Easter in 2020 was weird. The Easter bunny left things way out in the street since he wasn’t comfortable getting any closer. This year, it was less strange while still being nonstandard, but Jason and I made holiday glucose spikes possible through a few enigmatic modifications. Let me sugar coat and nougat fill the tale for you.
Like most of you, Jason and I thought everything would be so normal by this Easter that kids would be crawling over each other for a Tootsie Roll. We were wrong. Although some sections of my family were fully vaccinated before Easter, for obvious reasons the kiddos were not amongst those. Therefore, we felt a hunt where all social distancing would be discarded in the name of honeyed loot was not the best idea. The two of us came up with another option no less sugar laden.
We stuffed colorful baskets with plenty of candy from several high-end and thematic sources and provided a variety of gift cards from which each kid could pick. For the record, I don’t think the children would have noticed if their candy came from the seamy end of a Styrofoam plant, as long as it was sugar infused.
Our nieces and nephews received as many sweets as we could stuff.
What to do about the golden eggs? Usually, the golden eggs are the most coveted portion of the hunt as there are only a few of them, and they contain cash. Last year, we took pictures of the eggs in hiding, and the kids had to find them in photo form to receive them in non-picture format. This year, we did riddle solving via a custom-made online survey to decide who got golden. The winners still had to select an egg from those available with limited knowledge of contents. Each egg contained $5-$40, but we increased that spread from 25 cents to 50 dollars when we reported it to the kids, which had the desired impact of making them more nervous about picking than necessary.
The Easter Bunny made our nieces and nephews both excited and uneasy this year, as he should, and he made Jason and I puzzled over how to provide gooey, sticky, sweetened treasures without providing COVID contact. I think we riddled it out.
Late last year, a plan for meeting in Moab began to form. It started with my sister thinking about doing a trail race. It continued with me renting a house as her Christmas present, and then somehow it concluded with Jason and me being convinced to run the race as well. And that’s how we ended up in a familiar place with a few surprises. Read on to discover all the details you never knew you always wanted about a trip we took months ago. They are sure to have you firmly on the central portion of your seat.
I finished way behind the rocks.
The Behind the Rocks Ultra, the event that initiated this plot, was the first trail race Jason and I ever participated in. We signed up for the smallest distance offered, 10 miles. It turned out to be 10.67. I was not psychologically ready for 10.67. Sure, 10 miles I could do but 10.67? Come on people! The course went through terrain graced by outlooks on the La Sals and many sandstone formations, including Picture Frame Arch. The encompassing beauty was energizing and distracting but not enough to compensate for the particularly challenging uphill stretch between mile six and 7.5. My knees weren’t super into the arrangement either and thus decided to throb the last couple miles. Still, I managed to hit my goal of finishing in less than 2.5 hours at 2:25:20. Clearly, I aim high. I finished 133 out of 164. If 80% of the class gets a higher score than you, you still pass, right? Jason came through nearly 100 runners ahead of me at 1:43:09 and 34th overall. That boy has ambitions and long legs! We will not speak of how my sister did on her 18-mile course as there is no need to further emphasize my leisurely performance.
Funnel Arch is a buttress arch that spans 45 feet.Sisters make everything sillier, even geology.
Why sit still after running a trail race? Sure, there are the obvious reasons having to do with fatigue and all that but besides those? Jason and I hiked to Funnel Arch a couple years ago. This trail’s small section of Class 5 climbing pushed my comfort levels. So, what did we decide to do after exhausting ourselves on the Behind the Rocks Ultra? I bet you can guess. With four of us, the pushing, pulling, and blocking required to scramble this one-mile trek were easier. And, I must admit, this climb seemed to help loosen up my sore muscles. I didn’t hurt the rest of the day as much as I thought I would.
The Rectory is a 1000-foot-long and 200-foot-wide butte just north of Castleton Tower.From the narrow ridge between Castleton Tower and The Rectory, Ida Gulch, Mary Jane Canyon, Parriott Mesa, and Adobe Mesa can all be viewed.
One dumb turn deserves another? The next day, we hiked to the ridge between Castleton Tower and The Rectory. Castleton Tower, also called Castle Rock, is a 400-foot monolith made of Wingate Sandstone that juts out of a 1000-foot funnel created by the Moenkopi and Chinle Formations. Its trail climbs over 1,300 feet in 1.3 miles. Undoubtedly, the best choice for a post-run activity, but, since Jason and I hadn’t done this trail for almost 10 years, it was relatively easy to ignore the complaints of our tender and tired muscles in the pursuit of breathtaking panoramas. For some of us, it was less easy to ignore the path’s intimidating drop-offs and slightly sketchy sections. My sister didn’t make it all the way to the ridge, but she got close before her shaky legs successfully pleaded their case of self-preservation. Although our movement prompted protests from my muscles, particularly at the beginning and on the downhill, I worked out my pain, and I really didn’t have many aches by the next day. Overall, it was the quickest dissipation of discomfort I’ve experienced after a race of that length. That’s right legs, I do know what is best for you, and I would never choose gorgeous scenery over your wellbeing.
Wearing matching hats is the surest way to signal your coolness to others in passing.
Just as my sister was leaving to go home, Jason and I got a surprise call from another sister saying she was passing through town. She ended up staying the night at our rental. Our niece, who was traveling with her, decided to remain in town even longer and hike with us the next day. We had a hard time selecting which trail to take her on out of all the classics in Moab. As it was supposed to be particularly blustery that day, we picked a more protected path, the 2.4-mile trail to Longbow Arch. We needn’t have worried about the wind as the temperatures hovered around 70 and felt mighty pleasant even with it.
The hike to Longbow Arch is easy, and a 60-foot span is your reward.
We always expect Moab to provide fantastic scenery, activities, and cuisine. However, we don’t usually expect it to provide extra family members. Way to go Moab! I didn’t think it possible for you to exceed our lofty expectations.
Although our stay in Zion was meant to break up the drive to Joshua Tree, it didn’t break it up enough. Please tell me we are there!
The Joshua Tree was once called “the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom.” Luckily, opinions about this member of the agave family have shifted.
Jason and I arrived at our rented home in the town of Joshua Tree after dark, so we had no idea what the terrain surrounding us looked like. The next morning, I woke up just after sunrise astonished by the bouldered landscape and the four coyotes wandering in the backyard. It was a magical preamble to the next segment of our trip.
Vehicles abandoned long ago can be found at random along what used to be the area’s roads.The Ohlson family occupied this structure for an unknown period of time and then deserted it for an unknown reason.
The weather that first day was 65 degrees and perfect for squishing in three hikes. Joined by some welcomed relatives, we did the Hidden Valley and Barker Dam Loops, a sum of 2.3 miles. We also wandered out to the Wall Street Mill, which added another 2.2 miles to our daily trekking total.
The Wall Street Mill opened in 1933 and crushed gold ore for three decades. A remarkable amount of its machinery remains preserved.The original Worth Bagley Marker was vandalized in 2014 and is now in the park’s museum. This to-scale replica stands in its place.
Even after reading an entire book about Joshua Tree, Jason and I were still surprised by the quantity, height, and shape of its numerous granite piles. However, the park’s jumbled geology is just one facet of its fascinating past; its human story is also warped and riveting. For instance, Hidden Valley, peaceful and stunning, was once used by notorious cattle thieves to hide their nabbed steers. And the Wall Street Mill? While the mill is on the National Registry of Historic Places due to its historic significance, it isn’t the only significant thing one comes across in its vicinity. Along its route, you pass several rusty antique vehicles. Then, you skirt a blushing, crumbling building called the Ohlson House or Wonderland Ranch. Incidentally, no one knows why this home was built at this location or why the constructors abandoned it. Minutes later, you encounter a marker erected by Bill Keys, the owner of the Wall Street Mill, at the spot where he shot Worth Bagley. This marker states, “Here is where Worth Bagly bit the dust at the hand of W. F. Keys, May 11, 1943.” Curiously, Bill Keys himself created this memento promptly after he was released from jail for killing Worth Bagley. Yes, Joshua Tree’s history is full of gun fights, cattle robberies, mine disputes (which often led to gun fights), and old-fashioned mob manhunts. Its past is about as wild as the Wild West got.
The trail up Ryan Mountain only climbs 977 feet to hit its 5,457-foot summit.
The next morning, we were keen on conquering Ryan Mountain before a blustery storm brought gusts between 20-40 mph, and the daily crowds also gusted. Since Ryan Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in Joshua Tree, we started climbing at 8:30 in hopes of achieving both maximum wind and people reduction… and getting a parking spot. We saw few people during our ascent, less than we were expecting. The gods of hiking a well-liked mountain without encountering a horde were certainly with us.
The Ryan in our group tried to do a dramatic jump at the top of Ryan Mountain. This was the result.Ryan Mountain was named after a family that once operated a ranch nearby.
With the predicted blasts considered, we decided to spend the rest of the day driving and stopping rather than hiking and whooshing. Those forecasted breezes never manifested, for the second time on our trip, but our drive was worthwhile regardless. Skull Rock, a stone that looks much like a skull from certain angles, was our first stop. Although Skull Rock was cool, the mess of disorderly boulders surrounding it were more interesting.
Skull Rock’s eye sockets were created by tafoni.
After Skull Rock, we continued to the Cholla Cactus Garden, a sharp patch of misshapen plants growing densely in a mysterious pocket. These cacti proved more intriguing than anticipated, making this my favorite picture spot of the whole trip.
Giant, lopsided boulders surround Skull Rock.
Our last day in Joshua Tree, we hiked the Maze Trail, a 4.7-mile loop through bulky stones, sandy washes, and unusual flora… aka typical Joshua Tree terrain. This trail offers a variety of routes via adjoining loops. We just did the basic; it didn’t feel basic.
Joshua Tree contains both Sonoran and Mojave Desert. Its chollas are found in the Sonoran section.Chollas are incredible survivors and are able to handle temperatures up to 138 degrees F.
It should be mentioned that hiking in Joshua Tree is more like walking. If you like the visuals attained through hiking but not the work involved, Joshua Tree may be your kind of place. With the exception of Ryan Mountain, all the treks we did were nearly flat. Unless you count the boulder pile we scrambled up just because- piles aren’t flat. Yes, we decided to climb the mountain of colossal rocks stacked behind the home we rented. Ascending those stones proved exciting and slightly unnerving. There wasn’t the potential of death in route, but a maiming seemed possible. We moved carefully though and only had one falling-into-a-cactus incident.
Joshua Tree’s strange granite formations were created by weathering below the earth’s surface.
The morning of our departure, we awoke to two or three inches of snow. Barbed cacti covered in fluffy blankets were an uncanny sight. These plants could visibly be seen swelling as they sucked up the available moisture.
What is normal for Joshua Tree isn’t normal anywhere else.
Just as it had begun, our time in Joshua Tree ended with a magical morning. Our getaway perfectly counteracted the blues generated by chilly air and a spreading plague. How could a warm retreat to a resilient environment full of misshapen grace provide anything less?
It’s not often you wake up to a scene like this in the desert.
On a side note, the town of Joshua Tree is small and a bit odd. I couldn’t quite get a sense of its flavor, but I tasted as much of it as I could. We sampled foods from Boo’s Organic Oven, Crossroads Café, Natural Sisters Café, Sam’s Indian Food & Pizza, and Pie for the People! These were all excellent.
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