get out and about, but also allow us to run back to the truck when our faces freeze.

We are staying just a few blocks from the Oasis Visitor Center on Utah Street. The North Entrance is just up the road from the Visitor's Center. From there, we followed Park Boulevard over to Keys View Road. Our first stop was a little pull-out which gave us a chance to scramble over to a rock outcrop with a round boulder on top.


As we got closer, we could see a large fault line filled with fractured blocks of quartz. Kathy climbed up to get a better look.


Our next stop was by Ryan Mountain (5458 ft). There is a trail all the way to the summit, but with gale force winds, we decided to stay below the summit and explore the neighborhood. There was a light dusting of snow in some of the nooks and crannies. This cap rock made a great arch.


Prior to western expansion, this area had been used by a number of native peoples. Here Dave makes himself comfortable in a rock cave that was probably used for cooking. The hole in the back of the cave and the channel in the floor made it easy to do the dishes after it rained.


Since the monzogranite was formed by upthrusts of molten rock, they appear in the most random places. Here is one such upthrust out in the middle of the valley.


The longer the monzogranite is exposed to the elements, the more it shows wear and tear. The windward side of this big boy is covered with pock marks caused by wind and rain.


We really wanted to share with you some great Joshua Tree images. Juniper Flats in the Lost Horse Valley gave us a chance to hike out among the trees. For a full 360, click on the link to the YouTube Video we took at Juniper Flats.


The Joshua Tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 1,300 and 5,900 feet elevation. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley. The name Joshua Tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. This little guy is not quite ready to join the church choir, so we like to call him "Josh":


Once they bloom, the Joshua Trees are pollinated by the yucca moth, which spreads pollen while laying her eggs inside the flower. The moth larvae feed on the seeds of the tree, but enough seeds are left behind to produce more trees.

Here Kathy does her best Joshua Tree impression!


Many birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects depend on the Joshua tree for food and shelter.  The yellow and black Scott’s oriole makes its nest in the branches. At the base of the tree, you may find a wood rat nest built with spiny yucca leaves for protection. The desert night lizard likes to poke around under the log of a fallen Joshua tree in search of tasty insects. The Joshua tree is also capable of sprouting from roots and branches. Being able to reproduce vegetatively allows a much quicker recovery after damaging floods or fires, which may kill the main tree. Here is a cute little family group formed by sprouting.


Having a picnic at the Cap Rock Picnic Area is a little scary. The giant boulders look like they are about to tumble down at any moment. That blue dot at the bottom of the photo is Kathy standing on top of the picnic table for scale!


Our last stop was at Skull Rock. We started to follow the Skull Rock Trail, but after a mile or so we realized that it wasn't a trail to Skull Rock, it was a trail from the Jumbo Rocks Campground to Skull Rock, and we were headed toward the campground!  Somehow, we missed Skull Rock. We turned around and started heading back. Here Kathy examines another layer of intrusive rock. They almost look like teeth jutting out from a giant.


Once we got back to the trail head, we found Skull Rock. He was just hiding behind some other big rocks which probably makes him all the more mysterious.


Our ride back to camp was uneventful. The first thing we did when we arrived back was to pour two fingers of fine Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch to warm our frozen bones. Kathy added a touch of honey to her "wee dram," but David was a purist and drank his neat.

The high winds are expected to die down tomorrow. We plan to head over to the Joshua Tree Visitor's Center and watch the park movie and do a longer hike to Willow Hole, passing through the Wonderland of Rocks.

Until then, stay thirsty my friends.

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