Where Two Deserts Meet

It's crisp and clear as we head out of Desert Hot Springs on Dillon Rd to Indian Ave. Across the Coachella Valley we head for Joshua Tree National Park in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. It's sunny and warm with the snow capped Sand Bernadino Mountains on our left and rolling foothills which are starting to get a green tint with the brush turning from winter to spring. We turned onto State Highway 62 E driving through the Morongo Valley. Climbing through the foothills on this 2 lane road we wound our way through the pass and reached the summit of Onyx Mountain at 8443 feet. What goes up must come down and we decended steeply into the town of Yucca Valley. Soon we came to Joshua Tree and the park entrance. Checking in at the Ranger Station we found out that it was a long holiday weekend (oops we forget about these things now...). He suggested we stay at Jumbo Rocks Campground as it had larger spaces, so off we went.

This place is weird and fantastic at the same time. The campground is 23 miles into the park and the landscape changes from massive groups of boulders to flat plains like desert covered with Josua Trees. The sizes and formations of the boulders is unbelievable. The park is made up of two deserts, each with an ecosystem whos characteristics are determined mostly by elevation. Below 3000 feet the Colorado Desert takes up the eastern part of the park with natural gardens of ocotillo, cholla cactus, and creosote bush. The higher drier, and minimally cooler Mojave Desert is the special home of the Joshua Tree, from which the park takes it's name. Besides the Joshua Tree forests, the western section of the park has some of the most interesting displays of geology found in California's deserts. The strong geologic features here are hills of bare rock, most often broken up into loose boulders. The expanse of flatland between these hills is thinly forested with Joshua Trees. This combination makes this a very otherworldly place.

We pulled in and drove through what are really paths between the rock formations the size of 4-5 story buildings. We found site 43 and made it home for the next 3 days. We are back in the wild nestled in a corner with 2 perfect rock tables and no every day ammenties - we love it.

Later we drove the 9 miles to Twenty-Nine Palms to pick up a few supplies. We stopped at the visitor center and walked the nature trail at the Oasis of Mara. These trails are great as they identify the different plants, cactuses, and animals of the area. We saw lots of Desert Cottontails and a new bird - the Logerhead Shrike. American Indians were the initial people to live in the area of the Oasis. Later during the 1800's propectors and homesteaders followed. Back at camp we sat outside. We are enjoying having a picnic table again. It's cold here in the 30's so we decided not to have a fire outside tonight. They had snow here yesterday, but the sun is warm and in the 60's during the day. We played Scrabble and then went to bed.