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Just Joshing You Part II

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
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.

discarded relics
Vehicles abandoned long ago can be found at random along what used to be the area’s roads.
Wonderland Ranch
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
The Wall Street Mill opened in 1933 and crushed gold ore for three decades. A remarkable amount of its machinery remains preserved.
the Worth Bagley Marker
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.

climbing Ryan
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 top and bottom or Ryan
The Ryan in our group tried to do a dramatic jump at the top of Ryan Mountain. This was the result.
Ryan Mountain
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
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.

mangled sentries
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.

Sonoran citizens
Joshua Tree contains both Sonoran and Mojave Desert. Its chollas are found in the Sonoran section.
sharp fighters
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.

exposed cracks
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.

the Maze
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?

flake and spike
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.

Rachel June 7, 2021 No Comments

Just Joshing You Part I

There comes a time in every pandemic, or maybe 10 times, when you need to get out of the house. In January, Jason and I reached another one of those gotta-get-out moments. Luckily, we already had a plan to get out to two national parks, one of which we had never visited. Here’s how our indispensable travels to the Joshua Tree and Zion National Parks led to the greatest possible happiness one can receive from roaming a couple national parks during winter in the middle of a pandemic.

observing The Watchman
The Watchman looks out 2,600 feet from the base of Zion Canyon.

While Joshua Tree National Park, a new location for us, was the main focus of our trip, we thought we might as well break up our long drive with a couple nights in Zion National Park. It was our first time in Zion in January, so we weren’t sure what to expect… until the weather forecast told us we should expect bad things. The wind was supposed to remain an unsettled 20-22 mph during our stay. Determined hikers + strong gusts + temperatures in the low forties = an infallible method for making rambling popsicles. Fortunately, we didn’t become an ingredient in that recipe thanks to a slide.

Lower Emerald Pool
The water sprinkling over Lower Emerald Pool’s alcove was barely a trickle.

We hiked the Sand Bench Loop, which is 3.6 miles long starting from The Court of the Patriarchs and meanders on top of a massive 2,000-year-old landslide. We encountered virtually no breeze for most of our trek, even though the wind was whizzing outside Zion Canyon. Goodbye 20-22 mph; hello blocking rocks strategically placed 250 million years ago! Apparently, this trail doesn’t get much love except from those taking it on horseback, but we thought the views of The Patriarchs, the rock formations across the canyon, and the valley below The Watchman were striking. Also, we only saw five or six groups during our whole trek, and nothing makes an outlook more appealing than a lack of people.

the Grafton schoolhouse
Grafton’s schoolhouse was built in 1886 and also served as a church.

Afterward, we had just enough daylight, or nearly enough, to hike to the Lower Emerald Pool, which is an easy stroll at just over a mile. This trail had recently reopened after a year-long closure to perform some routine repairs; floods and rainstorms regularly damage this swath of Zion. While this path had more occupants than Sand Bench, compared to its usual masses, it was practically deserted.

the Alonzo H. Russell home
With a backdrop like that, it’s easy to see why Grafton is the most photographed ghost town in the West.

On our way out of the area the next day, we stopped at Grafton, a nearby ghost town. It was settled in 1847 and deserted in 1945. Like its inhabitants, we thought we could make this a quick stop… a few hours later we finally made it back on the road. Please note, I am not responsible for the seductive and engrossing nature of historical information.

Grafton Cemetery
Grafton Cemetery, the final resting place of up to 84 of its townsfolk, tells the story of a challenging existence. In 1866, 13 residents died, almost 10% of the settlement’s population, due to diphtheria, conflicts with Natives, and a broken tree swing.

Next week, or sometime thereafter, I will divulge the details of the second part of our journey. It boulder be good!

Rachel May 13, 2021 No Comments

Shoes and the Dance

For a number of years, our Christmas gifts to our nieces and nephews have been experiences rather than things. Usually, these experiences are Christmas break activities that bring the family together and out of that post-holiday stupor. This year, with COVID proliferating we weren’t sure we would be able to assemble. Fortunately, creative problem solving is one of my everlasting compulsions, and with a little of that an answer presented itself in the form of some traditional winter weight distribution, aka snowshoeing at Sundance Resort. That wasn’t the only predicament that had to be cracked to bring about the outing that would bring my family together. Let us talk of leisure problems and inconsequential solutions.

Shortly after I recognized the situational suitability of snowshoeing, I realized the kids would all need snowshoes. In the consumer-driven shopping hubs of America, you’d think finding a handful of snowshoes would be an easy task. Yes, supply and demand balance perfectly as the invisible hand directs the recreational free market system. Unless a pandemic throws that equilibrium into chaos because trees can’t give you COVID. My “creative” idea proved common, so finding snowshoes was tricky. After searching numerous stores and websites, Jason and I were able to find enough pairs for all the kiddos. One more problem solved, others to go.

Elk Meadows
Do you want to build a snowman?

After acquiring the shoes for snowshoeing, the snow part proved difficult. We chose to gather during Christmas break even with a powder scarcity. I thought we might be sludge shoeing in the meager 13 inches available, but the coverage was better than I anticipated. There were only a couple spots where the ground was bare, and the dirt in those sections was too frozen to be muddy. Yes, yet another obstacle surmounted.

making it to the meadow
The group almost gave up just minutes from this scenic spot.

The last issue was the diverse sentiments of the kids regarding snowshoeing. This particular dilemma existed due to the endeavor’s exercise requirement. There were some complaints and subsequent bribes resolved those concerns. However, most of the youngsters needed no payoffs to have a good time.

Stewart Falls
Stewart Falls’ tumbles were a stilled filigree on the hillside.

Due to the absence of snow, not all the trails at Sundance were open, but considering the limited gumption of the group, what was available was more than plenty. With a little pushing, we made it to Honeymoon Meadows where lovely views of Timpanogos and a frozen Stewart Falls encircled us.

Honeymoon Meadows
I’d honeymoon in any meadow with this boy.

Unlike a subset of the children, Jason and I loved clomping through the aspens. So, a few days later, on New Year’s Day, we returned to Sundance to clomp under the full moon. Brr!! The straw in my CamelBak froze as we trekked along in 15 degrees, but we managed to stay liquid.

the full experience
Snowshoeing under the full moon takes a little sense of adventure and a lot of layers.

I’m grateful we were still able to gather the family through a slightly-less-snowy-than-ideal adventure even with the restrictions of COVID life. Just about any problem can be solved with some resourcefulness and prolific snacks.

Rachel March 26, 2021 No Comments
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