Joshua Tree National Park

a Joshua tree, arms upstretched as Joshua in the Bible

 

Entering the park from the south, Terry and I started our hike near Cottonwood Spring.  We walked through sandy washes and between huge, odd shaped boulders.  Clambering up the rock pile that was Mastadon Peak was our only real challenge.  From our vantage point we were able to see the Salton Sea to the south-west, visible briefly through the low hanging clouds.  We'd been there just a few days ago.
By the end of the day as we drove towards the north entrance, occasional raindrops were replaced by real rain.
"I'm glad we hiked first, and are driving later!"  I told Terry.

Three days later the rain had stopped down in the Coachella Valley, and the sky was clear.  We were eager to explore the other side of the park. Our seven day pass allowed us to go back for another visit.   As a precaution, though, I had put on six layers of clothing.  On the mountain plateau that was the park our hoods went up, and our hands were jammed into our pockets.  Light dustings of snow appeared here and there on the desert floor.

and the wind blew briskly.

 It was not too far above the freezing mark.  "Go and see the Barker Dam,"

recommended the park ranger.  "There might be water in it after the rain."  The only water we saw, however, was a puddle on the trail and a couple of inches in an old horse trough.

 

It was hard to imagine the dam holding a full reservoir of water, with water birds on the shore.

  The next trail led to an old mill that once crushed gold filled ore.  Old cars and the foundations of  houses were nestled among the bushes.  One interesting bird we saw was a Spotted Towhee flitting through the bushes.

Our picnic lunch was eaten inside the vehicle, as it was not warm enough to sit outside comfortably.
Next stop- the Keys Viewpoint, 5185 feet up in the Little San Bernardino Mountain Range.  We didn't linger long, just long enough to pick out Palm Springs and the rest of the Coachella Valley.  As one tourist put it, "OK, I get the idea, let's go!"

What a great park to explore.  I wish we could take our grandchildren there.