Joshua Tree National Park

 Joshua Tree is one of my favorite spots. It is just so darn cool!

I made reservations at a campsite and loaded up Poppy and took off mid-morning, planning to get there by 2pm and time for an explore before settling in for the long winter's night.

My "don't overplan" mentality (in this case, "don't plan, period") bit me in the ass.

I made the drive up to Twentynine Palms and the north entrance, only to realize upon getting my map that my campsite was in the Cottonwood Campground, allll the wayyyyy downnnnn on the southern end of the park. 

Dang. It. 

It was another 51 miles and 90 minutes' drive. I would make it to my campsite just at sunset, and I didn't want to arrive in the complete dark. 

So much for an afternoon hike.

BUT! the bright side is that Joshua Tree is so gosh-darn beautiful, east to west and north to freakin' south. I enjoyed the beautiful geology and flora on my drive down. 

Cottonwood Campground

The next day, I drove back up to see the sights in the Mojave Desert part of the park: Arch Rock, Heart Rock, Jumbo Rocks. Skull Rock. Had a few jaunts and scrambles. It was all good. 

Life finds a way

By that time I was stressing about fuel and calculating if I'd have enough to get back down to the freeway when it came time to leave. So, I decided to visit the Oasis of Mara, which is in the town of Twentynine Palms, and fuel up.

Again, I got back to camp at about sunset. 

Read, wrote, and watched the moonrise before hitting the hay. 

On Thursday I awoke early and headed out to a hike to Cottonwood Spring and Mastodon Peak, just off the campground. 

Nice couple of days!

Life always finds a way!

Phainopepla, aka silky-flycatcher

Mastodon Mine

Near the top of Mastodon Peak. A view of the Salton Sea

A mortar left by the people who lived here before. 

Cottonwood Spring Oasis. Much more impressive than the more well-known Oasis of Mara up by Twentynine Palms.

Tea, water, book to read, journal. Life is good inside my T!

The Cholla Garden was incredible! Cholla cactus as far as the eye can see!

Ever wonder where your bunch of runaway balloons ends up? Yup, in a creosote bush in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park.